Reading Notes: Narayan's Mahabharata, Part A

In the first section of the Mahabharata, I was confused by the number of different names that appear quickly. It seemed that the Ramayana did not have such an immediately diverse cast of names. That said, I thought that the first section was interesting, and I saw some parallels to other, Western mythology. First, Karna being put in a basket and floated down the river was an interesting parallel to the story of Moses in the Bible; however, it is in reverse in terms of parentage: in the Bible a Jew (a common person) floated Moses down the river to be found by the Pharaoh's wife, while in the Mahabharata a royal woman floated Karna down the river to be found by common people.

Also, the idea of stringing a bow as a way to win a wife through competition against other suitors came up again, like it did in both the Ramayana and the Odyssey. Interesting is that an archery competition followed the stringing the bow, which reminded me of the archery competition at the end of the Iliad, during Patroclus' funeral games. The juxtaposition of the betrothement and the funeral games stuck out to me.

Also, I'm having a hard time determining the central protagonist of the Mahabharata, if there is one. The Pandavas as a group seem to be the protagonists, each seeming to share the spotlight equally. Previous to reading the Mahabharata, the only characters whose names I'd heard are Arjuna and Krishna, so I am expecting them to take on a more central role -- but maybe they don't. I'll have to see.

The familial conflict central to the text was a theme in the Ramayana, and it saddens me to think about how much a family can turn on itself (as Duryodhana and his brothers turn on the Pandavas) while the family still stays so loyal and intact (as the Pandavas share everything, even their wife). This dichotomy interests me going forward, to see if there is any hope of reconciliation since they're family.

The Pandavas with Draupadi. Source.

Bibliography: Narayan, R. K. The Mahabharata.