Top 5 reasons why Mahabharata is one of the greatest epics ever written - Proud Sanatani

Being raised in a Hindu family is like getting yourself surrounded by ancient stories and scriptures that elucidates about Dharma and karma.

At some point in our childhood, we came across two of the greatest epics of our religion i.e Mahabharata and Ramayana. My grandparents used to tell me stories related to Lord Ram and Lord Krishna. It helped me a lot to get familiar with their ideology and their Rationality to build an ideal community. 

But the basic difference between these two epics is the distinct message it tries to convey to their readers. Ramayana taught us about truth and it's prominence to maintain justice in our society. It taught us the significance of love and family relations. In a nutshell, it propagates a straightforward message that if your intentions are true you can get over any problems no matter how tough it is.

On the contrary, Mahabharata taught us about prioritizing Dharma above family relations. It taught us that if your brother or anyone close to you is against the laws of Dharma you should be against them. If they are possessing an evil intention and showing their support for Adharma you should stand against them.

In this article, I will share the Top 5 reasons why Mahabharata is one of the greatest epics ever written.

5) A symbol of friendship.

If you had read or watched Mahabharata you would definitely implicate that this epic is not just a portrayal of a fierce battle within a family it's a complete blend of Affability, treachery, and a struggle to protect Dharma.

Talking about affability and companionship how can we forget about the unbreakable friendship between Duryodhan and Karna.

The friendship they shared was beyond any suspicion. It was an unconditional feeling of support for each other that made that duo stronger than ever.

Despite knowing the identity of his real mother (Kunti- mother of Pandavas), Karna chose to be with his friend Duryodhan just because of one effortless reason and that is to prove his companionship and benevolence to his friend. 

Their friendship was one of the fascinating aspects of this ancient epic that made it more interesting and intriguing.

4) Bhishma Pitamaha - the backbone of this entire epic.

Whenever someone discusses Mahabharata the first thought that invades his/her mind is about a fierce warrior who slept on the bed of Arrows. It's none other than Gangaputra Bhishma. 

Why is he regarded as the most important character of Mahabharata?

Because of his "Vow" to not get married and to not succeed as the king of Hastinapur was an indirect cause behind this bloodshed. His character was nothing more than a warrior who was fed up by the disturbances and internal problems that disintegrated the enormous Kuru dynasty. He realized that if he hadn't vowed to stay like a hermit, the brothers would have never fight. But it was too late. 

A mere vow due to unavoidable circumstances was the indirect cause of the battle.

3) Draupadi- A symbol of rage.

Draupadi and the "game of dice" was the turning point of Mahabharat. It was at this moment the Kauravas started to dig their own graves. 

Another paramount cause behind the Kurukshetra war was the illicit and nefarious act by the Kauravas which was the direct result of the game of gambling.

The Kauravas Dishonored and humiliated a woman (Draupadi) as they tried to forcefully remove her garments (Cheerharan) in front of everyone at the Hastinapur courthouse but their evil motive turned out to be a complete failure as Lord Krishna comes to rescue.

Why I considered Draupadi as a symbol of Rage?

It's because of her insulting words the kuru dynasty lost its hundred sons. It was her wrath that turned out to be a death bell for Kauravas and eventually resulted in the destruction of the hundred brothers.

2) Shakuni: The mastermind behind all this ruckus.

If someone asks me to grade a bunch of evil personalities, I will place Shakuni at the top. It was hard to doubt his intelligence and his capability to devise a Ruse to drive away his enemies.

Because of his evil and wicked ideas he succeeded in his mission which was to destroy the kuru lineage by drawing a line of separation among the 105 brothers.

1) The lesson of Dharma and Karma.

If Arjuna refused to pick up his weapons against his brothers then the outcome of the war would have been distinct.

The lesson given by Lord Krishna to Arjuna clarifies every query regarding this war and why this war was necessary for the universe.

The principles in accordance with dharma were explained by Lord Krishna so that a hesitant Arjuna can pick up his weapon against his brothers.

Lord Krishna said "it doesn't matter whether your foe belongs to your family or he used to be your friend. What matters is he is standing with Adharma and those who stand with Adharma is a menace to the society. "

He considered Arjuna and his four brothers as the protector of Dharma who should fight to protect it from losing its prominence in society

And the battlefield turns to be their "karma Sthal"  which means their workplace.

In other words, lord Krishna prioritized Dharma above relationships, companionships, and all types of bonds that somehow weakens a person's judgment.

The above-mentioned points are my personal views on Mahabharat and why I consider it to be better and grittier than Ramayan.

An informational post by a proud Sanatani.