Book Review

THE MESSAGE OF MAHABHARATA
The Nation’s Magnum Opus: Justice P Kothandaramayya; 
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Kulapati KM Munshi Marg, 
Mumbai 400 007. Rs.300.

Like the soulful sounds of Krishna’s flute that has kept us captivated for ages in realms spiritual, the message of Dharma in the Mahabharata has been a lip for keeping the Indian society as a civilized role model for the entire world.

Enduring Appeal

As Sri Aurobindo pointed out, the work of Vyasa is "the epic of the soul and religious and ethical mind and social and political ideals and culture and life of India." No wonder our political diction is embroidered with the epic’s ethos and underlines the enduring effect of those ancient legends and teachings on the national mind. Justice P Kothandaramayya is immersed in the epic; understandably so, for the epic is a great help to deliver judgments in cases riddled with moral dilemma.

The judges have to remind themselves repeatedly that the ways of Dharma are inscrutable, yet man must with his partially dark mind, seek a way out and give a just solution and also remain like Caesar’s wife in his career.

Prema Nandakumar

© "The Hindu" (December 21, 2004). Reprinted with permission.

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