Reading Notes: Tiny Tales from the Mahabharata, Part A


I just finished reading Part A of the Mahabharata and so far it's just okay. For now I still like the Ramayana better (it's also easier to spell), but we'll see if that changes as I get further into this epic.

The episodes I found most interesting in this first part were the ones about the Kashi princes being kidnapped by Bhishma. I was curious why he was able to just take them and no one continued to try to get them back.

I was even more surprised when Amba when back to her fiance and he turned her away because she "belonged" to Bhishma. This definitely reminds me of when Rama was skeptical about letting Sita come home with him, and of course we know he eventually sent her back into exile. This tells us a lot about the culture of the time and how women were viewed. 

I might like to retell the story of Amba being taken away and eventually taking her life in order to speed up her revenge on Bhishma.

Bibliography: Laura Gibbs, Tiny Tales from the Mahabharata, Stories 11-14

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