Strategic Thought in the Mahabharata War: A Comparative Review

  • Unique Paper ID: 193012
  • Volume: 12
  • Issue: 9
  • PageNo: 3744-3748
  • Abstract:
  • The Mahabharata War constitutes one of the most intricate and profound representations of warfare in world literature, encompassing military tactics, ethical dilemmas, leadership paradigms, and psychological warfare within a broader civilizational framework. This review article critically examines the war strategies embedded in the Mahabharata and compares them with the foundational principles of early classical military theory, particularly those articulated by Sun Tzu, Kautilya, and Clausewitz. Through a comparative analysis of key themes and concepts, the study highlights both convergences and divergences in perspectives on leadership, deception, diplomacy, moral restraint, battlefield strategy, and the central role of dharma (righteous conduct) in warfare. By synthesizing contemporary academic interpretations, the paper argues that the Mahabharata should not be viewed merely as an epic narrative but as a sophisticated treatise on strategic thought, whose insights continue to hold relevance for modern military and strategic studies.

Copyright & License

Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

BibTeX

@article{193012,
        author = {Colonel Prof Dr N N Murthy},
        title = {Strategic Thought in the Mahabharata War: A Comparative Review},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {9},
        pages = {3744-3748},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=193012},
        abstract = {The Mahabharata War constitutes one of the most intricate and profound representations of warfare in world literature, encompassing military tactics, ethical dilemmas, leadership paradigms, and psychological warfare within a broader civilizational framework. This review article critically examines the war strategies embedded in the Mahabharata and compares them with the foundational principles of early classical military theory, particularly those articulated by Sun Tzu, Kautilya, and Clausewitz. Through a comparative analysis of key themes and concepts, the study highlights both convergences and divergences in perspectives on leadership, deception, diplomacy, moral restraint, battlefield strategy, and the central role of dharma (righteous conduct) in warfare. By synthesizing contemporary academic interpretations, the paper argues that the Mahabharata should not be viewed merely as an epic narrative but as a sophisticated treatise on strategic thought, whose insights continue to hold relevance for modern military and strategic studies.},
        keywords = {Mahabharata War, Strategic Thought, Classical Military Theory, Dharma Yuddha, Kautilya, Sun Tzu, Clausewitz, Leadership, Ethics of War},
        month = {February},
        }

Cite This Article

Murthy, C. P. D. N. N. (2026). Strategic Thought in the Mahabharata War: A Comparative Review. International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology (IJIRT), 12(9), 3744–3748.

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