KUMJ | VOL. 24 | NO. 3 | ISSUE 96 | JULY-SEPTEMBER, 2026

Literary Representations of Trauma and Healing in the Mahabharata: Perspectives from Modern Medicine
Neupane K

Abstract:
The Mahabharata, an ancient epic, contains numerous accounts of battlefield injuries, medical treatment, and healing. This makes it a useful literary representation of injury, healing, and therapeutic intervention. To examine literary representations of traumatic injuries, therapeutic interventions, and recovery in the Mahabharata and compare them cautiously with contemporary surgical concerns. The study conducted a thematic narrative analysis of the text. It grouped relevant instances, including battlefield trauma, penetrating injuries, bleeding, musculoskeletal injuries, therapeutic expertise, and recovery, into broader thematic categories. It also reviewed PubMed-indexed sources to compare these findings with contemporary surgical practice and trauma management. The analysis identified six major themes, including battlefield trauma, penetrating injuries, bleeding, musculoskeletal injuries, therapeutic expertise, and recovery. These themes formed the basis for further interpretation. The epic contains literary depictions that can be compared cautiously with enduring clinical problems. However, these depictions do not establish historical equivalence in medical knowledge, surgical techniques, and therapeutic practices.
Keyword : Battlefield trauma, Mahabharata, Medical humanities, Penetrating injury, Sanskrit literature, Surgery