The Mahabharata-a modern rendering/2 Vol Set - Softcover

Ramesh Menon

Softcover

ISBN 10: 8129114925 ISBN 13: 9788129114921

Publisher: Rupa & Co/New Delhi/India, 2009

Synopsis

The greatest Indian epic, The Mahabharata, is the tale of life - its intrigues, its joys, its sorrows and about the elusive truth. First composed in verse, coming down the centuries through the ancient oral tradition, the epic has deeply influenced the history, culture, and arts of the subcontinent, as well as most of South-East Asia. The Mahabharata tells of a great war and the events that lead upto it. The battlefield of Kurukshetra and the eventual victory of one of the warring factions leads to the end of a yuga and a new world order comes into existence. The epic is a treasure trove of human feelings and anguish while at the heart of it lies the Song of God, the Bhagavad Gita. At one level, all the restless action of the epic is a quest for the Gita and its sacred stillness. The Gita remains the holiest of all Hindu texts while The Mahabharata continues to enamour readers and scholars all over the world. This new rendering retells the Mahabharata to the contemporary reader in lyrical, modern prose. Without being too short or forbiddingly long, it brings alive all the epic's excitement, magic and grandeur to our times. Published in two Volumes the Book has 821 Pags in Volume.1 and 718 Pages in Vol.2,totalling 1539 Pges.

About this title

About the Author

Ramesh Menon was born in 1951 in New Delhi. He has lived and worked n Delhi, Hong Kong, Bangalore and Jakarta, and presently lives in Kodaikanal. The other Book published by him is a modern translation of the Ramayana.

Review

The Mahabharata is the more recent of India's two great epics and by far the longest. First composed by Maharishi Vyasa in verse, it has come down the centuries in the timeless oral tradition of guru and sishya, profoundly influencing the history, culture and art of not only the Indian subcontinent but most of south-east Asia. At 100,000 couplets it is seven times as long as the lliad and the Odyssey combined: far and away the greatest recorded epic known to man. The Mahabharata is the very Book of Life: in its variety, majesty and also its violence and tragedy. It has been said that nothing exists that cannot be found within the pages of this awesome legend. The epic describes a great war of some 5000 years ago and the events that led to it. The war Kurushetra sees ten million Kshatriyas slain and brings the Dwapara Yuga to an end and ushers in a new and sinister age: this present kali Yuga, modern times. At the heart of the Mahabharata nestles the Bhagavad Gita, the Songs of God. Senayor Ubhayor madhye, between two teeming armies, Krishna expounds the eternal dharma to his warrior of light, Arjuna. At one level all the restless action of the Mahabharata is a quest for the Gita and its scared stillness. After the carnage, it is the Gita that survives, immortal lotus floating upon the dark waters of desolation: the final secret! With its magnificent cast of characters, human, demonic and divine and its riveting narrative, the Mahabharata continues to enchant readers and scholar the world over. This new rendering brings the epic to the contemporary reader in sparki8ng modern prose. It brings alive all the excitement, magic and grandeur of the original for our times. --Unknown

Edition details

• Publisher: Rupa & Co/New Delhi/India
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 8129114925
• ISBN 13: 9788129114921
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 5
• Number of pages: 1564