In Dialogue with the Mahābhārata

Brian Black received his MA and PhD at SOAS (University of London) and is now a lecturer in the Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion at Lancaster University. His research interests include Indian religion and philosophy, comparative philosophy, the use of dialogue in Indian religious and philosophical texts, and Hindu and Buddhist ethics. He is author of the book The Character of the Self in Ancient India: Priests, Kings, and Women in the Early Upaniṣads.

‘In an ocean of studies on the Grand Epic – The Mahābhārata – Brian Black’s voice is unique, fresh and compelling. In a careful and detailed dialogic reading of select plots involving central characters like Bhishma, Draupadi, Duryodhana and Sri Krishna, the author points out inherent dialogicality in the epic text. This work is an important contribution to Indological and Dialogic Studies’.Lakshmi Bandlamudi, Professor, City University of New York.‘This wonderfully rich book by Brian Black emphasizes the often noted subtlety of the dharma in the Mahābhārata, and brilliantly shows how that subtlety carries different connotations depending on who is speaking, and the circumstances. This insightful work provides depth and specificity to our view of the text’s presentation of the dharma as subtle, and is a major contribution to our understanding of the Mahābhārata’. Bruce M. Sullivan, Professor Emeritus, Northern Arizona University.

• Acknowledgments; Introduction; 1 Bhīṣma’s Vows; 2 Draupadī’s Marriage; 3 Duryodhana’s Despair / Yudhiṣṭhira’s Decision; 4 Draupadī’s Questions; 5 Kṛṣṇa’s Conversations; Conclusion; Bibliography; Appendix I; Appendix II