قصة الكتاب :
The Mahabharata is one of the two great Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the Ramayana. The main plot revolves around the feud between two groups of cousins i.e. the Pandavas and the Kauravas who engage in the Battle of Kurukshetra for the throne of Hastanipura. The authorship of the Mahabharata is ascribed to a poet named Vyasa and it is believed to have been written around 2000 years ago. The book serves as a valuable resource of information regarding the development of Hinduism between 400 BC and 200 AD. It is regarded by the Hindus as both a text about dharma (the moral code) and itihasa (history). The book in its present form first appeared in 400 AD and consists of a great deal of mythological and didactic material arranged around the central heroic narrative.

\r\nThe epic is made up of 100,000 couplets and is nearly seven times the length of the Odyssey and the Illiad combined. It is divided into 18 sections and even includes a supplement. It appears unlikely that a single person composed the entire text although authorship has been ascribed only to a single source i.e. Vyasa. He appears in the work as the grandfather of the Pandavas and the Kauravas. The historical occurrence of the war that forms the central theme of the entire work is debated but is assumed to have occurred between the 8th and 9th centuries BC. The Mahabharata is described as the longest poem that has ever been written. The main story is the rivalry between the two groups of cousins. It starts when the blind Dhritarashtra, the elder brother is passed over in favour of his younger brother Pandu for the throne. Due to a curse, Pandu cannot father any children but his wife Kunti asks help from the gods to help father children in his name and thus the Pandavas come to be. Dhritarashtra’s 100 sons are the Kauravas. The enmity and jealousy between the groups cause the Pandavas to leave the kingdom after their father’s death. They get married to Draupadi and meet their cousin Krishna, who stays their loyal companion throughout the tale. Even after the Pandavas return to the kingdom later, they are forced to leave it again and go into exile after losing a game of dice. This feud culminates in the battlefield of Kurukshetra and the Pandavas emerge victorious.

\r\nThe central plot consists of a little more than one-fifth of the epic. The remainder comprises of a series of popular myths and legends such as the romance of Nala and Damayanti, the story of Savitri who persuades the god of death to restore her dead husband to life and descriptions of several places of pilgrimage. Inequality and human suffering are central themes in the Mahabharata. Even today, the text continues to offer valuable perspectives on how injustices play out in the world. The book has inspired several adaptations over the years and has been made into films, plays and TV series. \r\n