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warreng's review against another edition
3.0
Some similarities to the Ramayana, as five princes face exile in the forest before waging a war with their enemies, although in this case, to regain their kingdom. Within the great expanse of text, there are many side stories, including the tale of the Ramayana, and a whole section discussing dharma (the correct way to live) of kings and warriors which has gained its own title - the Bhagavad Gita, and has had a deep impact on Hinduism.
The Mahabharata is the very definition of epic. The abridged version I read still ran to over 790 pages, but the original in Sanskrit can run to 32 volumes.
I felt that the Mahabharata was much more gritty and less fantastical than the Ramayana, despite the presence of gods, demons, supernatural weapons and superhuman stamina and abilities of the various heroes and their anatagonists. Much of the story centres on the battles of the war, with each encounter between heroes showering each other with 1000s of arrows; and chariots, horses, elephants and drivers destroyed in their hundreds and thousands.
Favourite lines/passages:
“his weapon…. was as unbearable as a flesh-eating ghoul” p. 523 - What??!!!
“ Bhrgu’s son Cyavana performs [religious] austerities for so long that he becomes an anthill” p. 189. This has to be the most bizarre and random opening line of a chapter in the whole of world literature!
Personal rating : plenty of great ratings for the Mahabharata on www.goodreads.com, so I don’t feel too guilty giving this only 4/10. Just too long to enjoy (as The Prince said to Mozart in Amadeus), and I didn’t feel the ‘heroes’ demonstrated true dharma - quite the opposite : Arjuna burning the Khandeva forest and killing 1000s of animals, Yudhisthira lying to Drona in the midst of battle, telling him that his son was dead to demoralise and defeat him, the five Pandava heroes not acting to protect their shared wife from the humiliation and torment of the Kandavas. Or maybe I still don’t understand the true concept of dharma.
This was book #17 in my journey to read all the classics of world literature. You can join me at my blog : chronolit.com
The Mahabharata is the very definition of epic. The abridged version I read still ran to over 790 pages, but the original in Sanskrit can run to 32 volumes.
I felt that the Mahabharata was much more gritty and less fantastical than the Ramayana, despite the presence of gods, demons, supernatural weapons and superhuman stamina and abilities of the various heroes and their anatagonists. Much of the story centres on the battles of the war, with each encounter between heroes showering each other with 1000s of arrows; and chariots, horses, elephants and drivers destroyed in their hundreds and thousands.
Favourite lines/passages:
“his weapon…. was as unbearable as a flesh-eating ghoul” p. 523 - What??!!!
“ Bhrgu’s son Cyavana performs [religious] austerities for so long that he becomes an anthill” p. 189. This has to be the most bizarre and random opening line of a chapter in the whole of world literature!
Personal rating : plenty of great ratings for the Mahabharata on www.goodreads.com, so I don’t feel too guilty giving this only 4/10. Just too long to enjoy (as The Prince said to Mozart in Amadeus), and I didn’t feel the ‘heroes’ demonstrated true dharma - quite the opposite : Arjuna burning the Khandeva forest and killing 1000s of animals, Yudhisthira lying to Drona in the midst of battle, telling him that his son was dead to demoralise and defeat him, the five Pandava heroes not acting to protect their shared wife from the humiliation and torment of the Kandavas. Or maybe I still don’t understand the true concept of dharma.
This was book #17 in my journey to read all the classics of world literature. You can join me at my blog : chronolit.com
dennyabraham's review against another edition
1.0
I can't help but notice that the heroes would be morally repugnant by their own ethical standards, except that they granted themselves exceptions they didn't extend to others.
misspalah's review against another edition
4.0
What a journey it has been! It is indescribable to say the least of this epic story. You have to read it to feel the thrill of the story. My only problem is I think the author doesn't have to apologize every single time especially at the end of chapter if somehow the description doesn't make any sense in reality or it against logical thinking. It was acceptable to goes against the rationality as everything occurred is possible in the world of God's, sages and warriors as portrayed in the book. I'm facing a struggle in memorizing the characters, trust me, it has a huge number of characters in the story. Not only that, the name of the characters also sound and spelled almost similar to each other but it's all good now. To sum it up, i enjoy it very much. Ramayana will be the next in my list to read. ;)
aminowrimo's review against another edition
4.0
The Mahabharata is an Ancient Sanskrit epic, believed to have been begun in the 8th or 9th century BC, and 'completed' in the 4th century BC.
The whole thing is about ten times the size of the Iliad or the Odyssey, but I read an abridged version— the parts that contain the actual story of the epic, and less of the moralizing sections that explained to ancient Hindus how they should behave.
The epic follows the five Pandu/Pandav brothers (most concerned with Yadhisthir, the eldest, and Arjun, the middle child), and their war with their cousin, Duryhodan. I would, however, term Arjun the main character, or the hero— he is the one that fights Karna, his half-brother. He is the one whose sufferings and winnings are shown the most— the one that wins Draupadi, Yadhisthir's wife, and who loses his son on the battlefield.
There's a war going on a "red-soaked plain," so I'd rate the 'roughness' in this book an 8 or a nine. I probably wouldn't have survived a day, as I wouldn't be able to draw a bow like Arjun or Karna, and I wouldn't have been able to fight against people whose births were inspired by the Sun or other Hindu gods.
The whole thing is about ten times the size of the Iliad or the Odyssey, but I read an abridged version— the parts that contain the actual story of the epic, and less of the moralizing sections that explained to ancient Hindus how they should behave.
The epic follows the five Pandu/Pandav brothers (most concerned with Yadhisthir, the eldest, and Arjun, the middle child), and their war with their cousin, Duryhodan. I would, however, term Arjun the main character, or the hero— he is the one that fights Karna, his half-brother. He is the one whose sufferings and winnings are shown the most— the one that wins Draupadi, Yadhisthir's wife, and who loses his son on the battlefield.
There's a war going on a "red-soaked plain," so I'd rate the 'roughness' in this book an 8 or a nine. I probably wouldn't have survived a day, as I wouldn't be able to draw a bow like Arjun or Karna, and I wouldn't have been able to fight against people whose births were inspired by the Sun or other Hindu gods.
laurafahl's review against another edition
2.0
A história é legal mas eu não entendi nada do que li, por isso a nota.
latas's review against another edition
3.0
There are a number of translations/ re-tellings/ interpretations of this great Epic. Apparently the original Sanskrit text by Vyasa has about 100,000 verses. The authentic English translation by Mohan Ganguli is around 6K pages.
I know most of the stories of the Mahabharata, and wanted to read one comprehensive book, but I don't have the patience to read such bulky books.
Hence I picked up this version by Rajaji.
I found this extremely diluted, a few subplots were glossed over or completely skipped, few of them I could mention-
1. The story of the birth of Pandu, Dritarashtra and Vidur.
2. The birth of the 100 Kauravas
3. Draupadi insulting Duryodhan by mocking his blind father
4. Krishna saving Draupadi when she was disrobed in the open court
5. Karna's heroism
6. Ekalvya's story
This is basically a story of revenge. And how it leads to the destruction of an entire clan.
I am not very satisfied by this translation, but this book could be a good start for those who don't know anything about Mahabharata. There is a glossary of characters at the end of the book which would help to keep a track of the characters.
I didn't need the glossary, as I was familiar with most of the characters.
I know most of the stories of the Mahabharata, and wanted to read one comprehensive book, but I don't have the patience to read such bulky books.
Hence I picked up this version by Rajaji.
I found this extremely diluted, a few subplots were glossed over or completely skipped, few of them I could mention-
1. The story of the birth of Pandu, Dritarashtra and Vidur.
2. The birth of the 100 Kauravas
3. Draupadi insulting Duryodhan by mocking his blind father
4. Krishna saving Draupadi when she was disrobed in the open court
5. Karna's heroism
6. Ekalvya's story
This is basically a story of revenge. And how it leads to the destruction of an entire clan.
I am not very satisfied by this translation, but this book could be a good start for those who don't know anything about Mahabharata. There is a glossary of characters at the end of the book which would help to keep a track of the characters.
I didn't need the glossary, as I was familiar with most of the characters.
suzy's review against another edition
3.0
It was an epic epic. No kidding. It seems to flow fairly fast-paced; one moment some heirs are being born out of pots, and before you know it some villains are plotting to overthrow 'the kingdom'. Wild and fun, but pretty lengthy.
rhythimashinde's review against another edition
4.0
Mahabharata lays out not just a person's but a society's struggle and the beauty of it lies in the fact that it revolves around the stories of so many different characters. Though Gita has been my famous excerpt out of this, I am sure everytime I would read this, I would learn something new.
spacestationtrustfund's review against another edition
1.0
This review is of the translation by Chakravarti Rajagopalachari.
This is an abridged translation (under 500 pages) of the complete Mahabharata epic, translated by Chakravarti Rajagopalachari. This translation is decently readable, but not great; Rajaji was a politician, not a poet, and it really shows. I wouldn't recommend this version.
There are a lot of versions of the Mahabharata, unabridged or abridged or even more abridged, translated into various languages, in prose or in countless types of verse. (There's a lot of versions in Sanskrit as well.) Here are some of the English translations I've read: a two-volume novelisation by Ramesh Menon, The Mahabharata: A Modern Rendering, as well as a ten-volume version in prose, The Complete Mahabharata; an abridged (~900 pages) Penguin Classics version in prose, translated by John D. Smith, The Mahabharata; a very abridged (~200 pages) version by R.K. Narayan, The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic; an abridged version of the tenth book, translated by William J. Johnson, The Sauptikaparvan of the Mahabharata: The Massacre at Night; an abridged (~900 pages) but comprehensive retelling by Carole Satyamurti, Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling.
Personally I'd recommend Menon's prose version, which I've found is quite accurate to the story, if not the poetic aspect. For a complete translation of the actual Mahabharata into English, there's really only one choice: a translation by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, published between 1883 and 1896 (available in various sources online). (There's also a very good version translated by Bibek Debroy, The Mahabharata, 1-10.)
This is an abridged translation (under 500 pages) of the complete Mahabharata epic, translated by Chakravarti Rajagopalachari. This translation is decently readable, but not great; Rajaji was a politician, not a poet, and it really shows. I wouldn't recommend this version.
There are a lot of versions of the Mahabharata, unabridged or abridged or even more abridged, translated into various languages, in prose or in countless types of verse. (There's a lot of versions in Sanskrit as well.) Here are some of the English translations I've read: a two-volume novelisation by Ramesh Menon, The Mahabharata: A Modern Rendering, as well as a ten-volume version in prose, The Complete Mahabharata; an abridged (~900 pages) Penguin Classics version in prose, translated by John D. Smith, The Mahabharata; a very abridged (~200 pages) version by R.K. Narayan, The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic; an abridged version of the tenth book, translated by William J. Johnson, The Sauptikaparvan of the Mahabharata: The Massacre at Night; an abridged (~900 pages) but comprehensive retelling by Carole Satyamurti, Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling.
Personally I'd recommend Menon's prose version, which I've found is quite accurate to the story, if not the poetic aspect. For a complete translation of the actual Mahabharata into English, there's really only one choice: a translation by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, published between 1883 and 1896 (available in various sources online). (There's also a very good version translated by Bibek Debroy, The Mahabharata, 1-10.)