Modern Commercial Concepts in the Mahabharatam (An Old and Rare Book)

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The Mahabharata offers a comprehensive message to humanity and places man above everything else. All human pursuits according to this epic are directed towards freedom. There are people who strive for freedom for the fulfilment of personal desires. Others hanker after economic emancipation. Another section dedicates itself to the attainment of ethical freedom. The technical terms used in the epic for these three goals are respectively called Kama, Artha and Dharma. They are again collectively called triages i. e, the inferior group of the above three. Their inferiority consists in the fact that the freedom offered by them is limited, temporary and conditional. And they often come in conflict with one another. But each one of them is a precondition for the preservation of the world order. And hence, a judicious adherence to them has been prescribed. Eternal and unconditional freedom from all kinds of bondages is attainable in moksha, nirvana or apavarga, the fourth and ultimate human end. But the epic does not decry 'trivargas' altogether and prescribes a disinterested pursuit thereof which, it maintains serves to purify the human soul and prepares it for the attainment of the sumumbonum.

The Mahabharata is the store-house of knowledge about every aspect of Indian culture. But to an ordinary eye, the position of Dharma and Moksha in the epic are more exhausted and they have formed the subject matter of important discourses in spite of their devaluation in public estimation in Modern times.

It is in the fitness of things that deep researches in the economic ideals of the epic should be undertaken with an eye to comparison and contrast with modern economic principles. I am glad that the young and enthusiastic Professor, Sriman Anjan Kumar Bharta- charyya has taken up the study of the epic in right earnest and offered the first fruits of his studies in the following pages bearing eloquent evidence of his searching devotion to the subject. It is again heartening to note that Prof. Bhattacharyya has been able to establish the basic identity of some of the modern economic principles with those enunciated in the epic.

I hope, his contribution will receive the attention of all interested in the subject and he will apply himself to the study of India's contribution to his own field of studies with renewed vigour and devotion.

Born in a family of renowned teachers, professors, pandits, mahimahopidhyays and mohantas, Prof. Anjan Kumar Bhattacharyya was brought up in an atmosphere of ancient Indian tradition and culture. Subsequently, as he came out with flying colours from the University of Calcutta, as a Master of Commerce, he was appointed as a teacher in Accountancy and Auditing in a Calcutta College of long-standing repute, namely, Heramba Chandra College (formerly, City College, South Calcutta). He has attained wonderful success as a teacher and has attracted the respects from one and all of his students. During the recent past, he has studied Sanskrit and started research work on Ancient Indian Literature, a versatile educationist as he is. He has participated in a number of conferences on Oriental and modern managerial studies. The lectures delivered and papers presented by him in those conferences were praised by all. Some eminent educationists consider him to be an "appropriate genius" for such interdisciplinary research works. The present book is the result of his most sincere and devotional research work.

I am glad to present to the academic world the monograph written by Prof. Anjan Kumar Bhattacharyya, which, I think, is the result of an investigation of a very deep and devotional nature. This mono- graph is primarily meant for scholars and students who are interested equally in Indology on the one hand and Economics and Commerce on the other.

It may be mentioned, at the very outset, that though the Mahabharata was written about some five thousand years ago, still, an approach directed to- wards an investigation of the economic and commercial concepts embodied in it was lacking. This work of Prof. Bhattacharyya, so far as I know, appears to be the first of its kind and I think, it will attract the attention of future researchers in this field.

The Mahabharata, to a common man, is considered to be the story of kings and wars amongst them. Some consider this epic as a sacred book on religion, the study of which helps to attain religious freedom or moksha. Some again, consider this epic as a Nitilatra as it contains Vidur-Niti and the Gita. Thus, different are the feelings of different persons when they study the Mahabharata. Prof. Bhattacharyya has explored a novel area of this epic dealing with some fundamental commercial, accounting, economic and managerial concepts embodied in it. He has been able to establish that these basic economic and commercial concepts, which are generally known to be of Western Origin, were there in the Mahabharata in ancient India. This new horizon, as unveiled by Prof. Bhattacharyya, is a basic contribution to the world of commerce and economics, budgeting and finance.

The Mahabharatam is treated by the Hindus as a sacred and religious book. It contains the story of the Kurukshetra war or "Dharmayuddha" It is called so because in this battle 'Dharmaputra Yudhisthira wins over the 'Duratma' Durjyodhan, the embodiment of many evils. It is a vast book containing so many other stories of ancient Kings. The main idea of all those stories is to show what is good and what is bad for the individual and for the society. So, the Mahabharatam can also be treated as a book on social education It states the way to live peacefully in the family as well as in the Society, to discriminate between friends and so called friends, to recognise the essential qualities of a good woman and a good wife, the manner in which the duties of a good husband and head of the family are to be performed. In fact, it deals with all the relevant and vital aspects of the human life. The Mahabharatam also contains some advice to the kings, e.g., how he should administer his kingdom, how he should try to ensure the best possible justice and equity to his subjects, what are the various ways of collection of taxes from his subjects, how the students and teachers are to be maintained and protected, how women and other properties are to be protected and in fact, it deals with all the probable problems of State Administration. The Mahabharatam reaches its highest glory in those verses which contain the "Bhagavad-Gita", said to be coming out of the mouth of the Lord Krishna on the eve of the Kurukshetra war, by way of encouraging his disciple Arjuna to this dharma- youddha. This part is said to be the essence of the Mahabharatam. Truly speaking, it is not a book, but a library of knowledge as it is so vast and covers such varied topics. Almost nothing is left out of its purview.