Ashwatthama not out 

Among the many tragic characters in the Mahabharata, Ashwatthama`s is one. Cursed to wander forever in search of death without actually dying, as punishment for killing the Upapandavas after the Kurukshetra war. The play revolves around the idea that a deathless life is itself a curse, as understood through [Krishna`s] contemplation; and the mental state of [Ashwatthama], who lives on, immortal yet tormented. Between these two lies the hidden strategy of [Shakuni], who orchestrated the war driven by revenge for the death of his kin.

Aren’t these three characters reflections of ourselves? Don’t they exist within us? In a world that has witnessed a thousand generations of death, have we too not fallen prey to the seductive politics of bloodlust and descended into a war-hungry mindset?

From the great epic Mahabharata—essentially a series of death narratives—have we yet managed to learn any lessons? Or are our minds still unripe for wisdom?