Reading Notes: Part A Mahabharata

Like with the Ramayana, I decided to go with the public domain version to begin my reading. I have read the story before as child, so I had some understanding of the epic which offset the difficult language at times. Compared to Ramayana, I feel that there are way more characters than Mahabharata. It got confusing at times to remember who was who, and I often had to use the links associated with the characters to remember their roles. I see myself having to utilize a character list of the Mahabharata to make sure I do not get confused between characters. Pertaining the story itself, it was interesting start to the epic. It is quite different compared to the Ramayana and part A really focused on introducing characters and setting up the battle between the Pandavas and Kauravas. One thing I am looking forward to reading about is how Bhishma as he has seems to much influence between the kingdoms and their rearing. The story really set the reader up with what to expect for the battle as it is quite obvious now that some legendary war will occur. Thus I would like to see Bhishma splits his loyalty between the Pandavas and Kauravas. Overall, the Mahabharata is quite different from the Ramayana but I am looking forward to seeing the battle and other storylines play around. I will do my best to remember the characters, but I think the story will transition to focus mainly on the central ones.

Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913)

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