Week 14 Reading Diary B

For the part B of the week 14 reading we picked up where Buck had left us. Shaunaka is listening to Sauti tell the story of the Mahabharata he had heard recited by Vaishampayana in Hastinapura. Anyways, after the battle Bhisma is still alive. He will control his own death and must choose the perfect moment for when to pass. As in Narayan's version, Bhisma chooses to pass at the exact moment of the Winter Solstice. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year. They took the body of Bhishma and burn it into ashes. They take the ashes and pour them into the Ganges. Meanwhile, Yudhisthira is in such great despair due to bringing so many people to death over the course of the battle, no one can seem to bring him back to higher spirits. He then has the dream. This dream is himself on a journey with his brothers and Draupadi. The only other accompaniment is that of a dog. However, along the way everyone dies except for him and the dog. They continue along their journey together. However, the dog was simply a test in the dream so he could get to heaven but all the sudden he realizes his brothers are not there, instead they are all in hell. He then awakens and finds Draupadi beside him and he is restored in his spirits. He then declares the war as officially over and is made king. They then have a great festival following the coronation. The very end of the Mahabharata is with Takshaka taking Askita to the naga kingdoms under the world.

Yudhisthira and the Dog

Source: Wikipedia