Week 10 Storytelling: Drona and Drupada

The two boys chased each other through the field, twisting and turning and zigzagging through the grass, laughing all the while. When one boy would get too close, the one in front would put on a burst of speed, usually avoiding his friend, but this time, it wasn't enough. Drona tapped his shoulder, shouting gleefully and immediately turning to run in the other direction.

"I'm going to get you, Drona!" Drupada shouted. "You aren't going to win this time!"

Drona, without slowing or turning back, said, "I wouldn't bet on it! I win every time and you know it!"

The game went on like this, one boy catching up to the other, declaring his prowess at the simple game of tag, and getting tagged yet again, until the sun began to set and the boys' limbs were heavy with exhaustion.

They were laying in the field, watching the final rays of sunlight dance across the sky, waiting for Drona's parents to call him in, for Drupada's nanny to come pick him up.

"Drupada?" Drona asked.

"Yeah, Drona?" he responded.

"We are going to be friends forever, right? No matter what happens, we'll always be friends?" Drona asked.

Drupada turned to face his friend. He smiled widely before he said, "Of course! There is nothing that could tear us apart."

Just then, Drupada's nanny called out from the car, Drona's mother called out from the house in the middle of the field and the boys hugged before parting ways.

****

"Wait, who?" Drupada asked incredulously into his phone. "I don't have time for anyone, I have a meeting in ten minutes and I have to prepare."

Before he could hang up, though, his office doors opened, revealing a strange man. He was well-groomed, but his clothes showed evidence of multiple patches and places that had been previously mended. 

"Drupada," the man said. "My old friend!" 

He walked forward, arms outstretched as though he were going to hug Drupada. Noticing this, Drupada stepped behind his desk to create a barrier between the two.

"I think you must be mistaken, sir," Drupada said, straightening the cuffs on his obviously expensive shirt and smoothing his jacket. "I don't think we run in the, uh, same circles, you could say."

He chuckled a little at the thought of it. 

"Do you not recognize me?" the stranger asked. "It is me! Drona!"

Drupada looked up, for he did recognize the name and held fond memories of him from childhood. Fortune had not been kind to Drona, obviously, but who's fault was that?

"Ah, of course. You can see why I did not recognize you," Drupada said, gesturing towards Drona. "Anyway, why are you here?"

Drona looked down at his feet at this question. Without raising his head he said, "It's my child. We do not have-"

Drupada's eyebrows shot up and he interrupted him before he had a chance to finish. "Ah, so you NEED something do you? Life treats some people differently and I am obviously very successful," he said, gesturing to his office. "Friendship between us now will just not work. Someone like you cannot associate with someone like me. It's just not natural."

At this he pressed a button on his office phone. The secretary picked up and Drupada said, "Please send security. A strange man barged into my office and now he refuses to leave."

Photo of office buildings in Chicago found on Wikimedia Commons

Author's Note

This story in the Mahabharata was very interesting to me. I wanted to experiment with putting it into a more modern business world, but I did not want to change the story much more than that. It definitely explains why Drona wanted to have Drupada's kingdom attacked, because it was such a humiliating way to be treated and I wanted to experiment with that in this version of the story. The original was take from RK Narayan's version of the Mahabharata. 

Reading Diary B Week 10: Narayan's The Mahabharata

1. After surviving the fire trap set by Dhritarashtra, the Pandavas hid in a village. Eventually, King Drupada offered his daughter's hand in marriage in a tournament. Arjuna entered and won Draupadi's hand. In this version, it was not Kunthi who said they must share her after the misunderstanding was remedied, it was Arjuna. He did not want to sin and disobey his mother. They all agreed to share Draupadi.

2. Dhritarashtra learned about this from Duryodhana who was angry about the situation. Because Drupada was an enemy of Drona who had sided with the Kauravas, the king thought it would be wise to gain the Pandavas favor now that they were the son-in-laws of King Drupada. He invited them to his palace where he offered them half of the kingdom. They would have Khandavaprastha. 

3. When they arrived at Khandavaprastha, they realized it was a desert wasteland. They were happy with it, though, because it was a place to call their own. They worked very hard and the gods were on their side so it turned into a splendid city called Indraprastha. 

4. Sage Narada moved easily between the worlds of men and of the gods and he enjoyed involving himself in both groups affairs. He would be an interesting assistant on Surya's show.

5. Arjuna was exiled for twelve years for intruding on Draupadi and Yudhistira. During this time, he married Ulupi and Subadhra.

6. The success of their city made them want to throw a celebration. They performed a rajasuya sacrifice and many people came to celebrate, including Duryodhana. He was offered luxurious accommodations. He was very jealous and perceived that the Pandavas were mocking him.

7. During his time in exile, Arjuna received the Gandiva from the God of Fire for setting fire to the Khandava Forest.

8. Duryodhana comes up with a way to humiliate the Pandavas and to weaken them. He has his father build an even bigger palace. They invited the Pandavas to attend a party in their new palace and they invited Yudhistira to a game of dice. He said gambling was immoral, but he could not refuse his host. When he began playing, he lost all thought except the game. He could not think straight and could not tell right from wrong. He gambled away everything, including himself, his brothers, and his wife Draupadi. Vidura tried to convince them to stop, but Duryodhana and Dhritarashtra would not. 

9. When they went to retrieve Draupadi, she asked who was gambled first, her or Yudhistira because if it was him, he would have no right to gamble her away. She said she was in the woman's month and she could not go with them. They did not listen and dragged her into the assembly. They tried to disrobe her but the gods gave her unlimited cloth  to cover herself. 

Draupadi in the assembly photo found on Wikimedia Commons

Reading Diary A Week 10: Narayan's The Mahabharata

For this week I decided to read another version of The Mahabharata because I was fascinated by the story, but I had a hard time keeping track of everyone with just one read through. I chose RK Narayan's The Mahabharata.

1. Santanu married a beautiful woman whose only condition was that he could not question anything she did. She was pregnant eight times and each time she tossed her baby in the river and drowned it. On the eighth child, Santanu finally tried to put a stop to it. She explained that she was Ganga and the children were the eight vasus who stole a cow and so they were being punished. I didn't realize that the reason the last one was spared was because he was the one who organized the crime. He had to live longer on earth than the others and his name was Devavratha. Santanu named him as his heir.

2. Kunti marries Santanu after Devavratha promises that their son will inherit the throne and that he will be celibate. He changes his name to Bhishma.

3. Vichitravirya inherits the throne after his brother Chitrangada dies and he marries Ambika and Ambalika. Amba, their sister, says she is already in love with Salwa. She leaves to go be with him, but he rejects her. Bhishma refuses to marry her because he is celibate and she swears she will kill him. Vichitravirya died and so Satyavathi begged Bhishma to have children with his wives. He refused due to his vow of celibacy.

4. Satyavathi admits that she has another child and tells the story of her birth. She was born form a fish and so she always smelled of fish. A sage got rid of her fishy odor and gave her a fresh fragrance so she had a child with him. She stayed on an island to give birth and so her virginity was not lost. The child was named Vyasa.

5. Vyasa agreed to have children with Ambalika and Ambika, but he asked for a year to prepare. He had been in penance and so he was not in a state to be seen. Satyavathi would not allow this and sent the wives to him. Ambika was disgusted by his appearance and kept her eyes shut. Their child, Dhritarashtra, was born blind. Ambalika grew pale when she saw him and so their child, Pandu, was born very pale. Ambalika was asked to have another child with him, but she sent her servant in instead. Their child was born normal and his name was Vidura.

6. Dhritarashtra married Gandhari. She wore a blindfold to live like her husband. Pandu married married Kunthi and Dhritarashtra allowed him to rule due to his handicap. 

7. Pandu was cursed to die the next time he 'attempted to unite' with his wife. 

8. Kunthi had a mantra which she had already used to have a child with Surya. His name was Karna. In able to continue their line, she offered to use it again. First, she had a child with Yama, the god of death and justice. This child was a leader named Yudhistira. Next, she had a child with Vayu, the god of wind. This child was strong and his name was Bhima. Finally, she had a child with Indra. This child was wise and knowledgeable and could use every weapon with ease. His name was Arjuna. Madri wanted children as well, so Kunthi gave her her mantra. She used it to call upon the Aswins and had the twins Nakula and Sahadeva. These five children were the Pandavas.

9. Gandhari had one hundred sons with Dhritarashtra. The oldest one was Duryodhana. 

10. Pandu died with his wife Madri. 

11. Drona trained the Pandavas and the Kauravas together. Duryodhana resented the Pandavas and the special attention they received because of their great skills. Drona was caught in the jaws of a crocodile and Arjuna shot him into pieces. For his reward, Drona gave him a weapon that was too powerful to use against a normal opponent. The only way he could use it, was against a supernatural foe or the world would burn up.

12. Karna enters in a competition and matches Arjuna's talents. He is contested by the Pandavas. The Kauravas and Pandavas begin forming their sides, with Karna on one side and Arjuna on the other. Duryodhana makes Karna King of Anga, but he is humiliated anyway by his lack of a prestigious family. 

13. Drona asked his students to attack Panchala and capture King Drupada, who used to be his friend but rejected him due to his own status. They captured the kingdom and Drona took half so they would be equals. 

14. Dhritarashtra said Yudhistira was his heir because he loved him so much, but he regretted it. The Pandavas were all being talked about but his own sons were ignored. Dhritarashtra began plotting ways to get the Pandavas out of the way for a while. He told Yudhistira to go to Varanavata for the festival of Shiva and to take his mother and the rest of the Pandavas with him. 

15. Their home in Varanavata was a trap. Yudhistira noticed the smell of oil and resin in the home when they arrived and knew it was meant to kill them. They dug a hole underground as a means of escape. The Pandavas escaped during a big feast and the house was set on fire. The Pandavas were thought to have died in the blaze, but they escaped and left. Dhritarashtra had not expected the plan to be taken so far and his conscience was troubled.

Photo of a house fire found on Wikimedia Commons

Week 9 Storytelling: Karna

"My love, I have heard terrible rumors," Surya said. "My eyes and ears have informed me that someone means to trick our son. They are going to use some sort of ritual to strip him of his invulnerability!"

Kunti gasped. While Karna was not her only son, nor her favorite for she had not even raised him, he was still her son. How could someone steal Karna's invulnerability which his father had bestowed upon him as an infant. It was as much a part of him as his head or his heart. She knew of spells that could perhaps achieve this, but it would require consent from the other party. They would need to repeat a phrase that would trigger the event, so the magic knew to whom it should attach itself.

She voiced her concerns, asking, "But, Surya, would not Karna have to consent to such a ritual? He could never knowingly allow someone to strip him of such an integral part of him!"

Surya shook his head. "That's what I believed as well, but my contacts say whoever is doing this has found a spell that only requires eye contact with the person. They must be very powerful to control magic in such a way!"

Upon hearing this, Kunti began formulating a plan. If her son was to survive, she had to make a difficult decision. She could do nothing about the assassin's vision, but she could prevent eye contact between the two.

****

"Karna, it is your mother," Kunti said through the doorway. "I must ask something of you and you are not to question me."

Karna came around the corner, smiling at his mother. Although he only just learned that she was his mother, he already felt very close to her. She obviously cared for him and only sent him away to give him a better life than the one she could provide at the time.

"Of course, mother," he said. "Whatever you need."

Kunti pulled the phial from behind her back, purple liquid sloshing, threatening to spill over. It almost seemed to smoke. "I need you to momentarily remove your invulnerability." She took a deep breath before continuing, "And I need you to drink this."

He blinked, momentarily confused, but he removed his invulnerability and drank without question. All of a sudden, his vision began to blur, streaks of black blocking out the light of the room. Slowly his vision disappeared completely and he was unable to see. 

****

Karna approached the sound of the battle. He heard the clash of steel on steel, felt the vibrations in the air, felt the heat of battle. But he could not see. And it was all his mothers fault. Over the ringing of swords striking armor, he heard the voices of his brothers, the Pandavas, his mother's prizes. 

He would strike them down one by one. There was nothing stopping him. One by one, he slew his brothers on the field of battle until only Arjuna was left. He could hear his mother's voice filtering through the sting of the sounds of men dying, begging for him to spare his last brother, his last enemy.

"Duryodhana took me in, he cared for me!" Karna was shouting, notching an arrow as he approached the sounds of his brothers breath. He could feel his aura seeping out of him. No one could hide from Karna's heightened senses. "Kunti took my sight and you did nothing but mock me!"

He released his arrow and it flew true, striking Arjuna in the heart. "I will stand by the side of those who loved me," he said, turning his back. "Not on those who abandoned me."

Image of Karna found on Wikimedia Commons

Author's Notes

This story is based on the story of Karna found in the comic by Anant Pai. In the story, Karna gives away the armor and earrings that grant him his power and invincibility in exchange for a weapon. In that story, Arjuna is able to kill him because of this. I wondered what would have happened if he were able to keep those things. In my version, he turned on his family because of what his mother did to protect him. His brothers mocked him and Duryodhana supported him through it, similar to when he supported him at the tournament with Arjuna in the original story. In my version, Karna is still invincible and never makes a pact with his mother. The Kauravas are victorious.  Also, instead of one long story, I decided to try a different tactic. It's a short story comprised a small snippets of time. The middle is left to interpretation. 

Reading Diary A Week 9: Karna

1. Kunti looked after Sage Durvasa (who was notoriously angry and hard to please) for a year without angering him. She was given a mantra that would give her the power to call uupon a god to give her a son as a reward for her service. She tested it out and Surya came to her. She was not married so she begged him to return, but the mantra was too powerful and he couldn't. He gave her a son with the Kavacha (armor) and the Kundalas (earrings).

2. Kunti could not raise him so she sent Karna down the river. Adhiratha, a charioteer, found him and brought him to his wife, Radha. 

3. Kunti married Pandu who could not have children. She used her mantra again and her and Madra had the Pandavas. Pandu diead and Madra threw herself on the pyre with him. Kunti took the Pandavas to be raised with the Kauravas. Karna would come and watch and he eventually became a student with them. He resented the Pandavas as the Kauravas did.

4. Karna deceived a sage so he could be taught the Krahmastra. When the sage learned this, he cursed Karna that his knowledge would fail him when he needed it most. Karna then killed a brahman's cow (unknowingly) and was cursed again that he would be killed when he was helpless and unable to defend himself.

5. Karna entered a competition with Arjuna and was able to complete all the same tasks as him. He asked to fight Arjuna as a reward and was asked to reveal his parentage. Duryodhana then crowned him as prince of Anga. They learned he was the son of a charioteer and he was humiliated and left with Duryodhana.

6. Karna blindly sided with the Kauravas in the feud because of his love for Duryodhana. 

7. Indra wanted to protect Arjuna from Karna and Surya wanted to protect Karna from Indra so Surya visited him in a dream to warn him. Indra dressed as a brahman and asked for help and Karna gave away his earrings and armor. Indra gave him his most powerful weapon in return, the Shakti. 

8. Krishna told Karna of his relation to the Pandavas and who his mother was. Karna said his love for Duryodhana was too important to him and that he would not tell anyone his secret until he died.

9. Kunti visited Karna to try to stop the war and he promised to only kill Arjuna.

10. Karna learned that Bheeshma would lead the troops and so he said he would not go on the field until he fell. The battle lasted 18 days and Bheeshma fell on the 10th day. On the 14th day he was fighting Bheema and could have killed him but he promised his mother he would not. Arjuna came to defend him, though. He used his Shakti on Ghatotkacha, though, and he could only use it once. 

11. Karna began leading the forces after Drona died. He died in battle against Arjuna and his mother finally told the Pandavas of their relation to Karna. I liked the line "the sun smiled".

The battle between Karna and Arjuna found on Wikimedia Commons

This story was taken from the comic Karna: Brave, Generous, Ill-Fated Prince by Anant Pai and the additional readings found on the previous link.

Reading Plan

For this half of the semester, I think I want to study and read a variety of stories. Since my project is a storybook featuring a compilation of many different stories, I want to be able to draw from many different sources. Also, I want at least a few of those stories to feature Surya as a major character. For one of the weeks, I would like to read the story Surya: How the Sun God Was Tamed by Maya Balse. It would offer some good insight into my narrator and also give me some potential story ideas.

For the next two weeks, I would like to read Narayan's The Mahabharata. Surya and his family play a pretty major role in The Mahabharata and I would like to read a different version of this story that is more like a novel. I enjoyed Narayan's version of The Ramayana, so I think I will also enjoy his version of the other epic.

Because he is Surya's son, I would also like to read more about Karna. A comic book that seems fairly interesting about him is the one by Anant Pai called Karna: Brave, Generous, Ill-Fated Prince. 

Death of Karna found on Wikimedia Commons

This is what I'm thinking so far, but I'm not sure if this is exactly what I'm going to follow. Also, I have not decided what I am going to read for the last two weeks, but I think I want to read another version of the Mahabharata or two other comic books. 

Reflections: Looking Forward

So far this semester I have kept up with the assignments and turned everything in on time, so my strategy is working. I currently am on track to make the grade I want and I am enjoying the assignments. Sometimes, though, I am a little stressed because I submit assignments the day they are due. For the second half of the semester, I want to try to get ahead of schedule so I do not have deadlines hanging over my head.

Although I mostly like my schedule now, I am going to try to get all the readings and reading diaries completed early so I have more time to spend on thinking about my stories. Also, it would be nice to finish semi-early so I can free up time for studying when finals come around. I want to work on the same days I'm working now, but I want to work on assignments in larger chunks. I think this would help my comprehension as well because I would be reading more of the story at once, leaving less time to forget.

Also during the rest of the semester, I would like to try some new and different story-telling techniques. Although I've switched up settings drastically, I've been sticking to third person in general. I would like to try some different techniques that may deal with different POVs. I think it might be an interesting creative strategy if I used a style such as letters or diary entries.

Journal photo taken by Joel Montes de Oca

I'm mostly happy with how the first half of the semester progressed, so I'm hoping to stay on track and finish the semester strong.

Reflections: Looking Back

So far this semester, I have enjoyed this class immensely. It allows me to be a lot more creative than my other classes and doing the work for this class is often a break from my other work. I like to do my readings during breaks between classes on campus because it allows me to focus on the reading with little distraction so I can get as much from the story as possible. I've tried to read in my apartment, but I often multi-task and do not focus on the week's reading as much. I do like to do the storytelling portion of the assignment at my apartment, though, because I have found that listening to music or watching my favorite show can give me inspiration for a story.

I haven't done any growth mindset challenges so far this semester, officially, but I have been trying to vary my storytelling styles to add variation and to help me grow as a storyteller. Some of my favorite stories that I've told this semester have been ones that I have changed drastically, in style and in content, because I felt they were the most original and most fun to write. For example, this story about Sugriva and Vali is my favorite that I've written this semester and it is one that I changed the most from the original. 

I'm also enjoying writing my storybook, but it's fairly difficult because it is a lot different than anything I've attempted so far this semester. I'm trying to characterize someone and create a mental image solely through the dialogue used by the narrator. The storytelling aspect is just a simple form, but the introductions to the "episodes" are a lot more complex. I'm pretty proud of my introduction to my storybook, but I want to work a little harder on my next stories. I have the mental image in my head, I just have to get it out and on the computer!

iPod image found on Wikimedia Commons

Storytelling Week 7: Hidimbi and Bhima

"Sister, do you see those brothers living in the forest," Hidimba said, indicating towards the viewfinder. "They are living alone and would be perfect for our research on the human species!"

Hidimbi looked through the telescope, spotting the people her brother referenced almost immediately. There were five brothers grouped around a campfire and they were in the middle of nowhere, the perfect place for an abduction without witnesses.

"Send me down, send me down!" Hidimbi shouted enthusiastically. "It's my turn to do the abducting, you know that's my favorite job."

Hidimba smiled, gesturing to the teleportation pad in the middle of the room. Hidimbi hopped on the teleportation pad and disappeared immediately.

****

She hid in the bushes, watching as four of the brothers left the campfire, presumably to find some food, and left the last brother behind. His back was towards her, perfect for an abduction without incident. With four of them gone, hopefully she could pick them off individually.

As she planned her attack, the last brother turned, revealing his face to her. Her thoughts instantly left her, for she had never seen anything more beautiful in her life. Forgetting her plans, she emerged from the bushes, startling the man. 

"Who-what are you? And what are you doing here?" he demanded.

"I am Hidimbi," she said, squaring her shoulders. "My brother sent me to abduct you for our research on your species, but I cannot. I saw your face and now I could never hurt you! Come with me and I will keep you safe from him."

As Hidimbi spoke, her blue skin faded to a dark brown, her single eye split and grew into two, and her hair grew long and curly. 

The man's eyes grew wide. "I am Bhima, but I could never leave my brothers. I want to be with you, but I cannot leave with you. I cannot leave my family!"

At this, Hidimbi enthusiastically claimed, "Well, they can come with us. We can all go together! But we must go now or my brother will come-"

Before she could finish her sentence, a flash of light appeared behind Bhima. Her brother appeared from the light and, before she could warn him, attacked Bhima. Hidimba was trying to abduct him where his sister had failed, so he had not brought any of their sophisticated weaponry. Bhima bested him almost immediately.

"Hidimba, Bhima stop!" Hidimbi shouted. "Hidimba, I love Bhima and Bhima that is my brother. Please stop fighting each other."

At her words, the two slowly drifted apart, both bruised and bloody. 

"You love him?" Hidimba asked. 

"I do," Hidimbi said. 

"I love her as well," Bhima added. "I would like to marry her, if my mother will approve of it."

"Well, it's settled then," Hidimba said. "I will return to our home planet, and you will stay here. I wish you every happiness."

Alien Abduction found on Wikimedia Commons

Author's Notes

For this story, I kind of wanted to make another sci-fi story so I picked Hidimbi and Bhima's story so I could include aliens. I made Hidimbi an alien instead of a rakshasa, but I also made it where Hidimba was not killed by Bhima. Hidimbi and Hidimba seemed to have a good relationship before all this, so I did not want him to die for some guy she just met. They won't see each other again for a long time, or possibly ever again, but at least he isn't dead. The version of the story that I used was the one from Peter Brook's The Mahabharata. 

Week 7 Reading Diary B: Peter Brook's The Mahabharata

1. Yudishthira gambles again after gaining his and his brother's freedom and they are forced into exile.

2. I like the scene where Vyasa describes the Pandavas exiting the city to Dhritarashtra. I think it's a very interesting scene because it did not show the Pandavas, but allowed Vyasa to just describe them . 

3. Amba asks Bhima to kill Bhishma but he refuses because he loves and respects Bhishma. She says that he is responsible for her ruin and that she only wishes to kill him.

4. I like when Draupadi asks Yudishthira why he gambled away everything. It was a good speech and I would like an answer as well. 

5. The story of Hidimbi was interesting to watch. I love the costuming and the lighting they used because it was very interesting. The relationship between Bhima and Hidimbi was very interesting and I liked her character. I thought it was interesting when they began narrating their own story about Ghatotkacha.

Image of Hidimbi found on Wikimedia Commons

6. I liked what Vyasa said about some things being able to be stopped with a word, but some things are going to happen no matter what.

7. I liked the scene where Arjuna shot arrows at the hunter he meets in the forest and the man catches one of the arrows in his teeth. I loved the part where he reveals himself to be Shiva as well.

8. Urvashi curses Arjuna for rejecting her, forcing him to live as a woman and to lose his virility.

9. I liked the scene with Dharma and Yudishthira at the pool. It clarified some things because I was unsure why they did not answer the questions first, but now I understand that they were given an extreme thirst.

I enjoyed watching this version of the Mahabharata by Peter Brook. It cleared the story up for me and it was a very interesting and enjoyable film. Even though this is only the one week version, I think I am going to finish watching the film because I really like it!

Week 7 Reading Diary A: Peter Brook's The Mahabharata

1. I liked the mask they used to characterize Ganesha. It was beautiful and I loved the soundtrack that played in the background. The tinkling from the headdress on the mask added to the music. I really liked the scene where Vyasa began to dictate the Mahabharata to Ganesha.

The Mahabharata play by Peter Brook: image from Wikimedia Commons

2. I liked the story of Satyavati again. I did not realize in my first read through that Vyasa was Satyavati's son, so that clarification was helpful to me.

3. I like the way the narrators are characterized. Their explanations are helping me to understand the story more. 

4. I like the scene where the Pandavas are born. The narrations and the dialogue are helping me make connections in the story that I did not make before. I like how some of the traits of the Pandavas mirror the traits of their parent gods. I did not really think of that before.

5. I like the diversity in the cast. Even though it's set in India, their is a lot of ethnic diversity in the cast and I think that adds a universality to the story that I think is cool.

6. I thought the story of Gandhari wearing a veil because her husband, Dhritarashtra, is blind. I didn't remember that aspect of the Mahabharata and the rest of her story was also interesting. The birth of Duryodhana is such an interesting story! The 'ball of flesh' scene kind of freaked me out, but it was so cool. Gandhari and Dhritarashtra refuse to kill their first-born, even though they are told that sacrificing him will allow their line to continue.

7. Drona makes Arjuna promise that if they ever meet on the battlefield, Arjuna must fight to kill him.

8. Karna comes to Drona's lessons and he seems to shoot just as well as Arjuna. Karna is Kunti's son, too, and Karna confronts Arjuna, saying that they are going to fight. Karna cannot tell them his mother or his fathers name and so he is told to leave. 

9. Duryodhana makes Karna the king of Anga and they decide to be friends forever. Karna swears that he will kill Arjuna one day.

10. Draupadi becomes the wife of all five of the Pandavas.

11. Ganesha makes a speech about the gods. He talks about Vishnu coming down as a human named Krishna and then he removes his mask, revealing that he is Krishna. 

12. Duryodhana gambles with Yudishthira and he loses.

I enjoyed this version of the Mahabharata. It really helped me straighten out who the characters were and what they did. I had kind of a hard time keeping them straight when I was reading the PDE version of the Mahabharata, but being able to see their faces really helped me understand the story and hammer out some of the details I missed the first time around. I got this from Peter Brook's Mahabharata film.