Rethinking the Mahabharata

Acknowledgments

Conventions

1. Introduction
A. Empire and Invasion; B. Epics and Ages;
C. Gleaners and Huns

2. The Author in the Works
A. Epic Fictions; B. Author as Enigma;
C. Tracking Vyasa

3. Conventions of the Naimisa Forest
A. Narrative Conventions and Symposia; B. The
Mahabharata's First Two Beginnings; C. Reconsidering
Bhrguization; D. Further Sattras at Naimisa
Forest

4. Moving along with the Naimiseya Rsis
A. The Vratyas: Vedic Precedent and Epic Usages;
B. Moving Sessions along the Sarasvati;
C. Setting the Universe in Motion; D. The
Mahabharata Symposium; E. What Fits

5. Don't Be Cruel
A. The Passing of the "Older Order"; B. Vidura's
Birth and the Limits of Impalement; C. Talking
with Animals; D. Noncruelty and Noneviolence;
E. Tempered Cruelties

6. Listening to Nala and Damayanti
A. Characters in Search of Each Otehr; B. Nala's
Possession; C. Further Prismatics

7. Draupadi's Question
A. Hair Pulling; B. Disrobing Draupadi, Redressing
the Text; C. The Question within the Episode;
D. Before and After the Question

8. Vyasa and Suka: An Allegory of Writing
A. Author and Sons; B. Coming Here, Going
There; C. Wonders upon Wonders; D. The Other
Side of the Mountain

Abbreviations

Bibliography

Index