Showing posts with label Epics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Epics. Show all posts

Mythological Characters

Stories that your grandmom (or grandpa) told you usually stay with you. Some characters from the stories/myths that stayed with me-

Ghatotkacha, Bheema's son. The lasting impression is from a Telugu film about his adventures, from the film Mayabazaar. A song from the film while he devours an entire wedding feast by himself was a highlight.

Narada, the sage who appears and disappears at will. He keeps chanting Narayan, Narayan, as he is a bhakt (devout follower) of Vishnu, and keeps carrying tales from one place to another, sometimes causing consternation, if not mayhem. There is also a funny story about Vishnu giving him a test to see if he still chants his name while carrying a bowl of oil filled to the brim. His task is to carry it around the world without spilling  a drop. Naturally, he forgets to chant Vishnu's name in the process.

Abhimanyu, the brave son of Arjuna who gets into an enemy formation called the Chakravyuha, knowing fully well he may not come out alive. He doesn't.

Karna, the son of Kunti, along with the major Pandava brothers, Arjuna, Bheema and Yudhishthira. Their tales of bravery and righteous behaviour would keep everyone glued. B.R. Chopra's retelling of the Mahabharat was a masterpiece, with Shakuni being played brilliantly by a goofy guy called Goofi Paintal. Kunti and Draupadi were strong female characters.


Condensed Books

No, the books are not physically condensed. The stories are, to make them palatable to a new generation.

Ramayan

Ram weds Sita, goes to the jungle due to step-mom's shenanigans. Inveigled by Ravan in the form of a deer, goes to Lanka after a kidnapping episode with Sita, to get her back. Kumbhakarna is sleeping (for a few months), but wakes up when the war between Ram and Ravan starts. Hanuman (his tail plays a big role) and his army of monkeys help Ram defeat Ravan. Laxman, Ram and Sita come back to Ayodhya. Ram rajya prevails.

Mahabharat

There are 5 brothers (Pandavas) who have a hundred cousins (the Kauravas). They fight over their kingdom constantly, while the elders look on. Arjuna wins Draupadi in an open archery contest, but his Mom inadvertently makes her the wife of all five brothers. The fight continues between the cousins (Duryodhana is the bad guy), and in an eighteen day war, aided by Krishna, the Pandavas win. Bada Bheem is one of the heroes in the battle. But they also end up losing a lot. Weapons of mass destruction (various astras) are used from both sides.






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