Mahabharat- The Gateway to Political Moksha

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A number of 'great men' from the power elite-the Pandavs and the Kauravs, occupy the spotlight in the grand epic Mahabharat. These magnificent men and women continue to illuminate our imagination even though thousands of years have elapsed between their actions and our response to them.

Tucked away in the epic is the quiet, dignified, but marginalized, life of Barbreek. He was the grandson of mighty Bheem (but of a tribal lineage) who had vowed to fight for the losing side in the great battle. Krishna knew if Barbreek entered the fray, he will battle for the losing. side, the Kaurvas, and ensure their victory.

Krishna persuaded Barbreek to agree to be beheaded before the war began on the condition that his severed head will stay alive to witness the battle Royale.

Barbreek symbolizes the public. They have the power to turn the battle away from the elite, and to themselves but they are always persuaded not to join the war to sacrifice themselves for the sake of their leader's grand visions. Power politics, in other words, works only when, like Barbreek's severed head placed on the hill, the public is reduced to an incapacitated spectator in the game of thrones.

Erudite Jansatta's Executive Editor Mukesh Bhardwaj examines. Mahabharat's characters and consistently finds parallels in contemporary polity. This book offers a compelling perspective on politics, polity and persons from the Mahabharat and why they are relevant today. The inhuman feticide of the future of Abhimanyu gives us a measure to test the history of feudal system. Great grandfathers, elders, teachers and warriors who were revered and worshipped by the generations showed their ugly face by breaking every sacred norm of the battle. The weight of debris thus falls on the present and is never regarded as an ideal but remains something befitting for the waste basket.

Mukesh Bhardwaj joined the Indian Express group more than 25 years ago as a trainee reporter and is currently the Executive Editor of Jansatta. An M.Phil, Mukesh is proficient in both English and Hindi. He has written extensively in English language for The Indian Express and in Hindi for Jansatta. Mukesh is an expert on the politics of the Hindi belt. His sharp political analysis is avidly followed by political leaders and readers alike. His reports on several Parliamentary and Assembly elections won accolades for their integrity and true-to-ground insights. A true investigative journalist, Mukesh possesses an uncanny knack for digging out the truth from the depths of political falsehood. A number of national exposes by him cast long shadows on the fortunes of several political heavyweights. He is therefore loved and hated by politicians and the power elite in equal measure.

The Mahabharat is a monumental script on human existence. The maha-kavya that runs into 100,000 shlokas (1.8 million words) boldly declares at the very onset: What is found here regarding the aims of human life- righteousness, wealth, pleasure, and release-may is found elsewhere. But what is not here is found nowhere.

It is indeed a tall claim to make but even a superficial reading of the greatest-ever epic takes the reader to the highs and lows of human life that boggle the mind. The sweep of the ballad truly astounds mere mortals.

There have been many attempts to unravel the Mahabharat's historical growth and compositional layers. The oldest preserved parts of the text are from 400 BCE, though the origins of the story probably fall between the 8th and 9th centuries BCE. Scholars are of the view the final form of the text was perhaps arrived at in early Gupta period, 4th century CE. The original story, titled Bharat, was narrated in 24,000 versus which were later expanded to the 100,000-verse Mahabharat, the 'great tale of Bharat dynasty?

We are all familiar with the main story of the epic-the story of Kaurav and Pandav brothers and their respective claim over the kingdom of Hastinapur. The dispute eventually leads to the horrific 18-day long war between them. Lord Krishna is central to this narrative, and is regarded as Lord Vishnu's avatar in the epic.

Strangely, Krishna's life early life in Mathura and Vrindavan is not mentioned in India's most ancient text.

**Contents and Sample Pages**