Acknowledgements Abbreviations Introduction 1 Book Structure 2 The Mahabharata's story and its framing mythologies Part 1 1 The Study of the Mahabharata, Yudhihira, and Soteriology 1 Introduction 2 Perspectives on the Mahabharata 3 Yudhihira in scholarly literature 4 Soteriology and Yudhihira 5 Conclusion2 The Problem of Moka : World Renunciation and Ritual 1 Introduction 2 The renouncer 3 Framing the Mahabharata: Moka as an umbrella term 4 Conclusion3 Karman and Transmigration: The Mahabharata's Emphasis on Normative Conduct 1 Introduction 2 The doctrine of karman 3 Narratives on karman in the Mahabharata 4 Conclusion4 The Mahabharata's Soteriologies and Yudhihira 1 Introduction 2 Soteriologies in the Mahabharata 3 Heavenly realms 4 A state beyond impermanence 5 Heavenly ascent and moka 6 Living liberation 7 A single path or two paths? Salvation for householders 8 On karmayoga and foregoing selfish desire 9 Conclusion Part 2 5 Royal and Householder Roles as Religious Vocations 1 Introduction 2 Yudhihira's early life 3 Royal and householder ideologies: Yudhihira's roles 4 Yudhihira as king: rajasuya 5 Motivations to sacrifice: Yudhihira and Duryodhana 6 Conclusion6 The Dice Game: Yudhihira's Flawed Understanding of Renunciation 1 Introduction 2 The role of the dice game in the narrative 3 The dice sequence 4 Draupadi's question: kingship and mastery of the self 5 Abandoning the self, renunciation, and learning 6 Conclusion7 Forest Teachings: Svadharma and the Soteriology of Moka 1 Introduction 2 Forest teaching: saunaka 3 The invisible fruits of dharma 4 The pativrata and the righteous butcher 5 Negotiations in the lead-up to the war: five villages 6 Conclusion8 The Trivarga Plus Moka : Yudhihira's Blend 1 Introduction 2 Dialogues of the Paavas 3 The Dharma King's characterisation in the light of the agita 4 The agita and other solutions to the problem of moka 5 Conclusion9 Yudhihira's Royal Role: Supporting Others and the Cosmos through Dharma 1 Introduction 2 Reasons to rule: the welfare of the cosmos 3 A tree made of dharma 4 Desire for duty: the asvamedha 5 Householder and king: soteriological dependence 6 Conclusion10 Yudhihira's Ascent to Heaven 1 Introduction 2 The Great Departure and the Ascent to Heaven 3 The Mahabharata's narrative open-endedness 4 Self-sacrifice as soteriological advantage 5 On some virtues leading to the devayana 6 Karman : decentring moka 7 Conclusion Concluding Remarks Bibliography.