A number of ‘great men’ from the power elite-the Pandavs and the Kauravs, occupy the spotlight in the grand epic Mahabharat. These magnificent men and women continue to illuminate our imagination even though thousands of years have elapsed between their actions and our response to them.

Tucked away in the epic is the quiet, dignified, but marginalized, life of Barbreek. He was the grandson of mighty Bheem (but of a tribal lineage) who had vowed to fight for the losing side in the great battle. Krishna knew if Barbreek entered the fray, he will battle for the losing side, the Kaurvas, and ensure their victory.

Krishna persuaded Barbreek to agree to be beheaded before the war began on the condition that his severed head will stay alive to witness the battle Royale.

Barbreek symbolizes the public. They have the power to turn the battle away from the elite, and to themselves but they are always persuaded not to join the war to sacrifice themselves for the sake of their leader’s grand visions. Power politics, in other words, works only when, like Barbreek’s severed head placed on the hill, the public is reduced to an incapacitated spectator in the game of thrones.

Erudite Jansatta’s Executive Editor Mukesh Bhardwaj examines Mahabharat’s characters and consistently finds parallels in contemporary polity. This book offers a compelling perspective on politics, polity and persons from the Mahabharat and why they are relevant today.