Mahabharata and the concept of Karma

Although the earliest text in Hinduism concentrates only on Karma and its effects within the manifested world, the later text seems to possess incorporated the idea of re-incarnation within the theory of Karma. Essentially it meant that if one has done bad deeds in one lifetime, he/she may have to pay for it in the next lifetime. That their Karma or their deeds will eventually catch up with them. In the Mahabharata, this karmic debt manifests itself in the form of boons and curses. This explains why some people have to pass through pain and suffering or why fate is not kind to them. The most prominent example that comes to mind is Bhishma. When Duryodhana tried to kill all the Pandavas by burning them alive in Laksha Graha (House of Wax), assuming that Pandavas were dead, Dhritrashtra made his eldest son Crown Prince. But to his surprise, Pandavas came back alive; that was an ugly turn in history. Duryodhana refused to resign as the crown prince. Dhritrashtra provides active and passive support to his son. Bhishma was bound by his vow to protect the king and eventually became a silent bystander of all evil that happened. <a href="https://seepja118.medium.com/mahabharata-and-the-concept-of-karma-e8091960d801">Visit Now</a>