Mahabharata
as Literature, Performance, Ideology
Suggestions for Research Papers
Each of the suggestions below allows for a range of possible papers, but they
are hardly exhaustive. In its encyclopedic scope, the Mahabharata offers reflection
on many aspects of human life. If the topics proposed here do not appeal to
you, please consult the instructor to help develop one that will. Do not wait
until the last moment to do this!
1. Women of the Mahabharata. Select one or more female characters and discuss
their role in the plot of the Mahabharata. Some possible themes to explore:
How central to the plot are female characters? What ideals of female behavior
and attitudes toward women do these characters suggest? Do they reveal contrasts
or contradictions? How is female power and agency controlled and/or expressed
in the world of the epic?
2. Of Sages and Kings. The majority of characters in the epic belong to the
Brahmana and Ksatriya social orders. Discuss the relationship between these
two social orders as it is portrayed in the Mahabharata. Some possible topics
to explore: What is the ideal nature of this relationship, and where do we find
it expressed (or do we)? What characters or episodes suggest a less-than-ideal
relationship? How is the proper "balance of power" achieved in the
epic story (or is it)?
3. Krsna: Man and God. Arjuna's friend and adviser, the Prince of the Vrsnis
is one of the central characters-some say the pivotal character-in the vast
epic. Much ink has been spilled on the topic of his divinity. Is he a god throughout
the story, or only at certain key moments? How do divine and human qualities
interact in his personality as represented by the ancient storytellers? If he
is indeed "God" (in an ultimate sense), then what sort of God is he?
Join this debate with your own interpretation, based on a close reading of specific
episodes. (You may, if you wish, also use other sources outside the course literature,
but seek the instructor's input on this. There is a vast literature on Krsna,
and some of it is highly polemic, narrowly sectarian, or junk.)
4. The Problem of the Hero. What is heroism and how do we recognize a "hero"?
Who (singular or plural) is a hero in the Mahabharata and what are the qualities
that such a hero manifests? To examine this problem, you might choose to focus
on a single heroic character, or to contrast two such characters (perhaps on
opposing sides in the climactic battle). Other possible issues to consider:
Are heroes necessarily Ksatriyas, or necessarily male? Can Brahmanas and women
be heroic?
5. Comparing Mahabharatas. This course stresses the existence of multiple retellings
of the Mahabharata, none of which is authoritative and definitive, and many
of which reveal contrasting or even conflicting interpretations of characters
and events. Below is a list of some retellings, in print and visual form, that
are potentially available to students in this class, with brief notes on each.
They have been chosen to reflect a wide range of interpretations, as well as
both print and visual media. Select two (or more), and examine the portrayal
of a single character, theme, or major incident, comparing the approach or interpretation
of the various authors or directors. You may want to speculate on the motives
or implications of each retelling. (Obviously, to make an interesting paper,
you will want to find versions that show significant differences of interpretation
of a given character or episode. Feel free to consult the instructor for help
in locating these.)
Aron, Elaine, Samraj (the Mahabharata retold by an American novelist as "a
magnificent epic of passion and intrigue, mysticism and betrayal"-in short,
a supermarket mytho-romance!) (call number BL1138.25 .A76 1990)
Bapu (director), Hum Paanch ("We Five," feature film), 1980. (on reserve
in Media Services)
Benegal, Shyam (director), Kalyug ("Age of Discord," feature film),
1980. (on reserve in Media Services, call no. 10207 DVD
Brook, Peter, The Mahabharata, video, 3 vols., 2 hours each; a condensed version
of the play based on Jean-Claude Carriere's script; Part I: The Game of Dice,
Part II: The Forest, Part III: The War (on reserve in Media Services, Main Library,
call no. 2065 VHS)
Buck, William, Mahabharata (a modern American retelling in the style of fantasy
epics) (call number PS3552 .U335 M3)
Carriere, Jean-Claude, and Peter Brook, The Mahabharata (script to the nine-hour
stage play, which was also used, in abridged form, for the 6-hour video) (call
number PQ 2663 .A78 M3413 1987)
Chopra, B. R., Mahabharat, video, 47 vols. of 2 episodes each; for the contents
of individual volumes, consult instructor (on reserve in Media Services, Main
Library, call no. 4469 VHS)
Narayan, R. K., The Mahabharata (a brief prose retelling by a modern master
novelist with his own interpretations and characteristic light touch) (call
number AHR 4780; also generally available in paperback from booksellers)
Rajagopalachari, C., Mahabharata (a prose retelling by the first President of
India, written soon after Independence, with many moralistic and nationalist
comments on specific incidents) (call number BL 1130 .R3)
Roy, Pratap Chandra, The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwapayana Vyasa, 12 vols. (the
only complete English translation of a Sanskrit Mahabharata text, done in the
late 19th century; in florid Victorian Indian-English, but can be useful in
looking at incidents from books 6-18, not covered by van Buitenen's 3 volumes)
(call number PK 3633 .A2 R62 1970)
Tharoor, Shashi, The Great Indian Novel (hilarious and irreverent parody of
the Mahabharata that retells the 20th century history of India-e.g., with Mahatma
Gandhi as Bhisma) (PR 9499 .3 .T535 G7 1989; also 94-3480)
In addition, the following works contain literary treatments of famous stories
from the Mahabharata:
Bhasa, The Shattered Thigh and Other Mahabharata Plays of Bhasa (a recent English
translation of a group of Sanskrit plays based on the epic; Bhasa is thought
to have lived ca. 4th century CE; the title work, Urubhangam or "the breaking
of the thigh," focuses on the slaying of Duryodhana and reveals considerable
sympathy for him) (call number PK 3791 .B4 A25 1993)
Khandekar, V. S., Yayati: A Classic Tale of Lust (a modern novel based on the
Yayati stories in Book 1, translated from the Marathi language, it won numerous
awards in India when published in 1974; cover blurb states: "The author
regards Yayati as the representative of the common man, who in spite of much
varied happiness, is always discontented and is blindly running in pursuit of
new pleasures....") (call number PK 2418 .K45 Y313)
Miller, Barbara Stoler, Theater of Memory (contains Kalidasa's play "Sakuntala
and the Ring of Recollection"; note: there are several other suitable translations
of this play, generally under the title "Shakuntala"; consult catalog)
(call number PK 3795 .E5 1984)
Narayan, R. K., Gods, Demons and Others (contains short versions of seven stories
from the Mahabharata, "Yayati," "Draupadi," "Nala,"
"Savitri," Shakuntala," "Harischandra," and "Sibi,"
retold by a modern novelist with a characteristic light touch) (call number
BL 1202 .N3)
6. Creative
options: Write your own version of a Mahabharata episode or story, as a one-act
play, short story, or poem. To qualify as a course paper, such an original work
must be appropriately substantial and should reflect careful study of several
existing versions. Since such a "paper" may be more difficult to evaluate
for grading purposes than a standard academic one, you should include a brief
introduction discussing the sources you consulted and the interpretive strategy
you chose, with your own justification for doing so. You could also include
a commentary (e.g. in the form of footnotes) in the course of the retelling,
explaining your interpretive decisions. Retelling the story in a modern setting,
or even parodying it, can all be acceptable, provided the transformations are
not simply arbitrary or fantastic inventions, but reflect something of the spirit
and complexity of the Indian Mahabharata tradition. For best results, consult
the instructor while developing this idea so that he has a sense of where you
are going.