Frame Narratives and Forked Beginnings: Or, How to Read the Ādiparvan

Abstract

Returning with a second contribution, Adluri explores the intricate structure of the Ādiparvan—the Mahābhārata's first book. He argues that its many “beginnings” and layered frame narratives are not editorial accidents, but philosophical devices designed to destabilize fixed origin points. Through this, the Mahābhārata invites the reader to consider truth as a process of becoming, rooted in layered perspectives and spiritual inquiry.