Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata, Section D

...I really enjoyed reading...

The Afterlife

Stream of Consciousness: 

I didn't really feel called by any of the stories I read in this section. I enjoyed this one and Krishna's death but the imagery in this one and also the context really got me. I love depictions of the afterlife. Especially in movies. Like have you seen the new Evan Almighty movie? They depict heaven as this white vast expanse. Terrifying. And in What Dreams May Come? with Robin Williams, both heaven and hell are depicted. That's one of my favorite movies and I actually think it ties into this story a lot and I'm excited to play with that for a story possibly.

The imagery:

I'd like to focus on the following excerpt:

"He entered the forest of the nether regions, where the leaves were like to sharp weapons and the path was covered with knives. Darkness hung heavily, and the way was miry with blood and strewn with foul and mutilated corpses. Shapes of horror flitted round about like to shadows; fierce birds of prey feasted upon human flesh. The damned were burning in everlasting fires, and the air reeked with foul odors. A boiling river went past, and Yudhishthira saw the place of torture with thorns, and the desert of fiery sand: he gazed mutely upon each horror that was unfolded before his eyes."

I absolutely love this bit and I love that this is how "hell" was hypothesized. I mean come on. "Shapes of horror flitted round about like to shadows" are we serious??? Amazing. "he gazed mutely" chills. Head over heels for this piece and how beautiful the imagery is. I especially like the sort of violent/graphic stuff like "the leaves were like to sharp weapons" and "the way wasa miry with blood  and strewn with... corpses". It just gives this feel of horror and disgust. A truly beautifully composed piece. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913).

IMAGE: 

(Hell)