December 22, 2020

38b. Bonus: Luther Obrock on the Mahabharata.

Listen Later

40 minutes

The very first word of the Bhagavad Gita is, of course, dharma. And I find

that rather beautiful, how this is set up, and that we’re automatically

embedded within a story, within a telling. So we have this theophany that’s

absolutely beautiful that itself is already being part of a story that’s

being told through us. I find that rather beautiful.

Luther Obrock is assistant

professor in the department of Historical Studies and the Department for the

Study of Religion at the University of Toronto. His area of research focuses

on Sanskrit poetry in the second millennium, specifically on the literary and

cultural place of Sanskrit in the Sultanate period — that is during the first

centuries of Muslim rule in South Asia. He is also an avid reader of the

Mahabharata since his undergraduate days.

He joins Chris and Suzanne to provide them with a bit more context on the

Mahabharata, to read a few lines of the original Sanskrit, and to share some

of his favourite stories and passages.

Show Notes.

Our main episode on the Mahabharata.

Our episodes on the Iliad and the

Symposium.

Luther’s article (which we also posted with our main article), “Mahabharata

Brahmins, Kings, and the South Asian Social

World”.

James L. Fitzgerald on the

Mahabharata.

A.K. Ramanujan: “Is There an Indian Way of Thinking? An Informal

Essay”. [You,

uh, may be able to google a non-paywalled copy.]

The Razmnama.

Andha Yug [The Blind Age].

Niyoga.

Shloka metre.

Kavya.

If you want more, check out the Mahabharata

podcast!

Support The Spouter-Inn on Patreon.

...more

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The Spouter-Inn

By Suzanne Conklin Akbari and Chris Piuma

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December 22, 2020

38b. Bonus: Luther Obrock on the Mahabharata.

Listen Later

40 minutes

The very first word of the Bhagavad Gita is, of course, dharma. And I find

that rather beautiful, how this is set up, and that we’re automatically

embedded within a story, within a telling. So we have this theophany that’s

absolutely beautiful that itself is already being part of a story that’s

being told through us. I find that rather beautiful.

Luther Obrock is assistant

professor in the department of Historical Studies and the Department for the

Study of Religion at the University of Toronto. His area of research focuses

on Sanskrit poetry in the second millennium, specifically on the literary and

cultural place of Sanskrit in the Sultanate period — that is during the first

centuries of Muslim rule in South Asia. He is also an avid reader of the

Mahabharata since his undergraduate days.

He joins Chris and Suzanne to provide them with a bit more context on the

Mahabharata, to read a few lines of the original Sanskrit, and to share some

of his favourite stories and passages.

Show Notes.

Our main episode on the Mahabharata.

Our episodes on the Iliad and the

Symposium.

Luther’s article (which we also posted with our main article), “Mahabharata

Brahmins, Kings, and the South Asian Social

World”.

James L. Fitzgerald on the

Mahabharata.

A.K. Ramanujan: “Is There an Indian Way of Thinking? An Informal

Essay”. [You,

uh, may be able to google a non-paywalled copy.]

The Razmnama.

Andha Yug [The Blind Age].

Niyoga.

Shloka metre.

Kavya.

If you want more, check out the Mahabharata

podcast!

Support The Spouter-Inn on Patreon.

...more