Spring 2018 Indian Epics

Vidura , quick facts: the third of Vyasa's sons (of base heritage through Ambika's handmaiden) brother of Dhritarashtra and Pandu human incarnate of Dharma voice of reason, intelligence, wisdom, and inner consciousness aided the Pandavas to escape from Duryodhana's trap protested the disgrace of Draupadi at Duryodhana's hands chose not to govern following the war This is a man with complexity and a keen conscience. My original interest in Vidura was the conspicuous lack of concern showed for any of the low-caste family who burned to death in the ol' switcheroo during the House of Fire. This family, having come to beg on that fateful night, experienced a fate legally referred to as "premeditated murder." The Pandavas, of lofty and noble heritage, could likely have seen the murder of low-castes as trivial and insignificant. But, what about Vidura? This is a man denied the throne on the basis of his low breeding. Could Vidura have possibly counte...

The Palace of the Pandava Brothers Image Source: Wikimedia Commons The escape from the house of fire has one element which bothers me tremendously: the low-caste beggar family who is drugged and allowed to burn up. The treatment of low-to-no-caste peoples, already seen in the Ekalavya incident, is further highlighted by the actions of the Pandavas and their mother. Escaping from their crazy cousin? That is morally acceptable. Basically murdering a family of six to do so? That is morally reprehensible. I realize that India of bygone times utilized a caste system which had no regard for the lives of those below a certain rung, but Pandavas have now ceased to be a noble family for me. Did they cheerfully consign the beggar family to death? Was it a group decision, or a suggestion that everyone else decided to follow? Were they even slightly aghast at what they had done? The Pandavas supernatural origins could possibly displace feelings of guilt or shame over their treatment of ...

There was a lot of information presented early on in this reading, and I struggled at first to keep track of who everyone was. I've included a Kuru family tree graphic, it helped quite a bit with mentally organizing the characters. The story of Amba intrigues me for several reasons. Rendering herself unavailable to Vichitravirya for marriage material in her quest for King Shalwa's hand has dire repercussions for her sanity; the Bhishma obsession she cultivates following her rejection by King Shalwa seems a trifle misplaced. Her journey to rage and holiness could be a very dark story as a standalone piece, but I think I would like to wait on her until the rest of her story emerges. Kunti's eldest son, Karna, has a seriously strange backstory. Kunti herself had a nymph for a mother, and her dalliance with Surya (which really smacks of Zeus), produces a son she cannot care for. His trip down the river instantly connected with the story of Moses. I would like to see what oth...