and the variety of subjects discussed – ranging from history, philosophy and law to yoga, spirituality and psychology.
Indeed, the volume of knowledge expounded in this epic is so immense that most critics have rightly assumed that it can hardly be the product of a single brain howsoever gifted. Some great scholars of the Mahābhārata such as a modern translator of the text, J.A.B. van Buitenen, and India’s great yogi-poet Sri Aurobindo, agree that the Mahābhārata was originally a smaller epic of about 24,000 verses, and that this nucleus was subsequently enhanced by an endless series of later additions made by authors who deemed Vyāsa’s genial creation a fit vehicle for their own less inspired poetic expressions, philosophic ideas, dogmatic teachings and religious beliefs.
If this nucleus has had the power to attract such a mass of material which exceeds three to four times the volume of its original body, then this fact speaks for itself. Whilst some popular editions of the epic contain up to 100,000 stanzas, the Critical Edition prepared by the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune, confines itself to about 73,900 couplets, presented by the editors as the “constituted text” which does not claim to be the nucleus, but the most authentic text established on the basis of a comparison of all important recensions and manuscripts.
Even while the Critical Edition, which has been used for this study, presents an excellent tool for any scholar of the epic, we are still faced with the difficulty of separating – like the mythical swans of Indian poets – Vyāsa’s milk from the water of the plagiators. Only a poetic genius like Sri Aurobindo could confidently propose to disengage the nucleus on the basis of an analysis of the poetic quality of the verses.6 Unfortunately, he could not find time to work out this idea and provide the complete text as he believed it to be the original.
As for ourselves, we choose a different approach, focussing on texts which appear to have a high quality from the point of view of content. Approaching the epic with an open mind, we try to learn as much as possible about traditional Indian culture and spirituality, great personalities and important principles governing the life of those days. In fact, the Mahābhārata with its boundless wealth and manifold content is an ideal field for such an approach. “Whatever is here on dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa, is also found elsewhere. But what is not here, is found nowhere else,” says the epic on itself.7 Anyone who has gone through its complete text, will probably agree that this claim, though slightly exaggerated, has some truth in it.
CWSA Vol. 1, Early Cultural Writings, Vyasa and Valmiki, 338
On the Meaning of the Mahabharata, 32
On the Meaning of the Mahabharata, 4
CWSA Vol. 1, Early Cultural Writings, 339f
Mbhr. 1.56.3 . All the references are to the Pune Critical Edition. kāma, artha, dharma, mokṣa are in the Hindu tradition the four basic goals in human life (puruṣārtha), that is sensual fulfillment, material prosperity, right living and spiritual liberation.
1.
Arjuna’s Marriages
Arjuna is well-known as an excellent archer, champion fighter and close confidant of Kṛṣṇa, but a little less known as lover. Epic heroes are as a rule not subject to very strict moral laws, and so Arjuna too has some escapades, though of an innocent nature and not without discrimination. We perceive here even in seeming licence an element of culture, of high-mindedness. It is for this reason that a special chapter is devoted to this subject.
Arjuna had won Draupadī, the common wife of the five Pāṇḍavas, in a special competition of archery, which was arranged by king Drupada with the very purpose of attracting Arjuna whom he considered the ideal partner of his daughter. The Pāṇḍavas had come in disguise (they were still in hiding after the burning of the lacquer palace) and Arjuna won Draupadī as an unknown Brāhmin. The beautiful princess did not hesitate to give herself to the powerful competitor, but this unexpected turn of events provoked the kings and princes present at the svayaṁvara to attack king Drupada and the Pāṇḍavas – giving away this precious prize to an unidentified Brāhmin was too big a shame for the assembled kṣatriya-chieftains.
Arjuna and Bhīma repelled the attack in a quick battle, making sure that Draupadī was theirs for good. However, some intricate problem came up when the Pāṇḍavas returned ‘home’ to the potter’s hut in which they were staying with Kuntī. The Pāṇḍavas said joyfully to their mother, “look what we found!”, and she answered spontaneously, “now you share that together.”8 Yudhiṣṭhira as the eldest brother was asked to resolve the problem. His decision was as noble as Arjuna’s reaction: he ruled that Arjuna should marry Draupadī since he had won her in the contest. But Arjuna considered this adharma. He proposed that Yudhiṣṭhira as the eldest brother should marry first, taking Draupadī for himself. Thus Arjuna shows considerable strength of character in this scene by surrendering to the family law. Draupadī is a very attractive woman and his proposal is a real sacrifice.
But Yudhiṣṭhira does not want to claim her for himself alone, because it did not escape him that all of the brothers were deeply enchanted with Draupadī’s beauty. He therefore makes a very wise decision that she would be their common wife. This is in fact the only way to save the unity of the family and at the same time a gesture of obedience to Kuntī’s word. Even while one problem has been solved now, another has been created, because the father of the bride objects with persistence against this uncommon polyandrous alliance.
Finally, Vyāsa himself enters the scene, talking to Drupada in private and giving him some mythological background which justifies this whole development. Thus, he wins over the king for the marriage of his daughter to the five Pāṇḍavas. We are not concerned here with those mythological stories of the five Indras etc. nor do we consider it purposeful to examine various speculations on polyandrous precedents in the ancient Indian society. It appears more fruitful in the context of the Mahābhārata to draw attention to the spirit of sacrifice and brotherly love and unity which becomes evident in this scene. The epic is often setting examples, even some rare examples which ordinary humans will not be able to follow and are not expected to follow. If five well-built men can share one highly attractive woman, then it is certainly a psychological miracle, a great conquest of envy and jealousy.
Soon after the wedding Nārada, the messenger of the Gods, came to give the Pāṇḍavas the clue for the perfect functioning of the marriage. In this way the poet also assures the audience that everything is all right with the unusual marriage, as evidently it is sanctioned by the Gods. Nārada advises the brothers to lay down a rule so that there is no strife over Draupadī. He tells them the story of Sunda and Upasunda, two immensely powerful asuras who lived together in perfect harmony until Brahmā sent the apsarā Tilottamā on earth to estrange them. Promptly they fell into the trap, killing each other in their desire for Tilottamā.
To prevent a similar disaster among themselves, Nārada advises the Pāṇḍavas not to disturb each other when anyone of them is intimate with Draupadī. If anyone should enter the room and break this rule, the offender would have to stay in the forest like a hermit for twelve months. In this way the Pāṇḍavas were able to live happily with Draupadī:
And Kṛṣṇā9 attended to the wishes of all the five lion-like men of immeasurable energy, the sons of Pṛthā.
