You may know about Mahabarata Story, it's epic story from India. For hindu people, they may familiar with this story. But I wont discuss about India here. Don't you think that I would carry around Bollywood-bloody-stuff here (with its flowery garden, and the dance, and the music everywhere--oh-my-to-the-what--NO!). I am totally not into it! I just want to share about Javanese moral which usually taken from Wayang due to Mahabarata Story.
First of all, this story focuses on struggle for Hastinapura throne by Pandawa clan versus Kurawa clan. Mahabharata is often shown in Java puppet. If I am interested to watch this series, it is not based on "belief / religion", but rather about moral values and goodness therein. This reminds me of Java puppet story that always taught by my grandpa and grandma.
This story is told that Pandawa were five brothers who grew out by goodness and moral education. They are children of Pandu. Pandu has two wife, Kunthi and Madrim. Pandawa there are Yudhistira/Puntadewa, Bima/Werkudara, Arjuna/Janaka, Nakula and Sadewa. They are very wise in passing all bitterness and goodness of life. They backed up by the wisdom of Bhisma, their grandpa.
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| Pandawa cartoon. Left-right: Yudhistira, Arjuna, Bima, Nakula and Sadewa |
While Kurawa, children from Drestarastha and Gandari, consist of 100 brothers, who lived from luxuries and had bad character such as greedy, petty, cruel, sneaky and malicious. Kurawa always got sedition by their sneaky uncle, Sengkuni.
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| Left-right: Duryudhana, Setyowati, Khrisna, Gandari and Arjuna |
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| Left-right: Setyowati, Sengkuni, Drupadi, Arjuna |
But in the Mahabharata story I've ever read, there were figures of women who felt the doubt, even sadness because social norms whereas it makes them not have many options for their own way of life. Just look at the story of Drupadi. Drupadi is Yudhistira's wife, who used as a bet in dice game/gambling among Pandawa versus Kurawa. When Pandawa lost, Drupadi was stripped by Dushasana front many people. Drupadi was one of many reason that caused Bharatayuda war happen.
This series is really worth to watch than Indonesia soap opera (a.k.a sinetron) which does not provide good education (both moral and insight) for children and family. Indonesia sinetron full with its stale topics about love, boyfriend seizure, ghost, social inequality, or humor that not qualified, etc. People bored with all that stuff (I mean, me and my family especially). People need something new that give them education. I mean, really good education both moral and insight. In terms of education, Mahabarata epic is very good to be used as an example of people in real life. Moreover, for Javanese people that has lost its identity nowadays. My grandpa said like this, "Don't claim to be Javanese, if you can not uphold both morals and values of life which always kept by Javanese since long ago". Do you interest to know more about Mahabarata story? :)
Regards
Bening Rahardjo
