What may be quite striking to the reader is the elaborate
nature in which the Pandavas are born to queens Kunti and Madri. Through the
incantation of mantras that call out to the gods, king Pandu's wives give birth
to these five brothers. Comparing these characters to Rama, we see the
significance of such godlike figures in both epics as symbols of perfection,
hope and even envy for the people surrounding them.
(The Pandavas, made up of the five brothers previously mentioned.)
The idea of half human children reminds me of many tales in
Greek mythology. Countless demi-gods are born through the dalliances of gods
such as Zeus who, while on earth, typically engage any woman they chose,
sometimes even while in the form of other creatures. In a similar fashion to
the Mahabharata, many of these half-humans grow to become legendary warriors, a
well-known example being Hercules.
Incarnation is still an expected occurrence in this epic,
however much attention is given to royal lineage and class systems. The
Pandavas are born partly out of a need to establish potential heirs to carry on
the succession of the throne. With this, the focus of this narrative seems to
be more about the feud between individuals of royal bloodlines rather than the
destiny of certain characters to deliver justice to the world, as is the case
with Rama's true calling.
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