{"product_id":"light-on-the-mahabharata-9798887620770","title":"Light on the Mahabharata","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eIn this in-depth, engaging guide to the \u003ci\u003eMahabharata\u003c\/i\u003e, Hindu Studies scholar Nicholas Sutton explores the central messages of the work’s core narratives and passages of instruction, demonstrating how the questions the text poses are as relevant today as they were to those who composed this mighty treatise on human existence.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe \u003ci\u003eMahabharata\u003c\/i\u003e is a truly vast work of early Sanskrit literature that reflects on a wide range of issues which have concerned people throughout different epochs. Within the context of Indian culture, the significance of the \u003ci\u003eMahabharata\u003c\/i\u003e cannot be overstated, as its themes, characters, narratives, and preoccupations have reverberated across the region for centuries.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e It is well-known that the whole of the epic is structured around a central narrative that tells of an ancient conflict between two branches of the same royal house, the Pandavas and Kauravas\u003ci\u003e.\u003c\/i\u003e Yet it is also a clearly didactic work that addresses the fundamental meaning of human existence. In \u003ci\u003eLight on the Mahabharata: A Guide to India’s Great Epic\u003c\/i\u003e, Nicholas Sutton examines the multi-faceted manner in which the \u003ci\u003eMahabharata\u003c\/i\u003e does this, elucidating the diverse and multi-layered answers the text offers to the many questions it raises. Sutton’s book explores why the main characters behave in the manner that they do, the vision of life that motivates them, and the extent to which they are able to prioritise enlightened wisdom over narrow self-interest.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Unravelling the Sanskrit epic’s myriad lines of reflection, \u003ci\u003eLight on the Mahabharata\u003c\/i\u003e demonstrates that the questions the work poses and the range of answers it suggests are as relevant in the present day as they were in remote antiquity.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eOXFORD CENTRE SERIES\u003c\/b\u003e: The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies Publishing Series offers authoritative yet accessible introductions to a wide range of subjects in Hindu Studies. Each book in the series aims to present its subject matter in a form that is engaging and readily comprehensible to persons of all backgrounds - academic or otherwise - without compromising scholarly rigour. The series thus bridges the divide between academic and popular writing by preserving and utilising the best elements of both. Other books in the series include \u003ci\u003eThe Bhagavad Gita: A New Translation and Study Guide\u003c\/i\u003e; \u003ci\u003eThe Hindu Temple and Its Sacred Landscape\u003c\/i\u003e; and \u003ci\u003eWomen in the Hindu World.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eEXPERT AUTHOR\u003c\/b\u003e: Nicholas Sutton has spent the four decades studying, teaching, and writing on the \u003ci\u003eMahabharata\u003c\/i\u003e. Sutton is the Director of the Continuing Education Department of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, an academy for the study of Hindu cultures, societies, philosophies, religions, and languages. He received his PhD from Lancaster University, writing his doctoral dissertation on the \u003ci\u003eMahabharat\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003ea\u003c\/i\u003e, and currently writes and tutors online courses on Hindu religious traditions.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eEDUCATION AID\u003c\/b\u003e: This book serves as a comprehensive resource for both classwork and independent study of Hinduism. With the integration of discussion questions, suggested further readings, and glossary of Sanskrit terms, \u003ci\u003eLight on the \u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eMahabharata\u003c\/i\u003e offers an accessible introduction to this enduring Sanskrit epic.","brand":"Insight Editions","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50587700560215,"sku":"9798887620770","price":19.54,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9798887620770.jpg?v=1746120737","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/light-on-the-mahabharata-9798887620770","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}