The Mahabharata, the longest epic ever written, has everything in it that constitutes the universe. The personalities of this great classic, big or small, popular or unpopular, good or evil, exist in the universe at every given period of time. There is never a time, when there is not a Duryodhana or a Dhritrashtra or an Arjuna. All the different types of tendencies that people can possess are depicted here.

The scriptures, like a mirror, should reflect our personality. They are intended for us to see ourselves; not to judge or label others, but to know how to deal with different types of individuals.

The Mahabharata presents a picture of ourselves based on characters we admire and we identify with. Most people would like to resemble Arjuna, but whom do we identify with? It could even be Duryodhana!

As spiritual students, it is important to recognise our heroes. Whom do we identify with? The Mahabharata appeals to us because none of the characters are perfect. Like Draupadi, we are all looking for the perfect one. The five noble qualities she requested for in a husband were not possible in one person – she found them in five!

In the Mahabharata, even good people make mistakes. But, their intentions are never harmful or bad. No one is perfectly good; even a flaw or a defect adds beauty to the character.

We should not try to hide or cover our flaws. In fact, the first step to becoming better individuals is to discover and accept ourselves as we are!

The author is the Global Head of Chinmaya Mission.