Week 6 Story: Kunti's Farewell

*I have updated this story and this newer version is on my website listed under Rough Goodbyes.

Kunti bids farewell to Karna. Source: Mojarto. 

Kunti's Farewell

As Kunti made her way down to the river with her newborn son, she couldn't help feeling overwhelmed with emotions of all range. She had millions of thoughts running through mind.

"What will people think if they find out? How will I face everyone," thought Kunti. But the one thought that was the most prominent was "can I really give up my son?" She held back tears for she knew she had to be strong about this. 

She stared down at her boy, her beautiful baby Karna. Out of all the emotions she was feeling, she felt shame at the moment. Shame that she knew will haunt her for the rest of her life if she didn't do what she was about to do. 

At the riverbed, she wrapped Karna in the softest of sheets and laid his head down a costly, soft pillow. She placed the basket in the water and floated him down the river. This she couldn't hold back the tears. Kunti cried her heart for the son she knew she had lost, quite possible for ever. 

"Oh my child, I hope you are protected by everyone. Please protect my baby," she pleaded to the gods. "May you be shielded from harm. May your father, the sun god, give you warmth." 

Kunti sat there watching her baby float away from her. She sat for hours after just staring at the river, thinking about what she had just done. She thought about who will find her son, who will raise him.

She even thought about how her life would've been if she had kept Karna. She thought about all the trouble her little boy would've caused, about all the times she would be running after him to punish him. Kunti wallowed in her grief for a little bit longer but she knew she couldn't stay like this forever. She mustered together all the strength she could and started on her way back home. All the while, she still thought about her actions and hoped for a bright future for her son.

Author's Note: I used the source "Kunti and Her Son" by Donald A Mackenzie, from Indian Myth and Legend. In the original chapter, Kunti is shown leaving Karna at a river and floating him away. We don't know exactly what must have gone on in her head at the time, but I thought of something that I think would be what she must have gone through.

Reading Notes: Birth of Draupadi, Part B

Birth of Draupadi 

from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

• Plot: King Drupada lost half of his kingdom to Drona, and he hoped he would have children who would avenge him. He found brahmins who would help him with this desire of his. The brahmins had a sacrificial rite and from the fire were born a son and a daughter. The son, Dhrishtadyumna, was born first wearing full armor like he was ready for war. The daughter, Draupadi, was to be the "chief of all women." Kunti had heard of the news and desired to set out with her sons towards Panchala. Along the way, they heard that Draupadi was destined to be a Pandava queen. The brothers and Kunti set out on their journey and soon came across people going the same way. They heard that all the princes of the land were heading to the swayamvara of Draupadi. The brahmins praised Draupadi's beauty and urged the brothers to go to the festival with them. They persuaded them with talks of food and gifts. The Pandavas set out towards Panchala, each holding in their hearts the desire to win Draupadi over. 
• Strong points:
• The whole scene where Draupadi and her brother are born out of the fire. I could easily imagine what they looked like because of the great imagery in the words. 
• Some ideas I could get out of this chapter for my story:
• In the end of chapter, it is mentioned how the brothers each held a desire in their heart to win over Draupadi. I think I could expand that by writing like a inner monologue for all of the brothers.

Reading Notes: Kunti and Her Son & The Sons of Pandu, Part A

I particularly enjoyed reading these chapters because these are the stories I grew up hearing from my mom. She knows the Mahabharata by heart basically so she would always tell me bits and snips, and there used to be a show called the Mahabharat on Indian TV once that I would watch with her.

Kunti and Her Son

from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie 

• Plot: Starts off with talking about King Pandu and his two wives: Kunti and Madri. Kunti's brother Vasudeva, was the father of Krishna. Kunti one day had a vision of the god of the un, Surya. She ends up becoming the mother of his son, Karna. She was ashamed of this so she wrapped him up and floated him off down the river in a basket. She prayed that he be protected by all. The basket drifts down to the rivers one by one. First to the River Aswa, then to Yamuna, to Ganges, and then finally to Anga. At Anga there was a woman named Radha who found Karna and was overjoyed because she herself couldn't bear a son. 
• I particularly liked this chapter because it introduces so many pivotal characters in the Mahabharata. 
• Strong points about this chapter:
• It was mainly focused on the females of this chapter, and the motherly love could be shown through their words of despair.
• For my story, I could maybe expand of the part of the chapter where Kunti leaves Karna, and Anga finds him.

The Pandavas. Source: India Times. 

The Sons of Pandu

from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

• Plot: The five sons of Pandu are introduced. Kunti is the mother of Yudhishthira, Arjuna, and Bhima. Madri is the mother of Nakula and Sahadeva. They are known as the Pandavas. They are all believed to be the sons of actual gods and not Pandu. One day King Pandu dies by merely touching Madri like some brahmin had told him. The wives, Kunti and Madri, argued about who should be burned with him and go with her husband to death. The Pandavas having heard their dispute decided that it should be Madri because she was King Pandu's favorite wife. Therefore, she was laid on the pyre next to her husband and passed away. 
• I like this chapter because it introduces the Pandavas who are the main characters in the Mahabharata. It's going to be a little funny for me reading the rest of this because I've seen the show and I can still remember the actors' faces so I will be imagining them in my head. 
• Strong points in this chapter:
• I like that all of the it tells who's the father, the god, of each individual son. I'm sure the description of what the god is known for also is going to play a big part in how each son's personality turns out.
• For some reason I thought of the game show when I read the paragraphs about the introduction of the sons, so maybe I can incorporate that into a story somehow.