Week 6 Reading Diary A: The Five Tall Sons of Pandu

     The bow must be a very powerful weapon in Indian culture for this is the second epic where it signifies power. Being the oldest of a  hundred sons must be hard for Duryodhana. I can understand why he doesn't like his cousins very much. When Karna gets crowned King for his superior skills, everyone mocks him for he is not a son of a former King. I admire Duryodhana for defending Karna and for not having a sense of entitlement. It is kind of ridiculous that all of the brothers share the Princess, especially when Aruja was the only one to string the bow. It is also ridiculous that Karna did not win when he did it first. It is interesting that the Duryodhana's father, the Pandava's uncle, took pity on them and instead of them becoming slaves, allows them to live in exile in the forest. I read somewhere that the forest in Indian epics represents magical forces so if it is anything like Ramayana, they are in for an interesting journey. His treatment of  Draupadi makes me not like Duryodhana as much. Luckily he doesn't try to capture her for himself but allows her to be with her husbands. Duryodhana's need for saving tells me the only reason he hates the Pandava for probably the wrong reasons. Coupled with his father's mercy, it is most likely out of jealousy. I wonder how he will act once they are able to reclaim their kingdom.

Source

Story: The Five Tall Sons of Pandu by Richard Wilson