24. AN OVERNIGHT CAPSULE OF DHARMA
The episode that we shall present here goes by the name of SanatsujAtIyaM – meaning, what was given out by Sanat-sujAta. It occurs in the Mahabharata. The Mahabharata, along with the Ramayana, are the two historical epic poems (itihAsas) of the Hindu culture. The Mahabharata, though it is centred round the story of the rivalry between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, is actually a storehouse of legends and discourses. For the background of the epic story of the Mahabharata go to itihAsas.
The Mahabharata provides the simplest, most graphic and most detailed introduction to Hindu thought, culture, religion and philosophy and consequently it is often referred to as a compendium of understanding on the subtleties of Hindu Dharma. The text SanatsujAtIyaM is a mini-encyclopaedia on Dharma.