The Mahabharata, what is it?

When the Mahabharata as a serial was telecast on the Indian Government owned Doordarshan between 1988 and 1990. Such was its popularity that it emptied the streets during its telecast.

Everyone in India knows what the Mahabharat is. It is the story of the great war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas! What a silly question to ask. But is it just that?

No, say the scholars. They know it all; you see. The longest poem in the world is this one. It has 100,000 verses; it is philosophy, histo...