A time for caution

Sacred India Tarot 

It's poor old Bheeshma again. He's a granddad in this illustration. (I guess his 'terrible vow' didn't quite work out, or maybe 'Grandsire' is an honorific). Outside the window, the youngsters squabble and fight.

The Mahabharata is SOOOO complicated. It is very well known story in India and apparently is the longest epic poem in the world. It is considered as culturally important as Shakespeare, the Bible, the Koran and Greek drama. Obviously I am not going to be able to sum it up in a blog entry.

I did find this useful little article which sheds some light on ways that poor old Bheeshma has gone wrong since his vow of celibacy: Bheeshma - Grandsire, One of the Major Contributors to the Great War of Mahabharat.

He's called 'grandsire' so I can only assume he managed to father some children despite his vow. Apparently, he stuck his oar in where his stepmother's children were concerned (the ones he renounced his claim to the throne for), and it's their squabbles that lead to the big war that destroys the entire world, the battle of Mahabharat. Or so I gather.

The LWB is no help, because it assumes you have such knowledge of the Mahabharata that it reads like a discussion of the next door neighbours, or a popular TV show that everyone watches.

My husband told me he remembered show called 'Mahabharat' being on TV around 1988-89. I googled it and found many episodes on YouTube. Watched a couple of them, but there are 93, and the events of this particular card seem rather late in the saga. So I will find out eventually what is going on, but not today.

Fortunately the interpretations offered in the book are familiar:

plots, conspiracies, office politics, act with stealth and cunning to protect oneself, diplomatic and discreet behaviour, keep cards near chest, lack of attention gives advantage to foes. So -- a time for caution!