Mahabharata [Paperback]

C. Rajagopalachari (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2005

Originally published in the year 1951,the huge popularity of the book ,has resulted in the book being re-printed several times.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.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Governor General,Governor,Chief Minister,Freedom Fighter and close associate of Mahatma Gandhi,the author lovingly known as C.R was also a popular author.His other popular book RAMAYANA is also a best seller on amazon.

Product Details

• Paperback: 483 pages
• Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan/Mumbai/India; 52nd edition (January 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 8172763689
• ISBN-13: 978-8172763688
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #71,440 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Hinduism > Sanskrit

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the top 2 Translations, February 7, 2009

By 

S. KUMAR "Architect" (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mahabharata (Paperback)

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

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best and Most Readable Concise Edition of the Mahabharata, May 1, 2009

By 

VIN - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mahabharata (Paperback)

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:

1.0 out of 5 stars Good ancient story, terrible modern version, March 21, 2010

By 

Chicken Little - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mahabharata (Paperback)

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!