harma is very broad and is very difficult to grasp because there is no clear-cut definition of dharma that captures the essence of it. However, one can try to see how the works like the Mahabharata approach the concept. The epic mainly deals with the loss and reestablishment of dharma on Earth. For whensoever Dharma declines and Adharma uprises, the Bhagavan (god) creates himself to guard the good and to destroy the wicked; to establish the Dharma firmly, he comes into being again and again (Sukthankar 1998, 79). In the Mahabharata, the story goes that Earth-burdened by the tyranny of demonic kings then ruling- requests Visnu to relieve her burden; and Visnu decides to do so by, along with other heavenly beings: gods, rsis, gandharvas, kinnaras and so on, taking birth among the Yadavas. A war is fought with purpose of ending the tyranny of the demonic kings and restoring dharma on decline due to the tyranny, also, in turn relieving Earths burden. However, all this does not take place with such simplicity. The Mahabharata War, as one remembers, was fought between cousins, the Kauravas and the Pandavas. Throughout history many wars between cousins have taken place, then what makes the Mahabharata War so special to gain such recognition. As it turns out, what gives this trivial tale of petty jealousy, intrigue, and strife between rival claimants to a small kingdom in North India real depth and significance is the projection of the story on to a cosmic background by its own interpretation of the Bharata War as a mere incident in the ever recurring struggle between the Devas and the Asuras, in other words, as a mere phase in cosmic evolution (Sukthankar 1998, 62). The characters of the epic, thus, are described as being either the incarnations of the Devas or the Asuras. Furthermore, the Devas or incarnations of the Devas represent dharma; and the Asuras or incarnations of such represent adharma. Now, one merely does not look at...
