On a simplistic level, the Mahabharata is the story of good (the Pandavas) versus evil (the Kauravas).

Dig deep, and you will discover that it is a tale of imperfect humans and their struggle to rise above
themselves. Somewhere in this complex discourse lies the elusive concept of dharma, a
comprehensive term for the natural laws of the universe. According to the Mahabharata, the
concept of dharma is not absolute. It is relative to the situation. It also relates to the role that an
individual plays in the cosmic concert. A verse from the Bhagavad Gita (chapter 3, verse 35) reads as
follows: śhreyān swa-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt sv-anuṣhṭhitāt swa-dharme nidhanaṁ śhreyaḥ
para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ It is far better to perform one’s natural prescribed duty, though tinged
with faults, than to perform another’s prescribed duty, though perfectly. In fact, it is preferable to
die in the discharge of one’s duty, than to follow the path of another, which is fraught with danger.
Through this verse, Lord Krishna teaches Arjuna the difference between svadharma and
paradharma. Svadharma is an action in harmony with one's duty. Paradharma is an action outside
the realm of one's duty, and therefore inappropriate. According to Krishna, it is the duty of a
Kshatriya (warrior) to brave the challenges of war. It would be paradharma for a soldier to retreat
when he is in the line of fire. As Arjuna stands on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, his only dharma is to
fight a righteous war.
 the appeal of Mahabharata, like Ramayana, is in its presentation of a series of moral problems
and life situations, to which there are usually three answers given, according to Ingalls:[50] one
answer is of Bhima, which is the answer of brute force, an individual angle representing
materialism, egoism, and self; the second answer is of Yudhishthira, which is always an appeal
to piety and gods, of social virtue and of tradition; the third answer is of introspective Arjuna,
which falls between the two extremes, and who, claims Ingalls, symbolically reveals the finest
moral qualities of man. The Epics of Hinduism are a symbolic treatise about life, virtues,
customs, morals, ethics, law, and other aspects of dharma.