Week 10 Reading Diary: The Great War, Part A

While reading through the book I found the story told by Kanika very interesting.  The blind king was stressed because he thought that the Pandava brothers were shining in the kingdom and the Kaurava brothers were being pushed into the shades. Kanika upon arrival tells the blind king clever story filled with cruelity.  He tells the story about a clever jackle. This jackle shared his life with four of his friends; A tiger, A mongoose, A rat and a wolf. One day he wants to asks all of his friends to hunt a deer. After they are done hunting the deer , he manipulates each of his friends and makes them leave the deer and run for various reasons. At the end, he enjoys his deer by himself. The jackle gives a bad example of friendship but for jackle he got what he really wanted. So, I think by telling this story to the blind king Kanika is referring to make the Pandava brother go separate ways and/or make them fight with each other. This might prove to be good for Kaurava brothers. Then jealous Duryodhana makes the Pandava brother to be banished so that he could be the king and fill his jealousy.

I also liked the part where Vidura speaks in Mlechchha tongue with Yudhisthira and warns him of the weapons not made of steel. He also refers to build a house like the house of jackle, meaning a house with many roads out.

Jackle has been mentioned a lot more here and I find it fascinating. One of the mention gives him negative role and the other gives him a positive role. 

Yudhisthira

 

 

 

 

 

  Link to the picture

Link  to the story