Week 9 Reading Diary B:

In this section of Narayan’s Mahabharata, I found the game of dice to be an interesting read. I’m not even really sure how to play dice, but it seems like that game was the game to play back then. I found Duryodhana’s jealousy and hate towards the Pandavas to be quite comical actually. He’s like the annoying little villain who never gives up on getting rid of the protagonist. I don’t get why Yudhishthira doesn’t just quit the first game of dice when he realizes how bad he’s losing instead of losing all his possessions. I mean, he loses his wife, Draupadi, his clothes, and even his brothers! Luckily, Krishna comes to Draupadi’s rescue when Duryodhana forcefully tries to undress her. He somehow makes another sari appear on Sita when the original is removed.

Luckily, Dhritarashtra gives Draupadi three wishes that he vows to grant. She uses the first two wishes to set Yudhishthira free, as well as her other four husbands. She refuses to request a third wish so Dhritarashtra gives the Pandavas’ possessions back to them and lets them return to Indraprastha without any further trouble. I really don’t understand why he let them go so easy after the trouble of building the assembly hall and setting up the game of dice with the Pandavas. Although the second game of dice would go in Duryodhana’s favor as well, it’s weird that he let them go so easy. The second game of dice results in the Pandavas being exiled for thirteen years; twelve years in poverty and one in disguise.

The game of dice; Wikipedia