Introduction

In Sanskrit dramatic form, unlike in Western literature, the emphasis is not on development of character. The characters in the Ramayana or the Mahabharata do not change as they confront their problems; instead, the readers see, as the narrative progresses, different aspects of the characters. In the Ramayana, the actions of the hero are all righteous while the villain gets no credit even for his good deeds. The Mahabharata is more human in that respect - every character in this epic suffers from human foibles: hubris, jealousy, greed ...

The world-view of the epic is, however, Hindu. All the characters pay for their actions. Their karma catches up with them. Thus, many of the digressions of the epic are to narrate why such a thing would happen to such a person - in this historical epic, these are the justifications a story-teller would provide for the capriciousness of history.

The underlying story of the Mahabharata is of humans, of manifest destiny, of human failings and human triumph. Ultimately though, the Mahabharata is a story of utter despair.

If you know the skeletal story of the Mahabharata or have heard that it is the story of a fratricidal war, you probably think that is a story either of bloodshed or of tragedy. It is neither. The stories of the Mahabharata were narrated soon after peace was made between the Aryan settlers and the indigenous tribes of India. The pathos that is an integral part of the story is also the well-spring of hope, of a new beginning, of better times to come.