It was good to hear more about Kunthi’s backstory. I think it was good to get a refresher as to why Suradev gave her the mantra. I never really understood why he gave her the mantra in the first place, but now I understand. I liked the insight as to how the curse of celibacy came around to Pandu. Once again, it brought to light the theme of Karma which is present throughout the Mahabharata. I had forgotten the relationship between Kunthi and Madri. I think it was nice to be reminded of the fact that Kunthi and Madri had a very sisterly relationship and that Kunthi helped Madri to have her sons. I really appreciated the insight given into Gandhari’s pregnancy. I did not feel like Narayan’s version of the book really gave any details about her sons at all. It merely stated that she had a hundred sons. It also did not give any details about her pregnancy being difficult with all kinds of nightmares and terrors. I had no idea that she actually gave birth to a lump of flesh and that Vyasa divided that flesh into a hundred sons. That makes much more sense as to how such a large number was born. The ill omens and demonic sons make sense as to why Dhritarashtra and Gandhari’s sons turned out so evil. That foreshadowing really helps to explain why Dhritarashtra’s sons are so cruel towards the Pandavas. I also thought the detail about these sons being the kind of sons that only a blind man with a wife who had given up her sight could love was interesting. That detail, as cold as it is, really paints a distinct picture of the kinds of people these men were. I appreciated that the backstory on Duryhodhana helped give a little bit more insight as to why he is so bitter towards the Pandavas.
Below is an image of Indra with Kunthi. It is titled "Boon of Indra to Kunti"
Bibliography: Mahabharata Episodes 9-17
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