Dhritarashtra

Day 10 of reading the Mahabharata - reading slowly on Matanga Hill where the sage cursed Vali, reflecting on Dhritarashtra’s desire to avoid war and the famous saying about the epic’s universality.

I am not reading these books at my usual speed. I could take the shorter way, read at full speed from the comforts of my home, or I could do it this way. From the top of a hill where the rishi Matanga meditated for centuries, where he cursed the Vanara king Vali for his vile sin, I read Dhritarashtra’s words as he beseeched Vidura for guidance. He wanted to avoid the war at all costs, but he didn’t know how much Dharmaraja himself wanted to avoid war. ...

Day 9 of reading the Mahabharata - interactions with locals and tour guides, reflecting on Hampi’s destruction and drawing parallels to Dhritarashtra’s blindness to war’s cost.

This rock that I sit on is a picnic spot, and it suits the purpose really. Many locals come here, and their kids are curious about what I’m doing here. They try to talk to me in broken English, and I smile and reply in Kannada. They are shocked. Somehow, the hair and the beard have convinced them that I’m not even an Indian, let alone a Kannadiga. ...