Famous Last Words: The End (Week 11)

I finished reading the Mahabharata this week and I actually think I enjoyed The Ramayana more. There were pros and cons to both, however. I loved the way Draupadi stood up for herself, and she definitely was more outspoken than Sita. I thought the characters were a little more active in The Mahabharata. However, I have a special place in my heart for some of the characters in The Ramayana. Hanuman is by far my favorite character out of all the versions of the Indian epics that I have read. He is funny and sassy and definitely a little crazy, but he is so loyal to Rama and Sita. I thought the battle scene out of The Ramayana was a little better too. It was more specific when it came to the fighting, and I really loved how they described the death of Ravana. However, in The Mahabharata I loved the respect they showed to the elders. Even though the Pandava brothers fought against all their mentors and elders that they had grown up with, they still showed them the utmost respect when it came to fighting and killing them. I was struck by how similar these stories were. For one thing, they both centered on royal families. The main protagonist and his (or their) lovely wife were sent to exile in the forest for years, through no fault of their own. (I am on the side that Yudisratha was not aware of all that he was gambling away. That he was caught up in the game.) They also had an epic battle with a villain who had tried to disgrace the female protagonist of the story. These are two absolutely beautiful stories and I am somewhat heartbroken that I am done reading them for this semester. I absolutely see why they have lasted through the ages.

Bharata and Rama by Raja Ravi Varma
Image Source