hindumyththoughts

[hindumyththoughts]

@hindumythologyevent day 4 - Male characters / sources

Sometimes she wondered if the others could see it too.

The way he moved, with something more than just a warrior’s confidence and strength, more than just a prince’s grace and charm.

The way he smiled, the smile of a man who had seen everything there was to be seen, almost like he was watching the world unfold around him like a retelling of a beloved play.

The way he drew people towards him, commanded not just the respect but the love and adoration of those around him, almost effortlessly.

The way people turned to him for advice, approval, comfort, even in anger - how they always looked to him first.

The way his arrival would silence a room, make people hold their breath, make them gawk, not in fear or shock, but in admiration. He was beautiful, yes, but it was something more.

Were it anyone else, she might have thought him insincere, a man who put on an act, who rarely revealed his true colors, she might have even been envious - he cannot be this immaculate, not truly. But with him, there was no question of it.

She’d seen his mischief, his laughter, his practicality, his morality; his bluntness, almost outright rudeness towards those who didn’t deserve his respect, and his utter devotion and earnestness to those who did.

She’d seen him brighten her husband Arjun’s day with just a smile, lessen her own sadness with just a hand on her arm, calm even his hot tempered long suffering brother Balram’s anger with only a look.

She hadn’t often seen him rise to anger, despite the many situations that warranted it. She knew, of course, that his offenders were far beneath him, undeserving of not just his anger but his mere presence, but it made him all the more fascinating, the way their words had seemingly no effect on him save for amusement, how he so rarely acted in haste, or fell prey to his temper, yet how easy it was for him to smile, to laugh, to sing.

She’d heard the insults they threw at him - that he was only a cowherd, only a milkmaid’s son, no one to be respected, as if those were titles to be ashamed of.

She’d heard of eyes twinkling like stars before, but the stars she saw in his eyes felt real - too real.

She’d heard tales, from Subhadra, of his enchanting prowess with the flute. How his music would make the gopis dance, how everyone would flock to hear it, beg him to play it for them, how even the cows in vrindavan would come to him when they heard it. No , she’d wanted to say, it wasn’t the music, it wasn’t just the music, it was him.

She’d heard of the events that followed in his wake- of Pootna, of Mount Govardhan, of Kansa; she was no stranger to divine intervention, being born from fire herself, but it did not seem to her as if he had obtained boons from various gods, or as if he was under the protection of one, and that was what had led to the stories that followed him. Who was he, really? What was he?.

But for all her musings, he seemed almost inexplicably human, inexplicably mortal. She saw in him the sky, the stars, the heavens, but she also saw the dust from behind the wheels of his chariot, the blood his divine weapon left on his fingers, the love with which he held his wives’ hands, the tenderness with which he held her first son in his arms.

Krishna, Vasudev, Govinda , Giridhari, Keshav, Son of Devaki, Son of Yashoda, Son of Nanda, Her true friend, confidant, her partner in crime, the perfect match to her wit, and somehow, something more. More than anything she has ever known.

It’s why when she feels the most alone she has ever felt, the most angry, the most betrayed, the most helpless, the most afraid, she calls out to him.

Because she knows without a doubt he will hear her

[hindumyththoughts]

My first poll, with a very predictable topic, inspired by @chaanv and her Draupadi poll! Unfortunately couldn’t include all of his names, that man has more than 10 of them, alas, Tumblr has room for only 10 options.

Do vote and tag what you’ve voted! ❤️

Tagging a few friends for fun: @chaanv @herawell @shaonsim @medhasree @hindumyththoughts @arjunaparantapa

[hindumyththoughts]

Sundaralekhan Day 4: Favourite Relationship-

Mirabai and Krishna

(click for better resolution)

Hark! The Dark One speaks of his most beloved:

O Meera! The bounty of love, the chalice of desire,

Why, pray, do you beg for the nectar from my lips?

Your words, through the centuries, have carried more nectar

Than could ever suffice inside this humble cowherd

Why then, must you await my footsteps

When your strains have brought milllions of them to my threshold?

O Devotee! Some may call you deranged, mistake your courtship for madness

But who else would give up the body adorned with jewels

Sitting on a throne, but the wisest of all?

Know this, Dear One,

that love that you wait on

the one needed to unfurl yourself,

is ever-present

sometimes beside you, sometimes inside you.

-destiny

tagging a couple friends: @hindumyththoughts @ambidextrousarcher @kiriti-savyasachin

and event mod: @allegoriesinmediasresres (I hope this qualifies 😬)

edit and poem by me

(text at the bottom right reads:

mere toh giridhar gopal doosro na koi

jaake sir mor mukut mero pati soyi

mine is giridhar gopal, no other is mine,

the one who bears the peacock feather on his head is my husband)

[hindumyththoughts]

(click for better resolution)

They call it a tale of brothers

But not a tale soaked in the fraternal blood

They call it a tale of familial love and rivalry

But not a skeletal view of sanguine bonds

Was it a war, or was it a claw?

Was it about the victorious righteousness, or its inherent desolation?

(ask the man who made it to the top of the mountain)

Was it the slip of a domino, or the dictate of a feather-crowned being?

When they say that words have a power of their own,

They whisper that the victors renamed their rivals.

Who, then, called it an epic, something so grand it cannot be contained,

when it is contained within each one of us?

-destiny

Sundaralekhan Day 9: Mahabharata @sundaralekhan

tagging me mates: @hindumyththoughts @ambidextrousarcher @kiriti-savyasachin

and event mod @allegoriesinmediasres

edit and poem by me

[hindumyththoughts]

यही रात अंतिम यही रात भारी

yahi raat antim, yahi raat bhari

’tis the last night, a night so heavy

For anon, who asked for “Yahi Raat Antim Yahi Raat Bhari”, the song that plays on the eve of the last day of the war in 1987 Ramayana!

[hindumyththoughts]

Thanks for the tag @spockswhore 💙💙💙

I don't even know what I would want my followers to know so here are some random things about me in the order they came into my mind 😂

1. Hopeless philophile and romantic (the word philophile came into my mind randomly one day and I googled it and guess what? it was a real word!)

2. Really love the concept of dying one day and finally mixing in with the skies, the cosmos (my permanent loves from the day I saw them)

3. Love any and every kind of sports (doesn't mean I'm very knowledgeable in that field but goddamn if that ever stops me from enjoying all of them)

4. Absolutely Love to fight physically but also deeply conflict avoidant (it's a hilarious paradox)

5. Sonder is a feeling that comes way too many times to visit me and always leaves me with a sense of intense loss and aching of the heart but it's a very beautiful and precious feeling for me too

As for the tagging... I would absolutely love to know more about all of my followers but I am too scared to tag any of you 😅 (what if that seems like me being way too familiar?) so if you see this please consider it as an invitation from me 💙

✨ Get to know your mutuals!! When you get this, it means someone wants to know more about you, so list 5 things about yourself you want your followers to know. They can be as simple as your age or as complex as your deepest fear, as long as it’s something you’re comfortable with sharing. when you’re done, send this to 10 people if you want to get to know them better!! 🌼💕

Omg, this is so sweet! Hmm...

1. I am currently deep in the hole of shipping SuperBat (the DCEU version). Yep. Whoops.

2. I've learned to play Uno recently!

3. I turned 19 in July, and I'm still not used to saying that I am 19.

4. I love really milky coffee. With at least 4 sugars. Do with that what you will.

5. I love dinosaurs!🦖

Hmm, 10 people? Okay (NO PRESSURE!), @handmaiden-of-mischief (right back at ya!), @theredrenard, @mischiefthedreamerx, @shamelesssylkishipper, @aevianya, @commanderpeggymcgee, @always-a-fangirl146, @wandaloki, @spaghetti-trek & @delightfulheartdream! x

[hindumyththoughts]

Choose between-• Reading Hindi texts or writing in Hindi

•Shakuni or Duryodhan

Hi @spockswhore 💙

1. Reading hindi texts, by a mile (writing Hindi was one of the main reasons why I didn't study it in the higher grades... boy was I glad to leave Hindi exams behind)

I really, really loved reading quality Hindi pieces and my love for hindu mythology came from the beautiful Hindi stories that I read in my childhood (I finished them at a freaky rate and then reread them thousands of times)

Even the first, smaller versions of Ramayana and Mahabharata that I read (and loved) were in Hindi. They make up a significant part of my childhood, I was even the designated hindu mythology member of the family because I read and remembered so many of the stories that I could answer any question related to them.

2. You had no intention of giving me something simple, did you?

I am gonna go with Duryodhan here (don't ask about the reason... even I don't know 😂)

But this was an interesting one! Good!

Thanks for sending me another unique ask again 💙💙💙

[hindumyththoughts]

Hi!

Choose between- Arjun and Panchali (lol, I know I'm evil)

Also, Yudhishthir and Karn.

Also, from a reader's perspective- choose between Antraatman and Child of Prophecy.

Have fun!

Nilaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!

This is soooooooooooooo evil!!!!

You're right here taking advantage of my biggest weakness 😭

1. Ahh... Arjun (Panchali can have the rest of the broken pieces of my heart)

2. You don't even need to ask this one, you already know my answer- Yudhishthir (doesn't mean one is that better than the other)

3. Again! you specifically chose the two works of yours that hold all my love! You knew this will hurt!! So, after half an hour of agony, my choice is Antraatman 💙

Thanks for the painful ask! And I hope you're happy with the level of damage (:

[hindumyththoughts]

Choose between: writing Draupadi and writing Krishna.

Uttara or Abhimanyu.

Aaaaaahhhhhhh I knew it would be difficult! Great job!

Okay so writing about Krishna is really enjoyable for me 💙

Between Abhimanyu and Uttara...

I guess Uttara (this might just be my childhood attraction to all the side characters coming back) but this was really one of hardest choice I've ever had to make, hell choosing a career path was easier 😂

Thanks for the great choices!

[hindumyththoughts]

Anon or not, make me choose between:

Show: _______ or ________ ?

Character: ________ or _________ ?

Pairing: _________ or _________ ?

Anything: ________ or _________ ?

[hindumyththoughts]

Circumbilivagination for Lakshman and Thysiastery for Krishna :) looking forward to it

Hi @spockswhore , so sorry for this late, late reply to your only ask (some blame goes to the exams too)

These were so different from all others that it took so long for inspiration to strike, and still I'm unsure of their quality... sorry 💙

Circumbilivagination: going around in a circular motion; circumambulation

Lakshman

It goes around, and it comes around. The cycle is cruel, torturing and extremely in character for the indifferent deity deciding their fate. This circle of their battles, trials after trials, is testing his faith and his patience; all that restrains his hand, his words, is the discipline that He taught him. But what is this restraint, if not a sign of weakness, a gesture of submission to this continuous injustice.

No other souls could bear this unending injustice as those graceful ones have; those two to whom his soul belongs. Betrayal after betrayal from those they trust, punishments for crimes they never even thought of, let alone committing. And this was what set his heart on fire, scorching him inside out with rage enough to destroy this earth, along with the sun that shone on it and the moon that showered it with its kindness. No peaceful seas, no calm skies should dare exist in a world which was so cruel to his Bhaiyya and Bhabhi. How could it exist? How dares it exist?

If the world was to always turn on them like that, then he would stand as their shield in it's face; he would turn the thorny forest paths into the smoothest of carpets with his hands, he would tame the hostile and wild forests for them, would turn the angry heat of the day into the soft cooling moonlight and would give up every last drop of his blood before the day even one tear spilled from their eyes due to the pains of this hard life; that was his vow, on that fateful day...

The cycle of days went on, each morning started with those affectionate hands that blessed him and each night ended with seeing their peaceful sleeping faces; the days in between devoted to multifarious errands for food and shelter. All the hardwork in the world was trivial in front of their smiles that embraced him, when he had fashioned that pot from the clay for the first time. It was rough, unpolished and crude but they loved it nonetheless. If the days drifted away like this, he thought, then it would not long until they were home again.

And then the cycle repeats again, cruelly tearing apart two souls, leaving their wounded remains behind. His one lapse of judgment, his one mistake cost him something much more precious than his life; forced him to live through the nightmares where both of them silently cried themselves to sleep and woke up to barren days...

He was never forgiven for that one lapse. It costed him again and again and again, all because he failed in protecting his Bhaabhi, he failed his Bhaiyya. For one time in his life he prayed to be forgiven without punishment, and for that one time, his prayer went unheeded. After the bloodbath, after all those tears and agony, came an ephemeral reunion, the long-awaited return to their home, and started another cycle of separation...

That one mistake led to a sea of tears that finally ended up drowning him.

The fates laughed at him, laughed at the strength that he was so sure of, and taunted him; Pray tell, O Valorous One, against whom will you stand to stop this cruel injustice done to your Bhaabhi? On whom will you draw this mighty bow of yours? Who will you pierce with the sharpest of arrows? The kind brother that you followed to the harsh forests without a complaint because he was your life itself? Or the one who loved you more than a son? Or the one whose happiness you failed in protecting?

Or the one and only who stands before you now and orders you to perform that cold-blooded deed?

He heard their cold laughs, tried to grasp at any last straw of hope, but search as much as he could, he cannot find his brother in the king, and try as he might, he cannot disregard the brother who stands so clearly in pain in the king's robes. He who swore to protect at least those two until his last breath was left alive until now to witness this moment where he would be the one to separate them, to rip their hearts with his own hands. To perform a task so excruciating and still not die that instant, only because the cycle was not complete yet.

And at long last, when salvation comes in the peaceful guise of death, he prays for a second time; prays for kinder cycles, that may ask him to serve his lord selflessly for eternity if they like, ask him for his last drop of blood and his soul for the sake of the service, but, never again places him against his love, never again asks him to stab his own heart like this, never again keeps him alive only to see the painful cries of those two. He prays for their happiness again.

He prays for this cycle to end with him...

Thysiastery: sacrificial altar

Krishna

Sacrifice all for the sake of Dharma, a noble cause and all the worldly possessions but a small price...

But even in the hearts of those rational and cold ones who demanded this price, small never meant cheap, never meant insignificant, never meant immaterial. Humanity dies a thousand deaths the day they stopped respecting these grave sacrifices, the offerings to the holy fire that cleanses these barren lands, so that a new life may start again.

A life, as transient as a flower that withers before it touched the ground; of no more significance for the departed, but sorrowful for the observer. The very heart that gave humans the resilience to differentiate between right and wrong, subjugated them in the face of this withering. The essence of the person long gone, leaving behind no echoes, but the hearts of raging men still seek the fires that challenged them, in those cold eyes; the hearts of the bereaved ones still seeks the life in that smile that no longer resides there. Who is to tell them to stop, to look no more, for wars always end without filling in the wounds of its victims, always ends without asking for forgiveness from those left behind, for wars always end without closure...

O funereal altar of Kurukshetra, accept these offerings of war, and as a sign of acceptance, grant this land peace and allow it to heal for new life again.

In honor of a sacrifice so precious, nothing to offer except a tear, of gratitude and of loss; not that of Vishnu's or a supposed incarnation of them who resides above to receive these sacrifices, but that of a grateful man's who survived to see the result.

[hindumyththoughts]

Tag game- Find the word

Thank you @kiriti-savyasachin for the tag 💙💙💙 (everyone go check this beautiful writerblr out!)

So, the words given to me are Family, Smile, Joy and Eyes

Family

He was the divine, the supreme soul, he was Narayana, above all the ties of Maya and mortality. Only engaging in the transient guise of a human for the upholding of Dharma and order in the world, an assumption Yudhishthir believed without any doubt. But for reasons so noble, why go through the pains of mortal bonds, birth and death, the illusory ties of family and loved ones? For the salvation of humankind, surely there were more efficient means of action.

Yudhishthir wonders why in the world would Krishna go through the painful process of life just for something he could have done at the flick of his finger.

Smile

It was concerning how his one smile made everyone lose their guards, made his troublesome brothers quiet down, and even silly Manthara could not admonish him when he smiled like vishnu himself. Sleeping peacefully in the ksheer sagar with only Lakshmi by his side to witness such a benevolent countenance. Since she had seen Ram's smile, even in her prayers the Narayana she saw smiled like him, looking at her with kind eyes that only Ram had.

Kaikeyi marvels at the effect that her baby Ram's smile has on everyone's heart.

Joy

He loved the sight of Panchaali laughing lightly, he treasured each one of those in his mind. She and Bhraata Bheem would be sharing an inside joke about Bhraata Arjun, and then instantly dissolved into laughter, tears glistening in their eyes, those ones of pure joy, which he would reverently preserve in his palms, if he could. If he could, he would lock this blessed time within his heart, away from the cruelty of fates.

Sahdev remembers the beautiful, joyous laughs of Draupadi.

Eyes

The Samrat was always present before his eyes, but the act of talking to him was now a trial, his words so heavy that they refused to be spoken. It seemed as the Samrat was rather encouraging them to maintain their distance, always keeping out of their reach, but whom was this supposed to protect, he wondered.

Arjun reflects on his relationship with his elder brother, or at least the remnants of it that are left, during the Vanvas.

Thanks for the tag, this was fun 💙

If anyone else wants to do it, then they're most welcome! You can have the words- tears, human, laugh, and hold.

[hindumyththoughts]

Do alllll the questions for that meme for mbh fandom

Hi anon :)

Here's the answer-

Also, you seem like an interesting person, like we can be nice friends (if you're interested- do come and talk :D)

[hindumyththoughts]

Character exploration post 2:- Exploring Arjun’s journey in Antraatman.

Hi, everyone! Thank you for your amazing responses to my previous posts! The post about Antraatman is quite long and rambling in different directions, I feel, to put it in a single post. Hence, I split it into two, or three parts, something I’ll come to know when I polish out the remaining parts. This post is like an introduction to Arjun’s character in Antraatman, chronicling, somewhat concisely, the journey of his life, until this point in the work, with some hints at the future, as well as his emotional and character development. In tomorrow’s post, we will discuss Arjun’s external relationships with people in his circle.

[Image ID: A collage of six images. Top-left, a dark-skinned baby with black eyes is gurgling, holding on to his mother, whose smile is visible at the top of the picture. Top center, an image of a painting depicting ancient Indian war is present, the details too fine to completely represent in words. Top right, two hands are either reaching for each other, or one hand has just let go of the other. Bottom left, two boys are playing and their silhouettes are shot against the sunset. Bottom center, a dirt path traverses dense forest greenery. Bottom right, a young man with dark hair and dark eyes, looking sad and pensive, his chin in his hand, is facing forward. At the bottom of the bottom right image, the banner of PICCOLLAGE is seen. In the center of the collage, in bold white font, the words ‘Arjun’s Journey in Antraatman’ are written. End ID]

Moving on to the post proper! This is the longer of the two posts about Arjun in Antraatman, so I am putting this under a read more option, after the basic introduction.

 This is the work that discusses Arjun in his natural setting in the most depth, and yet, in a way, the least, for we are seeing Arjun through his eyes alone, but for a short scene in which he is seen through his mother’s eyes. We are with Arjun, I, as the writer, am my version of !canon Arjun! when I write this work, as we traverse, with Arjun, the carefree innocence of childhood in exile, for that is all he has known, the sudden upheaval that leads to them going to Hastinapur and the changes in his life that follow, from little things like ‘useless ostentation’ to the deeper changes in status, to Arjun being the stellar student he is known for being to this day in the Gurukul, to his first exposure to war and bloodshed, to assassination plots, and, finally, compromises to his principles, as far as the work has been written. We will also trace Arjun the emerging politician and commander, the General of the armies, the man who sees the big picture in the direst of circumstances, to the man who undertakes exiles and missions alone, who deals with a variety of situations that I dare not reveal completely lest whatever suspense might still exist is lost to the wind.

Keep reading

[hindumyththoughts]

Character exploration post-1: Arjun in Vith Vithi Cha

Alright, folks! Starting off with the first post of my expected character exploration post series!

 These posts will explore the character in question from the purview of the work being discussed. Since Arjun is my main protagonist in all the works discussed, I will be starting off the series with an in-depth discussion of the way I write him. 

For those of you who might not know him, Arjun/Arjuna is one of the main protagonists of the Mahabharata, who is renowned as an archer for his focus, as a warrior for his compassion (which some people might read as indecision, although I am not one of these people), who is one of the key warriors and players in the major war of Kurukshetra. I would advise at least a slight background into who he is, before pursuing this post, as this post is written in the assumption that the reader is conversant with who Arjun is, for he is not an original character, rather, a hero of legend.

This is the shortest of the character exploration posts at 389 words, the one for Antraatman, the work to be discussed next, is stretching its limits at nearly 1.5K, so please let me know, readers, if I should release that post part by part, in the comments. :)

[ Image ID: A collage of five images. The top-left image is a stalk of white flowers with drooping petals shot on a grey background. Top-right, there is a man, shadowed in grey, holding his face in his hands, a sad expression on what we can see of his face. The bottom-left image is a young man with brown eyes, crinkled in joy, and slight brown stubble on his face, smiling wide with his teeth showing on a yellow background. Bottom-right, there is a blurred green background, with focus on a man’s larger brown hand, his index finger, approximately, being held by a smaller, fairer hand, presumably a child’s. In the center image, rays of sunlight are streaming through a canopy, splintering into individual rays. In the center of the image, where the light is the brightest, the words ‘Exploring Arjun in Vith Vithi Cha’ are written in white cursive script. End ID]

Moving to the post proper:

    Starting off with the work that is penultimate on my list, because this work does not focus much on Arjun’s character as an arc. Instead, it focuses on certain aspects of Arjun’s character- his emotions as a father, his way of battle, his reaction to its aftermath. Neither does it completely focus on Arjun’s PoV alone. Abhimanyu, Arjun’s son, is the introductory PoV, followed by Arjun himself, then, in the chapter I am working on, Bheem, Arjun’s brother, has a voice. This is the reason I am discussing this work, which is one of my shortest to date, first, because we also see Arjun in the perspective of eyes that are not his own.

In Abhimanyu’s eyes, the eyes of a child for whom his father is all but ideal, Arjun takes on a larger-than-life persona, the consummate warrior, the invincible hero.

Then we switch to Arjun as he sees himself. We see that, for all that he may be a heroic warrior, he too, is a man, with a man’s weaknesses and strengths. We see the man who tries his best to be resilient, to be the father he feels he ought to be, a man who does not forgive his own failures easily, someone who feels responsible for a gamut of events. We see the decisive soldier, who takes strategic decisions in spite of warring inside with guilt and grief (or is it the very same guilt and grief that makes him take the decision he does? That, I leave to you, dear reader.) We have a glimpse of him as the fighter and the warrior he is, the way he holds on to his dignity and pride, even at a disadvantage, we see his will to hold on as long as he can.

In Bheem’s eyes, Arjun is his younger brother, who he has a protective instinct towards, for all that he might be a warrior to be feared. When he sees Arjun as vulnerable as he is in the story, these instincts of his rush to the fore. He sees Arjun’s compassion as a fact of life, he feels Arjun’s pain, both physical and emotional, as an elder brother would. He is, in a way, Arjun’s closest and dearest support, the brothers sharing a bond in which silences are almost equal to spoken words.

 As stated above, this post is different from the upcoming ones, simply because the upcoming ones go into detail about Arjun as I see him, and Arjun as he sees himself in three different scenarios. The other posts will probably not discuss Arjun from the perspective of other characters all that much. That said, I’m open to feedback, as long as it is not hate, or abuse, or any outright negative stuff with the exception of constructive criticism. 

I’ll tag a few mutuals, please shoot me a message or an ask if you want to be added/removed from the tag list! 

@ambitiousandcunning​ @medhasree​ @ashsnipes​ @annlillyjose​ @seekerbrave​ @shaonharryandpannisim​ @avakrahn​ @a-confusedmess​ @arachneofthoughts​ @paneerlajwanti​ @vishnupada​ @hindumyththoughts​ @bookdragonfanish​ @destinymalfoy73​ @lordeacoustic​ @muralofmyths​ @shellweed​ @iamnotthat​

[hindumyththoughts]

The MB fandom! (You don’t have to do the episode/season questions if you are not thinking of a specific show.)

Hi @chaanv so glad to see you again!

I am always so excited when I get an ask from you so thanks 💙

the first character i ever fell in love with: Krishna 💙 (I know- how very unexpected)

a character that i used to love/like, but now do not: I don't really have any character that exactly fits that description but I used to be pretty neutral towards Dhritarashtra but now I am very much against him. (something related to that quote- The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their silence at times of crisis)

a ship that i used to love/like, but now do not: as per my Ramayana answer for this same ask, I can Never say that for any of my ships.

my ultimate favorite character™: it's a tie! Between the three Krishnas! Very obvious that I can't really choose just one.

prettiest character: can I say Nakul? Because I wanna say Nakul. This thought has been stuck inside my brain for a significant amount of time and it's not going away. (As for Draupadi, I can never really imagine her as pretty, I accept only beautiful, an intense beauty that makes you lower your eyes in respect)

my most hated character: this beautiful epic is full of flawed, human characters some of whom commit unforgivable crimes and deserve their fate, but still, in another time, in another place, in other situations, I can see myself in many of them (is that a good thing? Not at all. But it's human... in my opinion) so no, I don't really hate anyone with that passion. (Again this does Not mean that they are not wrong, they very much are, just means that I am intrigued by this great story and its characters.)

my OTP: Arjun and Subhadra! Also Draupadi and Pandavs ❤

my NOTP: Draupadi and Karna, I guess.

favorite episode: I liked the brc mahabharat adaptation so I would say, the episode in which Krishna visits Hastinapur as a messenger of peace before the war (It has a song which I absolutely Love because of how it is written and shown and also everyone being charmed by Krishna is a big plus point)

saddest death: Abhimanyu. When I read the story for the first time ever (a shorter version), that part affected me so much that I refused to read that part again in all my re-readings of that version (which were a lot).

favorite season: the part with the Pandavs' childhood until their time at Indraprastha.

least favorite season: the game of dice, very obviously.

character that everyone else in the fandom loves, but i hate: as you might have guessed... no one 😅

my ‘you’re piece of trash, but you’re still a fave’ fave: I think this is pretty obvious in my writings, but I always seem a little soft on Yudhishthir despite the man's many, many mistakes... I can't really help it, it's a weakness.

my ‘beautiful cinnamon roll who deserves better than this’ fave: Uttara, I just think she's neat 💕 (Arjun will approve)

my ‘this ship is wrong, nasty, and makes me want to cleanse my soul, but i still love it’ ship: I don't think I have that type of ship in this fandom. Very boring answer, I know, I am disappointed too.

my ‘they’re kind of cute, and i lowkey ship them, but i’m not too invested’ ship: Kunti and Pandu, Ganga and Shantanu, Krishna and his great wives, Bheem and Hidimbi, Abhimanyu and Uttara, I guess that's all (yes, I do not understand the meaning of a single choice).

Thanks for this Mahabharat ask, I enjoyed it! And I really hope it's not too long and boring 😅