Book Review - 'Mahabharata Unravelled II - The Dharma Discourses'

What are the dharmaśāstras?

In her new book Mahabharata Unravelled II: The Dharma Discourses, Ami Ganatra begins with the basic definition of dharmaśāstras. They are texts which contain guidance about the social code of conduct for various groups of people, in addition to having a wealth of knowledge regarding jurisprudence, governance, conflict resolution etc.

The Mahābhārata, about which it is often said that it is an exhaustive compendium on dharma, is a dharmaśāstra in addition to being an itihāsa. Thus, it presents to the audience, in story format, timeless wisdom from the past. As the knowledge of these śāstras in society is weakening with time, any work which contemporizes the wisdom of the dharmaśāstras is welcome, and this book succinctly attempts the job.

Following the footsteps of her previous volume on Mahābhārata, which briefly overviewed the entire epic clarifying the oft misinterpreted parts, this volume touches upon the dharma discourses present throughout Ṛṣi Vyāsa’s epic. Divided into 7 parts, this volume covers the discourses from Śānti Parva, Anuśāsana Parva, Udyoga Parva, Vana Parva, Sabhā Parva and Svargārohaṇa Parva.

It is important to note that while the discourses veer around the topic of rājadharma, duty of the king, it is essential for the non ruling sections to have a knowledge of the same as well. As mentioned in the arthaśāstra, this helps citizens identify the abuse of power and check it if need be, a balance factor which holds true as much today as it did in the past.

Given the source material and the theme of rājadharma, most topics in the book take place in the form of conversations that Yudhiṣṭhira has with different people: Bhīṣmācārya, Ṛṣi Vyāsa, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Nārada Muni, and Dharma (Yakṣa/Svāna). All of those conversations deliver rich nuggets of information, and the author has tried to present them as is, with simplification but without any interpolation.

There are many beautiful analogies interspersed throughout, for example, when after Bhīṣmācārya has relayed his knowledge of rājadharma in Śānti Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira like a non-attentive child asks him to repeat his teaching. Then Bhīṣmācārya explains rājadharma through the analogy of a peacock, who is flamboyant when needed and merciless in killing snakes when needed.

Then there is the chiding of Yudhiṣṭhira by Śrī Kṛṣṇa when he is unable to shake off the grief of killing his loved ones, even after listening to Bhīṣmācārya’s counsel. This results in the kāma gitā, where Śrī Kṛṣṇa explains the impact of kāma in clouding one’s judgment, and the ways to defeat it.

Apart from the yeoman service done by the author in bringing out the narrative in easily understandable format, which unfortunately is a result of most Indians being alienated from their own languages, it also helps serve as a reckoner for deep dives into dharma banks.

In his book The India Way, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar constantly refers to stories from the Mahābhārata to explain India’s approach to foreign policy. Readers reading author Ami’s books can appreciate more fully the backdrop of some of those stories, which makes for a richer understanding of geopolitics and the cultural anchorage as well.

The Mahābhārata is in a way an encyclopedia, a gateway for understanding what Bhārata stands for and has stood for. For Indians, it is a manual, an epic, and a friend all rolled into one, because it contains within its pages the core essence of conducting life at both the individual and societal level. Dharma is never easy to follow.

kṣurasya dhārā niśitā duratyayā durgaṃ pathastat…
For sharp as the razor’s edge is the path and hard to traverse…

Kaṭhopaniṣad

But the countless examples of the righteous adhering to dharma, and the fall of the unrighteous, provides solace to the seeker’s mind.

Be it the phase of Yudhiṣṭhira’s affluence, or be it his brother’s apparent death during Yakṣa Praśna, or their tribulations during ascent to heaven - svargārohaṇa - all fold within themselves the ethics and metaphysics of life (and death), and guide the reader towards dharma. For an Indian reader seeking his path back, there can be no greater guide than this.

This book (alongwith its prequel) is recommended to all sincere seekers who wish to have a taste of the epic, before diving head-first into the full unabridged volumes.