Reading Notes: Epified Mahabharata, Part A

Maybe it’s not surprising, but this time around with the Mahabharata, a lot of the same elements struck me as before. Sometimes they stood out to me more, since this version is a bit simplified and the different drawings make it easier to keep the large cast from getting mixed up—but sometimes, I saw the stories with the exact same measures of potential as last time. That’s fine, I guess, since there were a lot of stories that went untold from my notes.

First off, I’m still intrigued about doing something with Devarat’s “terrible oath” (which gives him the new name, Bhishma, “he of the terrible oath”). Especially because this retelling frames it in such ominous consequences: it will lead to a terrible war, horrible bloodshed and consequences. Really, I see two main ways to spin this terrible oath of his: either some promise that comes back to bite him royally, or some kind of oath of revenge, which ends up setting the stage for the story.

Also, I didn’t realize the first time around that Bhishma’s dad was so upset by his son’s sacrifice in his name, or that he was the one who granted Bhishma’s ability to choose the time of his own death (seen at the end of the Mahabharata). Apparently, he granted it as a boon in return for his sacrifice of the potential of a wife and family. Interesting stuff.

Then there was also this quote, which I found really interesting: “Bhishma kept his promise. Under him, the kingdom became strong; he watched over it like a silent guardian.” A silent, watcher guardian like that—maybe watching from the shadows—is really interesting as well.

I also find it interesting that these mortals casually coexisted with other people who were widely suspected but not officially confirmed to be avatars of their gods. I always find that juxtaposition interesting—the shoulder-brushing of the everyday and the otherworldly, the fantastic—and I’m not sure how I’d use this one yet, but it’s probably the option that interests me the most so far. At this point, I'm thinking maybe a god of war in teenage form—actually, scratch that, just a teenage god of war (it makes plenty of sense that the god of war would be a hotheaded teenager, really)—joins up with the local kids' fight club scene and pretty much ruins it in the process; it'll never be the same. What's that old quote? We'll be remembered more for what we destroy than what we create? Sounds like his style.

Bibliography: Epified: The Mahabharata, by Epified TV. Source: YouTube.

Image Credit:  Dark Face by Pexels. Source: Pixabay.