Yuganta: The End of an Epoch by Irawati Karve is a landmark work of literary and cultural analysis that offers a deeply human interpretation of the Mahabharata. Rather than treating its characters as distant mythological figures, Karve examines them as complex individuals shaped by their choices, relationships, strengths, and flaws. Through insightful essays on figures such as Krishna, Bhishma, Draupadi, Karna, Kunti, Gandhari, Drona, and Yudhishthira, the book explores the moral dilemmas, political realities, and psychological depth of the epic. Blending history, anthropology, philosophy, and literary criticism, Yuganta provides a fresh perspective on one of India's greatest epics while reflecting on timeless themes of dharma, duty, power, justice, leadership, fate, human nature, and the end of an era.