Sanskrit Mahākāvyas based on the Mahābhārata

Abstract

“The Mahābhārata, like the Ramayana, is among the greatest, and the earliest epics in the world. In length, it is reportedly, seven times longer than Homer’s Odyssey and Iliad put together. What distinguishes it from other such accounts is the fact that it is not just one straightforward story but a collection of discourses, episodes and anecdotes collected from far and wide, spanning aeons, woven around the main story which is short and simple enough. It is about the struggle to the succession of the loyal throne of Hastinapura. When the rightful claimant, Yudhisthira, is denied his inheritance by the incumbent ruler, also his paternal uncle, the blind King Dhritrashtra, at the behest of his greedy and arrogant son Duryodhana and his accomplices, the two cousins engage in battle at Kurukshetra”.¹

The great Indian epic Mahābhārata has influenced and inspired many Sanskrit poets both classical and modern for composing technical Mahākāvyas by using traditional poetic principles. I could collect information about twelve Mahākāvyas of this type in Sanskrit. These Mahākāvyas mainly attempt to highlight the heroic deeds of the great heroes like Bhiṣma, Arjuna, Karṇa etc. Since these compositions portray the noble characters, the idealistic sketch of their personal traits is apparently visible. This is because of the Sanskrit literary tradition which binds their creative and thinking pattern.