Role of Lord Krishna in Mahabharata was not different than what Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel did, says Chairman of Economic Advisory Council to PM

Mysore/Mysuru: Chairman of Economic Advisory Council to the PM Dr. Bibek Debroy delineated on ‘Governance lessons from Itihasa-Puranas’ during a panel discussion that followed the inauguration of the two-day Mysuru Literature Festival at Jyothi Hall of Hotel Southern Star in the city yesterday.

With his extensive knowledge and experience in translating significant Sanskrit works like the Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharata and Ramayana into English, Dr. Debroy drew upon a vast range of sources. He explained, “The term ‘Itihasa,’ classified as ‘Iti’ and ‘Haasa,’ refers to ‘history’ in English, and it tells us about what indeed happened. This is associated with the Mahabharata and Valmiki Ramayana.”

Dr. Debroy highlighted that Maharshi Vedavyas is perceived to have redivided and reclassified history, evident in his epic Mahabharata and 18 Puranas. He noted the varying roles of Indra, the king of Gods, in each Manvantara, as the lifespan differs in different yugas such as Krita Yuga, Dvapara Yuga, Treta Yuga and Kali Yuga, each lasting for several thousands of years.

Comparing the two great epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, Dr. Debroy emphasised that Valmiki Ramayana was composed before Mahabharata. Ramayana narrates the story of Surya Vamsha, while Mahabharata focuses on Chandra Vamsha and consists of one lakh shlokas. Dr. Debroy delved into the evolution of governance through the Yugas, mentioning that the first king, known as ‘Prithu,’ emerged in Treta Yuga and established rules to punish the wicked and protect the good. Subsequently, the king formulated rules for the exploitation of the Earth in various forms, leading to the reference of ‘Prithvi,’ the daughter of Prithu.

Addressing the topic of governance, Dr. Debroy remarked that ‘Governance’ itself is a buzzword that raises questions such as “what is governance?” and “why do we use this term?” He distinguished governance from government by emphasising the role of citizens, stating that what the government does for the people is called “government,” while the collective efforts of the community represent “governance.”

Dr. Debroy also referred to historical records from the British era, such as the All-India Gazetteer and District Level Gazetteer, which chronicled various events. He mentioned the Ambala Gazetteer, which documented the construction of a canal in 1883 with the inclusive participation of the community.

The canal project had a cost of Rs. 45,000, with Rs. 20,000 contributed by the government and Rs. 25,000 by the community. Dr. Debroy also highlighted the commencement of the Ganga cleaning project in 1886, which involved a dedicated authority.

Highlighting the need for further exploration of historical references, Dr. Debroy shared, “India has 40 million manuscripts, and 95 percent of them are yet to be translated. I possess a manuscript of ‘Chorya Shastra’ dating back to the 12th century, which focuses on thieves.

According to Itihasa Puranas, there was a corpus of 19 laws in a specific order of priority. During the question-and-answer session following his talk, Dr. Debroy touched upon the life of the current Yuga and the role of Lord Krishna in the Mahabharata.

In his concluding remarks, Dr. Debroy drew a parallel between Lord Krishna’s actions in Kurukshetra, where he united most of the kings in support of the Pandavas against the Kauravas, and the efforts of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Home Minister of India, who integrated over 500 princely States into the Indian Union.