Light on the Mahabharata - (The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies Mandala Publishing) by Nicholas Sutton (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

In this in-depth, engaging guide to the Mahabharata, 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.

The Mahabharata 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 Mahabharata cannot be overstated, as its themes, characters, narratives, and preoccupations have reverberated across the region for centuries.

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. Yet it is also a clearly didactic work that addresses the fundamental meaning of human existence. In Light on the Mahabharata: A Guide to India's Great Epic, Nicholas Sutton examines the multi-faceted manner in which the Mahabharata 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.

Unravelling the Sanskrit epic's myriad lines of reflection, Light on the Mahabharata 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.

OXFORD CENTRE SERIES: 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 The Bhagavad Gita: A New Translation and Study Guide; The Hindu Temple and Its Sacred Landscape; and Women in the Hindu World.

EXPERT AUTHOR: Nicholas Sutton has spent the four decades studying, teaching, and writing on the Mahabharata. 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 Mahabharata, and currently writes and tutors online courses on Hindu religious traditions.

EDUCATION AID: 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, Light on the Mahabharata offers an accessible introduction to this enduring Sanskrit epic.

Review Quotes

"This book is an invaluable resource for anyone encountering the Mahabharata for the first time. Containing summaries of each of the Mahabharata's eighteen books, brief biographies of its principal characters, and illuminating discussions of its main religious and philosophical teachings, this book is a reader-friendly and reliable guide through one of the world's longest and most complex texts."--Brian Black, Lancaster University, author of In Dialogue with the Mahabharata

"Written in the voice of a seasoned scholar and teacher, Light on the Mahabharata provides a rich and lucid introduction to India's great epic. It honours the epic as a whole, identifying unifying themes and central teachings throughout. In taking seriously the epic's masterful story world, Sutton offers insightful examination into the epic's complex cast of characters and their ethical deliberations. As such, this study affords the opportunity not only to learn about the epic, but from it."--Raj Balkaran, author of The Goddess and the Sun in Indian Myth and host of the New Books in Indian Religions podcast

About the Author

Nicholas 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 Mahabharata, and currently develops and tutors online courses on Hindu religious traditions. His publications include The Bhagavad Gita: A New Translation and Study Guide (Mandala Publishing, 2019) and Religious Doctrines in the Mahabharata (Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, 2000).

The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies is an academy for the study of Hindu cultures, societies, philosophies, religions, and languages. The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies Mandala 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.

General Editor: Lucian Wong
Editorial Board: John Brockington, Avni Chag, James Madaio, and Valters Negribs

For information on Continuing Education Courses at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, visit www.ochsonline.org