The mahabharata contretemps

temporality, finitude and the modes of being in the itihasa

pp. 195-231

in: , Cultures of memory in South Asia, Berlin, Springer, 2014

Abstract

This chapter explores the relation between compositional and existential modes of being in finite temporal instances of living in the world. This inquiry into time and being is undertaken in the context of the colossal Mahabharata composition. While tracking the implications of different compositional strands that weave the texts of the Mahabharata, this chapter searches for the implied addressee of this itihasa.