The Āpaddharmaparvan, 'the book on conduct in times of distress', is an important section of the great Sanskrit epic the Mahābhārata which, despite its significance for Mahābhārata studies and for the history of Indian social and political thought, has received little attention in scholarly literature. This book places the Āpaddharmaparvan within its literary and ideological contexts. In so doing it explores the development of a conception of brahmanic kingship morally justifiable within the terms of a debate largely set by various alternative social movements of the period. This book further explores the implications for our understanding of the Mahābhārata that follow from the Āpaddharmaparvan's presentation as a poetically cohesive unit within itself and within the wider parameters of the Mahābhārata.

Upinder Singh urges us to abandon simplistic stereotypes and instead think of ancient India in terms of the coexistence of five powerful contradictions-between social inequality and promises of universal salvation, the valorization of desire and detachment, goddess worship and misogyny, violence and non-violence, and religious debate and conflict. She does so using a vast array of sources including religious and philosophical texts, epics, poetry, plays, technical treatises, satire, biographies, and inscriptions, as well as the material and aesthetic evidence of archaeology and art from sites across the subcontinent. Singh's scholarly but highly accessible style, clear explanation, and balanced interpretations offer an understanding of the historian's craft and unravel the many threads of what we think of as ancient Indian culture. This is not a dead or forgotten past but one invoked in different contexts even today. Further, in spite of enormous historical changes over the centuries, the contradictions discussed here still remain.

This compact and engaging text provides unique insights into the issues of ‘dharma’ in the Indian epic the Mahābhārata. The word ‘dharma’ is untranslatable and usually mistaken to mean religion. However, as argued here, it is evident through the tales of the epic that the word ‘dharma’ is an umbrella term for all the deeds one does in one’s life. Each chapter of this book is expository, as well as explanatory, providing examples through the tales of the Mahābhārata. The book will be of great interest to research scholars, Indologists and commentators, through its use of tales, narratives, parables, and fables as evidence for understanding the issues of dharma embedded in the Mahābhārata.

About Book: The ajñātavāsa was one of the toughest periods for the Pandavas who had to work as servants in the court of king Virāṭa. The situational dynamics dictated that they had to remain docile and dormant in the face of admonishments. This book deals with the narrative of Virāṭa Parva written by sage Vyasa. It analyses how the great kings of the Kuru dynasty spent their time of adversity without transgressing Dharma. The book dispels certain popular myths which have been created through translations and films, and which are far from the original version of the Veda Vyasa. Since the ultimate objective of this book is to spread the message of Dharma, it will be sold as a gift pack to be distributed on all auspicious events. About the Author: Prof Karanam Nagarajarao is a retired Professor from Alliance University, Bangalore. He has completed his Masters both in Political Science and Sociology and has earned a PhD in Management from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad. He has an Advanced Diploma in Vedanta from Chinmaya International Foundation, Kovida from Samskruta Bharathi and a Yoga Diploma from S.Vyasa University, Bangalore. He has published 60 articles in peer-reviewed journals, including European Case Centre and Sage Journals. He has two published books – Management Insights from Motivational Slokas and Business Ethics (Case lets), and they are available on Amazon. His interests revolve around research in Itihasa literature, and his Mahabharata stories can be seen under his blog unclekatha.com. One can view his lectures both in English and Telugu on Youtube.