Mahabharata. Revision of meanings. Losev P.S.

“Mahabharata” (lit. “Great Bharatiada”, or “The Great Tale of the descendants of the Bharata”) is an ancient Indian epic, which tells about the legendary struggle of the descendants of the ancient king of the lunar dynasty, the clans of Kuru and Panda, in Northern India. Being one of the largest literary works in the world (18 books containing over 90,000 double), the poem is replete with many inserting episodes - novels, legends, parables, lyrodidactic dialogs, genealogies, hymns, cries, etc., which turned it into a poetic encyclopedia of Indian mythology , history, rights and philosophy.

Like any ancient epic, closely approaching the myth, Mahabharata is full of riddles, dark places and contradictions. How real are the events described in it? How to understand the complex relationship between the characters? Who or what is behind all these devas, asuras, rakshas, ​​yaksham, vidyadhara, gandharvas, vanars, apsars? Is it so simple, good -natured, noble Pandava, Krishna, Vyasa, and are their antagonists of Kaurava so malicious and dishonest? What is the meaning of such ambiguous myths as a plowing ocean, the murder of nivatakavachi, and as simple as the game of bones and the murder of Vritra?

The author of this book is looking for the answer to these and many other questions, carrying out the “Revision of meanings” of one of the most significant monuments of ancient Indian literature.