Reading Notes: Week 9 Reading Part B

Epified: The Mahabharata, Episodes 9-17
-Online video, narrated with illustrations
9. Son of the Sun
  • "the secret of Kunthi's past"
  • The legendary sage w/ a temper comes to her father's kingdom and everyone is frightened, except her
  • For her kindness, he gives her a mantra that allows her to summon gods
  • Sun god came when she tried it out of curiosity and blessed her with a son; a son born already in armor and with gold earrings
  • She could not keep him and sent him down the river
10. Pandu's Curse
  • Same idea- Pandu takes wives to the forest and there he is cursed (by a hermit this time) for shooting them while they were having sex
  • Because of his curse he decides not to return to Hastinapur and is dismayed he will not have sons
  • Kunthi tells him of her secret mantra
11. Sons of Pandu
  • Same story- the sons, known as the Pandavas are born from the mantra uttered by both Kunthi and Madri
  • Bhima is dropped by Kunthi and breaks a rock with his otherworldly strength; Arjuna is said to be born with archer's eyes
  • Pandu dies when he 'succumbs to passion' and at his cremation, Madri engages in sati
  • Kunthi returns to the kingdom with the Pandavas
12. One Hundred Sons
  • Ghandari has a troublesome pregnancy; she is plagued by nightmares and when she finally gives birth, it is to a decaying ball of flesh; she orders it be thrown into the forest
  • Vyasa says nah bruh; he splits the flesh into a hundred pieces and places them into vases with oil; bad omens surrounding all of this; out pops the hundred sons
  • "something demonic about them that only a mother could be blind to"
13. Hate and Hurt
  • "a new growing rivalry"
  • Duryodhana grows to hate Bhima most; tries to drown him after drugging the Pandavas
  • Bhima falls asleep next to lake and Duryodhana pushes him in with his hands bound
14. The Magic Potion
  • Bhima is attacked by serpents but he defeats them and floats down to the kingdom of Naglok, the serpent kingdom
  • Here he meets Vasuki who he is actually related to
  • Vasuki gives him a drink that gives him the "strength of a hundred elephants"
15. Drona
  • Time passes and Bhishma thinks the Pandavas need to learn more skills and art of war
  • Here they meet Drona, who helps them get a ball out of a well with perfect aim
16. Drona Trains the Pandavas
  • Drona becomes their teacher
  • Each of the Pandavas has their on strength, skill and weapon; Arjuna masters them all but chooses archery as a preference
  • Drona's true purpose is revealed; vengeance!
17. Ekalavya's Story
  • In the forest the Pandavas are following a dog until it is silenced by precise arrows in its mouth
  • Here they meet Ekalavya who is potentially the world's greatest archer and this makes Arjuna upset
  • Eka says he was taught by Drona but in fact, he carved a picture of Drona when Drona refused to accept him as a pupil and taught himself
  • Drona makes him to cut off his thumb (?!) to pay respect 
  • Eka will no longer be the greatest archer 
Vyasa speaks with Gandhari. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Reference: Epified, Mahabharata Episodes 1-8. [Youtube].

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