The story of the death of King Pareekshita is narrated in Adi Parva twice – once narrated by Sage Ugrashrava Souti to Shaunaka and once more by the ministers of Janamejaya to the king himself. This is a great story how our passion creates a prowess and the lust to demonstrate that prowess takes us in the wrong direction. The story goes thus.
In the Vanaparva, Sage Markandeya narrates fascinating stories to Yudhishthira – greatly philosophical and metaphoric, about the different forms of Agni.
The story of Astika, son of sage Jaratkaru and Jaratkaru – the sister of Vasuki, is upheld as a very auspicious one in the tradition. It marks the end of…
The story of Garuda and the Sarpas, children of Vinata and Kadru, are well known. A significant part of Adi Parva is dedicated to the conflict between Vinata and Kadru…
This is an intriguing story from the very early parts of Adi Parva. Ugrashrava Souti prepares to narrate the story of Mahabharata to the sages of Naimisharanya. Sage Shounaka, the…
Adi Parva of the Mahabharata is well known as a set of chapters building an ancestral context leading to the conflict between Kauravas and Pandavas. But it builds a philosophical…
This is a short story in the Udyogaparva where Devarshi Narada narrates to Duryodhana.
Abstract This article proposes that environmentalism and sustainability are engrained in the ancient civilization of India – as a consequence of its philosophical framework. The Purushartha framework guides every aspect…
Read part I here. King Yayati, realizing the fruitlessness of indulging further in pleasures, returns Puru back his youth. Puru inherits the best of the kingdom – the regions between…
There are 5 most prominent ancestors of the Kuru-Panchala race – Yayati, Bharata, Samvarana, Kuru and Sudasa. Apart from their individual excellence, their reign resulted in drastic and defining change…
Shivakumar G V elaborates on the metaphors in the story of Raibhya and Yavakreeta from Vanaparva of Mahabharata.
the great conversation between the composer Vyasa and the scribe Ganesha
Shivakumar G V explains the Mahabharata character of King Pandu, as a classic case of incomplete, unfulfilled divinity; which reflected in his life and death.
Shivakumar G V explains the Mahabharata character of Drona, as a classic case of personal ego overpowering the sense of dharma.
Shivakumar G V explains the metaphor behind the story of disrobing of Draupadi.
Shivakumar G V is Director of the INDICA Kautilya Centre, where he focuses on integrating Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) into contemporary frameworks of governance, policy, and leadership. At the Kautilya Centre, he works toward building a scholar–practitioner ecosystem that advances IKS-informed approaches in public and institutional domains. He engages in research, dialogue, and program design across areas including statecraft, ethics, leadership, and decolonization, often drawing from Itihasa-Purana traditions. His research work centers on developing civilizational frameworks rooted in concepts such as Purushartha, translating textual, practitioner-led, and lived traditions into actionable insights for institutions and communities. With an MTech in Computer Science from IIT Mumbai and 25 years of IT Industry experience in technology and learning systems design, Shivakumar seeks to explore IKS through a blend of modern and traditional rigour, and brings its best to contemporary pursuits.
