The Mahabharata, an ancient and vast Sanskrit poem, is a remarkable collection of epics, legends, romances, theology, and ethical and metaphysical doctrine. The core of this great work is the epic struggle between five heroic brothers, the Pandavas, and their one hundred contentious cousins for rule of the land. This is the second volume of van Buitenen's acclaimed translation of the definitive Poona edition of the text. Book two, The Book of the Assembly Hall, is an epic dramatization of the Vedic ritual of consecration that is central to the book. Book three, The Book of the Forest, traces the further episodes of the heroes during their years in exile. Also included are the famous story of Nala, dealing with the theme of love in separation, and the story of Rama, the subject of the other great Sanskrit epic, the Ramayana, as well as other colorful tales.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The tragedy,
By
This review is from: The Mahabharata, Volume 2: Book 2: The Book of Assembly; Book 3: The Book of the Forest (Paperback)
The tragedy of J.A. B. van Buitenen's most excellent translation is his passing in 1979 that prevented the translation from being completed. Therefore, I warn those who read the first 2200 pages (the first three volumes) that they will have to seek out another translation (such as that by P.Lal, which, in my opinion is not of the caliber of van Buitenen's) if they wish to complete the epic tale. The only complete translation in English of The Mahabharata that I know of is that of Kisari Mohan Ganguli, published by the New Delhi publishing house Munshiram Manoharlal.
An interesting note is that James L. Fitzgerald has continued with van Buitenen's translation, although he began with Vol. 7 (van Buitenen completed the first three volumes) rather than the next volume, 4, and anticipates it will be a 10 volume set. My guess is Fitzgerald began with the most interesting volumes so if he died without completing the project someone else would have to pick up the less interesting parts!
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Scholarly Edition,
By Mooooooooooo (Buffalo, NY) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Mahabharata, Volume 2: Book 2: The Book of Assembly; Book 3: The Book of the Forest (Paperback)
This book is the best scholarly, annotated English edition of the Great Indian epic. It is definitely not for beginners though. If you are already familiar with the story, and would like to know more about the historical bakcground, I highly recommend this. Of course, like most heavily annotated books of ancient scripture, this can't be read like a novel.
8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Very dense,
By
This review is from: The Mahabharata, Volume 2: Book 2: The Book of Assembly; Book 3: The Book of the Forest (Paperback)
I have read many many translations of the Mahabharata. This was the first one that I could not make it through. The translation was so dense and wordy. I ended up giving it to my mom who had a much higher understanding of the Mahabharata, and was able to read through it and enjoy it. Let's just say I would not purchase this as an intro book to the Mahabharata.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
1 (1 ; 1). Maya, a Danava who had been rescued by Arjuna from the Khandava fire, wishes to reciprocate. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
tigerlike man, bull among hermits, diademed man, lovely fords, tigerlike men, unsullied deeds, bridegroom choice, sacred fords, tiger among men, myriad elephants, vibhitaka tree, bull among men, sacrificial terrain, pious hunter, brahmin seers, terrible prowess, tiger among kings, done austerities, good brahmin, rich stipends, strict deportment, superb armor, sagacious son, awesome austerities, flawless limbs Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
King Dharma, Horse Sacrifice, Royal Consecration, World Guardians, King Nala, King Yudhisthira, The Book of the Forest, Sacker of Cities, God of the Hundred Sacrifices, Thirty Gods, Fire God, Kámyaka Forest, The Mahábhárata, Mount Sveta, City of the Elephant, King Janaka, Prince Duryodhana, God of Gods, Lake Dvaitavana, Mount Meru, Horse Race Festival, Sakuni Saubala, Kamyaka Forest, King Bhima, King Kaunteya New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
1 (1 ; 1). Maya, a Danava who had been rescued by Arjuna from the Khandava fire, wishes to reciprocate. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
tigerlike man, bull among hermits, diademed man, lovely fords, tigerlike men, unsullied deeds, bridegroom choice, sacred fords, tiger among men, myriad elephants, vibhitaka tree, bull among men, sacrificial terrain, pious hunter, brahmin seers, terrible prowess, tiger among kings, done austerities, good brahmin, rich stipends, strict deportment, superb armor, sagacious son, awesome austerities, flawless limbs Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
King Dharma, Horse Sacrifice, Royal Consecration, World Guardians, King Nala, King Yudhisthira, The Book of the Forest, Sacker of Cities, God of the Hundred Sacrifices, Thirty Gods, Fire God, Kámyaka Forest, The Mahábhárata, Mount Sveta, City of the Elephant, King Janaka, Prince Duryodhana, God of Gods, Lake Dvaitavana, Mount Meru, Horse Race Festival, Sakuni Saubala, Kamyaka Forest, King Bhima, King Kaunteya New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 6
books:
See all 6 books this book cites
- Civilizations of the Indus Valley and Beyond by Mortimer Wheeler in Front Matter
- Tales of Ancient India by J.A.B. Van Buitenen in Front Matter
- Elephant Lore of the Hindus by F. Edgerton in Back Matter
- Vedic Mythology by Arthur Anthony Macdonell in Front Matter
- Tales of Ancient India (Phoenix Books) by J. A. B. van Buitenen in Front Matter
See all 6 books this book cites
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