Week 11 Reading Diary A: Narayan's The Mahabharata

1. Dhritarashtra learned of Arjuna's weapon acquisitions and began worrying for Duryodhana's well-being, but also the well-being of the Pandavas. He is always caught between the two. Duryodhana wants to end them once and for all since they now know their location.

2. Duryodhana decided to go humiliate the Pandavas by setting up a splendid camp across the river from them. He tried to summon them, but his soldiers could not cross the river. The people who would not allow them to cross got in a fight with Duryodhana and his soldiers and Duryodhana was eventually captured. It was Indra's doing, to teach him a lesson and Bhima and Arjuna went and freed him. 

3. The Pandavas, one by one, approached a pond that warned them not to drink until the questions were answered. Each one died. Yudhishtira approached and answered the questions first, saddened by the deaths of his brothers. He was given the choice to revive one of his brothers and chose Nakula so that both mothers would still have a living son. The pond was happy with this answer and let all of them live. They also received the blessing of being unrecognizable. 

Photo of a pond found on Wikimedia Commons

4. The Pandavas came up with secret false identities for their final year of exile.

5. Duryodhana discovered the secret identities of the Pandavas and tried to work out a plan to expose them before the time was up so their exile would be extended another 13 years.