Within the vast tapestry of the Mahabharata, several narrative threads stand out as major sub‑stories that both deepen the plot and illuminate dharma. Foundational tales such as those of Shantanu and Ganga, and of Shantanu and Satyavati, prepare the ground for Bhishma’s birth, his terrible vow, and the later succession crisis that shapes the entire epic. Closely related are the accounts of the births of Dhritarashtra, Pandu, and Vidura through Vyasa, and of Pandu’s curse and retirement to the forest, which in turn lead to the divine births of the Pandavas and the hundred sons of Gandhari. Stories like that of Yayati, with its reflection on desire and renunciation, and the love story of Shakuntala and Dushyanta, culminating in the birth of Bharata, further anchor the epic in a lineage that is at once historical, ethical, and symbolic.

Interwoven with these dynastic narratives are exemplary tales that explore love, fidelity, and the trials of fortune. The stories of Nala and Damayanti, and of Savitri and Satyavan, are especially prominent: both depict a devoted wife facing separation, misfortune, and even death itself, and both ultimately affirm perseverance, devotion, and the subtle workings of karma. The account of Rishyasringa, the chaste ascetic whose purity brings rain and prosperity, and the intertwined stories of Kacha and Devayani, with their themes of loyalty, knowledge, and rejection, similarly serve as mirrors in which the epic’s central characters and readers alike can contemplate the demands of dharma under pressure.

The Mahabharata also contains a rich treasury of didactic and philosophical narratives that are explicitly framed as teachings. The Bhagavad Gita, Krishna’s discourse to Arjuna on duty, yoga, and liberation, stands at the heart of this tradition, while the Sanatsujata teaching and the Sanatsujata‑Gita offer profound reflections on death, knowledge, and Brahman. Tales associated with Markandeya present visions of cosmic cycles and dharma, and the discourse of Tuladhara, the humble merchant, as well as the teachings grouped under Vidura‑niti, articulate subtle principles of righteous conduct and governance. These stories do not merely adorn the main plot; they function as its inner commentary, revealing the philosophical depth beneath the outer drama of war and succession.

Finally, several moral and spiritual parables highlight the possibility of wisdom arising in unexpected places and forms. The story of the merchant Tuladhara instructing a learned brahmin, and the narrative of Mudgala, who embodies contentment and non‑attachment, suggest that true dharma is measured less by social status than by inner disposition. The presence of such episodes alongside the grand battles and royal intrigues shows how the epic continually shifts from court and battlefield to forest hermitage and humble household, inviting reflection on the universality of ethical struggle. Taken together, these sub‑stories and parables render the Mahabharata not only a chronicle of a great war, but also a many‑sided meditation on human duty, desire, and liberation.