Mahabharata: PDE Reading Notes D

Duel Between Duryodhana and Bhima on link

This is the last section of my Mahabharata Reading Notes. In the previous section, I decided to focus on specific morals that I thought were relevant in a YouTube summary video, and I related those back to the text. I thought that I might do the same with this set of notes, but this last section of the Mahabharata was more action-packed, making it a bit harder to do so. War was more of the focus on this last part than any religious considerations. All of the characters will experience profound loss, and so the epic becomes very tragic. Arjuna is forced to attack Bhima, and both Arjuna and Bhima lose their respective sons. I was not able to relate the morals that I found in the video easily to the text, but I did find some moral considerations on my own. I think that it is important to talk about the moral crisis that occurs in the section entitled Death of Drona, as well as the wise words of Yudhishthira at the end of the epic.

In the Death of Drona, the Pandavas have uncharacteristically resorted to trickery in order to overcome their longtime opponent, Drona. As Drona’s will to fight was enlivened by his son, Ashwatthaman, the Pandavas devise a plan to make Drona think that he is dead. Bhima kills an elephant by the name of Drona’s son, and Yudhishthira, “incapable of untruth, even for the sovereignty of the three worlds”, tells Drona that Ashwatthaman was indeed dead. Because this is still a form of untruth, Yudhishthira’s chariot which had never touched the earth began to drag on the ground. I think that it is important to examine the slack morals of the Pandavas here and to realize the overall goal of their untruth. I do not really believe that trickery is always immoral, but I do understand how this would be a controversial episode in the epic.

Towards the end of this long tale, the Pandavas, Draupadi, and a hound (who is really Dharma, Yudhishthira’s father) are ready to go into the afterlife. The group walks towards Mount Meru and fall individually along the way, except for Yudhishthira. Draupadi falls first, then Sahadeva, then Nakula, and finally, Bhima. As each falls, Bhima asks Yudhishthira why they have fallen, and Yudhishthira provides wise answers. As can also be seen in my last set of notes, Yudhisthira is the most morally inclined character in this epic. He states that Draupadi fell because her heart was with Arjuna, Nakula fell because he was boastful, and Bhima because of his gluttony and pride.
I think that it might be fun to write a story about a character as wise as Yudhishthira for one of my upcoming assignments.

Read the PDE here: link.

Mahabharata. Public Domain Edition.