ABSTRACT
The chapter argues – it might be rather sad but certainly instructive – that we ought to turn to Homer even to understand and appropriately appreciate the development of the Indian epic tradition. One of the most significant portions of the book, it discusses the full-grown loftiness attained by the epic tradition in Homer and the common elements between Homer’s work and The Mahābhārata. The concern here is to reveal how the abundant caution in retaining Homer’s works as close to their original form as possible – rather than resorting to rewriting or changing them – was done to complement the later European effort to build a tradition of scientific research and civilised modernity.
The resemblance between Homer and Vyasa in the portrayal of characters and in the construction of situations has been brought to light in substantial detail. The chapter demonstrates that reading Homer is to grasp the epic tradition of the world. The Roman dream of a global empire and the inevitability of war also figure in the discussion here.
