Samkhya thoughts in the Mahabharata
by Shini M.V. | 2017 | 51,373 words
This page relates ‘Historical context of Mahabharata’ of the study of Samkhya thought and philosophy as reflected in the Shanti-Parva of the Mahabharata. Samkhya represents one of the six orthodox schools of Indian Philosophy and primarily deals with metaphysical knowledge and explains the Universe without the need to introduce God. The Mahabharata is an ancient Sanskrit epic which includes many Sankhya theories while expounding twenty-five principles.
Historical context of Mahābhārata
The longest Sanskrit epic is Mahābhārata This was composed to embody much of the essence of Indian culture. The story of Mahābhārata mainly deals with the history of Pāṇḍavas and Kauravas. Historical context of Mahābhārata speaks that the core story of the whole epic is about a dynastic struggle for the throne of Hastinapura the kingdom which was ruled by the Kuru clan. It is being mentioned that the two collateral branches of the family participated in the struggle. These struggles reach the highest point in the great battle of Kurukṣetra. The battle produced complex clashes of friendship and kinship. In accord to the historical context of Mahābhārata, it is traditionally credited to Veda Vyāsa who was also one of the major dynastic characters with in the epic.
This epic expresses that contracting from one’s moral duty, refusal to act even when it is most difficult to act and egotistical attachment to one’s, all these human weaknesses pose the greatest dangers to survival of all individual.
Among the eighteen parvas of Mahābhārata Ādiparva is the first. The Mahābhārata is an exposition on dharma including the proper conduct of a king, of a warrior and of a man living in times of great misfortune. In addition the Mahābhārata speaks of the persons seeking to attain emancipation from rebirth.
The earliest layers of the story and the historical context of Mahābhārata probably dates back to the late Vedic period of 8th century B.C. and it probably reached its final form by the time the Gupta period. According to the Ādiparva of the Mahābhārata the text has originally 8,800 verses when it was composed by Vyāsa and was known as the Jaya, which later became 24,000 verses in the Mahābhārata recited by Ugrasrava sauti. Mahābhārata is a collection of tales and legends including the fascinating story of a hereditary quarrel between two branches of a single Indian ruling family of Bharata. The context of Mahābhārata relates that the ultimate weapon is summoned, a weapon that if used will destroy the world of both matter and spirit.