As part of its series of symposiums on the plurality of versions of the three major and most popular Itihasa–Purana texts—Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Bhagavata—INDICA earlier organized the symposium on Studies on Traditional Retellings of the Ramayana. Now, INDICA is turning its focus to the Mahabharata from this perspective.
One of the ways the unparalleled popularity of the Mahabharata is established is through the large number of retellings across various regions and languages of India, in the form of classical written texts on the one hand, and folk and “tribal” (Vanavasi, forest-dweller) oral texts on the other.
Studies on the various classical written transcreations in regional Indian languages form a well-established area of literary research and criticism within those respective languages. However, most of these studies have been published or presented only in their original languages. There is a need for these studies to be brought to light beyond the limited audience of scholars and readers of those languages. Symposiums of this kind offer a good opportunity to expand the attention paid to these classical regional texts of the Mahabharata and to the body of scholarly work on them. While many such studies may already have compared the respective texts with Vyasa’s original, bringing out aspects like their adherence to or divergence from Vyasa’s intent, and the creative contributions of individual authors, there remains a need for comparative studies across classical poetic versions in different regional languages. Any existing comparative studies of this kind can also be shared in such gatherings.
Within Sanskrit literature itself, different portions or narratives of the Mahabharata have been retold in the Kavya genre—both in its Drishya (visual) and Shravya (auditory) strands—in large numbers. Such Kavya-form retellings of specific narratives of the Mahabharata are also abundant in the classical literature of regional languages. These retellings have already been studied from several perspectives within Sanskrit literary scholarship. Nevertheless, there is still significant scope for fresh studies in this area, particularly on themes such as the interplay between creative liberty and fidelity to tradition.
Studies on folk and “tribal” oral retellings of the Mahabharata typically involve fieldwork and documentation-based research on narrative and theatrical performing arts that employ these texts. This symposium will focus on the textual aspects of these oral retellings, rather than their performative aspects. Just like classical Sanskrit and regional classical literature, the repertoire of folk and “tribal” oral texts often includes retellings of selected portions rather than the whole of the Mahabharata.
Traditional retellings of the Mahabharata are not limited to premodern literature. There are notable examples of such retellings—both of the whole text and of its parts—composed during the modern period as well.
Another important aspect in the study of Mahabharata retellings is the retelling of the Bhagavad Gita. While this can be considered a study of a portion of the Mahabharata, the Gita has acquired the status of an independent and foundational text. Its retellings—whether in Sanskrit or regional literatures—can thus be treated as a distinct area of study.
INDICA is organizing an online symposium on the topic “Studies on Traditional Retellings of the Mahabharata and Its Parts, Including the Bhagavad Gita” on the 26th of July from 9.00 AM to 5.00 PM.
INDICA invites scholars to volunteer or nominate others to give a talk at the symposium. Talk titles, along with a 200-word abstract from the scholars or their nominators, may be sent to: namaste@indica.org.in.
Image courtesy of the 1957 Telugu film Mayabazaar, directed by K. V. Reddy and produced by Vijaya Vauhini Studios. The story is an adaptation of a folk tale Sashirekha Parinayam which is based on the characters of Mahabharata. The movie depicts a creative, fictional narrative inspired by Mahabharata characters and not an authentic sub-story from the epic. As the film entered the public domain in India in 2018 (60 years post-release), it is used here for educational purposes in our symposium on “Stories in Retellings in Mahabharata.”
