Incredible Wisdom of Bharat
“Austerity is not a taint; study is not a taint; following the natural course prescribed by the Vedas is not a taint; nor is striving to acquire wealth a taint. These very pursuits become tainted when the motive behind them is corrupted.”
This observation from the Mahābhārata is characteristic of the ancient intellectual tradition of Bharat. It does not necessarily reject wealth, learning, disciplined practice, or worldly activity. Instead, it asks a more fundamental question: what is the motive with which we pursue them?
iWisdom explores this intellectual heritage through its primary sources — investigating how these ideas developed, what they meant in their original context, and how they continue to contribute to our understanding of life today.
The project is organised around these three interconnected objectives.
Project Victory!
Recovering the core of the Mahābhārata
The Mahābhārata has a long textual history. Project Victory investigates its different layers with the objective of identifying and reconstructing, as far as the evidence permits, the earlier core associated with Vyāsa’s Jaya!
Primary Texts
Investigating the intellectual foundations
Understanding the context of the Mahābhārata requires us to familiarise ourselves with the wider intellectual world in which its ideas developed. This section investigates primary sources including the Vedas, Upaniṣads, Darśanas, and related ancient literature, providing the reference framework needed to investigate the Mahābhārata.
Wisdom for Today
Ancient ideas and contemporary life
The ancient texts of Bharat explore questions of human nature, society, knowledge, ethics, and the pursuit of a fulfilling life. Drawing upon insights emerging from the study of these primary texts and the Mahābhārata, this section explores what we can learn from them for modern living.