Symbols of the mahābhārata

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté

I wrote some time back:

It is said there are 4 indispensable elements to any śāstra. I list 5 below which is more accounting then any difference of opinion…

• prayojaña - a purpose or aim
• adhikārī - one competent to learn or study; Note that this infers there is an adhikārin अधिकारिन् i.e.one possessing authority, entitled to, or fit to teach the student.
• abhidheya - meaning 'that which is expressed or referred to' i.e. the subject at hand, the subject matter to learn.
• abhidhāna - a name , title ; lexicon
• sambandha - binding together, joining, close connection. But of what? the connection between the title of the śāstra and the subject matter i.e. The title (abhidhāna) and the subject matter (abhidheya).

When we look to the mahābhārata one may think of this book in any of the following ways:

• The great (mahā) bhārata
• The story of the war within the mahābhārata
• The great (mahā) land called bhārata – bhāratavarṣa, named after king bharata.

These notions are well and good, yet there is more to consider as the title (abhidhāna) of any great work is of great importance
and adds/indicates what is covered within the knowledge held therein.

We know mahā = great. Yet what of this bhārata ? Bhārata has multiple ( rich) meanings:

• descended from bharata or the bharata-s – which suggests those that descended from king bharata. So with this in mind one would say the mahābhārata is that knowledge that deals with the great descendants of king bharata.

Yet if we look further we find other meanings, something deeper, or abhedasārā, the essence or ‘marrow’ of the knowledge contained within the mahābhārata.
If we look to the śatápatha brāhmaṇa¹ agni is called out as bharata in one section and in another he is prāṇa. Now we have a different view that can be considered
of the knowledge within the mahābhārata. This grand work of the mahābhārata is that which addresses any and all things within the purview of prāṇa and agni.
There is no living being that is outside these two principles. It encompasses not only all of descendants of bharata but of all that reside on this good earth.
This suggests the knowledge that is offered affects and is applicable to all. That is what it is so great (mahā); because it is all encompassing, all inclusive.

iti śivaṁ

words

• śatápatha (or śatá + patha) having a hundred (~numerous~) paths; proceeding in a hundred ways. The śatápatha brāhmaṇa resides within the śukla yajurveda; It has two major sections ( some like to call these recensions), the vājasaneyi mādhyandina śākhā and kāṇva śākhā. The first one has 100 adhyāyas (chapters) within 14 kāṇḍas (books). It is called such as its author was the renouned yājñavalkya vājasaneya who we find often within the śastra-s. The other section is of the latter 104 adhyāyas ( chapters) within 17 kāṇḍas (books) and the author is kāṇva-ji, who is of the family of kāṇva; we find these ṛṣi-s ( seers) of the ṛg veda.
  
  • agni and prāṇa are called out in sections 1.4.2.2 and 1.5.1.8 ( book, chapter, section, verse format shown)