IJFANS International Journal of Food and Nutritional Sciences

ISSN PRINT 2319 1775 Online 2320-7876

Historical Echoes in Mythical Realms: Unveiling New Perspectives in the Mahabharatha Epic

Main Article Content

Dr. Saran S Dr. Roselin Linitta George

Abstract

“Time creates all things and time destroys them all. Time burns all creatures and time again extinguishes that fire” (Anukramanika Parva, Adi Parva). The pluralism of Hinduism sets it apart from other modern religious practices. While other religions are diverse, Hinduism is polylithic, or the polar opposite of monolithic, as Wendy Doniger points out. Wendy Doniger O’Flaherty is an American Indologist with a five-decade professional career. ‘The texts wrestle with competing truths, rather than offer pat answers” (Hindus, 43-44). The Mahabharata is the world’s longest epic poetry, and it has been called the world’s longest poetry. It has approximately 1,00,000 shlokas, over 2,00,000 individual poem lines (each shloka is a couplet), and extended prose passages in its fullest version. The Mahabharata is nearly 10 times the length of the Iliad (762 BC) and Odyssey (8th century BCE) combined or around four times the length of the Odyssey. The Mahabharata has been studied extensively for its layers, which have been identified and dated. Some of the current Mahabharata’s elements can be traced back to Vedic times.

Article Details