I find Karna to be the most controversial character in the Mahabharata. He evokes a lot of sentiments; admiration, hate, sympathy, etc. If you value Karna from the side of Dharma (good/bad), he will be considered bad. But he has also done some great heroic things (generosity being one), so there is definitely urge to paint him grey, as someone who was the victim of circumstances, etc. He has symbolized Dharma in so many ways - he remains a true son to his foster parents, a loyal friend to Duryodhana - he stepped back from drawing the final blow to Abhimanyu , etc
It really makes me think if Mahabharat did any justice to Karna? Did Mahabharat really fount on the grounds of Dharma...
Originally posted by: LeadNitrate
We all know currently, a new version of Mahabharat is on air in Star PLus. It has quite a few popular actors in cast as well. and with hardwork, dedication, all the actors have made a mark as the respective characters they are playing.
The onslaught of the show has also lead to discussion on the chat thread of this forum, So after discussing with some members, here is the topic to dissect MB.how relevant it is even now, how are the events interpreted, is any character even Good.Oh Thank you for this thread, Finally!!I tend to see Mahabharata from a very humane point of view , although I do acknowledge that it seems to be a fable brought live by some higher power aka Krishna (Almighty or whatever) but this one actually teaches you about humans and our perceptions.Was karan a tragic hero or a failed genius who could not rise above his own prejudice against himselfPersonally I consider him as failed genius.is Yudi really a dharamraj?Yudi was someone who battled his inner conflicts while trying to walk the path of dharma or righteousness.Who is KrishnaKrishna is everything. He is the reader who wants to see what he desires, he is the creator who made this tale and personally , he is the absolute.who wrote MB, that is was it written only by VedVyas a person or a collective school of people??Initially it might be VV, but over the eras , the general translations seems to be a collective effort.and once again,is it true, whatever is not in MB, is not in Bharat or the world?very much possible, as our reality might just be exceedingly different then their reality.let the ball start rolling...
Originally posted by: LeadNitrate
Entire MB is the physical interpretation of limitation of personal dharma and not seeing the big picture. And the dharma , which in name of personal dharma, only follows the rule book, how good r worthy it is as dharma.Krishna breaks the moral code of so called petty dharma over and over again. How far is breaking that dharma allowed and beyond which greater good will be a hogwash only?I guess petty or not, personal or not, important is love and compassion. Your dharma should not obstruct your love, compassion and humility. When it does, it is time to think about it.Not just karna or Yudi, this struggle is fought by almost every single member in MB, from Bheesma to Duri .As for the term, NO idea, dice game or not, I would not call him any such name. The struggles and conflicts and the subsequent wins of Yudi are much more complex and difficult than anyone in MB. Perhaps Krishna is the only one who understands and respects him throughout.
@LN - Long time ago we had an MB discussion thread.(Or maybe it was myth) A lot of the old members participated. Maybe, you can dig it up and post a link to that one at your convenience.
Karna - To me Karna is a classic tragic hero. He reminds me of tragic heroes of Greek mythos or even Shakespeare - grey, flawed and conflicted. In many ways he is noble in his selfless giving, in his refusal to defect sides, in his understanding of dharma. In other ways he comes as selfish and flawed. His blind devotion to Duryodhana is born out of selfish pride than genuine friendship. As a friend he never corrects Duryodhana from his wayward ways. Also a maharathi like him was part of the murder of Abhimanyu.
Dharmaraj - I have a problem giving titles like Maryada purshottam and Dharmaraj to characters. Somehow I find them too flawed to attain such high standards. In fact how can we be sure what true dharma is to bestow that title on anyone. I think Yudhishthira is just one man who tried to follow dharma, but failed many times, but he will be renown because he tried the hardest even when it cost him.
Krishna - Krishna is a catalyst. I think Vishnu avatars are all catalysts of events. They push the right buttons to make things unfold. On one hand Krishna is the friend, philosopher and guide of the Pandavas. But at the same time he subtly plays them to the Battlefield of Kurukshetra. One thing about Krishna that bothers me is that the ends justify the means. Sometimes he urges the Pandavas to resort to questionable tactics. Krishna represents the philosophical question of utilitarianism - what is the greater good? And how many lesser evils can justify the greater good?
Who wrote it - If we go by the legend Vyasa narrated it to Ganesha. But in all practicality I think it is a result of history became legend, legend became myth and over time and years it experienced many embellishments, changes, updates as humanity passed the tale from one generation to the next. There are many versions of some tales and sub tales in the MB.
MB is just one of the many epics of the world The Iliad and Oddyseus, Gilgamesh, Genesis and Exodus. Just as Krishna presents the delightful puzzle "I am in the world, the world is in me". Mahabharata is in part of the world and the world is part of Mahabharata.
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