Things which made you uncomfortable in Mahabharata

The Mahabharata is a story which supposedly took place in the so called Dwapar Yuga and continues to spur debates, arguments and retellings in all subsequent ages.

This interest in it and every reader's own interpretation of it has also led to a story called Jaya being spun into Vijaya, Bharata and finally Mahabharata.

There are certain points in the story which still leaves most people unsatisfied even after long debate.

So which are those points which have left you frustrated/uncomfortable/not agreeing with the authors/common interpretations

For me some of them are:

1. The entire who would be king debate between Duryodhana/Yudhisthira culminating to the point of Kurukshetra, seeing as none are really related to Shantanu

2. Amba and Bhishma - the fiasco of Amba's life and the defense of Bhishma

3. Draupadi swayamvar and aftermath

4. Burning of Khandavprastha

5. Cheerharan ofcourse

6. "Dharmaraj " Yudhisthira

Originally posted by: Eloquent

The Mahabharata is a story which supposedly took place in the so called Dwapar Yuga and continues to spur debates, arguments and retellings in all subsequent ages.

This interest in it and every reader's own interpretation of it has also led to a story called Jaya being spun into Vijaya, Bharata and finally Mahabharata.

There are certain points in the story which still leaves most people unsatisfied even after long debate.

So which are those points which have left you frustrated/uncomfortable/not agreeing with the authors/common interpretations

For me some of them are:

1. The entire who would be king debate between Duryodhana/Yudhisthira culminating to the point of Kurukshetra, seeing as none are really related to Shantanu

2. Amba and Bhishma - the fiasco of Amba's life and the defense of Bhishma

3. Draupadi swayamvar and aftermath

4. Burning of Khandavprastha

5. Cheerharan ofcourse

6. "Dharmaraj " Yudhisthira

Suyodhana vs. Yudhishtira as king. In my opinion, Suyodhana had a point at THAT time. Later, if course, he becomes a criminal. The question was started by Vidura IIRC

The burning of the Nishada family in lac house

Subhadraharan

Burning of Khandava

The offer of Panchali to Karna. Though I am 99.99999% certain it was a false lure, it still makes me uncomfortable.

The obvious criminalities do not make me uncomfortable much because they were done by people I consider criminals. I only feel terrible for the victim side.

But the list above were done by characters I admire. So yeah...

Bhishm pratigya

Gandhari blind fold herself

Breaking rule in chakra vyuh

Okay.. so

1. Kunti "serving" Durvasa. I am completely sure that it was not innocent and Durvasa exploited the young girl.

2. Kunti floating an infant Karna as he could have drowned or eaten by any animal

3. Bhima's poisoning. Even though Duryodhana goes on to do worse later on in life, this was done when they were children. It unsettles me.

4. Draupadi's silence during the proposal of sharing between the brothers. If there was a single line mentioning her voice of assent to the scenario, I would have been satisfied. However, she is silent in the entire thing which makes me think her initial reluctance was removed from text.

5. Draupadi Vastraharan

6. Krishna "offering" Draupadi to Karna.

7. Mass massacre by Ashwatthama. It was cold-blooded.

8. Assault on the Yadava women in Mausal Parva.

1) Yudhishtir staking and then praising Draupadi

2) Bheema's poisoning, goes to show Duryodhan was criminal since the beginning

3) Duryodhan Vs Yudhishtir who was rightful to the throne, I agree both had their points, same was about whether or not the Pandavas were caught in Virat Parva (actually Duryodhan had some point)

4) Duryodhan not agreeing for even five villages, not unpleasant but this seems fishy to me. All the younger brothers of the kings/princes were given small land to rule that's how Duryodhan got the state of Anga, so why was he reluctant to give even five villages. That seems way to cruel

5) Subhadra abduction (new to the list)

6) Vastraharan. Humiliation in Dyut Sabha

Will add more

Something which made me uncomfortable -

1 Scene leading to polyandry, How all brothers were filled with desire etc, it just makes me uncomfortable because by all means she was to be their Bhabhi till Yudhishtira decided everyone will marry her on basis of this 🤦‍♀️ I would have preferred 'Draupadi Desired all of them so married her'

2 Dyut Sabha

3 Yudhishtira asking Draupadi to put up with Keechak

4 Draupadi's scenes where she cared about Yudhishtira after all this 🙃

5 Subhadra’s abduction

6 "" "" "" "" "Dharmaraj""" "" Yudhishtira X millions of eye rolls

7 Arjun's weapon (For past few days 😂😂🤧)

Originally posted by: NoraSM

7 Arjun's weapon (For past few days 😂😂🤧)

🤣Imagine how poor Panchali felt. Now you know why he needed to apologize before being allowed back in😆. There is room for a an X rated joke here, but I will refrain. 😆

@TM

Brilliant post by you, dear! ⭐️

Few things make me uncomfortable are-

1.As a woman, a man who stakes his wife being considered a good king bothers me. A man who has such opinion of women (naval exposed, stop being an actress, dividing her to enjoy her etc) also bothers me.

2. Draupadi's "division" (I have no issues with polyandry. I am all for it in fact, but the girl should take the decision herself like men do, and choose her husbands. Not be married off to 5 brothers. She may have been happy but she was not asked, just like in Subhadra haran, there are chances she was happy but she wasn't asked.)

3. Khandavdahan - plain genocide

4. Bheem's poisoning as children.

5. Subhadra haran

6. Cheer haran of course and Karna's comments. I would really not mind had he told these things to Arjun, why Draupadi? She never harmed him.

7. Abhimanyu Vadh, Ghatothkach Vadh and Upapandavas massacre

8. Kunti's attitude towards Karna- She doesn't seem keen on protecting her son.

9. Kavach Kundal - I consider this unfair. Though I have argued in this forum it was a trade deal, which it was, it is an unfair one. It's so as KK did give Karna a special benefit or else Indra would not bother to ask for it. Why consider it a threat if it is nothing at all. Secondly, giving away a lifetime protection and getting a one time use weapon doesn't seem fair to me.

10. Bhishma's death- plain unfair. Bhishma didn't even do anything unfair like Drona or Karna did (ie in war). It was by unfair means IMO.

Originally posted by: CaptainSpark

Few things make me uncomfortable are-

1.As a woman, a man who stakes his wife being considered a good king bothers me. A man who has such opinion of women (naval exposed, stop being an actress, dividing her to enjoy her etc) also bothers me.

2. Draupadi's "division" (I have no issues with polyandry. I am all for it in fact, but the girl should take the decision herself like men do, and choose her husbands. Not be married off to 5 brothers. She may have been happy but she was not asked, just like in Subhadra haran, there are chances she was happy but she wasn't asked.)

3. Khandavdahan - plain genocide

4. Bheem's poisoning as children.

5. Subhadra haran

6. Cheer haran of course and Karna's comments. I would really not mind had he told these things to Arjun, why Draupadi? She never harmed him.

7. Abhimanyu Vadh, Ghatothkach Vadh and Upapandavas massacre

8. Kunti's attitude towards Karna- She doesn't seem keen on protecting her son.

9. Kavach Kundal - I consider this unfair. Though I have argued in this forum it was a trade deal, which it was, it is an unfair one. It's so as KK did give Karna a special benefit or else Indra would not bother to ask for it. Why consider it a threat if it is nothing at all. Secondly, giving away a lifetime protection and getting a one time use weapon doesn't seem fair to me.

10. Bhishma's death- plain unfair. Bhishma didn't even do anything unfair like Drona or Karna did (ie in war). It was by unfair means IMO.

I know Bhishma didn't fight an unfair war.

But my sympathy for him is limited for his silence during Dyut Sabha.

And Amba, Ambika, Ambalika haran.

For me all those arrows stuck to him represent his silence for each person attacking Panchali (verbally or otherwise) in Dyut Sabha.

He gives the lamest answer when Panchali asks about dharma and whether Yudhisthira had any right to stake her after losing himself.