Question

Describe the contribution of V. S. Suthankar in reconstructing social history through the critical edition of Mahabharata.

Answer 1

1. Sanskritist VSS from India. A critical edition of the Mahabharata was attempted by Suthankar.
2. Gathered text manuscripts from various regions of the nation.
3. Each manuscript’s passages were compared by the team
4. 13,000 pages of the common verses were published.
5. The Sanskrit version of the narrative found on the subcontinent shares common themes.
6. Discovered regional differences in regional versions.
7. Appendices and footnotes were used to record variations.
8. Local beliefs and customs influenced early and later social history.
9. Historians investigated social history issues.
10. At first, it was thought that everything in the text had been practiced.
11. Concepts found in normative Sanskrit literature were generally acknowledged as authoritative, according to works in Pali, Prakrit, and Tamil.
12. They were questioned and turned down as well.
13. Examples from the Mahabharata include: kinship-based families; the concept of patriliny was significant and desirable; marriage customs like polygamy and polyandry are depicted; and the Mahabharata reaffirmed that the varna system was divinely inspired.