The Lake of Death: I continue to enjoy the way these small chapters ground themselves in the larger narrative by starting with a sentence which talks about where/when the characters are. In this one: "As the Pandavas passed their twelfth year in the Kamyaka" is the first thing the reader encounters when opening this chapter. "A famous man lives even after his death, while those who are infamous are as good as dead even though they still breathe" as morals/sayings go in the epics, this was an interesting one...it seemed more self-indulgent than most, and made me think a little differently for sure. I like the living/dead, famous/infamous analogies- they complemented each other well within the framework of the phrase. The formidable weapon is given a name and thereby given additional notability- a nice trick...perhaps in my next Story I'll assign a name to an inanimate object, either for laughs, intimidation factor, or both. "He who sacrifices virtue is himself destroyed" I would think, in a world so magical and fantastic as that of the Mahabharata, the brothers would posess the modicum of common sense necessary to heed the mysterious advice of a nearby lake-dweller regarding the deathly nature of the body of water. "For our thirteenth year we must live incognito" lolol the vocab here amuses me.
Into Virata: Immediate setting: "As the rainy season came and went, Dhaumya determined by astrological calculation that the thirteenth year of exile was about to commence." They choose to go to Virata because the king is *insert laundry list of positive qualities* AND he likes us. And so the brothers become a servant, a cook, an eunuch, a horse-keeper, and a cow farmer. Draupadi becomes a hairdresser/lady in waiting. I wonder what an episode of undercover boss would look like, and would love to write a Story in which they assume other jobs, such as ice cream taster or fast food worker. "Seeing how even the women here are staring at you, I feel there is no man alive who could resist your charms" Nice! 100k cows is crazy excessive for one dude to oversee based off a two minute job interview.
Draupadi Again Insulted: Thank goodness Yudhi's having better luck in the gambling department! The wrestling match was a nice, concise episodic run, good action and good secondary conflict of not wanting to be discovered. Draupadi has a stainless steel code of honor and a sharp tongue to boot. Iconic. I love that the often-villainously typecast rakshasas are of help to the protagonist here- it's a welcome switcheroo. The changing of characters' eyes are often used to indicate a change of mood/disposition throughout these chapters. Perhaps a Story featuring just eyes and the colors they turn/what they represent could be really interesting- a study of the window to the soul. Draupadi serves up some angst in this installment! (favorite husband?) Also, this chapter is so so gory I am shooketh.
The Kurus Attack Virata: This chapter is a wise lesson in the repercussions of the great feats- to quote Lin Manuel Miranda's patriotic Newton paraphrasing: "every action has an equal opposite reaction". "Like a full moon rising in the east, Bhisma, clad in white silks, rose from his seat to address the assembly." I love that they look for them by looking for a place at peace, with no calamities/disasters, because they know the righteous Pandavas couldn't stand to allow anything less. The big battle is detailed, comprising about half of the chapter. I'm glad musical instruments are given a sense of importance at the end, as entertainers are sent to entertain the troops.
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Image Info: Battle Pandavas, from Grant Morison's Reimagined Visual Mahabharata Anthology, 18 Days.
Source: Scoop Whoop.com. Link.
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