What the Mahabharat tells us about revenge.

So, I'm into mythology a lot. (Friends who know me from Rikara days, may remember the Shiv-Parvati parallels I drew for Rikara).

So, this show got me thinking about revenge and justice. Most of my worldview and ideology/beliefs is based on the Mahabharat.

So, for those who don't know here's a gist of the central storyline in the epic.

The Pandavs and Kauravs were two groups of warring cousins. Kauravs tried to kill Pandavs multiple times to get the entire kingdom, but they never succeed. Finally by deceit they win over the kingdom in a game of dice. Not satisfied with just winning the kingdom, they further humiliate the Pandavs, and bring their common wife, Draupadi, forcibly to the court. There, they call her a 's***' and try to disrobe her publicly, but Krishna through his divine powers saves Draupadi's dignity.

The main perpetrators of this sin, were Duryodhan, Dusshasan, Shakuni and Karna. However, there were others who were sitting there and did nothing, like Pitamah Bhishma, Guru Drona, Kripacharya, etc, even though they knew Draupadi was right and crime was happening against her.

Pandavs lose their kingdom and go for vanvaas (forest life) and agyatvaas (incognito) for thirteen years. After their vanvaas period is over, they come back to take their kingdom. Draupadi keeps telling the Pandavs (her husbands) to wage war and avenge the sin committed against her. But the Pandavs, initially try for peace, however, when dialogue fails, they go to war.

The key point I want to highlight is that Draupadi kept demanding the Pandavs avenge her. The crime committed against her was not just against her, but a crime against all womenkind, and injustice per se.

In the war, almost everyone die, leaving the Pandavs and Draupadi behind.

According to Krishna, the sort of narrator/divine entity, dharma (right) has to be established. Duryodhan, Dusshasan, Shakun and Karn committed adharm (wrong) against Draupadi and Pandavs, so they had to be killed.

Bhishma, Drona, Krip and others were witness to the crime, and did nothing when they should have helped Draupadi. Their silence was complicity in the crime, so they also had to suffer and die in the war.

But lots of innocent soldiers and parties who had nothing to do with the feud, also died as a result of war, to satisfy Draupadi's thirst for revenge. Hence she also lost her brother and sons in the war.

The point is that those who commit crime pay for it, those who silently support the crime pay for it, and those who harm innocents in the war, directly and indirectly also pay for it. In any fight between right and wrong, innocents always suffer.

Very well written. Nice post dear. Would love more such posts from you. 👌😍

Originally posted by: SRKisLove

So, I'm into mythology a lot. (Friends who know me from Rikara days, may remember the Shiv-Parvati parallels I drew for Rikara).

So, this show got me thinking about revenge and justice. Most of my worldview and ideology/beliefs is based on the Mahabharat.

So, for those who don't know here's a gist of the central storyline in the epic.

The Pandavs and Kauravs were two groups of warring cousins. Kauravs tried to kill Pandavs multiple times to get the entire kingdom, but they never succeed. Finally by deceit they win over the kingdom in a game of dice. Not satisfied with just winning the kingdom, they further humiliate the Pandavs, and bring their common wife, Draupadi, forcibly to the court. There, they call her a 's***' and try to disrobe her publicly, but Krishna through his divine powers saves Draupadi's dignity.

The main perpetrators of this sin, were Duryodhan, Dusshasan, Shakuni and Karna. However, there were others who were sitting there and did nothing, like Pitamah Bhishma, Guru Drona, Kripacharya, etc, even though they knew Draupadi was right and crime was happening against her.

Pandavs lose their kingdom and go for vanvaas (forest life) and agyatvaas (incognito) for thirteen years. After their vanvaas period is over, they come back to take their kingdom. Draupadi keeps telling the Pandavs (her husbands) to wage war and avenge the sin committed against her. But the Pandavs, initially try for peace, however, when dialogue fails, they go to war.

The key point I want to highlight is that Draupadi kept demanding the Pandavs avenge her. The crime committed against her was not just against her, but a crime against all womenkind, and injustice per se.

In the war, almost everyone die, leaving the Pandavs and Draupadi behind.

According to Krishna, the sort of narrator/divine entity, dharma (right) has to be established. Duryodhan, Dusshasan, Shakun and Karn committed adharm (wrong) against Draupadi and Pandavs, so they had to be killed.

Bhishma, Drona, Krip and others were witness to the crime, and did nothing when they should have helped Draupadi. Their silence was complicity in the crime, so they also had to suffer and die in the war.

But lots of innocent soldiers and parties who had nothing to do with the feud, also died as a result of war, to satisfy Draupadi's thirst for revenge. Hence she also lost her brother and sons in the war.

The point is that those who commit crime pay for it, those who silently support the crime pay for it, and those who harm innocents in the war, directly and indirectly also pay for it. In any fight between right and wrong, innocents always suffer.

Last para. I think in the initial episode when amma asks her targetting the innocent s Jhanvi gave the same reply.

Originally posted by: SRKisLove

So, I'm into mythology a lot. (Friends who know me from Rikara days, may remember the Shiv-Parvati parallels I drew for Rikara).

So, this show got me thinking about revenge and justice. Most of my worldview and ideology/beliefs is based on the Mahabharat.

So, for those who don't know here's a gist of the central storyline in the epic.

The Pandavs and Kauravs were two groups of warring cousins. Kauravs tried to kill Pandavs multiple times to get the entire kingdom, but they never succeed. Finally by deceit they win over the kingdom in a game of dice. Not satisfied with just winning the kingdom, they further humiliate the Pandavs, and bring their common wife, Draupadi, forcibly to the court. There, they call her a 's***' and try to disrobe her publicly, but Krishna through his divine powers saves Draupadi's dignity.

The main perpetrators of this sin, were Duryodhan, Dusshasan, Shakuni and Karna. However, there were others who were sitting there and did nothing, like Pitamah Bhishma, Guru Drona, Kripacharya, etc, even though they knew Draupadi was right and crime was happening against her.

Pandavs lose their kingdom and go for vanvaas (forest life) and agyatvaas (incognito) for thirteen years. After their vanvaas period is over, they come back to take their kingdom. Draupadi keeps telling the Pandavs (her husbands) to wage war and avenge the sin committed against her. But the Pandavs, initially try for peace, however, when dialogue fails, they go to war.

The key point I want to highlight is that Draupadi kept demanding the Pandavs avenge her. The crime committed against her was not just against her, but a crime against all womenkind, and injustice per se.

In the war, almost everyone die, leaving the Pandavs and Draupadi behind.

According to Krishna, the sort of narrator/divine entity, dharma (right) has to be established. Duryodhan, Dusshasan, Shakun and Karn committed adharm (wrong) against Draupadi and Pandavs, so they had to be killed.

Bhishma, Drona, Krip and others were witness to the crime, and did nothing when they should have helped Draupadi. Their silence was complicity in the crime, so they also had to suffer and die in the war.

But lots of innocent soldiers and parties who had nothing to do with the feud, also died as a result of war, to satisfy Draupadi's thirst for revenge. Hence she also lost her brother and sons in the war.

The point is that those who commit crime pay for it, those who silently support the crime pay for it, and those who harm innocents in the war, directly and indirectly also pay for it. In any fight between right and wrong, innocents always suffer.

Very well explained. Loved it.

Last para. I think in the initial episode when amma asks her targetting the innocent s Jhanvi gave the same reply.

Bang on Ananya... I exactly wanted to pen down this comparison between Mahabharata and Jhanvis revenge right from the beginning when she directly or indirectly involved innocents in her revenge game... But kambakhat mobile phone dhoka diye jaa raha tha typos kar kar ke and I finally gave up.. i am no good writer so couldn't pen down like you the gist in few words rather started typing whole convo of Draupadi from the court where she seeks justice from all the Kuru scions... Bhishma had to face his karma just because he couldn't utter anything against Duryodhana as he is bound to serve the throne

Originally posted by: subbuappu

Bang on Ananya... I exactly wanted to pen down this comparison between Mahabharata and Jhanvis revenge right from the beginning when she directly or indirectly involved innocents in her revenge game... But kambakhat mobile phone dhoka diye jaa raha tha typos kar kar ke and I finally gave up.. i am no good writer so couldn't pen down like you the gist in few words rather started typing whole convo of Draupadi from the court where she seeks justice from all the Kuru scions... Bhishma had to face his karma just because he couldn't utter anything against Duryodhana as he is bound to serve the throne

@bold: No, no. You convey your emotions just fine, we always understand. 😊 And I am no good writer as such. 😆

Yes, the point about Bhishma is a good one. Bhishma's character is an extremely complex and interesting one. But I didn't have time to explain properly, so I focused only on the revenge part.

But you are right, he was bound to the throne.

Originally posted by: SRKisLove

@bold: No, no. You convey your emotions just fine, we always understand. 😊 And I am no good writer as such. 😆

Yes, the point about Bhishma is a good one. Bhishma's character is an extremely complex and interesting one. But I didn't have time to explain properly, so I focused only on the revenge part.

But you are right, he was bound to the throne.

Bhishma married dhridhirashta to Gandhari hiding his blindness. Amba fell in luv with Bhishma , he rejected her love so she killed him in the form of siKandi.

I think except Nakul, Saha Dev all are grey characters in Mahabharat.

Originally posted by: kala16

Bhishma married dhridhirashta to Gandhari hiding his blindness. Amba fell in luv with Bhishma , he rejected her love so she killed him in the form of siKandi.

I think except Nakul, Saha Dev all are grey characters in Mahabharat.

Yes Kala, pretty much.

But lets restrict the discussion to only the post.

If we start discussing Mahabharat completely, then we'll keep discussing till eternity, the text is so complex and long. 😆

Originally posted by: SRKisLove

Yes Kala, pretty much.

But lets restrict the discussion to only the post.

If we start discussing Mahabharat completely, then we'll keep discussing till eternity, the text is so complex and long. 😆

Yep ... Agreed... Nobody is white in Mahabharata... Such a great epic and I am always fascinated by it

Although Pandavas won the war, they could not rejoice their victory. Soon after the war ended they had to leave everything behind and start their journey towards himalayas. In the path they all died one by one. Even Krishna had to leave his human form due to Gandhari's curse.The main message that was conveyed through Mahabharata was that war can only bring destruction for both sides.