#madri

[scogito]

Tuttavia al giorno d'oggi, il vero pericolo è tra i boschi.

[jabbering-on-jaya]

MASTERLIST

Poetry

1. Lamentations

2. Kiriti and Kalyani

Drabbles

1. Uloopi

2. Hidimbi

3. Dice

4. Grief

5. Rumination

6. Eudamonic

7. Sakhe

8. Brihannala

9. Soft

10. Vastraharan

11. Arjuni?

12. Father Divine

13. Madri

14. Balarama

15. Ashwathama

Meta

1. Virata War

2. The Epic Trend

3. Headcanons on Arjuna

4. Krishnarjun

1. Part one

2. Part two

Wattpad

1. Viraah

2. Kalacakra | At Destiny's Wake

3. Chandra Charitam

4. Agraja | Blood Brothers

5. Anuraga | The Quiescent Queen

6. Frangipanis

[diemelusine]

Charles IV of Spain and his family (1801) by Francisco de Goya. Museo del Prado.

[sambhavami]

Question, what do you think would have happened, had it been Kunti who died alongside Pandu and not Madri?

Okay I am very sorry about the delay, I kept thinking if I could just rewrite MB on this basis, but I have not done so, and hence, I'm going to just dump whatever I personally think might have happened 😁

So first to infodump a bit about Madra, the part of Madra that Shalya and Madri were from was in modern-day Sialkot area of Pakistan [formerly known as Shaakala, which was also the name of Shalya's capital city]. Its borders extended between Chenab and Ravi.

Now Madra-Gandhara were the strongholds of the old aryan religion at some point, yes, but by the MB era they had fallen from grace as the cultural centre had shifted to the Ganga valley from the Sindhu valley. In fact Sindhu-Sauvira-Madra-Gandhara-Shalva were at this point considered to be the 'fallen kingdoms' that the mainland was incredibly racist against. They were known together as the 'Vaahikas' and the politest thing MB has to say about them is 'Vaahikaan parivarjayet' [association with the Vaahikas must be avoided].

To note, Uttar-Madra was in modern-day Kashmir and Shalya-Madri came from Dakshina-Madra or just Madra.

Shalya and Madri's father Aartaayana died young, leaving the siblings orphans, and Shalya was only able to hold on to power [Madra was oligarchal] because of Jarasandha pulling threads behind the scene.

Interestingly, Shalya wasn't too much older than Madri, so during that marriage if Madri is anywhere b/w 15-18, Shalya is not older that 17-20, and hence really in no position to truly reject Bheeshma's offer [not like they didn't like Pandu but I'm saying there was a power imbalance and Bheeshma could have bullied him like he did Gandhari's father].

Now, Madra had a tradition of kanya-shulka [reverse dowry]. The Aryans classified this as an 'Aasura vivah' and generally looked down upon it. This Bheeshma isn't happy with, but he still pays given Shalya is practically at his feet trying to ensure that Bheeshma doesn't take offense to being asked to pay. Bheeshma remarks that kanya-shulka feels like 'buying' the bride [actual dowry ke time yaad nahi rehta obviously], but he concedes to 'tradition' and gifts Madri a bunch of jewellery regardless. Interestingly, this ritual, as a token exchange of a single coin, still exists in some Bengali marriages (also similar to mehr in Muslim traditions).

Now, Kunti and Madri had an ongoing rivalry very much fuelled on by Bheeshma, which eventually was at least 40% the straw that led to Madri's death.

So, if that hadn't happened and Kunti had found a way to get out of her life, and Madri had survived, there's a pretty huge chance that Shalya would have taken her and the twins back to Madra and the Ps would have grown up in separate units of three and two.

Now, Kunti is integral to a large part of the boys' personality. She was in fact the fire that kept both her sons and her in-laws at least remembering Pandu and Yudhishthira's right.

Now, in the Kaurava-Paurava line there have been numerous generations where the older children were practically driven out of the kingdom to go and win their own territories and set up parallel dynasties [while the parents were young enough to support them if they failed], and the home-kingdom would then be kept for the more-coddled youngest son. Examples of this are many in the form of Ajamidha's sons, Yayati's sons, Devapi-Bahlika-Shantanu, Uparichara Vasu's kids etc.

So, when Duryodhana was asking for the throne, his only folly was to not wait for the instruction to come down from Bheeshma/Dhritarashtra and the general entitlement. Otherwise, there's solid precedence!

In fact, this is even reflected in Pandu's choice of god-fathers for the Ps. When he thought he'd only have one kid, he chose Dharma as the father. However, when he clocked that he could have as many kids as he liked, to hell with his wife's feelings, his ultimate choice is Indra: the King of Gods. Who knows if Pandu had been alive, he'd probably let Yudhishthira chill and hand the kingdom over to Arjuna. He was sure rattling off his list of requirements of Indra basically trying to manufacture the perfect king.

The anger of Kunti, comes primarily from the fact that Pandu was pretty much driven out of Hastinapur by how the elders complicated his and Dhritarashtra's relationship.

Hastinapura, no matter how much autocratic they were, at some level even they were scared of a people's uprising [more like an upper-caste citizen’s revolt]. Hence, Kunti being in HP, a perfect picture of enduring grief, with her three fatherless sons and the two orphan princes, she kept the flame alight. She lets NO ONE forget that this kingdom was given to Pandu and hence WILL go to a Pandava, Dhritarashtra is just a regent.

She backs Yudhishthira, because he's the oldest, and hence ready to take the throne the earliest.

In her absence, Yudi, Bheema and Arjuna would grow up in the palace, yes, because Bheeshma probably would have still stepped up, but in relative obscurity, away from the public eye, and thereby Duryodhana's position would be a lot stronger. Given Yudi himself is quite passive, Bheema only lashes out when Duryodhana comes for him [which he only did because he was scared of Kunti and took it out on his cousins] and Arjuna is like that one npc character that just runs in circles in their own little corner of the screen unless the main characters go and poke them, it’s highly unlikely that they'd have anything to do with the throne.

Now, back to Nakula and Sahadeva: they'd probably have more personality, growing up in Madra. Now, Shalya usually kept his distance from his nephews in the og story, but this wouldn’t be the case here. They’d grow up as beloved princes in Madra, albeit I guess second to Shalya’s own children.

Now, Shalya was an important part of Jarasandha’s retinue [remember I said King J helped him stay in power after his father? This is payback], and regularly participates in the sieges of Mathura and then Dwarka. He also develops this weird rivalry with Krishna on account of the latter becoming renowned as the better charioteer [how dare he when Shalya comes from the land of the fastest horses!]

From here, it could go anywhere. A lot of characters, in this changed scenario, would be wildcards.

Either Krishna would take the chance to unite the brothers just to make a point, or if he is more practical, he’d simply continue with the older three. What happens next is any writer’s guess, if you want to write it out.

Interesting avenues could be:

- Twins run away/go respectfully to unite with the older three and it continues normally from there

- Twins ending up on the other side (either willingly or unwillingly), fighting alongside Shalya

- Twins getting killed at the hands of Krishna cause again, Shalya

Point is, Karna’s secret would probably die with Kunti.

I know I rambled a lot, but my final point would be, from whatever information we have about Madri, she isn’t a very forceful character, nowhere near what Kunti is. So, nullifying that influence leaves the Pandavas in a far weaker position growing up, and makes a possibility of making a comeback as adults that much of an uphill climb.

I'll probably add/edit later if I remember anything else 🙈

[blacklotus-bloog]

Vi siete accorti...

... che i bambini nascono senza ciglia? Nel tempo dell’allattamento, nel viso a viso insistente, esclusivo, la madre aspetta, di giorno in giorno, nel tempo infinito di ora in ora, che crescano le ciglia sugli occhi prima implumi del suo nato. Quanto pesa una ciglia? Forse quanto l’alito di fiato che si emette per pronunciare il nome di un Figlio. Cosa offre rifugio a quel figlio in quel lasso di tempo? Le mani! Le mani sono il primo volto della madre. Non sono state forse le mani di una madre che hanno accarezzato e accolto il corpo di vostro figlio nell'approdo a questo mondo? Quanto possono contare per un figlio le mani di una madre? Quanto può contare per una madre il toccare il proprio figlio? Le mani di una madre seminano memoria, lettere d'amore puro, sono l'aratro che prepara il terreno dell'anima, la madre è pianta e radice. Sono esseri complicati le madri, conoscono il significato della parola infinito pur vivendo solo il momento, l'attimo, e conoscono il significato dell'espressione "per sempre" pur non vivendo un presente.

.

.

.

BLACKLOTUS

... Auguri a tutte le madri. Auguri alle nonne, le "madri con lo zucchero". Auguri alle madri con le culle vuote e il cuore colmo di "per sempre". Auguri ai figli che baciano le loro madri dal cielo e a quelli che hanno avuto un Padre come madre.

[starryy-berryy]

Ashes

Finally remembered this.

NAKUL had a bad memory. He always forgot things. Where was the new wooden comb he had purchased a week ago? He wouldn't know. Where was his favorite hair oil? He wouldn't know. What did he eat last week? He wouldn't know. Where was his baby nephew? He didn't know. It wasn't his fault that Arjun decided Nakul was fit for babysitting.

He was a rather good physician and warrior seeing his awful memory. Sometimes people said that he was doing it as a "joke", that he liked pranking people, hence he was acting like he didn't remember his own mother.

He didn't, really.

Was she pretty? Everyone said that she was. What did her voice sound like? Was her hair curly, like Sahadeva's, or wavy like Nakul's? There were some portraits of her in Madra, but Nakul couldn't bear to see them. It was too painful.

It was unfair. It was unfair that Sahadeva remembered her, but Nakul didn't. All of his brothers remembered her...but not Nakul. HE couldn't remember his own mother, the woman whose favourite he was, apparently.

Yes, he did remember some things. Soft hands caressing his face. Gentle lips kissing his forehead. The feel of being pressed against her as he buried his face in her bosom, half asleep. Her throwing him up in the air, as both of them burst into laughter.

She was not very tall, or slender. No, Nakul remembers her curved figure, as he and Sahadeva held on to her garments, hiding behind her, watching the rain pour down.

It's just the crucial details he fails to recall. Her face, her voice. Nakul remembered nothing of it. The memories faded over the years. He didn't even realize when he was slowly forgetting his mother. If he had known, he would've painted her face down.

But didn't Uncle Shalya always say that no painter could ever do justice to Madri's beauty.

Yes, she had been loved. Very loved. Her parents had adored her beyond limits. All of her brothers, Shalya, Dyutimat, Madrasena, and Brihatsena, had spoiled and loved her so much.

Had she felt loved while dying? Drowned so much in self-guilt that she had decided to immolate herself. Kunti never told them about the details of the event, but they had found out, on their own.

Had she felt even a sliver of happiness right before Nakul's father had perished? Servants whispered that she had, that Madri had devoured the great King Pandu, that it was all her fault. Nakul doubted she had been happy, that she had felt loved in that moment.

Not that he would think of her death.

No, Madri was a good mother. She would carve out gifts out of wood for all five of them. She would sing them to sleep each night, songs which Nakul didn't remember.

He only remembers the strong smell of her burning flesh, just as strong as that day. Not her face, not her voice, just the scent of her ashes flying into his nose, burying in deep in his nostrils, and staying there till the day Nakul himself perishes.

It never fails to make him cry.

(He carries her face. No one knows how to tell him, but he carries every single detail of her features, from the slight curve of his nose, to his rosy complexion, his sharp jaw...

And his naughty, charming, heartbreaking smile? It's exactly the same.)

[tiffaluvr]

interrompendo il sanremopostaggio per un po' di sano joanelodiepostaggio

[shadyqueeneagle]

In Italia, negli anni migliaia di madri, nonne, zie hanno cresciuto uomini totalmente disadattati incapaci di avere una relazione sana con se stessi, con gli altri, con le donne in particolare: a pagare le conseguenze di questa realtà fatta da una grande presenza di maschi tossici sono le donne più intelligenti, non di certo le donne "che si accontentano" di rimanere prive di dignità al lazzo di uomo che le mantiene e le opprime nel contempo.

L'Irresponsabilità di alcune è l'inferno di altre.

Io non devo fare appello a supposizioni riguardo alla profonda responsabilità materna della massiccia presenza di maschi tossici nella società italiana: è qualcosa che vivo e vedo ogni giorno nelle vite delle donne molestate; so per certo che c'è un solo tipo di madre che riesce a crescere uomini sani: quella che ha voluto quel figlio "per amore" e non per uso e costume, non perché "tutti fanno figli allora li faccio anche io"; non perché l'album di famiglia è più bello se c'è anche un figlio.

" Maschio tossico " significa anche "famiglia di origine disfunzionale": la relazione non è casuale, ma diretta; pertanto quando scrivo qui o in altri contesti online, io non mi rivolgo solo alle donne che hanno bisogno di trovare conforto, comprensione e motivi validi per uscire, subito!, e non domani!, dalle relazioni sbagliate che le fanno soffrire, ma anche e soprattutto alle donne che hanno cresciuto e stanno crescendo uomini tossici: alle DIRETTE Responsabili di questo macello sociale.

Nel nostro Paese esiste una larga presenza di madri tossiche che crescono i figli maschi non come figli ma come compagni, come ulteriori mariti, instillando fin da piccoli la "responsabilità irrinunciabile" di doverle accudire una volta diventate anziane: è in questa dinamica femminile deviante che si sviluppano i maschi tossici - uomini che "non hanno il cordone ombelicale tagliato", come si usa dire nel linguaggio comune, che pretendono una simbiosi con le compagne sulla stessa linea malata.

A qualsiasi amica o sconosciuta che mi parli del suo rapporto con un "lui" senza ancora aver conosciuto i suoi genitori, chiedo sempre la stessa cosa: "E' legato alla madre? Ti parla spesso di lei?"; quando è un "si" non ho dubbi e replico: "Taglia la corda! Non andare oltre!"; quello che sembra un uomo gentile (tattica preferita illusoria) non lo è affatto: è un uomo tossico che non è abituato causa madre tossica al fatto che una donna gli dica "no" e non va atteso mai che ce lo dimostri.

Noi non viviamo in un "Paese per donne" e i principi azzurri non esistono in Italia; qui c'è solo una realtà patriarcale che si trascina da secoli in un connubio anomalo fra Chiesa Cattolica (istituzione fortemente misogina e maschilista) e Stato Italiano patriarcale nelle norme stesse costituzionali, pertanto il maggior lavoro di tutela per se stessa, di prevenzione da abusi di ogni sorta, lo deve fare ogni donna mettendo i giusti paletti nella sua vita senza alcun indugio anche per le figlie.

Nel nostro Paese, ogni tragedia si trasforma in business, pertanto anche il problema femminicidi ha attirato gli interessi di chi vuole guadagnarci economicamente (famiglie comprese colpite da femminicidi): se siete donne in difficoltà o anche solo persone generose, non prendete in considerazione in alcun modo Onlus o associazioni di altro genere che chiedano donazioni o si rivolgano allo Stato/Regioni per ottenere fondi, perché stanno solo lucrando sui diritti delle donne e nulla di più.

La Regione Veneto che "sponsorizza" il business sul problema femminicidi in Italia messo in piedi dalla famiglia Cecchettin è la stessa Regione che ha permesso all'ex assessore all'Istruzione Elena Donazzan di molestare pubblicamente e indurre al suicidio pubblicamente un insegnante (Cloe Bianco) senza muovere un dito!; nemmeno gli esponenti del PD in Regione Veneto mossero un dito a riguardo.

State alla larga da questa TRUFFA.