Speaking the Forbidden: mlecchavāc in Mahābhārata 1.135
Abstract
In Indian xenology, the term mleccha refers to an individual who does not conform to the social and linguistic norms of the Āryas. Studies have analysed its multiple uses, including its role in toponymy, religious taboos, and ethnicity. The Brahmanical perspective considers the mleccha languages to be distorted versions of Sanskrit, and advocates social and linguistic segregation, including a ban on teaching Sanskrit to non-Āryas. In the Mahābhārata, Vidura secretly uses a mleccha language to foil an assassination plot against the Pāṇḍavas. This episode, which seems to contradict the norm, has been analysed for its narrative significance but not normatively. This paper aims to contribute to the discourse on the normative aspects of the Mahābhārata, particularly with regard to the mlecchas and their cultural assimilation and adaptation, by reinterpreting the episode and asking whether it represents a normative grey area or a justified act.
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