Mahabharata revisited

After a long gap, I found myself once again leafing through the epic Mahabharata. The edition was different, with lots of illustrations and cross-references but the story was the same and strangely just as engrossing.

The opportunity presented itself thanks to a stomach bug, which left me in physical pain but with time on my hands and a need to be distracted. So, questions about my identity, which often get overshadowed in the struggle of day-to-day living, suddenly could not be ignored.

So, it was time to read the Mahabharata for some mental peace and spiritual comfort. Reading the epic can be a challenge. But the story is engrossing because of the issues it talks about, which can rival any soap opera.

No matter what you may be facing in life, there is at least one character in the Mahabharata who has faced the same. While the saga was written 2,000 years ago, it tackles universal issues- war over tyrants, depriving others of what is rightfully theirs, unrequited love, adultery, illegitimacy, rifts within the family, abortion, OCD and gender issues.u00a0A cursory check of the news will show you that the main headlines of the day also feature at least some of these topics.

But while it would have been easy for Vyasa to dispense advice, he chose to refrain from condemning or condoning any action. Perhaps that's an approach we would do well to follow. How many times have you confided in someone only to be met with apathy or pity? Empathy is what the epic teaches us. It also reinforces the belief that while we may be a product of circumstances, we have to own up to our actions and decisions.