Originally Published in Madras Courier
Editorial Note
By questioning the folly of human action, the Mahabharata underscores the relativity embedded in the idea of ‘winning’ & ‘losing.’ But what’s the primary takeaway from this epic?
Mausala Parva, a short chapter in the epic Mahabharata comprising about 200 verses, graphically depicts the obliteration of the mighty Yadava clan. A stray arrow kills Krishna, their illustrious leader, and Balarama, Krishna’s brother, dies by drowning, and his people engage in a civil war and ruin themselves through drunkenness, immorality and revelry.