Central Sanskrit University announces two-year MA in Mahabharata Studies
By Devansh TiwariKnowledge Systems Writer, Peepals Sanskriti
Representative image: StockSnap / Pixabay
Central Sanskrit University and INDICA announced a two-year, 90-credit MA in Mahabharata Studies on 20 October 2026; it is expected to start next academic year.
What Happened
Central Sanskrit University, in academic collaboration with the non-profit INDICA, has announced a Master of Arts in Mahabharata Studies. The university made the announcement on Vijaya Dashami, Tuesday 20 October 2026, describing a two-year, 90-credit postgraduate programme for the systematic and interdisciplinary study of the epic. The course is expected to begin in the next academic year; the university said further details, including the final curriculum, will be announced in due course.
Key Facts
- Institution: Central Sanskrit University, New Delhi, with INDICA as academic partner.
- Announced: 20 October 2026, the day of Vijaya Dashami, through the university's official channels.
- Format: a two-year, full-time postgraduate degree of 90 credits.
- Working title: MA in Mahabharata Studies (MA-MBH), according to the course's planners.
- Content: Sanskrit sources of the epic, its narrative structure and its traditions of interpretation, along with themes such as the Bhagavad Gita, dharma, ethics, statecraft, diplomacy, social institutions and ecology.
- Status: the curriculum is still being finalised; fees, seats and the admission process have not yet been published.
- A faculty member of the university's Vedanta department described it as the first full-time course in India devoted only to Mahabharata studies.
Why It Matters
The Mahabharata is one of the two great Sanskrit epics of India. In tradition it is attributed to the sage Vyasa, and it contains the Bhagavad Gita, one of the most widely read texts of Indian philosophy. For most students, however, the epic appears only as a part of a wider Sanskrit, literature or philosophy degree, studied a few chapters at a time. A degree built entirely around one text signals a different approach: treating the epic as a field of study in its own right, much as some universities abroad treat a single large body of literature.
The planned subjects show what the designers want the course to do. Reading the epic in Sanskrit and tracing how its story is built are classic tasks of textual scholarship. Studying how later commentators and communities interpreted it adds the history of ideas. The list of themes, from statecraft and diplomacy to social institutions and ecology, reflects an aim to connect the text with questions that modern disciplines such as political science, ethics and environmental studies also ask. This is in line with the wider push to bring Indian knowledge traditions into mainstream higher education.
It is useful to separate two things that such a course will handle. The Mahabharata is a sacred and living text for many Hindus, and much of its meaning is carried by belief, ritual and storytelling. A university programme, by contrast, is expected to study the text with academic methods: comparing manuscripts and versions, dating layers of the text, and examining how its ideas were received over time. How the new MA balances respect for the living tradition with critical scholarship will shape its standing among academics.
The partner, INDICA, is a non-profit that works on Indian philosophical and cultural traditions. It has earlier run teaching sessions on the epic; in January 2026 it hosted a master class on the Mahabharata by Prof Vishwa Adluri, in which participants read passages from the Rig Veda, the Aitareya Brahmana, the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad and the Bhagavata Purana. INDICA says the aim of the new programme is to train a new generation of scholars who can study the text with depth and precision.
| Item | What is known so far |
|---|---|
| Degree | MA in Mahabharata Studies (MA-MBH) |
| Length | Two years, 90 credits |
| Partners | Central Sanskrit University and INDICA |
| Start | Expected in the next academic year |
| Still awaited | Curriculum, fees, seats and admission rules |
Impact
Short-term: Students of Sanskrit, philosophy, history and literature now know that a dedicated postgraduate route on the epic is being prepared. Until the university publishes the curriculum and admission rules, there is nothing to apply for yet, and interested students should watch the university's official notices.
Long-term: If the course runs well, it could produce teachers and researchers who specialise in the epic, add new studies and translations, and encourage other universities to design similar single-text programmes. Its success will depend on the quality of its faculty, its library and manuscript resources, and whether its degree is valued for further research and jobs in teaching, publishing, museums and cultural institutions.
Who is affected: Postgraduate aspirants in Sanskrit and the humanities, teachers and researchers of Indian philosophy and literature, Sanskrit universities and departments, and readers interested in the epic's ideas on ethics and governance.
Key Takeaway
Central Sanskrit University and INDICA announced on 20 October 2026 a two-year, 90-credit MA in Mahabharata Studies, expected to begin next academic year, with details still to come.
Questions and Answers
What is the new MA in Mahabharata Studies?
It is a two-year, 90-credit postgraduate programme announced by Central Sanskrit University with the non-profit INDICA on 20 October 2026. It will study the Mahabharata's Sanskrit sources, its narrative structure and its interpretations, along with themes such as dharma, ethics and statecraft.
When will the Mahabharata Studies course start and how can I apply?
The course is expected to start in the next academic year. The university has said that the curriculum, fees, seats and admission process will be announced later, so there is no application window yet.
Is this the first degree in India only on the Mahabharata?
A faculty member of the university's Vedanta department described it as the first full-time course in India dedicated to Mahabharata studies. Until now the epic has usually been taught as one part of broader Sanskrit or philosophy degrees.
Will the course teach the Mahabharata as religion or as scholarship?
It is planned as an academic programme using textual and interdisciplinary methods. The epic remains a sacred text in tradition, and the course's published themes, such as statecraft, ethics and ecology, point to scholarly study of its ideas rather than religious instruction.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Devansh Tiwari, Knowledge Systems WriterCovers Knowledge Systems and more for Peepals Sanskriti. All stories by Devansh Tiwari
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Devansh Tiwari is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
