Dharma, Disorder and the Political in Ancient India
Author | : Adam Bowles |
Publisher | : BRILL |
Total Pages | : 448 |
Release | : 2007-10-15 |
ISBN-13 | : 9789047422600 |
ISBN-10 | : 9047422600 |
Rating | : 4/5 (00 Downloads) |
Download or read book Dharma, Disorder and the Political in Ancient India written by Adam Bowles and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2007-10-15 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Āpaddharmaparvan, 'the book on conduct in times of distress', is an important section of the great Sanskrit epic the Mahābhārata which, despite its significance for Mahābhārata studies and for the history of Indian social and political thought, has received little attention in scholarly literature. This book places the Āpaddharmaparvan within its literary and ideological contexts. In so doing it explores the development of a conception of brahmanic kingship morally justifiable within the terms of a debate largely set by various alternative social movements of the period. This book further explores the implications for our understanding of the Mahābhārata that follow from the Āpaddharmaparvan's presentation as a poetically cohesive unit within itself and within the wider parameters of the Mahābhārata.