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I'm not sure if you all have discussed something similar before, but I'd like to compile a list of the symbolic themes in this epic. Ved Vyas, as we know was a brilliant writer and his story is replete with tons of symbolic themes. Please feel free to add and critique.
1. Blind Dhritarashtra and a blindfolded Gandhari- lived in darkness and were blind to their son's adharm.
2. Draupadi and Drishdyumna's birth through fire is symbolic of the fire that raged inside Drupad. It was an all consuming fire of revenge. No wonder both the kids were used to seek revenge and cleanse the earth (just like a yagna purifies our lives)
3. Draupadi's marriage to the Pandavs. In reality, Pandavs represented one entity and there was no way one could break this entity- they are like the five senses and Draupadi the body that represented the five senses. That's why the six of them were always together and couldn't be separated. That's why an attempt at disrobing her body was in reality an attempt at destroying the five senses attached to it.
4. At the swaymvar, Draupadi, Krishna and Arjun met for the first time. As Medha said in another post, if the swaymvar represents a meeting of soul mates, the three of them were the three krishnas- soul mates in the truest sense.
5. Bed of arrows for Pitamah: An elderly person's life is like a bed of arrows, suspended between life and death if their sons and grandsons/children have discords and infighting.
6. Virata parva: where they are all in disguise- represents that even though the soul is same, the outer appearance and clothing can change with time. Our ego and arrogance is represented in our outer disguise and not in our soul.
7. Dice game: represented the ills of our society. How even a good person can fall prey to the evils represented in the society leading to the downfall of even the most righteous and honest person.
8. Krishna the charioteer. God can only guide us like a saarthi while we are still responsible for our own karma (like Arjun)
9. Krishna helped Draupadi because she prayed with utmost devotion. When Krishna had cut his finger on the Sudarshan Chakra, she bound it with her sari, this act being the origin of Rakhi.
M. L. Ahuja ( ). Women in Indian Mythology (Kindle Locations 514-516). . Kindle Edition.
10. Krishna's form, too, is symbolic. Deep blue is the colour of eternity. It is the colour of the sky, and of the deep ocean. Yellow is the colour of the earth. A deep blue god-image enclosed in yellow clothes symbolises the spirit clothed in the body. Krishna, then, is a symbol of the body and spirit
11. Another interpretation/symbolism from VH scene
This follows the basic principle of Gita- the soul with it's various layers of clothes
Soul: Draupadi
Clothes/Body: Pandavs
The body 'died' the moment the Pandavs became slaves. hence, the soul was exposed. That's when God intervened and 'covered' the soul in another layer of clothes (literally). The soul was never really insulted in the grand scheme of things- it just wrapped itself in another layer to continue it's existence in the never ending cycle of life and death.
12. Kauravs were 100 but Pandavs were 5
We all have 100s of vices and very few virtues but even those few good traits can overcome our vices if we choose to follow the right path in life
13. The Duryodhana-Arjun meeting with Krishna before the war is very symbolic. Arjun chose the Lord over the army and Duryodhana was happy with the Narayani sena. There are two types of people in the world- those who just worship God and want their blessings, others always want material help from God. Also, people like Duryodhana feel they are entitled to God's help- that's why he sat next to Krishna's head
People like Arjun surrender themselves and consider themselves much inferior to God and hence he sat at Krishna's feet
God will always give priority to his devotees like Arjun and that's why when he opened his eyes, he spotted Arjun first
A lot of us Kaliyugis can learn from this symbolic theme
14. Significance of Arjun's cold feet in the middle of the battlefield- in between the two armies
Life is a battlefield and it's when we are the midst of a tough situation, that we often get cold feet
eg: Just before a job interview, before an exam, before getting married etc
It's at these junctions, that we all need a Krishna (our inner voice or self) to help us come out of that situation and face our fears.
15. Significance of # 18: Total Akshouhinis in the war = 18
Total number of days war was fought = 18
Number of chapters in the Bhagavadgita = 18
Number of Parvas in the Mahabharata = 18
18 is therefore an extremely significant number in the Mahabharata!
16. Based on Bhagvad Gita, ways to reach God are
gyan yoga
karma yoga
bhakti yoga
If MB is an illustration of the teachings of BG, then
Yudishtra represents the gyan yogi
Arjun represents the karma yogi
all the Pandavs, Draupadi, Bheeshma, Vidur etc represent the Bhakt yogis
17. Draupadi is the symbolic representation of the doubts, concerns, the endless unanswered questions and the uncomfortable topics we prefer to keep under the carpet. And that is exactly why Draupadi will remain the first eloquent and vociferous pioneer of women's liberation...the thinking, questioning woman, who will stand up for justice and take the most unconventional stand.
She keeps questioning our beliefs on - what is cultured behaviour? What is the nature of morality? Is respect a birthright or does it have to be earned by actions? What is the place for women in a society that keeps changing its rules at its own convenience? Who will make rules for those who make rules for everyone else?
She is the Devil's Advocate in the epic.
18. The symbolic significance of Govardhan (when lifted by Krishna with one finger): under the shelter of dharm, everyone shall be protected and the ones who don't seek shelter under dharm, shall perish
19. When Krishna goes to HP for peace talks, he shows his cosmic form in the court (after he finds out Duryodhana's plan to capture him). Only Vidur, Bheeshma and Drona are able to see the iridescent form. Most of the kuru court and Dury etc shut their eyes. Shows that a person who shuts his eyes when faced with truth will always remain blind and commit sins because of his lack of belief in truth (here Krishna) Dhrit was lucky to get his vision for a brief period when he saw Krishna's form but decided to remain blind after seeing the most wonderful sight in his life. So, even a sinner like Dhrit can be lucky to get darshan of the divine or a glimpse of the truth. After the 'darshan,' he decides to choose his blindness- shows that despite being given a chance to 'see' the light, he still chose to stay in the dark afterwards.
20. Interesting perspective from DD Patnaik: In the world of symbols, a queen personifies the kingdom and a king's royal power. Draupadi, like Indraprastha, is the royal power of the Pandavas. Only after marrying Draupadi, daughter of the powerful king of Panchala, are the Pandavas bold enough to come out of hiding and demand from their uncle their half of the inheritance. The kingdom thus carved out, Indraprastha, owes its existence to Draupadi. Indraprastha is Draupadi. What is done to Draupadi is done to Indraprastha. The domestication of the forest to create Indraprastha using fire is the domestication of Draupadi through marriage. When Indraprastha is gambled, Draupadi is gambled. When Draupadi is abused, Indraprastha is abused.
21.
After revealing the truth of Karna's origin, the relationship between Kunti and her sons was never the same again. They were angry with her. She had abandoned her own child to save her reputation. She had allowed them to hate him all these years. But for her silence, Karna would not have been treated so unjustly by the world. Through Karna, Vyasa reiterates that our knowledge of the world is imperfect based on perceptions and false information. We are surrounded by Kuntis who hide the truth in fear. We are surrounded by Karnas, villains who are actually brothers.
Pattanaik, Devdutt (2010-08-16). Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata (p. 298). Penguin Books Ltd. Kindle Edition.
Will add more later...
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
