Indian Epics

I chose to watch the crash course videos on Mythology because I thought it would give me more insight into myths and how they are created. One of the things I learned is that myths and religion are often confused. I also learned that although we view the word myth as something that is false, that doesn't mean it is. Myths are significant and have staying power. This is because of the deeper meaning and significance to them. I thought it was really interesting to see how some people use myths as primitive science to explain the creation of the world. There are so many different views and theories about myths and this series helped me understand more about it. I also learned about new stories that I had never heard before. Myth vs. Fact Bibliography:    Overview of Mythology

This part starts with the Pandavas at Indraprashta. Arjuna goes into exile for intruding on the marriage to Draupadi. Yudhishthira is crowned as a king at Indraprastha. The pandavas play a trick using optical illusions on  Duryodhana who is out to get them. He seeks revenge and goes to play a game of dice with them.  Yudhishthira gamblers away his brothers , himself, and Draupadi. Duryodhana Orders her to undress but Krishna replaces her safari with another. Arjuna returns after exile. Bibliography:   The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic , R.K. Narayan

Narayan's Mahabarata is a lot more complex than the Ramayana he wrote. I think this is because there are so many more stories going on in it that it's hard to keep track of all of the characters.  -Shantanu King of Hastinapura, marries a woman who is actually Ganga and she drowns her children to return them to heaven as Gods. He then marries another women, Satyavati. Bishma becomes king after his death. Ambika and Ambalika are supposed to sleep with Vyasa and the are repelled by him. Ambika makes her servant insteadm and her servant likes him Draupai marries the Pandavas, 5 men: I thought this was an interesting story as in this time it was usually then men who had multiple wives. ( Dhritarashtra and Duryodhana ) Bibliography:   The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic , R.K. Narayan