Mahabharata

The Moka¹£a-Dharma-Parvan of the MahÄbhÄrata

The great battle at Kuruka¹£etra is over and the surviving warriors gather around the fallen BhÄ«a¹£ma in order to draw upon his wisdom. They begin by asking about kingship and governance, before moving on to spiritual philosophy and the practices that lead to liberation.

This discussion forms the Moka¹£a-dharma-parvan - part of Book 12 (the ÅÄnti-parvan) of the MahÄbhÄrata. The subjects discussed are wide ranging but the principal focus is on renunciation of the world, the philosophy of SÄa¹khya, early Vaia¹£a¹ava theism, and probably the earliest teachings we have on the techniques of meditational yoga.