The Mahabharata is a complex work that covers an enormous range of topics and includes many tales about deities and heroes. However, there are several recurring themes that are central to the epic. These themes include:
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Dharma: This is the central theme of the Mahabharata. Dharma, most simply put, is the destiny and responsibility of an individual. Everyone has a different dharma, and it is his or her obligation to fulfill it.
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Heroism and Warfare: The Mahabharata features larger-than-life heroes and villains who engage in a great war in which over 1.6 trillion people die.
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Grief, Loss, and Mourning: Due to its focus on war and the long time period it covers, the Mahabharata is full of death, and it also deals with the grief survivors feel in the wake of death.
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Stories and Storytelling: Storytelling is foundational to the epic unfolding. All manner of parables are recited to clarify moral matters, and all the major events of the epic are recited by a character as either a first- or a second-hand account.
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Sacred Duty: The main theme of the Mahabharata is the idea of sacred duty. Every character in the epic is born into a particular social group, or caste, that must follow the duty prescribed to it by sacred law. The characters who perform their sacred duty are rewarded, while those who do not are punished.
In summary, the central theme of the Mahabharata is the idea of sacred duty, but the epic also explores other themes such as heroism, warfare, grief, loss, and storytelling.
