Mahābhārata Cultural Index (MCI)
MCI (general editor M. A. Mehendale) is a cultural index to the Mahābhārata — an
encyclopedic register of the epic's names, things, and concepts, each described and located
by its passages (against the critical edition). It complements the pure name-index
INM with explanatory, cultural detail.
At a glance
| Code | MCI (GitHub repo MCI) |
| Full title | Mahābhārata Cultural Index |
| Editor | M. A. Mehendale |
| Year / size | 1993 · ~981 pages |
| Type | Cultural/encyclopedic index (Mahābhārata) |
| Source | csl-orig/v02/mci/ |
| Open | Basic · List · Advanced · Mobile |
| Data | Downloads |
| csl-doc | mci.rst |
When to use it
Reach for MCI to understand a name, object, or custom in the Mahābhārata with cultural
context and precise references. Pair it with the name-index INM. For word meanings use
Monier-Williams (MW).
Reading an entry
Each entry is a headword (<k1>) with a short identification and a paragraph of references.
The first entry (csl-orig/v02/mci/mci.txt):
<L>1<pc>001-a<k1>akarkara<k2>akarkara
{@Akarkara@}¦ m.: A mythical serpent.
<div n="P">Son of Kadrū, listed among her sons by
Sūta at the request of Śaunaka 1. 31. 15, 2.
| In the source | Meaning |
|---|---|
{@Akarkara@} | the headword (search key <k1>) |
m.: A mythical serpent | the identification |
<div n="P"> | a descriptive paragraph |
1. 31. 15 | the locus — Mahābhārata 1.31.15 (critical edition) |
See Data Formats for the markup reference.
What makes it distinctive
- Cultural, not just locational. Describes the epic's names, things, and concepts.
- Keyed to the critical edition of the Mahābhārata.
See also
- Index to MBh Names (INM) — the proper-name index
- Monier-Williams (MW) · the full catalog
- csl-doc mci.rst