Introduction to The Mahabharata

Some Facts

The Mahabharata has the honor of being the longest epic in world literature, 100,000 2-line stanzas

8 x larger than the Iliad and the Odyssey combined

3 x larger than the Bible Only about 4000 lines relate to the main story; the

rest contain additional myths and teachings. It is said that “Whatever is here is found

elsewhere. But whatever is not here is nowhere else.”

The Title

The name means “great [story of the] Bharatas.”

Bharata was an early ancestor of both the Pandavas and Kauravas who fight each other in a great war

But the word is also used generically for the Indian race, so the Mahabharata sometimes is referred to as “the great story of India.”

Structure of the Epic

The work is divided into 18 books

The main narrative concerning the war is contained in the first ten books.

The Mahabharata resembles a long journey with many side roads and detours.

Some of the Major ‘Detours’

Bhagavad Gita (Krishna instructs and teaches Arjuna.)

Damayanti (or Nala and Damayanti, a love story.) Krishnavatara (the story of Krishna) Rama (an abbreviated version of the Ramayana.) Rishyasringa (also written as Rshyashrnga, the

horned boy and rishi.) Vishnu sahasranama (the most famous hymn to

Vishnu, which describes His 1000 names.)

Concepts from the Mahabharata

In its scope, the Mahabharata is more than simply a story of kings and princes, sages and wise men, demons and gods; its author, Vyasa, says that one of its aims is expounding the four goals of life: kama (pleasure) artha (wealth) dharma (duty) moksha (liberation). Karma also play an integral role in the Mahabharata.