Reading Notes: Mahabharata Part A

In the Ramayana, I thought that the gods had fairly little involvement in the mortal world aside from being reborn as humans. Yes, Rama and Sita were supposedly a god and his wife reborn, but in their earthly endeavors, the other gods would only visit for a bit of advice, then leave. 

Part A of the Mahabharata started off slow, with a lot of introductions to various characters. We learn about the background of each character, their personalities, and how each relates to the next. The first half of the reading sets up the background plot points that lead to the main conflict of the Mahabharata. 

For the first several stories, the various characters are fairly normal. Devavrata vows to never marry or bear sons, initially starting as the first as a condition by his mother to be wield the 8 Vasus's power and later as a vow to his father to allow his father to marry a woman that he loves. The other characters make human like mistakes, acting with the best intentions but making mistakes nonetheless.

In the chapter entitled Amba, the reader is introduced to Amba, a sad princess who was rejected by her secretly betrothed because of Bhishma in a very roundabout way. She prays very devotedly to the gods, who inform her that she will go on to be reincarnated as a man who will defeat Bhishma. As a way to quicken this outcome, Amba sacrifices herself into flames. 

In Gandhari and Dhritarashtra, we are introduced to the first character who is truly born evil, Duryodhana. Raised with his brothers, the Kauravas, and his cousins, the 5 Pandavas, Duryodhana was constantly jealous of the strongest of them all, Bhima (a Pandava brother). 

Bhima slays Nagas

source

In Duryodhana's blind goal of killing Bhima, he actually ends up giving Bhima more power. This story is told in Bhima and the Nagas. From what i've seen so far in Mahabharata, the Kauravas (mainly Duryodhana) act out of irrationality while the Pandavas remain true and obedient.

"Devavrata's Vow" by Donald A. Mackenzie, from Indian Myth and Legend. Web source.

"Amba" by Sister Nivedita, from Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists. Web source.

"Bhima and the Naga's" by Donald A. Mackenzie, from Indian Myth and Legend. Web source.