In Dialogue with the Mahābhārata by Black, Brian;

Short description:

This book explores the philosophical implications of the Mahābhārata by paying attention to the centrality of dialogue, both as the text’s prevailing literary expression and its organising structure.

Long description:

The Mahābhārata has been explored extensively as a work of mythology, epic poetry, and religious literature, but the text’s philosophical dimensions have largely been under-appreciated by Western scholars. This book explores the philosophical implications of the Mahābhārata by paying attention to the centrality of dialogue, both as the text’s prevailing literary expression and its organising structure. Focusing on five sets of dialogues about controversial moral problems in the central story, this book shows that philosophical deliberation is an integral part of the narrative. Black argues that by paying attention to how characters make arguments and how dialogues unfold, we can better appreciate the Mahābhārata’s philosophical significance and its potential contribution to debates in comparative philosophy today.

This is a fresh perspective on the Mahābhārata that will be of great interest to any scholar working in religious studies, Indian/South Asian religions, comparative philosophy, and world literature.

‘In an ocean of studies on the Grand Epic – The Mahābhārata – Brian Black’s voice is unique, fresh and compelling. In a careful and detailed dialogic reading of select plots involving central characters like Bhishma, Draupadi, Duryodhana and Sri Krishna, the author points out inherent dialogicality in the epic text. This work is an important contribution to Indological and Dialogic Studies’.

Lakshmi Bandlamudi, Professor, City University of New York.

‘This wonderfully rich book by Brian Black emphasizes the often noted subtlety of the dharma in the Mahābhārata, and brilliantly shows how that subtlety carries different connotations depending on who is speaking, and the circumstances. This insightful work provides depth and specificity to our view of the text’s presentation of the dharma as subtle, and is a major contribution to our understanding of the Mahābhārata’.

Bruce M. Sullivan, Professor Emeritus, Northern Arizona University.

Table of Contents:

Acknowledgments; Introduction; 1 Bhīṣma’s Vows; 2 Draupadī’s Marriage; 3 Duryodhana’s Despair / Yudhiṣṭhira’s Decision; 4 Draupadī’s Questions; 5 Kṛṣṇa’s Conversations; Conclusion; Bibliography; Appendix I; Appendix II