Mahābhārata Pārāyaṇa

धर्मे चार्थे च कामे च मोक्षे च भरतर्षभ |
यदिहास्ति तदन्यत्र यन्नेहास्ति न तत्क्वचित् ||

The lessons on Dharma, Artha, Kāma and Mokṣa which are present in Mahābhārata may be found elsewhere as well, but the lessons which are not present in Mahābhārata are not to be found anywhere else.

In the history of every civilization, there are epoch defining moments which leave their indelible footprint in the sands of time. Mahābhārata, the saga which literally culminated the yuga and ushered in the Kali Kāla, is one such epic. With a vast compendium of ethics, life lessons, metaphysics and stories unmatched anywhere in the world, the knowledge of this itīhāsa is a must have for every Indian.

Through the passage of time, a lot of misconceptions have risen in the minds of the descendants of this war, so much so that many Indian households avoid storing the book at home. Through this brief pārāyaṇa of Ṛṣī Ved Vyāsa’s Mahābhārata, we aim to dispel the common myths and misconceptions associated with this epic and endeavour to relay its actual bhāva, as it ought to be studied.

This course will venture into the realm of gods, heroes, and sages, and explore the profound teachings embedded within this remarkable epic, to uncover the timeless wisdom that continues to shape the fabric of human existence.

This course will cover the main story of the history of Kauravas and Pāṇdavas as narrated by Mahaṛṣī Veda Vyāsa, with the aim to get a deeper understanding of the character traits of the major personalities, motivation of their actions and subsequent consequences. It will explore why Mahābhārata is not just any other text but a śāstra on Dharma and how it lays down a guideline for all of us to deal with the Dharma Saṅkaṭas of our own lives.

Over the course of 11 sessions, it will delve deep into the core story of the Pāṇdavas and Kauravas and the events that led to one of the most disastrous wars of ancient Bhārata, a war between first cousins that ended in destruction of 3 generations of warriors of then Bhāratavarṣa.

Mahābhārata is a huge epic with 18 parvas and over one lakh ślokas. It contains many discourses and side stories that make for a very interesting reading. But given the constraints of time, this course will focus its time and effort on the core story, excluding the expositions of Gītā, Śāntī Parva etc.