Reading Notes: Narayan's Mahabharata, Part A

These reading notes are over Part A of Narayan's Mahabharata, which is written by R.K. Narayan. 

Plot Notes:

• I found it interesting how the author of the Mahabharata, Vyasa, is also a character that plays an important role in the narrative. Vyasa explains why Draupadi must marry all of the Pandavas, and he helps guide the Pandavas to refuge. Vyasa is the great-grandfather of these characters, and the Introduction that explains the writing process was also interesting. I've learned that the Mahabharata was primarily a spoken narrative, and the syllables in which the story is spoken can convey different meanings. As a result, certain parts of the epic can have layers of meaning depending on how its spoken, which is just fascinating. It also makes me curious on how difficult it was to accurately translate the story and what details are missing out due to the limitations of translation.
• The important plot point of spies and secret codes can give us, the readers, insight on how important political power was. While cultural and religious values dictate a benevolent, kind, and firm king, political power often causes treachery and spying to be a part of their lives. It was interesting to see how the House of Joy was used as an assassination attempt, and how its failure caused the story to spiral into the epic battle.
• The small side story between Bhima and the Baka, the rakshasa, was very entertaining and comedic. It reminded me of a kid standing up to the bully who takes the others' lunch money, and I'd be interested in re-telling the story in a more lighthearted fashion. I enjoyed how casual and nonchalant Bhima was when he was confronting this demon. It also justified a broader plot progression, and Bhima's defeat of Baka required the Pandavas to move and avoid suspicion.

Style Notes:

• The writing style seems to be focused on remaining authentic and avoiding excess creative liberty. The author also noted that direct translation of the epic would make too long of a read and be difficult to understand, since Sanskrit provides a lot more flexibility with storytelling (such as how syllables are arranged to tell layers of a story). 
• The dialogue is a lot more extensive and consistent. When re-telling a story, I may use a similar dialogue while changing the environment and characters.

 

A painting of Vyasa, the author of the Mahabharata. Source: Wikipedia