The great Indian epic: Beginning of the end - Foreword

FOREWORD

Have you ever thought about how the values that we imbibe, or the value system in which we grew, came into existence? Does it ever make you wonder about those people who would have defined what is moral and ethical and what is not?

Normally, we tend to think of our value system as something universal: A sense of fairness and righteousness that we carry within us that makes us uniquely human, But contrarily to this, Dr. Ian Morris, a professor of classics at Stanford University, in his latest book argues that our moral values are actually a function of the ways society organizes itself to get energy & according to Paul Chippendale “Values motivate whereas morals and ethics constrain." In my opinion, values describe how a person's life should be and morals and ethics determine how it should not be.

 With the onslaught of technology and blurring of physical boundaries, the value systems have changed and metamorphosed to suit current times just like in the era of hunters and gatherers, people organized themselves around the values that would protect their small groups. Then, in the farming era, the complex labour involved in harvesting crops pushed society into a more hierarchical arrangement. Today, the freedom that we cherish and our belief in equal rights for all are really just another by-product of living in a fossil fuel age.

 In such a scenario, one is forced to question whether values advocated in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata are still an intrinsic part of us? Can we still go to epics in search of some truths about ourselves and about our conditions? After all to a great extent our present is moulded by our past. Therefore, I believe it is necessary that these questions be answered to get a more clear understanding of who we are as a civilization & for this ancient literary text such as Mahabharata- A poem which has been sung for over a millennium now - have always been an insightful resource.

An analysis of this verse could explore the relationship of the epic to its critical historical events which may have influenced the present Indian society to a great extent. Since, Pupul Jayakar, a scholar, once said,” It is said in India that there is nothing in human existence which does not have a place in the Mahabharata.''  Jayakar, is a cultural adviser to the Indian Government and an impresario of festivals of India in the United States. ''It contains all the contradictions of life, and its legends and stories have been told and retold in every generation.''


In fact, Many mythologist are of the opinion that various accounts and plots were carefully structured to reflect an array of emotional dilemma which a person might encounter in his/her lifetime or in the coming era which is quite possible as ancient Indians were already familiar with concepts of atom 'paramanu', revolution of earth around sun and formation potent weaponry. Although, the main stream scientists will hate to admit it, so will the pseudo-intellectuals, but as Albert Einstein had once said, “Imagination is more powerful than knowledge”, it would be certainly wrong to completely reject the entire possibility.