Routledge Religion, Narrative and Public Imagination in South Asia

Explore the deep connection between religious narrative and society in this scholarly work from the Routledge Hindu Studies Series. This book examines the Sanskrit Mahabharata, a foundational work of world literature that is essential for understanding Hindu traditions and the broader social landscape of ancient, medieval, and modern South Asia. By combining philological, anthropological, and cognitive-linguistic methods, the text offers a new way to study narrative through its form and function. It looks specifically at how the Mahabharata operates within the context of early South Asia. The study examines the structural and thematic elements that help explain why religious narratives remain so central to the region's culture. This is a vital resource for students and researchers interested in the intersection of religion, history, and linguistics in South Asian studies.