Just as when I read the Ramayana for the first time, I’m
finding myself having to make ample use of the Wikipedia links that give
explanations about various character, people, gods, things, etc to get a full
understanding of what’s going on. We again see plenty of fantastical elements.
Almost immediately we get that some sperm spilled into a river and a fish ate
it, resulting in two children. It’s interesting to look into that line of
thought because it would seem to imply a belief that children were purely the
result of the male sexual organs. I don’t know enough about historical Indian
cultural belief to really tell if this is a really belief or not. It is interesting
still though.
I do find it very interesting how the god’s in these stories
can often be swayed by both good and evil characters so long as they perform
certain actions which are looked at in a positive light by the gods. It’s a
very interesting aspect to these stories because so often in western culture,
we view the idea of a god or gods as being a noble thing generally seeking
good. It reminds me of the older western gods like the Roman or Greek ones
where the gods themselves are somewhat more fallible and human in nature. They
can be tricked and fall victim to many of the same woes as humans. It’s
interesting how the gods themselves are often tricking one another and squabbling
or battling over things just as humans in the stories might.
Seeing the sorts of major cultural distinctions different
from the ones I know is pretty fascinating. It’s very interesting watching the
wives of Pandu debate over which one of them will be able to throw themselves
on the funeral pyre. It seems almost ridiculous to an outsider like me but I
can see that there is a strong cultural meaning behind it.
Bibliography: Public Domain Mahabharata, link
(Gandhari reprimands Duryodhana, Wikimedia Commons)
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