Week 12 - Reading Diary A

In this section, we get to read about how Yudhishthira gambles away everything like a bumbling fool. Then gets a second chance and ruins that too. I figured rereading this part of the story in Buck's version wouldn't make me as frustrated but it ended up doing so anyways. The part where they try to embarrass Draupadi still makes me sad, but I'm glad Krishna saves her or else I would have felt really really bad for her. I hate when obnoxious men mistreat women. I liked getting to read about my favorite character, Arjuna, and his travels to see his father and his heaven. I really really liked reading about the story of Nala and Damayanti. Nala seems so caring and this is one of the better love stories I have read in these epics. Most love stories end with some sad ending. Like when Sita abruptly gets taken into the earth by her mother in order to be saved from all her mistreatment from Rama and others. Nala, leaves his wife because he is no condition to support her and so she can be happy with her father. Damayanti is similar to many wives in these stories, in the fact that she is completely devoted to her love and goes out to such extreme measures because she loves him so much. This is one thing I really appreciated about the Hindu culture is that wives are so caring, loyal, and love their husbands to the end. I would say my mom is like this with my dad as well. This story also reminded a tiny bit of a bollywood movie called "Veer-Zaara". If you like bollywood movies you'll love this one just like the rest of the world did!