Mahabharata by Vyasa

Introduction

At approximately 100,000 verses—roughly seven times the length of the Iliad and Odyssey combined—the Mahabharata is the longest epic poem in world literature. Attributed to the sage Vyasa, it tells of the great war between two branches of a royal family: the Pandavas and the Kauravas. But the war occupies only a portion of the epic. Wrapped around it are myths, philosophical discourses, and the Bhagavad Gita—Krishna's counsel to the warrior Arjuna on the eve of battle.

The Impossibility of Righteousness

The Mahabharata refuses easy moral judgments. Both sides commit atrocities. The "good" Pandavas win through deception. The great hero Bhishma, who knows the right course, is bound by loyalty to the wrong side. Krishna's teaching to Arjuna—that one must act without attachment to results—arises from the recognition that in a fallen world, no action is entirely pure. The epic's darkness is its wisdom.

Key Takeaways

• No one is entirely righteous in war
• The Gita teaches action without attachment
• An epic can contain a universe