Reading the Mahabharata by the Tungabhadra - Day 19

The End. The 1008 names of Shiva, the 1000 names of Vishnu, the Anu Gita and the Purusha Suktam. Bhishma leaves Dharmaraja with this and other words of Dharma. And then, he leaves his body and Ganga mourns her son. As the sun sets on my sojourn here at Hampi, so does the sun set on the story of the Kurus. Dhritarashtra leaves for the forest, losing his life to a fire. Thirty six years after the war, the Yadavas fall, and Krishna too dies. Maddened at the loss of the Best of the Vrishnis, the Pandavas head north. One by one, Panchali and Yudhishthira’s brothers fall. ...

December 28, 2016

Reading the Mahabharata by the Tungabhadra - Day 5

I do not believe in religion, I despise the organized rituals that exist today. That is not Sanathana Dharma. Dharma is subtle, it is imbued into the blood of people such as Prahalada and Bali. It runs through the veins of Markandeya, and it is in the pillars of the sabha Maya built for Dharmaraja. The Mahabharata’s scope and expanse is mindblowing. What words can I use to explain how the powerful Bhima had to stay his hand angry at Duhshasana? I am not bard enough to explain the rage of the otherwise calm and reserved Sahadeva. ...

December 5, 2016