In 2012-13, as I was bringing my book – Mahabharata: The
Eternal Quest - to completion, I kept asking myself: what about the Mahabharata
would be most relevant to today’s readers.
The book has endured for thousands of years. It’s revered by millions of
Hindus all over the world. But what does it have to say to anyone else? Is Mahabharata just for Hindus or does it
have a place in world literature, or in the very fabric of our diverse
cultures?
The German poet Goethe coined the phrase “world literature”
in 1827, and he used it in the context of books transcending national
themes. To put it more emphatically, it
means literature that speaks to all peoples. Mahabharata is the first of books.
The Dharma teachings, the responsibilities of leadership, and warnings of the
impending Kali-yuga (our age of darkness) are described as the five thousand
year old epic unfolds. It’s not only the
first of books, but it’s also the first that can be said to be in the class of
world literature. Mahabharata belongs to all of us.
Why? The book itself tells us that what is not found within
its pages is found nowhere else. That’s a bold claim to make. Plato commented
on two books we consider classical literature – Iliad and The Odyssey. At the
time of Plato, those classics were already seven hundred years old. He regarded
the books as beautiful poetry and great stories. But he lamented: Where was the
philosophy and the moral standards to help guide people to live better
lives?
Plato would have liked the Mahabharata. It’s not only good
poetry and a great story, but Mahabharata is also the embodiment of
dharma. The book exists just to help us
understand what is dharma or, in other words, what is our collective moral compass. When we understand the Dharma we can live a
life of wellness. That means we live in a balance of both the spiritual and the
material. In this way, both the individual and society as a whole prospers.
For reviews and more
info on my book Mahabharata: The Eternal Quest visit: www.Mahabharata-Project.com
