Notes on the Mahabharata · Page 2

Before the Conch.

Essays on an old story, written while a book about it waits to be published.

The People

1 Jun 2026

Krishna Said Nothing for the Whole First Chapter

The greatest archer alive comes apart on the floor of his chariot — shaking, dropping his bow, saying he cannot do this. The one being present who has every answer waits, and does not interrupt.

Read on

BC/115 min read

The People

25 May 2026

The Hundred and First Son

The blind king had a hundred and one sons. A hundred are famous. On the first morning of the war, with both armies drawn up, one of them walked across the open ground — to the beat of drums — and joined the other side.

Read on

BC/126 min read

The Words

18 May 2026

What “Dur” Actually Means

Read the muster roll of the hundred brothers slowly and the same syllable keeps opening the names. In Sanskrit it does not mean evil. It does not mean wicked, or cursed. It means difficult.

Read on

BC/135 min read

The Words

11 May 2026

Prajagara: The Night a King Could Not Sleep

The Mahabharata has an entire named section devoted to a night one man could not sleep. Not a battle, not a death, not a coronation. A sleepless night, given its own title and its own place in the story.

Read on

BC/146 min read

The Words

4 May 2026

The Original Name Was Victory

Before it was called the Mahabharata, the epic was called Jaya. Victory. A story in which almost everybody dies, and the survivors walk away from the throne they won, carries that title — and the tradition still says it should be heard by those who want to win.

Read on

BC/155 min read

The Words

27 Apr 2026

Eighteen

The war lasted eighteen days. The Gita has eighteen chapters. The epic has eighteen books. Eighteen armies stood on the field. Nobody keeps a number that carefully by accident.

Read on

BC/167 min read

Reading the Epic

20 Apr 2026

Which Mahabharata Should You Actually Read?

The honest answer depends on how much time you have and what you want from it. A short, opinionated guide to the retellings, the full translations, and the one book that is not a retelling at all.

Read on