The Difficulty of Being Good : On the Subtle Art of Dharma

Gurcharan Das

Rating 4/5

The story of the Mahabharata has always fascinated me. Though the other Vishnu epic, the Ramayana raises a number of questions on Kingship, friendship and society at large, I have realized that the Mahabharata to be deviously layered and the more you peel at it, the more you find ensconced in it — almost like a circular reference to Draupadi’s divine garment which was layered to infinity.

Thus, a lot has been written about the Mahabharata and the various elements in and around it. Gurcharan Das, however, manages to carve out a highly engrossing and enlightening read by diving deep into the narrative of the Mahabharata and trying to understand why the characters in the epic did what they did, marries it beautifully with parallels in several Greek & Roman mythological texts and takes a stab at underlining its importance in the world of today.

Das’ research behind the book is admirable — a testimony to which is the ~20 pages devoted to texts & sources he referred to to hone his understanding of the Mahabharata. The book becomes more engaging as Das reminds the reader that this is not a treatise to showcase his wisdom, but is rather a commentary on his own quest to seek answers to questions like ‘what is good?’, ‘can we be good?’, ‘do we need to be good at all?’, and the like.

Of late, I had been exposed to a number of articles which had highlighted the conceited side of Yudhishtara. However, this book makes one aware of a fallible, yet reflective, side of the eldest Pandava. A large part of this book talks about the events that transpire after the epic ends for most of us (the victory of the Pandavas in the 17 day battle) — how Ashwathama goes on a rampage to avenge the murder of his kin, and most importantly how Yudhishtara and the others reflect on what had transpired and the consequences they meet for their deeds, treacherous or otherwise, during the war.

Das’ writing is brilliant as he deftly handles the subtle definitions and nuances of topic at hand, and explains his viewpoint in extremely lucid manner. There are parts where he goes repetitive but it is largely to stress on some of the points he wants to make with this. Das’ wide years as a social & political commentator, and a business leader show brightly in his handling of this text.

It is a must read in our current times for its balanced treatment of the right vs. wrong, and its cautious analysis of what Dharma could mean to the people of this world