Subtle but Powerful Messages in the Mahabharata

Mahabharata as an epic is informative, enlightening and interesting in many aspects. Beyond being the fountainhead of the Bhagwat Geeta, Mahabharata even as a story or epic is absolutely enchanting.

It is full of “Masalas” of all kinds. There is family drama, love, hate, conspiracy, power politics, lust, greed, dilemmas and devotion. There is a dose of pragmatism as well as principles.

If you seek knowledge it can be informative, if you read it as a story, it is a reflection of the history, the society and multiple facets of human life.

There is the thick volume of the Mahabharata, abridged forms and even movies. While the series in some manner may not be as accurate from a scriptural point of view, BR Chopra’s Mahabharata series not only brings you back to the nostalgic old days of television, but provides you a beautiful glimpse of different important chapters of the epic.

Here are some of the subtle but powerful messages disseminated in the Mahabharata series:

1.       Society: Non-ideal, ever changing, common garden of all kinds

While we like to imagine an ideal society where all things are perfect, the series shows the world was and is never like our popular imagination. In every era, there is inequality, injustice and struggle for change.

In the series too, we see that the society is full of all sorts of characters. There are characters like Dhitarastrya, Kunti, Dhronacharya who go forward with the societal norms, while we see characters like Karna and Chitrangana constantly challenging the established norms and trying to bring about a change.

Similarly, the House of Hastinapur in a symbolic manner depicts that the society is full of personalities with different principles and ambitions. There are Bhismas, who are bound by values, there are Duryodhanas, led by hatred and greed, strong women like Chitrangana, challenger of societal class like Karna, wise men like Vidhura, and conspiracy hatchers like Sakuni.

There are also personalities like Dhitarastrya, who choose to blind as well as Barbariks, who can see the reality without prejudices.

Also in the same society are devoted beings like Arjunas, who seek mentorship and guidance of Shree Krishna to rise from dilemmas to the dutiful decision-making.

2.       Not always Necessary: Like Father Like Son

One of the most important relationships in the Mahabharata has been the father-son relationship. While most of the times, fathers to a large extend influence their sons, Mahabharata shows that it is not always necessary that the son is like the father.

Karna, who identifies as a charioteer’s son rises as high as becoming the King.

Vidyasagar Dhronacharya’s son Aswathama commits the biggest sins.

Shantanu and Bhisma do not share similar personalities.

3.       War is Destructive and is the Last Resort

While the war of Kurukshettra is the main event of Mahabharata, showing the majestic armies, valiant warriors and deadly weapons, B.R. Chopra’s Mahabharata series has also made sure that adequate emphasis has been placed upon the peace efforts made to prevent the war.

The war can be considered inevitable for restoration for justice, however it is also vital that we do not overlook the context of the war.

The war took place as the last resort after Duryodhana rejected Pandavas’ minor request of just giving them 5 villages.

Additionally, adequate emphasis has to be given to the fact that Shree Krishna tried being the “Peace Maker” multiple times, while Vidhura also tried everything in his capacity to prevent the destruction.

The war caused loss and destruction in an unprecedented scale. K

ing Dhitarastrya lost all his son, Draupadi lost her father, brother and sons, while Hastinapur and many other kingdoms lost valiant young sons.

The series highlights the fact the war is destructive and is the last resort to establish justice when all other efforts fail.

4.       Bitterness Burns, Beauty Beyond Fairness

The series in wonderful manner highlights how bitterness burns everything into ashes. Dhitarastrya, who remains bitter for being sidelined due to his blindness burns himself and the whole Kuru dynasty.

The bitterness makes him such blind and deaf that he is unable to foresee the massive destruction and momentarily rejoices every moment the battle turns against the Pandavas.

Karna burns in the bitterness of not being owned by his biological mother.

Duryodhana burns in the bitterness of hatred against Pandavas.

Guru Dhronacharya burns in the bitterness of a betrayed friendship.

King Drupada burns in the bitterness of humiliation.

Similarly, the series in a subtle manner also tears apart the popular belief of equating beauty with fairness.

The series depicts how Krishna refers to Arjun and Draupadi both as “Krishnaa” with a lot of affection.  “Krishna” is referred to someone who is of dark complexion and conducts great purity.

Therefore, it means that the most cherished and sought after characters of the epic: Arjuna, and Draupadi were both dark in complexion, tearing apart a popular idea that fairness equates beauty.

5.       Duty and devotion are paramount

There is one reason that we celebrate the characters of Mahabharata. Although they also had their own weaknesses and human errors, almost all characters in Mahabharata some way or the other were devoted towards their duty.

Bhisma was devoted to Hastinapur and the vow he made. Even until his last breath, he devoted his whole life for Hastinapur.

Karna was a devoted friend, who fought from Duryodhana even after knowing that he was Kunti’s eldest son.

Dhronacharya was a devoted teacher, while Arjun was a devoted pupil of both Dhronacharya and Shree Krishna.

Yudhishthira was devoted to Dharma or righteousness, while  

In spite of realizing the fact Shree Krishna was on the Pandava’s side and victory would be theirs, Dhronacharya, Bhisma and Karna fought for the Kauravas due to a single reason: in devotion to their duty.

The series in a beautiful manner presents different conversations which reveal the sense of clarity and devotion the characters had towards their duty.

Whether or not all characters were “good” remains debatable, but perhaps it was their “devotion to their duty”, which made them great.