Bharata Paryatanam

 A JOURNEY THROUGH THE MAHABHARATA

“Bharata Paryatanam” (A Journey through Bharata) by Kuttikrishna Marar, the eminent Malayalam critic and writer, is a literary classic. Marar’s erudition, analytical power, and fearless questioning mind make this intellectual journey through the Mahabharata both exhilarating and enlightening. This year marks the 125th birth anniversary of this towering literary figure.

The Mahabharata: An Enduring Epic

The Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the two great Indian epics, have profoundly shaped the social, cultural, and spiritual life of the subcontinent. While the Ramayana narrates the story of Rama, the ideal man, and explores individual virtue and suffering, the Mahabharata revolves around the Kurukshetra war between two branches of the Kuru dynasty, probing the moral complexities of duty, righteousness, and the consequences of human action.

The Mahabharata also contains the Bhagavad Gita— “The Song Divine”—one of the world’s most influential spiritual texts. Despite their differences, both epics offer timeless reflections on morality, spirituality, and the eternal struggle between right and wrong.

The Mahabharata began as an oral narrative around the 8th or 9th century BCE and reached its written form by about the 4th century CE. It has aptly been described as an “inexhaustible mine”: “What is found here may be found elsewhere; what is not here exists nowhere else.” Few works in world literature have been so widely discussed, interpreted, and reinterpreted, continually yielding fresh insights into human nature.

My Mahabharata Connection

In our home, the Ramayana occupied a place of honour in the puja (prayer) room. My mother read it devotedly, especially during the Ramayana month of Karkidakam (the monsoon season). Like many families, we did not keep a copy of the Mahabharata, perhaps because it dealt with complex and darker aspects of human nature, which elders felt might influence young minds.

Yet, the Mahabharata reached us in many forms—folk tales, stories narrated by elders, school lessons, books, journals, comics, poetry, Kathakali, dance-dramas, plays, films, and television serials. I vividly recall how, when the Ramayana and subsequently the Mahabharata were televised on Doordarshan, India virtually came to a standstill every Sunday morning.

My first reading of the Mahabharata was the English abridgement by C. Rajagopalachari, published by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in 1951. Later, I read Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata by Devdutt Pattanaik. I still hope to read the poetic retelling by Romesh Chunder Dutt, the acclaimed translator of both the epics.

When I was in college, Kuttikrishna Marar was already a celebrated and controversial figure in Malayalam letters. His Bharataparyatanam, published in 1948 (though often cited as 1950), had sparked intense debate. Only much later, after my professional years, did I finally read it—and was struck by its depth and originality.

The Life of Kuttikrishna Marar

Kuttikrishna Marar was born on 15 June 1900 at Triprangode near Tirur in present-day Malappuram district, Kerala. Alongside learning percussion—his family’s traditional art—he studied Sanskrit from an early age. He later graduated from the Government Sanskrit College, Pattambi, earning the Sahityashiromani title.

Marar began his career as Sahithyacharya (Professor of Literature) at Kerala Kalamandalam, working under the guidance of Mahakavi Vallathol Narayana Menon for about 15 years. From 1938 to 1961, he served as proofreader for Mathrubhumi, one of Kerala’s leading newspapers. Later, he worked on the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda and translated several of Kalidasa’s masterpieces—Shakuntalam, Raghuvamsham, and Kumarasambhavam—into Malayalam.

His Bharataparyatanam remains a landmark in Malayalam literary criticism and continues to feature in academic syllabi, including the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). The work was awarded a prize by the Government of Madras.

Another celebrated work, Kala Jeevitham Thanne (“Art is Life Itself”), won him the Kerala Sahitya Academy Award, the Central Sahitya Academy Award, and the M. P. Paul Prize. His Malayala Shaili and Bhasha Parichayam are regarded as authoritative treatises on Malayalam style and usage. Sahithya Sallapam, Danthagopuram, and Kaivilakku are among his many volumes of literary criticism, and he published over nineteen collections of essays in total.

After the death of his wife in 1966, Marar turned increasingly inward and spiritual. He passed away on 6 April 1973.

About Bharataparyatanam

Bharataparyatanam is a profound critical exposition of the characters and key episodes in the Mahabharata. Though many studies of the epic have appeared before and since, Marar’s work—published in 1948—remains a benchmark for literary analysis.

Divided into eighteen sections, the book mirrors the epic’s eighteen parvas (chapters). Marar re-examines characters traditionally viewed as divine or superhuman, portraying them instead as human beings with moral complexity, strengths, and weaknesses.

In the preface, Marar describes how his interest was sparked by a poignant episode from a children’s version of the Mahabharata: after the war, when Arjuna’s horse-sacrifice expedition (Ashwamedha Yajna) leads him to Dussala, the lone surviving Kaurava sister, she begs him to spare her grandson’s life. Deeply moved by this scene, Marar resolved to undertake a serious and original study of the epic.

 

On Dharma

The concept of Dharma—righteousness and moral duty—is central to the Mahabharata. Marar explores how individuals grapple with ethical dilemmas, “training us,” as he writes, “to look closely at the riddle of life, and to tread carefully along the spiritual path where the snares of desire lie hidden.”

In one chapter titled “Nese balasva iti chared adharmaḥ” (“Do not follow adharma, thinking that might is right”). Marar shows, how, in reality, even the virtuous Pandavas resorted to adharma (unrighteous means) to gain strength and victory. The Mahabharata, he notes, teaches that triumph won through deceit or injustice is fleeting; the Pandavas themselves were burdened by guilt after the war.

Yudhishthira, often seen as the embodiment of Dharma, loses both kingdom and wife in the fateful dice game. When Draupadi is humiliated in the court, only Vidura and Vikarna protest. Bhishma, Drona, and Kripacharya remain silent, bound by loyalty to the throne. Bhishma’s utters only these words— “Yudhiṣṭhire’stu praśne’smin pramāṇam ity me matiḥ” (“Let Yudhishthira decide; his judgment is the law”).

Marar analyses Yudhishthira’s quiet acceptance of exile not as moral strength, but as weakness—fear of the opposing camp led by powerful elders like Bhishma and Drona. Later, under Vyasa’s counsel, the Pandavas strengthen themselves through divine weapons and Krishna’s strategic guidance, yet resort to deception to win—most notably when Yudhishthira utters, “Ashwatthama is dead,” a half-truth that leads to invincible Drona’s death.

Marar contrasts this with Dharma observed from strength: Duryodhana, though portrayed as villainous, refuses life-saving help from Kripacharya after the war, considering it a betrayal of his fallen comrades—a gesture even the gods admire.

Reinterpreting the Characters

Marar’s interpretations diverge boldly from traditional readings. Rejecting the simplistic division of Pandavas as good and Kauravas as evil, he portrays them as deeply human—mixtures of virtue and vice.

Duryodhana, though consumed by envy, is shown as a loyal friend and dutiful son who cares for his subjects. Bhishma, celebrated for wisdom and sacrifice, sides with the Kauravas. Karna, noble yet embittered, lets pride and resentment dictate his fate. Vidura emerges as a truly balanced and just figure.

Among the women, Gandhari, Kunti, and Draupadi stand out. Gandhari’s steadfast devotion, tragic motherhood, and final curse upon Krishna embody moral anguish. Kunti’s silence about Karna’s parentage reveals the heavy price of social norms. Draupadi, bold and articulate, becomes the epic’s moral conscience—her unanswered questions in the royal court still resonate as a challenge to patriarchy and injustice.

Marar and Gandhi

Marar greatly admired Mahatma Gandhi and refers to him at least twice in his work. While discussing Dharma, he observes that Gandhi transformed the notion of “Passive Resistance” into Satyagraha (“firmness in truth”), giving moral force to non-violence. Marar also compares Krishna’s peace mission to the Kaurava court with Gandhi’s journey to Noakhali in 1946, undertaken to restore communal harmony.

Impact and Legacy

As writer and critic M. N. Karassery notes:

“If someone asks which is the most important critical work in Malayalam, I would answer Bharata Paryatanam (1948). Few books have been read by so many people, gone through so many editions, or had so many translations. In seventy-five years, over one hundred and ninety-five thousand copies have been sold. Now the 65th edition is out from Marar Sahitya Prakasham, Kozhikode. There are English, Sanskrit, and Hindi translations too. Even the most popular Malayalam novels have not achieved such enduring fame.”

Conclusion

Ultimately, the Mahabharata is not just a tale of an ancient war—it is the ceaseless conflict within the human mind between good and evil, truth and falsehood. Its moral framework, though complex, affirms that adherence to Dharma, however difficult, is essential for harmony in both personal and public life.

Marar’s Bharataparyatanam, by re-examining the epic through a modern, humanistic lens, enriches our understanding of both literature and life. As the Mahabharata enlightens our intellect, Bharataparyatanam illumines our conscience—together, they guide us in the eternal quest for truth.

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