Reading Notes: Pattanaik's Jaya, Part D
(Karna)
Story Source: Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata by Devdutt Pattanaik (2010).
- Rakshasa disguised as a Rishi, Jata
- the giant grabbed Yudhishthira, twins, Draupadi and ran away to eat them
- Yudhishthira to rakshasa: "You fool. This action will earn you no merit. What hope you have of being reborn as human or even a god is lost because of the demerit earned by killing us and ravishing our wife...You, who have hope of becoming a higher being, may turn into an animal, or vegetable, or worse, a stone, in your next life" (175)
- They killed him
- "Draupadi fainted, unable to bear the strain" (175) like in the Bad Place story
- Note: Pandavas had profound impact on local people.
Return of Arjuna
- Bhima called his Rakshasa son, Ghatotkacha, who had telepathic powers and could fly
- Rakshasas carried them to the top of the mountain
- Alakapuri, city of Yakshas
- Arjuna and Krishna are Nara and Narayana
- Arjuna descends on a flying chariot
- Draupadi rushed to greet him
- Note: contrasting rakshasa roles in Mahabharata and Ramayana
Daughters of Balarama and Duryodhana
- Bhima smiled at thought of Duryodhana's anger
- Balarama favors Duryodhana
Hanuman Humbles Bhima
- Hanuman from Ramayana
- son of Vayu, the wind god
- Bhima and Hanuman wre brothers
- lesson in humility for Bhima from Krishna
- Bhima brought Draupadi flowers
Draupadi Admits a Secret
- Draupadi always melancholy
- Yudhishthira learned spirit of restraint
- Bhima and Arjuna learned humility
- Draupadi plucked a fruit and heard a voice that it was for a Rishi
- similar theme to adam and eve
- Draupadi loves Karna and regrets not marrying him on account of his caste. She thinks none of this would have happened if she married him
- Karna & Draupadi story
- Rishi woke up, ate fruit, and blessed them
- Bhima and Arjuna were mad at Draupadi's secret
- Yudhishthira showed them that Draupadi was a Goddess, not just a normal woman
Savitri and Satyavan
- Savitri followed Yama to the land of the dead
- river Vaitarni separates the land of the dead
- Savitri outwitted Yama and let Satyavan live again
- Note: desires shape the future as much as destiny
Trapped by Nahusha
- Yudhishthira teaches Nahusha the meaning of Brhaman
- Nahusha was released from his body and became a celestial and blessed them and went to Swarga
The Yaksha's Questions (Riddles at the lake)
- Yudhishthira dreamed about a deer that asked him to leave because they were all getting killed
- page 189-191 answer to riddles
- Yudhishthira said let Nakula live because he wanted to preserve Madri's line
- Yaksha was impressed by Yudhishthira's fairness
- Yaksha was Yama aka Dharma, Yudhishthira's father
- Yaksha is a goose here
- Yudhishthira learned his gambling lesson (192)
- Pandavas went into hiding for their last year
- Romance of Nala and Damayanti
- sage blessed Yudhishthira with the same fate of going back all that he lost
Servants in Virata's Court
- they had fake identities and fooled Duryodhana's spies
- worked with royal couple Virata
Kichaka
- King gave more value to desire than Kharma, which bothered Yudhishthira
- Bhima killed the Kichaka and tipped off Duryodhana
- Yudhishthira's dispassionate logic and Bhima's blind passion
Uttara's Bravery
- comic relief story
Marriage of Uttari
- Virata in love with Uttari
- Servants should remain quiet
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