22. Bhima and Hidimba: The setting of the banyan tree is beautiful- I hope to include one in my next story. Is the shala tree associated with evil while the banyan is good? The ginger is the villain:( the switch to old english style prose for dialogue is simultaneously disconcerting and humorous, as is the decision to set the knock-down drag-out fight further away in the forest so as not to disturb the sleeping family, tired from a long day of getting carried around I guess.
23. Bhima and Hidimbi: What an unexpected love story! Sister betrays brother, then marries the man she saved. And they name their inexplicably bald child Pothead ahahaha.
24. Bhima and Baka: This fight scene was very well-written and concise. Also I guess it's his thing to break backs. (Kinda like Bane in the Dark Knight movies, if you ask me).
25. Birth of Draupadi: "Tarry a little time for me." Cute alliteration. I want to know a little more about Draupadi's personality, and I could write about what the bards are performing in the delightful carnival-esque setting outside of the kingdom.
26. Draupadi's Swayamwara: Whoa this is crazy stuff. The god with a supposed sense of humor and her request for restored virginity at the start of all five marriages was amusing. The bow through the golden fish is like Mulan! What if I wrote a short about a woman who crossdressed as a man to be with Draupadi, her secret lesbian lover?! Also poor Kama. "like ponderous wild elephants they advanced."
27. Wife of the Five Pandavas: What a marriage week this must have been! I wonder what it was like for the wedding planner- they probably wanted a drink by the end, ha ha!
28. The Story of Nalayani: this goes below: "the people who suffered from evildoing went before the rajah as children go before a father seeking redress" again, the analogies work well!
29. Indraprastha: These dudes just settled down to get married and now they're on the move again? What about Draupadi? Is there like a custody thing for her to do with all five? Monday here, Tuesday there, every other weekend elsewhere?
30. Arjuna and Ulupi: This answers my above question I guess. TWELVE YEARS is so long! Like, Ramayana long! Dudes! Why?? Annnd then he cheats on her with a gorgeous water powered river goddess. They call it an epic for a reason lol.
31. Arjuna and the Asparas: This was a cool, episodic chapter. The alligator's fearsome set-up was well-done, and the way it changed was reminiscent of the rakshasa Viradha in the Ramayana.
32. Arjuna and Chitra: "My hands are strong to bend the bow, but I have never learnt Cupid's archery." I want to see what kinds of pick-up lines this guy can come up with. Story? Is he/she a woman in the beginning? "barbarian boor" sounds Shakespearean and I love it.
33. Arjuna and Subhadra: They made peace. Yes for girl solidarity!
34. The Burning of the Forest: Ah yes, drunken exploits! Entertaining since the beginning of time. This chapter was a reminder to take motivations into account: it was a trade between Agni and Krishna/Arjuna. The imagery of striking rain from the air is striking and "drunk rivers of fat and marrow" sounds gross.
35. Maya's Palace: What a setting! And the humor of the king wandering around clothes-less, mistaking crystalline water and doors for solid crystal and air is perfect! Such a nice breath of comic relief!
36. The Pandavas Victorious: These births are nuts, and they keep getting wilder! Two moms and a jinxed mango! I'm feeling inspired to write a crazy origin story myself lol. Liberty or death! This brief sentence outlines the stakes. Another broken back. Then tax collecting, rajah edition! "deep and smouldering jealousies." Krishna decapitates Sishupala who to be honest was at least somewhat justified in his hatred of Krishna bc Krishna stole his girl (who may have wanted to be stolen/willingly went with him in which case nevermind).
37. The Gambling Match: a loaded dice is Not skill. The majarajah and og Ramayana king need to listen to their advisors more, in the Ramayana's beginning and in this particular instance. There is an effective aside in this chapter which lets the audience know that Yudhishthira knew he was about to be cheated, but continued on anyway.
38. Draupadi Lost: "If my lord, himself a bondsman, then hath staked his queen and wife, False the stake, for owns a bondsman neither wealth nor other's life." He drags her by her hair...this is so cruel.
39. Draupadi in the Assembly Hall: She's been turned into a slave, Leia-in-The Return of the Jedi-style. That could be a fun Story.
40. The Second Match: Thematic tie-in with the hair and her vow.
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| Image Info: The cover art for P. B. Kavadi's comic rendering of the Mahabharata. Source: Link. |
Bibliography: PDE Mahabarata. Source: Link.
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