Upinder Singh

The Mahabharata is pervaded by relentless violence. Apart from the main war, which is described in gory detail, there are many other battles…It is ironic that one of the most violent stories in the ancient world contains a great deal of reflection on the problem of violence and much praise of non-violence. This seems to have seeped in from the larger cultural milieu in which critiques of violence had made a strong impact. Buddhism and Jainism must have contributed in a major way toward the creation of such a milieu.