Girard’s Scapegoat Mechanism and the Mahabharata

In the fable of the ‘Fox and the Sour Grapes’, the disappointed fox walks away at the end. He does this only because he is alone. Had there been a few more foxes salivating over the grapes, walking away would have been tough.

According to the French philosopher Rene Girard, everything we desire is driven by imitation. If A desires Object B, it is only because A has seen C desiring the same Object B. C, here, is our model – the source of our desires – whom we desperately try to imitate. While societies often manage to keep the tension driven by mimetic desire at bay, it can sometimes culminate in explosive violence. For Girard, the only way out of this is for societies to identify a ‘scapegoat’ – a victim that embodies all evil – and punish him. This Scapegoat mechanism restores order and societies are then back to chugging along until the next crisis over conflicting desires erupts. The model can be summed up as: 

• Mimetic Desire – Conflict arises because people imitate each other’s desires, leading to rivalry.
• Crisis of Differentiation – Social distinctions break down, causing disorder.
• Scapegoating – A victim (individual or group) is blamed for the crisis and expelled or sacrificed.
• Reintegration – Society finds temporary stability after the scapegoat is removed.
• Mythologization – The scapegoat may be divinized or demonized in later narratives.

This scapegoating mechanism plays out constantly in the modern market economy. When a company struggles, the CEO is fired to reassure investors. In times of economic hardship, immigrants are blamed for job losses. Political and social anxieties often turn against minorities, who are cast as the source of instability. In his book Theatre of Envy, he explores how Shakespeare’s plays revolve around mimetic desire and scapegoating. The assassination of Julius Caesar, where the conspirators convince themselves that removing one man will restore balance to Rome is on example.

One useful summary that I found online:

For fun, I asked ChatGPT if the scapegoating mechanism of Girard, where collective violence or blame is directed toward an individual or group to resolve a crisis,  could be applied to the Mahabharata. The results were impressive:

1. Ekalavya’s Sacrifice

• Mimetic Desire: Ekalavya, a Nishada prince, desires to be an archer like Arjuna. His self-taught skills threaten the social hierarchy.
• Crisis of Differentiation: If an outcaste can surpass the Kshatriya elite, the order of dharma collapses.
• Scapegoating: Drona demands Ekalavya’s right thumb as guru dakshina to neutralize the threat.
• Reintegration: Kshatriya superiority is restored.
• Mythologization: Ekalavya is often seen as a tragic hero, a victim of caste hierarchy.

2. Karna’s Humiliation and Death

• Mimetic Desire: Karna aspires to be a warrior like the Pandavas, but his low birth makes him an outsider.
• Crisis of Differentiation: Karna’s presence blurs social distinctions—should he be honored as a Kshatriya or rejected?
• Scapegoating: He is repeatedly humiliated (e.g., at Draupadi’s swayamvara, by Drona and Bhishma). Krishna later orchestrates his downfall.
• Reintegration: His death justifies the Pandava cause.
• Mythologization: Later texts elevate Karna as a tragic, noble warrior wronged by fate.

3. Draupadi’s Disrobing

• Mimetic Desire: The Kauravas and Pandavas both seek power.
• Crisis of Differentiation: The gambling match dissolves boundaries—Pandavas lose status, and Draupadi questions the legitimacy of the game.
• Scapegoating: Draupadi is humiliated to resolve the crisis, with the justification that she is the cause of discord.
• Reintegration: The outrage eventually fuels the war that restores order.
• Mythologization: Draupadi is later revered as an incarnation of divine power.

4. Krishna’s Role as a Scapegoat Figure

• Mimetic Desire: The Yadavas, under Krishna, grow too powerful.
• Crisis of Differentiation: Their arrogance leads to internal strife and moral decay.
• Scapegoating: Krishna is cursed, and his kin destroy each other in a drunken brawl.
• Reintegration: The Yadava clan is wiped out, preventing their unchecked dominance.
• Mythologization: Krishna is deified, his death marking the end of Dvapara Yuga.

5. Shantanu’s Rejection of Devavrata (Bhishma)

• Mimetic Desire: Shantanu desires Satyavati, but her father demands that her sons inherit the throne.
• Crisis of Differentiation: The Kuru dynasty risks instability as Bhishma, the rightful heir, stands in the way.
• Scapegoating: Bhishma is forced to take a lifelong vow of celibacy and renounce the throne.
• Reintegration: Shantanu secures his marriage, ensuring dynastic continuity.
• Mythologization: Bhishma becomes an ideal of sacrifice but is also doomed to suffer.

6. Amba’s Rejection and Misfortune

• Mimetic Desire: Amba desires to marry the Kashi prince, but Bhishma abducts her for Vichitravirya.
• Crisis of Differentiation: Her status as a bride becomes ambiguous—she cannot marry either man.
• Scapegoating: She is rejected by both Bhishma and Vichitravirya, forced into exile.
• Reintegration: The crisis is “resolved” by her self-imposed exile and eventual revenge through rebirth as Shikhandi.
• Mythologization: She becomes a symbol of karma and vengeance.

7. Kunti’s Abandonment of Karna

• Mimetic Desire: Kunti fears societal dishonor from having an unwed son.
• Crisis of Differentiation: Karna’s birth threatens her status and could bring shame.
• Scapegoating: Karna is cast away and raised as a charioteer’s son.
• Reintegration: Kunti maintains her royal standing.
• Mythologization: Karna’s suffering and loyalty elevate him as a tragic hero.

8. Vidura’s Marginalization

• Mimetic Desire: Vidura, though wise, cannot claim power due to his birth from a maidservant.
• Crisis of Differentiation: His intelligence threatens the Kshatriya rulers.
• Scapegoating: He is denied kingship and relegated to the role of a mere advisor.
• Reintegration: The Kuru line remains in Kshatriya hands.
• Mythologization: Vidura is remembered as a moral sage, but powerless.

9. Shishupala’s Death

• Mimetic Desire: Shishupala competes with Krishna and harbors deep resentment.
• Crisis of Differentiation: He continuously disrupts order with insults and provocations.
• Scapegoating: Krishna kills him after granting him 100 chances.
• Reintegration: Social order is restored.
• Mythologization: His death is portrayed as liberation (moksha), aligning with Krishna’s divine will.

10. Jayadratha’s Execution

• Mimetic Desire: Jayadratha seeks recognition and power among the Kauravas.
• Crisis of Differentiation: His role in Abhimanyu’s death escalates tensions.
• Scapegoating: Arjuna vows to kill him by sunset, making him the singular target of vengeance.
• Reintegration: The Pandavas regain morale and continue the war.
• Mythologization: Jayadratha’s death is seen as divine justice.

11. Barbarika’s Forced Sacrifice

• Mimetic Desire: Barbarika, a great warrior, wants to participate in the Kurukshetra war.
• Crisis of Differentiation: His neutrality (pledging to fight for the weaker side) would make the war endless.
• Scapegoating: Krishna demands his head as an offering before the war.
• Reintegration: The war follows its destined course.
• Mythologization: Barbarika is worshipped as Khatu Shyam in folk traditions.

12. Ashwatthama’s Eternal Curse

• Mimetic Desire: Ashwatthama desires revenge after his father Drona is deceitfully killed.
• Crisis of Differentiation: His night raid on the Pandava camp results in a massacre.
• Scapegoating: Krishna curses him to wander eternally, suffering from unhealing wounds.
• Reintegration: The war concludes with moral lessons on righteousness.
• Mythologization: He becomes an immortal cursed figure, wandering the earth.

13. Duryodhana’s Isolation and Death

• Mimetic Desire: Duryodhana craves absolute kingship and denies the Pandavas their share.
• Crisis of Differentiation: His arrogance and refusal to compromise prolong the war.
• Scapegoating: He is left alone after the deaths of his allies and is defeated in single combat.
• Reintegration: The Pandavas regain the throne.
• Mythologization: In some versions, Duryodhana is honored for dying a warrior’s death.

14. Ghatotkacha’s Sacrifice

• Mimetic Desire: Karna reserves his Vasavi Shakti weapon for Arjuna.
• Crisis of Differentiation: If used on Arjuna, it ensures Karna’s victory.
• Scapegoating: Krishna orchestrates Ghatotkacha’s sacrifice to deplete Karna’s divine weapon.
• Reintegration: The Pandavas gain a strategic advantage.
• Mythologization: Ghatotkacha’s death is celebrated as a heroic sacrifice.

Wonder how Professors are going to stay relevant in the coming years.

References:

• Discovering Girard by Michael Kirwan
• Wanting by Luke Burgis
• All Desire is a Desire for Being by René Girard
• Jonathan Bi’s Lectures on Mimetic Theory

• This Five-part series on Girard’s ideas on YouTube is something that I plan to tackle soon:

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