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.
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
Learn mantra and other techniques to apply teachings to your life
Join The Indian Wisdom School
Become a part of our community and gain access to exclusive events and lessons
Yoga Alliance Credit
This course counts as 12 hours of YA Continuing Education Credit
"I first came across Dr. Balkaran through his work with the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and have since taken a number of courses with him, all of which have been fabulous. Dr. Balkaran has a gift for synthesizing complex information and teaches with a storytelling style that supports comprehension."
Natalie Rousseau
Yoga Educator
"Dr. Balkaran is a teacher who understands the needs and quests of today’s spiritual seekers and practitioners and his School is a unique and a much-awaited opportunity for any interested-minded students to access the complex realm of the Indian philosophy and mythology explained in an approachable and engaging manner."
Aijan Kenenbaeva
Yoga Practitioner and Hinduism Student
"As a graduate student in the blossoming field of Yoga Studies, I cannot express the proper gratitude for Dr. Raj and his method of mystical swagger. He has tremendously assisted my personal understanding of inherently foreign concepts embedded within Indian wisdom and myth."
Dustin Nicholas Holmes
Naropa University, Wisdom Traditions
M.A. Yoga Studies
"I have greatly enjoyed taking Dr. Balkaran’s online classes! His style of presenting content is a rich synthesis of rigorous academic scholarship and his own experiential insights which add depth, humor and clarity to the often misconstrued concepts of Indian mythology."
Srinalini Sankar
French Teacher and Lifelong Student
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.
