Week 9 Review

Growth Mindset Meme
Image Source: Blogger

I always enjoy the weekly growth mindset cat memes posted on the announcement blog page! So here is one I found from this week! 

Enjoy and chive on! 

The growth mindset meme blog post can be found here

Storytelling Week 9 -- Shikhandi and Bhishma: A Tale of Revenge

Bhishma refuses to fight Shikhandi
Image source: Wikipedia

     It seemed everyone was in a deep slumber after the exhausting battle earlier that day. And a cloaked figure moved within the camp in the dead of night. No sound was made. Not even the rustling of leaves or the low howl of the wind disturbed the night. One lone man was awake during this eerily quiet night. He felt the dark figure approach his tent and he already knew who was coming for him. Without turning around he addressed the lurking shadow.

"I knew you'd come for me again, Amba. You've been hunting for me in every nook and crevice of the Earth. I've been waiting for you every night since you swore to destroy me."

The small cloaked figure stopped and removed her hood. Amba slowly walked towards Bhishma and stopped in front of him. Her eyes were downcast and void of any emotion. 

"I have wandered this Earth for years now. I've survived on nothing but air. I've stood still on a mountain top for over a decade on one toe, waiting for the voice of  a god to give me guidance. I became brittle and hard like rock. Eventually I became ice and snow upon that mountain top. I heard a voice advise me to gather wood and start a fire, and so I did as I was told. Once the flames looked like they could graze the tops of the clouds I submerged myself into the flames. I felt the flames burn my skin until I could feel no more pain. I no longer pertain to the living, Bhishma. That is one of the things I came to tell you. I am dead."

Bhishma looked at Amba with curiosity. After a few seconds curiosity turned into amusement. With a smile Bhishma said, "Does that mean that your desire to destroy me is extinguished? Have you finally done away with that resentment you hold for me? Will you finally allow yourself to be at peace?"

Amba's eyes momentarily showed a spark of anger as she looked up at Bhishma. She shook her head and with a small smile said, "I can never be at peace until I get what I desire the most, Bhishma. And as you know all I want is to exact revenge for what you have done to me. I may be dead but I will return to battle you in this great war. I will be reborn and return as a man. I will drive Arjuna's chariot and battle you until you are no more. My name will be Shikhandi and I will be your downfall. Remember that name, Bhishma. Shikhandi!"

As soon as the last word left her lips she faded away and with that the eerie silence of the night went with her. A soft breeze returned to graze Bhishma's face and the rustling of leaves could finally be heard and the chirping of crickets softly filled the night. He sat contemplating his encounter with Amba with great concentration until the rising of the sun. 

----

Later that day, amidst the chaos of battle the thought of Amba left his mind as he fought against the Pandavas' soldiers. It wasn't until he saw a chariot coming towards him that he recognized Arjuna and another man in it. He couldn't recognize this young man but he looked an awful lot like...Amba.

"Shikhandi", he whispered. 

Everything around Bhishma seemed to move in slow motion. He couldn't bring himself to raise his arms against someone who once used to be a woman. To him that was Amba and he wouldn't dare strike her in battle. Bhishma saw Arjuna yell at Shikhandi to strike him with an arrow. With no will to defend himself or even deflect the incoming arrow, he saw Shikhandi shoot the arrow that would bring him his death. 

"This is it....." he uttered as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

And with that he felt the arrow piece his very heart and the world faded into black. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Note:

What I liked about Peter Brook's film Mahabharata is that it goes a little more in detail about Amba's role in Bhishma's death in comparison to Narayan's Mahabharata. Perhaps in the online version of the Mahabharata it went into more detail but in the shortened modern version that I decided to read it didn't. Amba set out to seek revenge for Bhishma's refusal to marry her. She sought to marry him after the man she really intended to marry turned her away after she was won by Bhishma for Vichitravirya. Her true love felt like he would see Bhishma's wrath if he married Amba, even though Bhishma had set her free to do as she pleased. With Bhishma's refusal to marry her due to his vow of celibacy, Amba was destined to roam the world as an unmarried woman. She traveled the world for years and attempted to get many kings to champion her cause with no success for they feared having Bhishma as an enemy. In the film she comes to him in the dead of night during the war to tell him that she would be reborn as a man and be the death of him. I decided to expand on this scene and made a story out of it.

Peter Brook's film Mahabharata was released in 1989 can be seen via YouTube here.

Fun Fact:
The film was originally a stage play which circulated in 1985 and was a total of over 9 hours long!

Reading Diary B: Peter Brooks' Mahabharata Pt. 2

I am finishing up the second half of Peter Brook's film Mahabharata

It can be viewed on YouTube here

Arjuna and Krishna
Image Source: Wikimedia

• Bhima's son is summoned
• Bhima was injured during battle
• Recall that Bhima's son said he would be available should his father need him for anything
• Bhima's son proves to be a worthy ally. 
• Karna does not use his divine lance because he is saving it for Arjuna
• In a moment of hesitation he uses it against Bhima's son because he is proving to be difficult to kill
• Arjuna's son is willing to face Drona after Arjuna is lead away in an attempt to distract him.
• He knows how to break the disc, but not get out of it.
• Duryodhana is annoyed at Drona's impressed attitude with Arjuna's son breaking into their midst.
• Ultimately Arjuna's son is killed after being overpowered by Duryodhana's men
• Arjuna comes back and is devastated, accusing his brothers of sending his son to his death.
• Yudhistira is feeling guilty, going to Bhishma confessing that he is responsible for a child's death
• Duryodhana accuses Drona of smiling when Bhima was slaughtering his men. 
• Duryodhana scoffs, saying that Drona loves the Pandavas
• Drona warns of their impeding death
• Vyasa comes to watch over Drona, and tells his son that that night will be his last night's sleep.
• As soon as the sun rises, Arjuna is there waiting to attempt to kill Drona
• After scuffling, Arjuna returns to camp injured.
• Krishna finds a way to make Drona lay down his arms
• He says if Drona finds out his son is dead, he will resign himself
• Bhima goes and kills an elephant that shares the same name as Drona's son
• It wouldn't be a lie if he says that to Drona
• Drona dies
• Bhima exacts revenge upon the Duryodhana's brother, whom dragged Draupadi by the hair to humiliate her.
• He rips him open and drinks his blood
• Draupadi washes her hair in his blood
• Karna says a brahmin cursed him
• "He said to me, when fear enters your body, your chariot wheel will sink"
• Karna is injured after battling Bhima
• Bhima is instructed to strike his thigh
• Drona's son sneaks into camp and kills all of the Pandavas' sons to avenge his father
• He goes to tell Karna as he lays dying
• After telling him the news, Karna finally dies
• The war ends with the defeat of Karna 
• Vyasa, the king, the queen, and Kunti walk though the battle field, looking at all the destruction.
• Kunti is kneeling beside Karna. Arjuna asks her why she is kneeling at his side
• Kunti reveals that Karna was the Pandavas' brother and that he promised to spare them all with the exception of Arjuna. 
• Ghandari curses Krishna for not keeping his word and taking up arms against her sons.
• She says his own people will end up killing each other to extinction
• In the aftermath, the King orders Ghandari to remove her veil.
• The king and queen both step into the flames
• Yudhistira is looking for the gate of paradise
• While climbing a mountain the rest of the Pandavas fell to their doom in the abyss
• Vyasa asks if he is alone, and says he must leave the dog he has behind.
• Yudhistira doesn't seem to want to leave his dog behind to enter the ladder of paradise. 
• He refuses to leave his dog behind. 
• The dog ended up being another form of Dharma, who is Yudhistira's father. 
• He once took the form of a lake to test him.
• Yudhistira enters paradise. 
• Yudhistira sees Duryodhana.
• He is confused that a man who has caused the death of millions of men could end up in paradise.
• The Pandavas' have ended up not in paradise but in a limbo-like hell.
• Yudhistira condemns the gods for doing this to them. 
• He decides to stay there with his family. 
• 
  

Reading Diary A: Peter Brooks Mahabharata Pt. 2

For this week I have opted to finish the second half of Peter Brook's film Mahabharata.
It can be viewed on YouTube here

The first day of war
Image Source: Flickr

• The Pandavas are in exile; on their last year they must remain unrecognized and all are in disguise in King Virata's kingdom
• Yudhistira is a brahmin
• Bhima is a cook "the Prince of pots"
• Arjuna teaches song and dance as a eunuch
• Sahadeva is a musician 
• Nakula tends to animals and fishes for the King
• Draupadi served as the handmaid for the Queen
• King Virata's brother in law (Kichaka) is searching for the Pandavas' with no luck
• The queen's brother asks for Draupadi to be sent to him in exchange for emeralds. She is sent to him the next night
• He basically manhandles her. 
• "My wives are now your servants...there is no one like you"
• While pinned down Draupadi asks for more time, late that night
• Draupadi begs for Bhima's help
• Draupadi leads Kichaka somewhere else for Bhima to defend her honor.
• Bhima crushes him to death in a strong hug. 
• King Virata finds a lump of clothes and demands to know who killed Kichaka
• Yudhistira reveals himself and the rest of the Pandavas to King Virata
• Duryodhana and Arjuna come to Krishna for his help
• Duryodhana at this head and Arjuna settles at his feet
• Krishna says Arjuna was the first his eyes see so he gets to make his requests first
• Krishna offers his warriors, fully armed and ready, or himself (but he will not fight)
• Arjuna takes Krishna himself and Duryodhana takes the full force of Krishna's warriors.
• Duryodhana asks Bhishma to lead their armies as general
• With the condition that Karna must not fight
• Krishna comes to Dhritarashtra for one last attempt to make him come to his senses. 
• Reminds him that the Pandavas are his nephews
• War is not advisable and can be avoided
• Krishna says that Yudhistira only asks for five villages in exchange for peace
• Krishna makes Dhritarashtra see the impending doom
• Krishna reveals to Karna that Kunti is his mother and the Pandavas are his brothers
• Karna feels resentment and regret from what it looks like. Asks for his birth not to be revealed to the Pandavas
• The war is set to begin, warriors are preparing their arms
• Arjuna feels like he cannot battle against his own family when both sides are facing each other. He loses his will to fight
• "I can't bring death to my own family"
• Krishna talks him out of his rut
• The battle begins
• Once the sun goes down the battle stops
• Amba comes to Bhishma in the dead of night
• "Stop hunting me across the Earth, accept to be at peace"
• Amba says she is dead
• She burned herself, by command of a voice she heard
• Amba says she is taking part of the battle, she will come back as a man
• Her name is now Shikandi (sp?)
• Bhishma is greeted by the Pandavas after his encounter with Amba
• They as how it is possible to defeat them. He replies by saying that they cannot win without killing him first.
• The only thing that can kill him, he says, is if Shikandi comes before him.
• Essentially he tells the Pandavas to bring Shikandi to him to kill him,
• Bhishma is killed
• On his deathbed, he speaks to Karna, and tells him he is strong and profound, just like Arjuna
• He asks to stop the war, Karna keeps his loyalty to Duryodhana. 
• Karna asks for permission to fight upon Bhishma's death
• Vyasa tells Dhritarashtra that his children will die thanks to him
• Kunti speaks to Karna, asks him to come towards the other side. 
• Karna speaks in a resentful manner to Kunti. He is angry about her abandoning him at birth.
• Kunti cannot forgive Kunti for abandoning him. He refuses to follow her back to the Pandavas' camp
• Karna promises he will not kill Yudhistira, Bhima, or the twins. Just Arjuna
•