Interpretations of a revengeful Mahabharata story

Giving a kick-start to reading once again, wanted to read stories of our roots, our epics, our mythology. Hence, started a quest to find a good read. Having started with a very renowned interpretation of Bhagwad Gita, it quite didn't justify its title to me! And so, found this book - "Yuganta", by Iravati Karve (Ok... Credits: Rajiv Bhatt). Its a critic's interpretation of the Mahabharata Story. To be read only with an open mind, and yes, it will hurt your religous sentiments! The image of your heroes, will be compromised!

Just narrating a small part from this book, the story of the revenge from Mahabharata and why it exists and continued for three generations! It does not describe the revenge between the Kauravs and Pandavas; it is something which might be untold by our religous gurus!

Mahabharata, as we know, starts with the king Janamajeya, who is continously (for over 10 years) sacrificing snakes to take revenge, for a snake killed his father - King Parikshit. A saint (Vaisham-Payana), while journeying his kingdom, requests him to stop this massacre, by reciting the Mahabharata story. It seemed to be a silly confusing plot of killing the snakes. But, is it?!!  How the story unfolds, is remarkable.. !

We all know that after the Kauravs tried killing the Pandavas, by setting the palace on fire, the latter go into  hiding. They only come out on the eve of Swayambar, wherein Arjun wins Draupadi's hand. The basis for entering the competition is not only to win the bride, but also to make allies with a powerful king to bounce back! After coming with Draupadi, back to Hastinapura, Dhitrashtra gives in, and hands over the land of Khandavaprastha (barren land with forest) to the Pandavas.Its the same place, which will be called Indraprastha in the future.

Immediately, after getting the land of Khandavaprastha, Arjuna, then goes into exile for about a year, and marries Subhadra in Dwarka. Why? With more alliies, comes great power! He comes back, with a lot of wealth to Khandavaprastha. Krishna and Arjuna, then visit the Khandava forest. It is said that while visiting the forest, they meet a saint. The saint is Agni Deva, who wishes to satisfy his hunger by burning the dense forest. In grant of Arjun's and Krishna's wish of a great chariot, Agni Deva sets the forest on fire. Krishna and Arjuna are said to circle the forest for a week there-after, and send all the animals, who try to escape, back to the burning forest. Or butcher them! This episode of the story, is an interpretation, to make our heroes look good!

An open minded / critic's interpretation is the following. Arjuna and Krishna walk into the forest, discussing the ideas of their expansion. Khandavaprastha, was a small place, and definitely did not stand as compared to the capital city of Hastinapura. The Khandava forest, was very adjacent. The Khandava forest, was inhabited by the Takshak clan (i.e. King Takshaka, and his people, also known as the Naga clan).  The only way of expansion would be to conquer the forest. So, they set the forest on fire. Also, they circle the forest for a week there-after, not killing the animals, but the Naga (snakes) clan community, so as to avoid any claims/challenges against the conquering of the land. The story of Agni Deva, seems to be just a cover-up in making our heroes obeying the sain'ts wish.

Only 7 people were spared from this incedent. King Takshaka himself, as he wasn't in the forest, during the fire. King Takshaka's son. Four Brahmin sons. And a demon (asura), called Maya. The asuara community were known to build good structures (even better than the wodden structures/palace which the Aryans built). Due to the gracious life sparing gesture, Maya goes ahead and creates Mayasabha, also later on known as the grand  palace of Indraprastha.They were known to make colorful ceramic styled tiles like structure, as well. They placed land looking muddy (or green) tiles under water, and blue tiles like structure on the land. i.e. They made dry land look like water, and water bodies look like land!

After this, the four Pandavas (sparing Yudhishthir) go on exile acquiring more lands in four directions. They come back, and invite all their allies, with the spared kings whom they conquered for a great yagnya. A special invitation is sent to Hastinapura as well. Duryodhana is mentioned to be getting confused by walking onto the land, which seems like water, walls looking like doors, doors looking like walls, and falls into the water body, which looks like land. Draupadi and Bhima laugh cunningly at this act. Yudhishthir orders servants to provide new clothes to Duryodhana. Duryodhana, does not forget this insult for a long time (and hence the episode of game of dice and Draupadi on stake)..

So, winding up on the revenge episode, Takshaka king himself or his succeding generation tries killing Arjuna during the Kurukshetra war, but is well protected by Krishna. Arjuna's grandson is King Parikshita, who is killed by the successor generation of Takshaka (and hence the story of Parikshit Raja being killed by a snake). Parikshit's son King Janamajeya, in turn kills the generation snakes (representing the Naga clan people). Hence, the revenge continues for three generations in a row!

Its very difficult to understand that there were 4 interpretations written, by different people, after listening to the story from Vyasa. Vyasa, also, may not be the original story teller of Mahabharata story. Also, the scriptures of Mahabharata, are very poetic-like in nature (eg: Representing Naga clan community, as the animals) and hence, open to the various interpretations. Of these 4 scriptures, only two of them seem to be found. One of them is found to be almost complete. The other one is found to be partial. When these stories are told from generations to generations, the interpretations keep changing.. !

My interpretation of the Mahabharata story, is that it seems to be a realistic story, which brings out both, the good and bad in the people. Its our very human nature (to be good and bad). Both Kauravas and Pandavas, possessed their good and bad qualities. They had a fight, and Pandavas won. Period.

How, the interpretation flows, however, is that the one who win are made heroes (read 'Pandavas'), and the one who lose are made villians (read 'Kauravas'). The heroes are protected by several cover-ups, for their wrong doings, and the magnitude of cover-ups increase exponentially, over the various interpretations! So, the heroes become super-heroes and villians become super-villians!

Just feel bad that, a few more interpretations more and the *reel* story that we interpret today, will become extinct!