Tweaking the Change: Aspects of Kshatriya Masculinity in the Āpaddharmaparva Section of Śāntīparva of the Mahābhārata

The epic Mahābhārata, a monumental work, explores various themes and is a significant piece theorising diverse masculinity. Among these, Kshatriya masculinity emerges, closely mirroring the hegemonic masculinity expounded by R.W. Connell and widely acknowledged. Our research hones in on the Śāntīparva of the Mahābhārata, its twelfth book, a didactic segment that, together with the Anuśāsanaparva, forms the crux of our investigation.