Epics of India: Week 5 Reading Diary: PDE Mahabharata

The story continues in Mahabharata with the growing jealousy of Duryodhana and his brothers towards Pandava brothers. The most interesting part that caught my eyes was Draupadi being the wife of all Pandava brother. I wonder how she was feeling being called the wife of five brothers. Also the other part that is fascinating is the gambling match. Shakuni, Prince of Gandhara, and brother of Dhritarashtra’s queen Gandhari plots a dice match with Duryodhana. They call upon the Pandava family for a festival. In the festival they drag Yudhishthira to gamble with Shakuni. In the game Yudhishthira lost, and he kept losing and on and on. Yudhishthira lost all his of his belongings like horses, money and all his jewels. He even bids himself and loses the game. He then gets dragged to stake Draupadi and loses her too. This is quiet disappointing, why would anyone stake their own life? The other thing that happens because of this gambling is the stripping of the princess before the assembly. This is a very disrespectful act and this makes me sad. The Pandava brothers could not act on the situation to save Draupadi. Bhima, in anger makes a vow to break the knee of Duryodhana in battle and drink the blood of Duhshasana. The good act of the blind Maharaja Dhritarashtra grants boons to Draupadi, then she frees the Pandava brothers and herself form the Kaurava and then leaves the kingdom. Duryodhana unhappy with what his father did, calls upon the Pandava brothers to the palace again for a second match and goes on humiliating them again. This time before leaving the palace, kunti vows that her hair will fall over her forhead until Bhima will slain Duhshasana and drank his blood. This vows that happens in this part makes it obvious of the huge fight that is going to happen between the Kauravas and the Pandavas.