Reading Notes: The Mahabharata Part D

In this part what surprised me is the fact that Duryodhana is hiding from the Pandavas brothers because he does not want to ask for mercy but instead continue the war. He hides in the lake until he is found. He is then confronted to come out of the water and fight. He said that he would only if he fights them one by one. This was quite hilarious to me. He did not want to ask for mercy yet he would not give up. Then he went into hiding. He seems like he is all talk but no show.

Something else that caught my eye was Bhishma fell in the battle but had the power to choose his moment of death. He stayed alive to tell the survivors how to rule what was left. This is a really small detail in all of part D, but is such an intriguing one. I feel like I can make a whole story just out of this. Having the power to control the moment in which you would die is absolutely insane. Would I ever want that power? Something to think about, considering there is always something that people want to do before they die. For this idea, I would have a girl who is given the power to choose the moment she wants to die. When she is first given this power she would go through the things she wants to accomplish before she dies. She would decide that she would die after she has made a great impact on someones life, because that way she will leave the world strong instead of with a downfall. However, she will end up falling in love along the way. Will she stick to her decision? Will it change because of her relationship status?

Bhishma on the Bed of Arrows

(Source: Wikimedia)

Bibliography:

The Mahabharata, link to Reading Guide Part D.