The Structure of Society in Mahabharata

The Structure of Society in
Mahabharata
The Priests and Teachers
The position of teacher and priest was conferred only on Brahmans.
They were characterized by austerity, simplicity and knowledge of the

universe.
They are the philosophers and possessed immense understanding of the

metaphysics as well as the physical world.
They were objective purveyors of knowledge. They were responsible to

impart this knowledge to the relevant classes.
These relevant classes were only the Kshatriyas and the Brahmans.
In effect Kshatriyas were the only consumers of all this knowledge.

The Brahmans were objective purveyors in the sense that they bore the
knowledge of familial, social organization, polity, political and warfare
strategies, the knowledge of destructive and potent weapons But they were
bound by dharma to not use it for personal gain.
Their Job was to pass on the knowledge to the Kshatriyas who were supposed to
put it in practice.
Kripacharya and Dronacharya the two teachers of the Kauravas and Pandavas
possessed immense knowledge that could have raised them from being second
class citizens to super powers.
But their allegiance to the other class was unshakable.
Even though Drona couldve defeated Drupada on his own, he didnt because
dharma didnt allow him to fight a Kshatriya.
His Son Ashwathama, who tried to dissolve the boundaries between a
Brahmanaand a Kshatriya is eternally damned. And in his damnation echoes a
Even though the Brahman is a spiritual superior of Kshatriyas, in material

terms he always remains an inferior.
Their position is glorified and abused by Kshatriyas strategically. For

instance, Arjuna and Krishna shake of their moral responsibility of burning
the Khandavaprastha with all the life it contained to the request of a
Brahman. Since the Brahman had requested it, it couldnt be denied.
While, Irawati Karve alleges, that it was clearly a political imperialist move
of expansion they were acquitted of destroying a complete forest with the
animals and possibly human tribes within it.
The Warriors and Rulers
As opposed to popular beliefs Kshatriyas were not the only warrior class in the
society. Nor were they the only ruling class.
With repeated references to Krishna and his clan as separate from Kshatriyas,
it is apparent that the Yadavas were not Kshatriyas. Yet they were one of the
most prosperous kingdoms of the period and they had one of the most feared
armies.
Irawati Karve points out that the Mlechchas, the scheduled tribes and castes
of present-day India, were also fighting shoulder to shoulder with the Pandava
Army. (128)
Kshatriyas therefore were ONE of the warrior classes an not the only one.
Karves reading also points out that there were other cultures and
communities, probably ethnic groups, that were equally complex and were
functioning equally well.
The Mlechhas were efficient organized warrior as Bheem confesses in his

condemnation of Drona. (128). It is important to note that the kshatriya prince
also confesses their (Mlechchas) Dharma to fight.
The Second Class Citizens
It is apparent that except the Kshatriya, everyone was second class, with an
occasional exception of Brahmans.
However, the sutas and the women in the Mahabharata are truly the Second Class
citizens. Karwe doesnt try to emancipate women from their lowly position. In her
narrative she doesnt take sides with either Gandhari or Kunti or Draupadi in their
plight against the patriarchal society.
She presents them objectively in the light of the age and criticizes them accordingly.
Karwe has reduced the job of these three important women to the job of nurturing
the war.
While Shakuni explicitly engages in instigating rivalry and enmity between Kauravas
and Pandavas, Gandhari implicitly wishes for the same.
Kunti urges Krishna to remind her sons of her lowly position as a dependant of a
suta, Vidur, urging them to fight.
Draupadis insult is the final blow. She was nathavati anathavat. She had 5
husbands who were dishonoured through her dishonour but did nothing.
They are all objects and instruments for the kings. Yudhisthira puts her at stake in
Sutas are other second class citizens of the state.

They were the illegitimate sons of royalty.
Vidur, Sanjaya and Karna are the representatives of this class.
They were the advisors and charioteers to the king and were held in high respect. The story of
the Mahabharata as it is recorded has also been narrated by Lomaharshana, another Suta
from the same lineage.
They had no right over the property of the royalty nor were the royalty obliged to extend a
patronage. Their illegitimacy was consistently pointed out in their lack of any property or any
status independent of the king.
Mahabharata has still glorified Karna, Karwe points out, because the valour of Arjuna can only
be established as opposed to the valor of an equally efficient warrior.
Karna, even though he fights Arjuna and is his sworn enemy, serves in building up a larger
than life character of Arjuna. He is another accessory to the elevation of Arjuna into a
superhuman warrior. It is incredulous that even though Karna was born with an armour, every
time he goes for a war he wears an extra layer of armour. The descriptions raise the question
whether he was born with the question or is it just an interpolation to glorify him.
The Tribals
Karwe deconstructs the mythic Nagas. Nagas, according to the scriptures were snake tribes who had the
power to change shape at will and turn into Human beings.

She argues that if we leave the mythic/supernatural element aside they were most probably an
indigenous tribe who lived on the shores of Yamuna. Krishna had driven one away from Vrindavan and
now in Mahabharata we see Arjuna destroying the entire clan and thereby attaining unrivalled claims
over the land.
She even propose the entire story of the Mahabharata war as an exaggeration around the family feud
between these two ethnicities.

The dispute starts with Arjuna destroying Takshakas clan in the jungle fire and goes on to Takshakas
revenge by killing Parikshit, Arjunas grandson.

And in return Parikshits son, Janamjeya starts a ceremony to massacre the complete clan of the Nagas.
Whether it is just a subplot, or actually the plot that has been cornered in the grand narrative of myths
and interpolations can be speculated.

It is suggested that there are implicit histories of ethnic conflicts between the Aryans who had come
from farther north and the indigenous tribes of the sub-continent. The dominance of the Aryans in the
text reflects their dominance in socio-political terms and the silence of the tribals in the text reflects
their silencing through victory.

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What were the roles and responsibilities of Brahmans according to the text?

What were the roles and responsibilities of Brahmans according to the text?

What classes other than Kshatriyas comprised the warrior classes?

What classes other than Kshatriyas comprised the warrior classes?

The Structure of Society in

The Priests and Teachers

The position of teacher and priest was conferred only on Brahmans.

They were characterized by austerity, simplicity and knowledge of the

They are the philosophers and possessed immense understanding of the

They were objective purveyors of knowledge. They were responsible to

In effect Kshatriyas were the only consumers of all this knowledge.

Even though the Brahman is a spiritual superior of Kshatriyas, in material

Their position is glorified and abused by Kshatriyas strategically. For

The Warriors and Rulers

The Mlechhas were efficient organized warrior as Bheem confesses in his

The Second Class Citizens

Sutas are other second class citizens of the state.

power to change shape at will and turn into Human beings.

between these two ethnicities.

revenge by killing Parikshit, Arjunas grandson.

and interpolations can be speculated.

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