Dharma Saṃkaṭa in the Mahābhārata: Existential Struggles and Real Repercussions

Sometimes humans face perplexing situations in which we must make a choice. We are bound by multiple obligations, and each of them requires a different and incompatible course of action. One or more obligations must go unfulfilled. We might also anticipate that, by neglecting an obligation, serious, detrimental consequences will follow for us or for others. The choice may be further complicated by the fact that we care deeply for people who could be negatively affected by our choice. Weighty situations such as these are known in ancient Indian literature as dharma saṃkaṭas. This essay reflects on two instances of dharma saṃkaṭas from the Mahābhārata, namely, the respective conflicts in the narrative of “The Hawk and the Dove” and in the dialogue of Prince Arjuna with Lord Kṛṣṇa on the battlefield, followed by post-war ruminations. These stories can help contemporary readers to think critically and creatively about dharma saṃkaṭas that may not be fully resolvable.