Reading the Mahabharata by the Tungabhadra - Day 3#
This land belongs to the monkeys. It is theirs to frolic in, it is theirs to own. We have somehow faltered here, and they know it far better than we.
The wind blows my hair into my eyes, it cries out, howling like a dog in the distance. Perhaps it really is a dog, perhaps Dharma is watching me read the Mahabharata here. Or perhaps it is Vayu, listening in as I read how his son Bhima kills the demons Hidimba and Baka.
Squirrels joined in, squeaking as I read of Panchali and how Arjuna won her over. The critters seemed to know no fear as they raced past me, as I read of Krishna’s ploy to help Arjuna kidnap Subhadra.
Towards the end of this day, clouds loomed overhead. They ushered the wind on, and it howled in response. The clouds seemed to realize that I was reading about the Khandiva forest and how Purandara fought his own son to try and stop Agni’s insatiable hunger.
Today I went to read the Mahabharata by the Tungabhadra, and I did. My only neighbours were the langoors, the squirrels which treat the giant boulders as their own sabha, and the achyuta Vayu.