Indian Epics

Part E of the Epified Mahabharata videos followed upon the gambling match that I was so looking forward to watching in Part D. I do feel bad for Draupadi was given away as if she was nothing. It is unfortunate and wrong that in previous times as well in other cultures how women were often more considered as property rather than humans. Also the fact that Pandavas were exiled over a gambling match is still so puzzling to me, but I will leave my confusion over the gambling match on that point. Part E also finally brought forth the ending of the Mahabharata. I forgot how Arjun had to procure the celestial weapons of Shiva in order to defeat the Kauravas. Now we all know how great of a bowman Arjun was already, so when you give him Shiva's bow, you kind of know already that Kauravas had no chance. Another aspect of the story that I am not sure was in the Mahabharata was how Indra taught Arjun how to use the lightning bolt. This reminds me of Greek mythology and Zeus, specifically the P...

 After seeing the storylines in Part D of the Epified Mahabharata videos, I was really excited to see one of my favorite and most intriguing plot within the epic was being illustrated: the gambling match. I remember reading this story in the Mahabharata and was throughout confused as to why the gambling match was considered to be so important. To me it is almost unbelievable that Yudhishthir would be willing to bet all of his belongings and even his wife to the Kauravas. Additionally, why would declining to participate in a gambling match mean so much to the Pandavas? I do not really understand why so much honor is placed on a gambling match, which is ultimately based on luck then really skill like fighting. It seems as if the Pandavas were always destined to have the lower hand in whatever they did against the Kauravas, but I guess since they win in the end, it really does not matter. I also wonder how Shakuni was able to deceive the game. Did he count cards or were his dice cheat...