Epics

Epics Sep 26, 2017

Philosophy in the Mahābhārata: A Discussion on the Supreme

We have seen earlier that prakṛti undergoes metamorphosis due to the loss of equilibrium of the three guṇas (sattva, rajas, and tamas) and this instability is i...

A R Krishna Sastri | Trans: Arjun Bharadwaj, Hari Ravikumar

Epics Sep 19, 2017

Philosophy in the Mahābhārata: Yoga

The word ‘yoga’ has several meanings. In the Bhagavad-Gītā (2.48,50; 5.1,5,7), yoga is used in the sense of karma (activity) or karma-yoga (activity without sel...

A R Krishna Sastri | Trans: Arjun Bharadwaj, Hari Ravikumar

Epics Sep 12, 2017

Philosophy in the Mahābhārata : Sāṅkhya

Philosophy in the Mahābhārata : Sāṅkhya A few things must be mentioned before entering into this discussion. As stated earlier, the extant Mahābhārata was comp...

A R Krishna Sastri | Trans: Arjun Bharadwaj, Hari Ravikumar

Epics Sep 05, 2017

Poetry in the Mahābhārata

Half of the extant Mahābhārata is dedicated to dharma and ethics. In the other half, the main story and the upākhyānas are present. Even if we consider the latt...

A R Krishna Sastri | Trans: Arjun Bharadwaj, Hari Ravikumar

Epics Aug 29, 2017

Dharma and Nīti in the Mahābhārata

Dharma and Nīti (ethics) in the Mahābhārata Dharma is that which sustains and supports the world; that which upholds; that which nourishes and protects from de...

A R Krishna Sastri | Trans: Arjun Bharadwaj, Hari Ravikumar

Epics Aug 22, 2017

The Timeline and the Composer of Mahabharata

The Timeline of the Composition of Mahābhārata For over a century, scholars from Germany, France, England, and India have extensively studied the Mahābhārata a...

A R Krishna Sastri | Trans: Arjun Bharadwaj, Hari Ravikumar

Epics Aug 15, 2017

Ādi-parva continued; A Note on Mahābhārata’s Origin and Development

  Adhyāyas 62-88 – Śakuntalopākhyānam, Vaṃśanukrama, Yayātyupākhyānam (Śakuntalā’s story, details of the lineage and Yayāti’s story)   In these adh...

A R Krishna Sastri | Trans: Arjun Bharadwaj, Hari Ravikumar

Epics Aug 08, 2017

Ādivaṃśāvataraṇa Parva: The Birth of Veda Vyasa

The fifty-seventh adhyāya of the Ādi-parva starts with the story of King Uparicara. Some scholars opine that this is the real beginning of the Bhārata epic...

A R Krishna Sastri | Trans: Arjun Bharadwaj, Hari Ravikumar

Epics Aug 01, 2017

Ādivaṃśāvataraṇa-parva and a Note on the Name 'Jaya'

Adhyāyas 54-61 : Ādivaṃśāvataraṇa -parva The ādivaṃśāvataraṇa-(upa-) parva spans eight adhyāyas – from the fifty fourth to the sixty first. In the beginning of...

A R Krishna Sastri | Trans: Arjun Bharadwaj, Hari Ravikumar

Epics Jul 25, 2017

Mahābhārata – Pauloma and Āstīka-upaparvas

Adhyāyas 4-12. Pauloma-parva The adhyāyas from 4 to 12 form the Pauloma-parva. Just like the anukramaṇikā (prologue), this section starts with a prose passage....

A R Krishna Sastri | Trans: Arjun Bharadwaj, Hari Ravikumar

Epics Jul 18, 2017

Mahābhārata – The Pauṣya-upaparva

The third adhyāya of the Ādi-parva contains the ‘Pauṣya’(upa)parva. The Sūta, Ugraśrava tells the story of Uttaṅka. After completing his studies, Uttaṅka sets o...

A R Krishna Sastri | Trans: Arjun Bharadwaj, Hari Ravikumar

Epics Jul 11, 2017

Mahābhārata – Organization of the Parvas

Adhyāya 2. Parvasaṅgraha-parva The second adhyāya contains the Parvasaṅgraha section.  This contains information such as the...

A R Krishna Sastri | Trans: Arjun Bharadwaj, Hari Ravikumar