Light on the Mahabharata

In this in-depth, engaging guide to the Mahabharata, Hindu Studies scholar Nicholas Sutton explores the central messages of the work’s core narratives and passages of instruction, demonstrating how the questions the text poses are as relevant today as they were to those who composed this mighty treatise on human existence.

The Mahabharata is a truly vast work of early Sanskrit literature that reflects on a wide range of issues which have concerned people throughout different epochs. Within the context of Indian culture, the significance of the Mahabharata cannot be overstated, as its themes, characters, narratives, and preoccupations have reverberated across the region for centuries.

It is well-known that the whole of the epic is structured around a central narrative that tells of an ancient conflict between two branches of the same royal house, the Pandavas and Kauravas. Yet it is also a clearly didactic work that addresses the fundamental meaning of human existence. In Light on the Mahabharata: A Guide to India’s Great Epic, Nicholas Sutton examines the multi-faceted manner in which the Mahabharata does this, elucidating the diverse and multi-layered answers the text offers to the many questions it raises. Sutton’s book explores why the main characters behave in the manner that they do, the vision of life that motivates them, and the extent to which they are able to prioritise enlightened wisdom over narrow self-interest.

Unravelling the Sanskrit epic’s myriad lines of reflection, Light on the Mahabharata demonstrates that the questions the work poses and the range of answers it suggests are as relevant in the present day as they were in remote antiquity.

OXFORD CENTRE SERIES: The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies Publishing Series offers authoritative yet accessible introductions to a wide range of subjects in Hindu Studies. Each book in the series aims to present its subject matter in a form that is engaging and readily comprehensible to persons of all backgrounds – academic or otherwise – without compromising scholarly rigour. The series thus bridges the divide between academic and popular writing by preserving and utilising the best elements of both. Other books in the series include The Bhagavad Gita: A New Translation and Study Guide; The Hindu Temple and Its Sacred Landscape; and Women in the Hindu World.

EXPERT AUTHOR: Nicholas Sutton has spent four decades studying, teaching, and writing on the Mahabharata. Sutton is the Director of the Continuing Education Department of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, an academy for the study of Hindu cultures, societies, philosophies, religions, and languages. He received his PhD from Lancaster University, writing his doctoral dissertation on the Mahabharata, and currently writes and tutors online courses on Hindu religious traditions.

EDUCATION AID: This book serves as a comprehensive resource for both classwork and independent study of Hinduism. With the integration of discussion questions, suggested further readings, and a glossary of Sanskrit terms, Light on the Mahabharata offers an accessible introduction to this enduring Sanskrit epic.