Mahabharat and ShahNameh

Similarities between Civilizational Epics

Abstract

Ancient Indian Epics are verse narratives which have evolved through ages. And, Sh?hN?meh is a song based on those narratives of the ancient times. Hearing the verses of Sh?hN?meh reminds an Indian of the ancient narrative poetry of Ramayana and Mah?bh?rat. Iranians did have their shared Indo-Aryan narratives, and preserved them for centuries. However, these were destroyed in various world changing events and military conquests which Iranians were subjected to throughout the ages. But fortunately, those shared Indo-Aryan legacies were preserved and carried forward in the Indian epics. The original archetypes have found articulation in the stories, characters and other literary elements present in these epics. Later on these also found an articulation in the Iranian epic. Not surprisingly, the articulations have been greatly influenced by the cultural narratives of the two seemingly different yet commonly rooted civilizations. It is extremely vital to understand that the aim is not to exalt one and humble the other, but rather to bring them into an affectionate dialogue with each other. The present article is a step towards such dialogue.