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Centuries ago, it was proclaimed of the Mahabharata: "What is not in it, is nowhere." But even now, we can use the same words about it. He who knows it not, knows not the heights and depths of the soul; he misses the trials and tragedy and the beauty and grandeur of life. More details: The Mahabharata is not a mere epic; it is a romance, telling the tale of heroic men and women, and of some who were divine; it is a whole literature in itself, containing a code of life, a philosophy of social and ethical relations, and speculative thought on human problems that is hard to rival; but, above all, it has for its core the Gita,which is, as the world is beginning to find out, the noblest of scriptures and the grandest of sagas in which the climax is reached in the wondrous apocalypse in the Eleventh Canto. The book's popularity is such taht it has run into forty two reprints.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
I looked for rajagopalachari's translation after I read The ramayana which he translated. Having bought the ramayana in delhi very cheap i then found it very hard to find this book. If there is a copy - grab it!
The book is easy to read and occasional commentary makes it easier to understand the meaning throughout the book. Things that non indians might miss, having not been brought up in a hindu culture. These indian hindu epics are amazing reads even for those not interetsed in religion. Beautiful vivid imagery, characters and adventures.
One slight dissapointment is that this version does not contain the baghavad gita... but this is understandable. To condense a story the monstrous size of the mahabharata in to one manageable book is quite a feat. This is done very well.
I will now be buying his translation of the gita (even though I have already read it. I know he will do it justice) and the upanishads.
Worth reading the ramayana too (which incidentally I prefer slightly).
The book is easy to read and occasional commentary makes it easier to understand the meaning throughout the book. Things that non indians might miss, having not been brought up in a hindu culture. These indian hindu epics are amazing reads even for those not interetsed in religion. Beautiful vivid imagery, characters and adventures.
One slight dissapointment is that this version does not contain the baghavad gita... but this is understandable. To condense a story the monstrous size of the mahabharata in to one manageable book is quite a feat. This is done very well.
I will now be buying his translation of the gita (even though I have already read it. I know he will do it justice) and the upanishads.
Worth reading the ramayana too (which incidentally I prefer slightly).
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
I bought this as a gift for a friend who is interested in Indian mythology. Rajagopalachari's style is simple, direct and very clear. She is really enjoying this book, which makes Indian literature so accessible to a Western mind
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
8 reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
One of the top 2 Translations
7 Feb 2009
This book is a concise and nice translation. No doubt about it, however if you are a looking for a comprehensive & more faithful translation, following book is recommended:
~ Mahabharata: The Greatest Spiritual Epic of All Time - Krishna Dharma
~ Mahabharata: The Greatest Spiritual Epic of All Time - Krishna Dharma
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
The Best and Most Readable Concise Edition of the Mahabharata
2 May 2009
I've owned Rajagopalachari's version of the Mahabharata now for more than 10 years. Whenever I am compelled to absorb the teachings in Hinduism or revisit the story, this book comes to mind. It's easy to understand and straightforward. It lacks the recycled feel that often comes across by other authors, and instead brings its own style in telling the story while staying true to the events. Not too lengthy but at the same time, not overly simple. I would, however, recommend purchasing the hardcover version which may be more rare and can't be obtained from Amazon. I have seen the version Amazon sells and it is fairly poor quality. Amazon's version is also more expensive than it really should be.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Good ancient story, terrible modern version
21 Mar 2010
Amazon Verified Purchase
The actual story itself is gripping and interesting. It flows well, has lots of interesting side stories, and produces great insights on traditional Indian culture and religion. The Mahabharata is, of course, one of the great classics, so reviewing the story itself is a bit silly, but I'm saying this to make clear that the low rating is because of the translation, not the story itself.
I don't know Sanskrit, so can't attest to the accuracy of the translation, but the prose in this translation is often weak and almost childish. I'm baffled as to how this can be the 53rd edition, as every couple of pages I ran into misspelled words and misformatted paragraphs with extra blank spaces. Words are often alphabetized incorrectly in the glossary. These are hardly the most horrible things one could imagine in a book, but they did detract from my overall experience, and certainly made me question the professionalism and accuracy of the translation, when they couldn't even bother to proofread for spelling.
However, by far my biggest complaint is that the author has decided to intersperse his own commentary throughout this classic story. He hasn't bothered to make clear which comments are his own, and which are in the original, so that I'm often left guessing whether some bit of moralizing about the actions of a character are giving me a view into the minds of ancient Indian culture, or that of the modern author. Not what I want when I read a classic!
I don't know Sanskrit, so can't attest to the accuracy of the translation, but the prose in this translation is often weak and almost childish. I'm baffled as to how this can be the 53rd edition, as every couple of pages I ran into misspelled words and misformatted paragraphs with extra blank spaces. Words are often alphabetized incorrectly in the glossary. These are hardly the most horrible things one could imagine in a book, but they did detract from my overall experience, and certainly made me question the professionalism and accuracy of the translation, when they couldn't even bother to proofread for spelling.
However, by far my biggest complaint is that the author has decided to intersperse his own commentary throughout this classic story. He hasn't bothered to make clear which comments are his own, and which are in the original, so that I'm often left guessing whether some bit of moralizing about the actions of a character are giving me a view into the minds of ancient Indian culture, or that of the modern author. Not what I want when I read a classic!
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