Reading Notes: Mahabharata, Kincaid Version, Part B

This week, I continued reading the Mahabharata by C.A. Kincaid. Earlier, I had praised this part of the story for being far better in clarity when compared to the other, but perhaps it was because I was comparing the relatively easy to understand beginning with the relatively difficult to understand ending. This is an interesting part of the story, because generally when I write, I do not have identity changes such as the Pandavas did, and I also do not interchange characters so frequently. I have a single character and some supporting characters. The issue is that technically, this is centered around an entire family, but the family acts between five different characters, which can make it hard when two characters from two different families interact, and we might not remember who is from what family.

The story does become far better when telling the happenings of the battle. In the Public Domain Edition, I had a hard time understanding the entire focus of the battle, because it happens in so many stages. So when the violence died down between stories, it would feel like it was going on and on, but also completely over. This story does a good job with the flow of the battle because it's all in one section, so I never forget that a war is raging on.

The weekly complaint I have for this story is the concept of the "tests." Near the end, Yudhishthira is tested a few times. First, he is given the chance of seeing heaven after his entire family dies, and second, he can stay in hell or go to heaven. While the loyalty concept of these tests makes sense, if he is created by the Gods and they can tell the righteousness of his heart, why test it in the first place?

Overall, this was a great re-read of the Mahabharata, and I think that a second reading, regardless of the quality in comparison, is a good idea. The characters are sometimes hard to keep track of due to the switch up and the fast paced flow of the ending, but it did clarify many things.

Yudhishthira refuses to abandon his dog, passing a loyalty test. Source: Wikipedia

Bibliography:

Mahabharata by C.A. Kincaid

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