Marvellous....

“Whatever is here is found elsewhere. But whatever is not here is nowhere else.”

- An awesome one-liner that describes the Mahabharatha... a true marvel, the pride of India's culture and literature..a book I'll always love reading.
To think of it...I cant find anything or any situation or problem the current society faces that has not been touched upon in the Mahabharatha...be it an overplay of passionate human emotions like anger and envy leading to destruction, or the presence of social evils like gambling..it has all been alluded to in the epic.
A few others just to mention...The concept of adoption (Krishna's birth and childhood), physical abduction of women (Draupadi's harassment), a political leader becoming a puppet to a manipulative friend/relative (Dhritharashtra - Duryodhana - Shakuni's relationship), pre-marital child birth (Karna's birth), the significance society seems to bestow on status/caste/wealth rather than talent/knowledge/character of the individual (Karna not being permitted to compete with the pandavas since he was the son of a 'mere' charioteer), wars, brothers working day in and out to slay each other, polyandry & polygamy, the strength of truth & honesty, friendship, devotion, discipline, simplicity, faith, belief, & love...
I simply adore all the short stories that have been so beautifully and intricately woven within the main storyline. Every character in every story, either directly or indirectly epitomizes some value that we ought to possess & which, if we do, would make us better human beings. And when I realise that the Indian culture is rich with such wonderful scriptures that guide us at each stage of our life, giving us examples of what is right and wrong..it makes me feel really proud and passionate about being an Indian.Long live the country's cultural heritage!