Mahabharata, to me, was always a story. A story that was compiled by one or more people from popular folklore. A story revolving around Aryan traditions and philosophy. A story set at a time when the Aryan clans had already integrated into the cultural fabric of the subcontinent, and a place that was northern India. Nevertheless, still a story. Like all epics born out of folklore, it is possible to imagine that some of these tales must have been based on actual events. But some parts of it are too fantastic to have had any links with facts. This dilemma forces a normal reader like me to treat the whole thing as just a story. Professor Irawati Karve, through Yuganta, shows a way to separate history from fiction.
It is said that written Chinese standard history records are available from before 1500 BC. But it seems contemporary Indians were never much into record keeping. So the Kurus and the Yadavas are epic characters to Indians rather than historical figures. Irawati Karve maintains that Jaya, the original core of Mahabharata was later supplemented by the Bhrigus, a Brahman clan. Mahabharata, in its original form, presented its protagonists as men and women, some normal and some extraordinary. But it made no judgements about its characters. According to Professor Karve, it was the Bhrigu who modified the story to suit the moral values of their times which had become much more strict compared to the Mahabharata period. Heroes and villains were identified and more stories were added to explain and legitimise the questionable deeds of the heroes. Professor Karve says that these additions stand out due to their style and inconsistencies that they introduce w.r.t the core plot. It is an interesting study since the consistency or inconsistency of a story is relative. Even if you do not agree with Professor Karve's view in its entirety, her methods still provide you with the tools to create your own version of the history.
Yuganta is a collection of articles by Irawati Karve. Each article is about a subject such as a character like Bhishma, Gandhari, Kunti, Draupadi or Krishna or about a topic such as the parenthood of the Pandavas. Each article was intended for individual read and hence you will see repetition across them, a fact conceded by the author. In spite of this fact, the articles provide a unique view of each topic based on the author's interpretation of what was original and what was added to Mahabharata at a later time. Many authors before and after have attempted the same, Randaamoozham by M.T Vasudevan Nair is a pristine example familiar to most Malayalees. But Yuganta is much more thought provoking due to its concise nature and due to the multiple view points that it offers.
The book contains a detailed analysis of the women of Mahabharata - Gandhari, Kunti and Draupadi. In those days, women were considered to be fields on whom the seeds of a family and thus a dynasty were sown. They followed their husbands and protected their children. Once married, their identities started and ended with that of their husbands. In spite of these common barriers, the characterization of the three women of Mahabharata comes out sharp and distinct. Another interesting aspect of the book is an analysis of Bhishma, the grand old man of Mahabharata, from a woman's point of view. The code by which Bhishma lived caused immesurable sorrows to the women around him. It is unfair to judge any character in Mahabharata, be it Bhishma, Karna or Krishna with the moral values of the current age. The author also does not attempt to do it. But the women of Mahabharata do tell a different story altogether.
Krishna is one of the main protagonists of Mahabharata. Professor Karve maintains that the exalted status of a god was given to Krishna by later generations. The character of Krishna in Mahabharata and Bhagavatam are completely different and sometimes inconsistent with each other. The concept of Vishnu and Krishna as his avatar probably came much later. Mahabharata was also possibly edited later to be consistent with the new image of Krishna. Bhagavatgita, even though presumably modified by later authors, presents the philosophy of those times in the best possible light. Krishna's contention that a man cannot stay idle without acting and the best he can do is to act with utmost self consciousness, without selfish interests and with complete understanding of the consequences of his actions pretty much sums up the philosophy of those days. It is interesting that the same Krishna who advised non-attachment later transformed into the lover of all maidens of this country.
Yuganta, as indicated by the title, also talks about the end of an age. The political and moral code underwent a radical change after the Mahabharata. Empires were built by later kings by usurping the lands of their peers, which was a taboo in the days of Mahabharata. Kingdoms transformed into empires and the society changed from a Kshatriya one to one that encompasses Kshatriya, Brahmana and Vysya. It is noteworthy that the plight of Sudras continued to be the same. The moral code of conduct became much stricter which later on developed into the Indian way of life as opposed to the Indo-Aryan one. The Bhaktimarga, a movement based on devotion which became popular in later days, promoted hero worship and shackled free thinking to some extent. These views of the author are definitely worthy of notice and debate keeping in mind the state of this country w.r.t the rest of the world in the days of Mahabharata and today.
The book presents Professor Irawati Karve's reconstruction of history from Mahabharata. Her view of the burning of Khandava as the cruel annihilation of Nagas, an aboriginal community living in the wild, is interesting. This makes a connection when read alongside Janamejaya's great purge later of the Nagas to avenge the death of his father by a Naga. Even though her mastery of the subject cannot be questioned, I could not help feel that her treatment of Bhishma and Karna is predominantly from certain dimensions and hence may be a bit unfair. For example, Professor Karve with forceful arguments questions the image of Bhishma and Karna as great warriors mentioning that the events that built up this image have many inconsistencies. Parasurama who is said to have been beaten by Bhishma lived centuries earlier to Mahabharata and Karna along with the rest of the Kaurava army was beaten by Pandavas twice during their vanavasa and ajgnathavasa. But she does not seem to question the factual impossibility of Arjuna on his own defeating an entire Kaurava army including Karna on one occasion.
Treating Mahabharata as history has its own pitfalls. Judging what is original and what is not depends purely on one's perspective. It is the greatness of Mahabhatata as a story that makes it interesting to literary critics as well as to historians. Whether history or just a story, one would tend to agree that a story like that has not been written before and has not been written since. Who can predict anything about the future!
It is said that written Chinese standard history records are available from before 1500 BC. But it seems contemporary Indians were never much into record keeping. So the Kurus and the Yadavas are epic characters to Indians rather than historical figures. Irawati Karve maintains that Jaya, the original core of Mahabharata was later supplemented by the Bhrigus, a Brahman clan. Mahabharata, in its original form, presented its protagonists as men and women, some normal and some extraordinary. But it made no judgements about its characters. According to Professor Karve, it was the Bhrigu who modified the story to suit the moral values of their times which had become much more strict compared to the Mahabharata period. Heroes and villains were identified and more stories were added to explain and legitimise the questionable deeds of the heroes. Professor Karve says that these additions stand out due to their style and inconsistencies that they introduce w.r.t the core plot. It is an interesting study since the consistency or inconsistency of a story is relative. Even if you do not agree with Professor Karve's view in its entirety, her methods still provide you with the tools to create your own version of the history.
Yuganta is a collection of articles by Irawati Karve. Each article is about a subject such as a character like Bhishma, Gandhari, Kunti, Draupadi or Krishna or about a topic such as the parenthood of the Pandavas. Each article was intended for individual read and hence you will see repetition across them, a fact conceded by the author. In spite of this fact, the articles provide a unique view of each topic based on the author's interpretation of what was original and what was added to Mahabharata at a later time. Many authors before and after have attempted the same, Randaamoozham by M.T Vasudevan Nair is a pristine example familiar to most Malayalees. But Yuganta is much more thought provoking due to its concise nature and due to the multiple view points that it offers.
The book contains a detailed analysis of the women of Mahabharata - Gandhari, Kunti and Draupadi. In those days, women were considered to be fields on whom the seeds of a family and thus a dynasty were sown. They followed their husbands and protected their children. Once married, their identities started and ended with that of their husbands. In spite of these common barriers, the characterization of the three women of Mahabharata comes out sharp and distinct. Another interesting aspect of the book is an analysis of Bhishma, the grand old man of Mahabharata, from a woman's point of view. The code by which Bhishma lived caused immesurable sorrows to the women around him. It is unfair to judge any character in Mahabharata, be it Bhishma, Karna or Krishna with the moral values of the current age. The author also does not attempt to do it. But the women of Mahabharata do tell a different story altogether.
Krishna is one of the main protagonists of Mahabharata. Professor Karve maintains that the exalted status of a god was given to Krishna by later generations. The character of Krishna in Mahabharata and Bhagavatam are completely different and sometimes inconsistent with each other. The concept of Vishnu and Krishna as his avatar probably came much later. Mahabharata was also possibly edited later to be consistent with the new image of Krishna. Bhagavatgita, even though presumably modified by later authors, presents the philosophy of those times in the best possible light. Krishna's contention that a man cannot stay idle without acting and the best he can do is to act with utmost self consciousness, without selfish interests and with complete understanding of the consequences of his actions pretty much sums up the philosophy of those days. It is interesting that the same Krishna who advised non-attachment later transformed into the lover of all maidens of this country.
Yuganta, as indicated by the title, also talks about the end of an age. The political and moral code underwent a radical change after the Mahabharata. Empires were built by later kings by usurping the lands of their peers, which was a taboo in the days of Mahabharata. Kingdoms transformed into empires and the society changed from a Kshatriya one to one that encompasses Kshatriya, Brahmana and Vysya. It is noteworthy that the plight of Sudras continued to be the same. The moral code of conduct became much stricter which later on developed into the Indian way of life as opposed to the Indo-Aryan one. The Bhaktimarga, a movement based on devotion which became popular in later days, promoted hero worship and shackled free thinking to some extent. These views of the author are definitely worthy of notice and debate keeping in mind the state of this country w.r.t the rest of the world in the days of Mahabharata and today.
The book presents Professor Irawati Karve's reconstruction of history from Mahabharata. Her view of the burning of Khandava as the cruel annihilation of Nagas, an aboriginal community living in the wild, is interesting. This makes a connection when read alongside Janamejaya's great purge later of the Nagas to avenge the death of his father by a Naga. Even though her mastery of the subject cannot be questioned, I could not help feel that her treatment of Bhishma and Karna is predominantly from certain dimensions and hence may be a bit unfair. For example, Professor Karve with forceful arguments questions the image of Bhishma and Karna as great warriors mentioning that the events that built up this image have many inconsistencies. Parasurama who is said to have been beaten by Bhishma lived centuries earlier to Mahabharata and Karna along with the rest of the Kaurava army was beaten by Pandavas twice during their vanavasa and ajgnathavasa. But she does not seem to question the factual impossibility of Arjuna on his own defeating an entire Kaurava army including Karna on one occasion.
Treating Mahabharata as history has its own pitfalls. Judging what is original and what is not depends purely on one's perspective. It is the greatness of Mahabhatata as a story that makes it interesting to literary critics as well as to historians. Whether history or just a story, one would tend to agree that a story like that has not been written before and has not been written since. Who can predict anything about the future!
