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OPINION DECEMBER 01, 2023 | The Indian Eye 11

rists set the foundation for the study written form, the epic did not remain through realism. This exemplifies ta emphasises the importance of
of war, strategy, and statecraft, and static and evolved through distinct an approach that is relatable to the achieving victory through flexible
their concepts continue to resonate elements unique to different regions practical needs of decision-making. ways and means.
in the contemporary international and languages. Fourth, the Mahabharata en- It is in this context that the use
security environment.” There exists a general consen- courages debate and deliberation of surprise, deception and deceit are
This brings up the second ques- sus amongst scholars that the eigh- as the basis for making decisions clearly evident prior to, during and
tion regarding the relevance of an- teen-day Mahabharata war took instead of being bound by the after the war. This reflects a realistic
cient texts for strategic studies and place sometime between 900 and words of a divine voice. This pro- approach to competition and con-
more specifically in the military do- 1300 BCE. This period can be located vides an opportunity to better ap- flict, within the wider ambit of dhar-
main. This question will be answered between two established bookends of preciate persuasive arguments on ma. In other words, the Mahabhara-
using the rich resource of knowledge history. The Iron Age is associated both sides of the divide, thereby ta finds no contradiction between the
provided by the Mahabharata. Since with 900 CE and the Puranas indicate enabling an informed understand- pursuit of dharma and its implemen-
this epic has not been as much a fo- a period of a little over 1000 years be- ing of the decision-making process. tation following the tenets of artha.
cus of strategic analysts, as a prelude, tween the coronation of Mahapadma The Mahabharata provides Evidently, there remains a correla-
a brief introduction to the epic would Nanda in 382 BCE and the birth of several examples of key players em- tion between idealism and realism,
be in order. Parikshit, the son of Abhimanyu. ploying ingenious means to achieve with no contradiction in the pursuit
The Mahabharata is not a histo- The Mahabharata is distinctive their ends. From a limited perspec- of either.
ry in the purest sense. It becomes a in character and along with the Ra- tive of artha, success is achieved The nature of society in the an-
problem when the epic is compared mayana, it gets placed in a unique by competing sides in their own cient period witnessed frequent use
to a text like the Peloponnesian War category of itihasa. The term itihasa ways. Shakuni’s plan of challeng- of force. It was a tool for seeking
from ancient times. Similarly, it is suggests neither history nor mytholo- ing Yudhishthira in a game of dice power and influence, resisting up-
not a prescriptive text that provides gy. Quite literally, it implies, “It hap- was far more effective than fight- heavals and resolving differences.
a suggested solution to common mil- pened like this.” In other words, the ing the Pandavas on the battlefield. Despite the repeated employment
itary issues, as is the case with Sun text is rooted in events that actually of military means, the Mahabhara-
Tzu’s Art of War. did take place. Yet, the Mahabhara- Similarly, Krishna’s choice to ta lays down guidelines for avoiding
The epic is not a myth or a tale ta cannot be classified in the literal the use of force, limiting its use and
that was someone’s figment of imag- sense of a historiography. infiltrate into Magadha with eventually its responsible applica-
ination. It does include didactic ele- In addition to this effort, the Bhima and Arjuna to chal- tion. These guidelines, yet again,
ments, which are meant to draw rel- Mahabharata has possibly remained focus on the concept of dharma as
evant lessons. This inclusion should the most popular epic in Indian con- lenge Jarasandha in a wrestling guidance for force application. This
therefore neither take away from the sciousness. From Amar Chitra Katha match instead of fighting him goes beyond the principles of jus ad
seriousness of the text nor dilute its comics to repeated attempts at pop- bellum and jus in bello. While this
strategic import. ular outreach through television se- in a war accrues multiple ben- does not suggest the scrupulous pur-
The Mahabharata is not a reli- rials and from individual stories to efits. This includes the place- suit of these principles, yet, its prev-
gious text. Even the Bhagavad Gita, divergent views from the perspective alence and relevance remain deeply
in addition to being a guide for ksha- of major characters, the text has been ment of a favourable ruler on enshrined in the consciousness of
triya dharma, is considered spiritual interpreted in multiple ways. the throne and garnering the major actors in the epic.
in its scope. Having reinforced the continu- Yesterday we called long-range
The epic is not a recent obses- ous availability of the Mahabharata support of kings imprisoned by artillery a game changer, today it
sion, discovery, or rediscovery, as was over the centuries and its social im- Jarasandha for an eventual hu- is drones and tomorrow it may be
the case with some texts in the past. pact on Indian consciousness, a log- something else. However, the princi-
It has not only remained pervasive ical question arises regarding its rel- man sacrifice. What differen- ples of warfighting remain the same,
across the country but also beyond its evance as a strategic text, especially tiates the acceptability of this even as its context changes. The na-
shores, over centuries of its popular for contemporary times. ture of war itself remains the same,
dissemination and distribution. Prior to answering the question, pursuit of power and wealth, is even as its character changes. The
The Mahabharata is not merely it would be relevant to contextualise its co-relation with dharma. collective psyche of a nation follows
a story about war and warfighting. the characteristics of the text, which a protracted cycle, which emerges
While the text provides some of the make the epic a timeless and unique The idea of war has remained from the ancient and has already
most detailed and vivid descriptions source of strategic thought. endemic to human existence. It has stepped into the future. Therefore,
of battles, warriors, battlefield con- First, unlike prescriptive texts, also been considered one of the most unless we can make sense of our past,
ditions, vagaries of war, and use of the Mahabharata relates a real-life important determinants for any dis- a reasoned understanding of the fu-
weapons, it is as much, if not, more story, marked by strategic challeng- cussion on a nation’s strategic cul- ture may at best remain murky.
about strategic objectives of war es and complex decision dilemmas. ture. The epic delves into the threat
and the ways in which these can be These are resolved through different of war at length. It clearly outlines Col Vivek Chadha (Retd) is a Senior
achieved. The epic also delves into approaches that range from deceit the priorities that are ascribed to the Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Insti-
the implications and futility of war. to righteousness and from realism to option of waging war. tute for Defence Studies and Analyses,
The Mahabharata is not a text idealism. New Delhi
At the conceptual level, the idea
that explains right and wrong in Second, in addition to the obvi- of war is governed within the pur- Views expressed are of the author and
terms of strategic thought. Its focus ous answers that some circumstanc- view of dharma. Since dharma does do not necessarily reflect the views of
on context, nuance and circumstan- es suggest, several incidents straddle provide the philosophical moorings the Manohar Parrikar IDSA or of the
tial decision-making throws up op- the thin line between right and wrong of the idea of war, it does not come Government of India.
tions that reflect the reality of chal- making the resolution of issues a as a surprise to find war avoidance
lenges in everyday life. challenge. This makes the context of at its very foundation. This is accom- The full version of thiis article first
During the first few centuries the decision as relevant as its guiding appeared in the Comments section of
of its existence, the Mahabharata principles. panied by the pursuit of rules of en- the website (www.idsa.in) of Manohar
gagement prior to, during and after
was not distributed in writing. It was Third, the epic is guided by the the war. Eventually, when war does Parrikar Institute for Defense Studies
disseminated verbally. Subsequent- overarching principle of idealism become inevitable, the Mahabhara- and Analyses, New Delhi on November
ly, even after it became available in and its functional implementation 22, 2023

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