(Image: Mahabharata Source: Krishnadharma)
Here we are with the Mahabharata again! I feel less familiar with this book than with the Ramayana. I think it is because the Ramayana is so focused on one single character, Rama, and his struggle against one primary antagonist, Ravana. This sort of story structure presents archetypes that are easy to recognize. Rama's story also has many tropes of the hero's journey that are recognizable even to a western reader. This sort of uniformity doesn't really exist in the Mahabharata. It has so many characters right off the bat, and it spans several generations of people. The story becomes a little easier to follow when it begins to focus on the rivalry between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, but even then the narrative is split between several different characters. There is also moral ambiguity that goes along with the Mahabharata. Even though the Pandavas are much more sympathetic than the Kauravas (especially Duryodhana), but there is good on both sides, which adds much more complexity than the more black and white morality of the Ramayana.
The Dharma Mahabharata offers a clearer picture of the Mahabharata story than the PDE– mostly because it was written in more of a narrative form, so the characters are introduced at a more general pace. It does kind of throw you into the middle of the story (my background knowledge of Bhisma's sacrifice made the opening of the story a lot easier to understand). I do wish that the "point of view" character stayed consistent throughout each chapter, but getting to see things from Pandu or Satyavati's perspectives made the story more interesting and easier to understand. The more intimate story perspective made me more sympathetic towards Kunti and the plight of her children. It also helped me understand Duryodhana's jealousy towards his Pandava relatives.
Overall, the Dharma Mahabharata provides a great new perspective on the Mahabharata story.
Source: Dharma, Krishna. Mahabharata: The Greatest Spiritual Epic of All Time.
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