Mahābhārata Morality
Querying the Ethics of India’s Great Epic
Why does the Mahābhārata present us with so many compelling ethical conundrums?
What is the epic’s vision of Virtue? Vice?
What does it teach us about ancient India? Humanity? Life?
This course offers a close reading of the most gripping, morally controversial episodes of India’s great epic, The Mahābhārata.
- Why is the royal princess Draupadī dragged before the royal assembly, assaulted and dishonoured while her 5 husbands meekly stand by?
- Why is the sagacious Grandfather Bhīṣma felled in battle by the reincarnation of a woman scorned? Why does he tortuously lie on a bed of arrows on the battlefield, advancing moral teachings all the while?
- Why does Kṛṣṇa, god incarnate, so often play dirty during the Great War, although the epic advances a stringent ethical code?
These and other gripping moral consideration will be entertained in this fascinating course of study…
Episodes Highlighted
- Vyāsa Supplying Seed to father Surrogate Sons
- The Gods Supplying Seed to Conceive the Pāṇḍavas, the Epic's main Heroes
- Yudhiṣṭhira’s Gambling Problem and the Ill-Fated Dice Match Which Cost Him Everything
- Draupadī’s Dishonorable Disrobing at the Royal Court
- Bhīṣma’s Abduction of Kāśī Princesses Ambā, Ambikā, Ambālikā
- Śikhaṇḍī’s Felling of Bhīṣma
- Bhīṣma on his Bed of Arrows
- Highlights of the Great War
- Kṛṣṇa’s Dubious Battle Tactics
- Queen Gandharī Cursing Kṛṣṇa’s Lineage to Destruction
Course Text
The Mahabharata
Penguin Classics (Paperback), 2009
Abridged and Translated by John D. Smith
This 4-part on-demand online course is taught by renowned scholar, storyteller and traditional wisdom lineage holder Dr. Raj Balkaran. He shares the fruit of hundreds of hours of living wisdom training and scholarship on Sanskrit narrative texts such as the Mahābhārata, which he has been studying for 20 years.
Pre-Recorded Modules Released
Saturdays
Module 1 Nov 23, 2024
Module 2 Nov 30, 2024
Module 3 Dec 7, 2024
Module 4 Dec 14, 2024
Live Zoom Tutorial
Optional; Recordings Provided
Wednesdays @ 11am EDT
Tutorial 1 Nov 27, 2024 @ 11am EDT
Tutorial 2 Dec 4, 2024 @ 11am EDT
Tutorial 3 Dec 11, 2024 @ 11am EDT
Tutorial 4 Dec 18, 2024 @ 11am EDT
Learning Outcomes
- The epic story of the Mahābhārata
- The cultural impact of the Mahābhārata
- Key philosophical, theological ideas within the epic
- Ethics of violence
- Social ethics of kingship, righteous rule
- Spiritual ethics of asceticism, detachment, dharma
- Character sketches of Bhīṣṃa, Kṛṣṇa, the Pāṇḍavas
- Lunar Symbolism and the Mahābhārata
- The Spiritual Significance of the Mahābhārata
Course Structure
Module 1: Creative Conception - Seminal Roles in the Story
Module 2: Dicey Disrobing- Manhandling, Gambling, and Royal Bystanders
Module 3: Formidable Felling - Bhīṣma the Noble, Bhīṣma the Ignoble
Module 4: The Righteous Rascal - Kṛṣṇa, Trickery and Truth
6+ Hours of Video Lessons
Valuable for the simply curious, longtime yogis, expert practitioners and everyone in between
Downloadable Notes
Easily follow along with and refer back to the class slides
Access Anytime, Anywhere
Whether day or night, wherever you are, you have forever access to this on-demand course
Ancient Wisdom, Modern Applications
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Yoga Alliance Credit
This course counts as 12 hours of YA Continuing Education Credit
Meet Your Instructor
Dr. Raj Balkaran is the founder of The Indian Wisdom School, scholar, and author of the popular book The Stories Behind the Poses. He teaches a number of courses through the Indian Wisdom School, the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, Yogic Studies, and Embodied Philosophy. He also hosts the New Books in Indian Religions podcast.
Before becoming a scholar, Dr. Balkaran was initiated into Indian Wisdom Traditions by multiple lineal teachers and apprenticed with a renowned Indian spiritual master for twelve years. For the past two decades, he has been immersed in daily spiritual practice and study, cultivating a deep understanding of these traditions.