Week 14: Reading Diary B - The End is Nearing

Reading Diary Pg. 351-412
Mahabharata by William Buck

• Today's reading starts off with the author, William Buck, bringing the story to a close and bringing up the description of the setting. 
• The setting still remains Shaunaka listening to the story told by his friend Sauti the storyteller. Sauti was in Hastinapura, where he had overheard the Mahabharata which was being recited by Vaishampayana, who is a disciple of Vyasa. Vyasa is the composer of the Mahabharata and is the one who taught it to Vaishampayana. Buck goes on to explain that as his book comes to an end, we can expect to see a bunch of different stories merging at the end. 
• The battle is now over, and Bhishma is still alive. He is waiting to choose his own moment where he will die. Everyone gathers together to visit him so that they could be there with him while he dies. 
• Bhishma decides not to put a curse on Yudhishthira for leading the army against him, and he has decided not to have any anger towards anyone. His last words are to Krishna and he ends up dieing on the exact day of the winter solstice, which is the shortest day of the year. They take burn him to his ashes and pour them out into the Ganges river.
• Yudhishthira is in despair over all of the deaths. He has a dream where he sees himself along with his brothers and Draupadi on a journey, accompanied with a dog. As they continue on this journey, Draupadi and all of his brothers die and he just continues on the journey with the dog.
• Yudhishthira travels to Hastinapura and declares that the war is officially over. Rakshasa is disguised as a hermit. 
• The Brahmins of Hastinapura utter a mantra which kills Charvaka. Yudhishthira is made king. The is an elaborate ceremony with ritual, in which he is officially crowned. He tells the people of Hastinapura to treat Dhritarashtra with respect, as they had not before. 
• Yudhishthira holds a festival with plenty of food and gifts for everyone. It is here that he meets a mongoose who is golden colored on half of his body, and he explains that he acquired this color from rolling in the grains that a generous poor family had offered to Yama. He wishes to be gold all over, but hasn't been able to find anyone generous enough to give it to him. 
• Yudhishthira is thankful that he has shared his story with him, and generously gives him gifts of food and silk for his wife. 
• Arjuna travels to Indraprastha, where he meets the god Agni who burns Arjuna's weapons to ashes. He finds that the Khandava forest has grown up again and that Indraprastha is in ruins. 
• A flood drowns the city of Dwaravati, and only Balarma and Krishna survive, but Balarma later dies. 
• Right as the book is ending, Takshana takes Astika with him into the naga kingdoms under the world. 

Week 14: Reading Diary A - The Duel

Reading Diary Pg. 307-349
Mahabharata by William Buck

• The beginning of this reading talks about Duryodhana, who uses power to keep anyone from entering the lake, making it impenetrable. I'm thinking he did this in order to exert power and prove he is strong. The others did not take this so well, and it eventually caused a duel. Yudhishthira began speaking to him from the other side of the lake, since he couldn't cross into the waters, proposing that Duryodhana fight one of the Pandavas brothers. This lead to a duel between him and Bhima. As Bhima had swore earlier in the reading, he smashes Duryodhana's thighs. 
• Arjuna comes into play after the battle has ceased, and as he comes in on his chariot and dismounts it, the chariot immediately disintegrates into ashes. This has occurred because Drona had actually destroyed his chariot prior to him riding in on it. Krishna had the power to hold it together by illusion long enough for him to get back, but as soon as he gets off it was depleted. As I read this story, I wonder if Arjuna was aware of this before it had happened, or if it was a shock? 
• Back to the duel between Duryodhana and Bhima. Duryodhana is on the verge of death at this point. Sanjaya, Kripa, Kritavarman, and Ashwarrhaman pay him a visit, only to find him in immense pain, but still alive. He then goes to tell them about the story of Death and how he is not sorry to die because he is glad to have fallen in battle like a warrior rather than to become a a slave. His dying words to Krippa are that he needs to make sure Ashwatthaman becomes the commanding general. 
• Ashwattahaman prepares to raid the Pandavas camp, desperately wanting revenge. They are somwwhat tricked by the Pandavas deciding to sleep outside of their camp that night, which is where they were headed to raid. Ashwattahman goes to tell Duryodhana news, and he officially dies.  
• There are only three survivors of the Kaurava army - Kripa, Kritavarman, and Ashwatthaman. Dhrishtadyumna is the only one on the other side to live. He goes on to tell the Pandavas and Krishna that the camp had been raided. Bhima is outraged by this news and seeks out Ashwatthaman. Meanwhile, Krishna convinces Arjuna to stop Bhima from attacking Ashwatthaman, because he is in possession of the Brahman-astra. Also known as Brahman mantra, it is an extremely powerful weapon created by Brahma. After looking in to that a little bit more, I read that it can be compared equivalent to modern day anatomic weapons, nuclear and thermonuclear bombs.