Read Online Mahabharata Vol. 6 (Penguin Translated Texts) by Bibek Debroy - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Bibek Debroy
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attaining the objectives of
dharma
, 4
artha
, 5
kama
6 and
moksha
7 and the Mahabharata includes Hinduism’s most important spiritual
text—the Bhagavad Gita.
The epics are not part of the
shruti
tradition. That tradition is like revelation, without any
composer. The epics are part of the
smriti
tradition. At the time they were
composed, there was no question of texts being written down. They were recited,
heard, memorized and passed down through the generations. But the smriti tradition
had composers. The Ramayana was composed by Valmiki, regarded as the first poet or
kavi
. The word kavi has a secondary meaning as poet or rhymer. The
primary meaning of kavi is someone who is wise. And in that sense, the composer of
the Mahabharata was no less wise. This was Vedavyasa or Vyasadeva. He was so named
because he classified (
vyasa
) the Vedas. Vedavyasa or Vyasadeva
isn’t a proper name. It is a title. Once in a while, in accordance with
the needs of the era, the Vedas need to be classified. Each such person obtains the
title and there have been twenty-eight Vyasadevas so far.
At one level, the question about who
composed the Mahabharata is pointless. According to popular belief and according to
what the Mahabharata itself states, it was composed by Krishna Dvaipayana Vedavyasa
(Vyasadeva). But the text was not composed and cast in stone at a single point in
time. Multiple authors kept adding layers and embellishing it. Sections just kept
getting added and it is no one’s suggestion that Krishna Dvaipayana
Vedavyasa composed the text of the Mahabharata as it stands today.
Consequently, the Mahabharata is far
more unstructured than the Ramayana. The major sections of the Ramayana are known as
kanda
s and one meaning of the word kanda is the stem or trunk of a
tree, suggesting solidity. The major sections of the Mahabharata are known as
parva
s and while one meaning of the word parva is limb or member or
joint, in its nuance there is greater fluidity in the word parva than in kanda.
The Vyasadeva we are concerned with had
a proper name of KrishnaDvaipayana. He was born on an island
(
dvipa
). That explains the Dvaipayana part of the name. He was dark.
That explains the Krishna part of the name. (It wasn’t only the
incarnation of Vishnu who had the name of Krishna.) Krishna Dvaipayana Vedavyasa was
also related to the protagonists of the Mahabharata story. To go back to the
origins, the Ramayana is about the solar dynasty, while the Mahabharata is about the
lunar dynasty. As is to be expected, the lunar dynasty begins with Soma (the moon)
and goes down through Pururava (who married the famous apsara Urvashi), Nahusha and
Yayati. Yayati became old, but wasn’t ready to give up the pleasures of
life. He asked his sons to temporarily loan him their youth. All but one refused.
The ones who refused were cursed that they would never be kings, and this includes
the Yadavas (descended from Yadu). The one who agreed was Puru and the lunar dynasty
continued through him. Puru’s son Duhshanta was made famous by Kalidasa in
the Duhshanta–Shakuntala story and their son was Bharata, contributing to
the name of Bharatavarsha. Bharata’s grandson was Kuru. We often tend to
think of the Kouravas as the evil protagonists in the Mahabharata story and the
Pandavas as the good protagonists. Since Kuru was a common ancestor, the appellation
Kourava applies equally to Yudhishthira and his brothers and Duryodhana and his
brothers. Kuru’s grandson was Shantanu. Through Satyavati, Shantanu
fathered Chitrangada and Vichitravirya. However, the sage Parashara had already
fathered Krishna Dvaipayana through Satyavati. And Shantanu had already fathered
Bhishma through Ganga. Dhritarasthra and Pandu were fathered on
Vichitravirya’s wives by Krishna Dvaipayana.
The story of the epic is also about
these antecedents and consequents. The core Mahabharata
dharma
, 4
artha
, 5
kama
6 and
moksha
7 and the Mahabharata includes Hinduism’s most important spiritual
text—the Bhagavad Gita.
The epics are not part of the
shruti
tradition. That tradition is like revelation, without any
composer. The epics are part of the
smriti
tradition. At the time they were
composed, there was no question of texts being written down. They were recited,
heard, memorized and passed down through the generations. But the smriti tradition
had composers. The Ramayana was composed by Valmiki, regarded as the first poet or
kavi
. The word kavi has a secondary meaning as poet or rhymer. The
primary meaning of kavi is someone who is wise. And in that sense, the composer of
the Mahabharata was no less wise. This was Vedavyasa or Vyasadeva. He was so named
because he classified (
vyasa
) the Vedas. Vedavyasa or Vyasadeva
isn’t a proper name. It is a title. Once in a while, in accordance with
the needs of the era, the Vedas need to be classified. Each such person obtains the
title and there have been twenty-eight Vyasadevas so far.
At one level, the question about who
composed the Mahabharata is pointless. According to popular belief and according to
what the Mahabharata itself states, it was composed by Krishna Dvaipayana Vedavyasa
(Vyasadeva). But the text was not composed and cast in stone at a single point in
time. Multiple authors kept adding layers and embellishing it. Sections just kept
getting added and it is no one’s suggestion that Krishna Dvaipayana
Vedavyasa composed the text of the Mahabharata as it stands today.
Consequently, the Mahabharata is far
more unstructured than the Ramayana. The major sections of the Ramayana are known as
kanda
s and one meaning of the word kanda is the stem or trunk of a
tree, suggesting solidity. The major sections of the Mahabharata are known as
parva
s and while one meaning of the word parva is limb or member or
joint, in its nuance there is greater fluidity in the word parva than in kanda.
The Vyasadeva we are concerned with had
a proper name of KrishnaDvaipayana. He was born on an island
(
dvipa
). That explains the Dvaipayana part of the name. He was dark.
That explains the Krishna part of the name. (It wasn’t only the
incarnation of Vishnu who had the name of Krishna.) Krishna Dvaipayana Vedavyasa was
also related to the protagonists of the Mahabharata story. To go back to the
origins, the Ramayana is about the solar dynasty, while the Mahabharata is about the
lunar dynasty. As is to be expected, the lunar dynasty begins with Soma (the moon)
and goes down through Pururava (who married the famous apsara Urvashi), Nahusha and
Yayati. Yayati became old, but wasn’t ready to give up the pleasures of
life. He asked his sons to temporarily loan him their youth. All but one refused.
The ones who refused were cursed that they would never be kings, and this includes
the Yadavas (descended from Yadu). The one who agreed was Puru and the lunar dynasty
continued through him. Puru’s son Duhshanta was made famous by Kalidasa in
the Duhshanta–Shakuntala story and their son was Bharata, contributing to
the name of Bharatavarsha. Bharata’s grandson was Kuru. We often tend to
think of the Kouravas as the evil protagonists in the Mahabharata story and the
Pandavas as the good protagonists. Since Kuru was a common ancestor, the appellation
Kourava applies equally to Yudhishthira and his brothers and Duryodhana and his
brothers. Kuru’s grandson was Shantanu. Through Satyavati, Shantanu
fathered Chitrangada and Vichitravirya. However, the sage Parashara had already
fathered Krishna Dvaipayana through Satyavati. And Shantanu had already fathered
Bhishma through Ganga. Dhritarasthra and Pandu were fathered on
Vichitravirya’s wives by Krishna Dvaipayana.
The story of the epic is also about
these antecedents and consequents. The core Mahabharata
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