Date : 16/12/2023

Relevance: GS paper 3- Internal Security - Security challenges and their management (Also relevance in GS Paper 4 - Ethics and Essay)

Keywords: Project Udbhav, Mahabharata, Sun Tzu, Kautilya, Dharma and Artha, Diplomacy

Context-

• The Mahabharata, an ancient Indian epic, transcends the boundaries of myth, tale, and war narrative. Instead, it serves as a profound exploration of idealism implemented through realism, with a focus on the guiding principle of dharma in the application of force.
• In the backdrop of Project Udbhav launched by the Indian Army, debates have arisen on the relevance of ancient Indian texts in shaping modern military strategies.
• This brief addresses the skepticism surrounding the study of these texts, emphasizing the strategic significance of the Mahabharata as a case study.

The Study of Ancient Texts: Global Perspective

• The skepticism regarding the study of ancient texts is not unique to India. Institutions like the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) have pioneered research in this domain for over a decade.
• Beyond India, even the US War College looked into the writings of ancient masters such as Sun Tzu, Kautilya, Thucydides, Jomini, and Clausewitz. The emphasis is on understanding the timeless lessons these theorists offer in war, strategy, and statecraft, demonstrating the global recognition of the enduring value of ancient texts in shaping strategic culture.

Relevance of Ancient Texts: Mahabharata as a Case Study

Is the Study of Ancient Indian Texts Questionable?

• The longstanding engagement with ancient texts in India and globally dismisses the notion that it is a recent or questionable intellectual pursuit. Instead, the study of these texts provides insights into a nation's strategic culture, a crucial determinant of its decision-making.
• Alastair Ian Johnston's concept of strategic culture, rooted in the study of cultural artifacts, further validates the importance of understanding a country's strategic choices through ancient texts.

Relevance of Ancient Texts: Introducing the Mahabharata

• While texts like the Arthashastra and Nitishastra have undergone analysis, the Mahabharata, despite its pervasive presence in Indian consciousness, has received limited attention in strategic studies.
• Unlike a historical account or a prescriptive text, the Mahabharata presents a unique combination of real-life strategic challenges, decision dilemmas, and timeless didactic elements.

Characteristics of the Mahabharata

What the Mahabharata is Not

• The Mahabharata defies simple categorizations. It is not a history in the conventional sense, nor a prescriptive text like Sun Tzu's Art of War. It goes beyond being a mere tale or myth and is not a religious text, even though the Bhagavad Gita within it holds spiritual significance.
• Contrary to recent obsessions, the Mahabharata has been ingrained in Indian consciousness for over 3,000 years and is not just a modern discovery.

What the Mahabharata is

• The Mahabharata stands as an itihasa, rooted in historical events but evolving as a living document. Its enduring popularity and continuous interpretation across centuries make it a timeless source of strategic thought.
• Authenticated Sanskrit editions, dating back to the efforts of the Bhandarkar Institute in 1919, further establish the Mahabharata as an authentic and widely disseminated epic.

Strategic Lessons from the Mahabharata

Characteristics of the Mahabharata

• The Mahabharata's strategic significance lies in its unique characteristics. It presents a real-life story marked by strategic challenges, resolving dilemmas through approaches ranging from deceit to righteousness, realism to idealism.
• The epic encourages debate and deliberation, rooted in the overarching principle of idealism with functional implementation through realism.

Dharma and Artha

• The core guiding principle in the Mahabharata is dharma, a synthesis of morality, duty, responsibility, and righteousness. Dharma provides direction for identifying ends, selecting means, and determining their best employment. It operates at both the state level (raja dharma) and individual level (kshatriya dharma), creating a framework for decision-making.
• While dharma provides idealistic moorings, artha addresses realistic requirements. The Mahabharata emphasizes the importance of flexible and ingenious means, highlighting the correlation between idealism and realism.
• Examples from the epic, such as Shakuni's strategic use of a game of dice and Krishna's infiltration into Magadha, illustrate the co-relation between acceptability and adherence to dharma.

War

• The Mahabharata look into the concept of war within the purview of dharma. War avoidance is foundational, accompanied by rules of engagement and a focus on achieving victory through flexible means.
• The use of surprise, deception, and deceit is evident, reflecting a realistic approach to competition within the ambit of dharma. The epic acknowledges the enduring nature of war while advocating for responsible application.

Capability Development

• The Mahabharata unfolds processes for state and individual capability development, emphasizing quality over quantity. Individual pursuits of special skills, as seen in Arjuna's quest for divine weapons, underscore the importance of strategic thought and unique capabilities.

Application of Force

• Despite the frequent use of force in ancient society, the Mahabharata provides guidelines for responsible force application, grounded in the concept of dharma.
• It surpasses the principles of jus ad bellum and jus in Bello, emphasizing the enduring relevance of these principles in the consciousness of major actors in the epic.

Diplomacy

• Diplomacy emerges as a sophisticated tool in the Mahabharata for negotiation, seeking advantage, and war avoidance.
• Krishna's adept use of Sama, Dana, Bheda, and Danda in negotiations with Dhritarashtra's court exemplifies the strategic employment of diplomacy to achieve political ends.
• In the modern context, diplomats, particularly ambassadors, play a crucial role in advancing a nation's interests globally. India's diplomatic traditions, rooted in ancient epics, continue to shape its approach to international relations.
• Recent interactions between South Korea and Ayodhya highlight a historical matrimonial alliance between a Princess of Ayodhya and a Korean King named Suro during the first century CE. This revelation underscores the longstanding tradition of diplomacy and cultural ties that India has maintained with other nations.

Conclusion

The study of the Mahabharata unveils a rich tradition of strategic thought, providing timeless lessons for contemporary military and political leaders. By understanding the past through texts like the Mahabharata, nations can make reasoned sense of the present and prepare for the future. The enduring principles of warfighting, the nature of war, capability development, responsible force application, and diplomatic sophistication, as depicted in the Mahabharata, remain invaluable in navigating the complexities of modern warfare. In a world of evolving technologies and changing landscapes, the Mahabharata serves as a guiding beacon, transcending time and offering profound insights for strategic decision-making.

Source- IDSA/ Ministry of External Affairs