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6th out of 93 books
—
68 voters
Mahabharata
About the book: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...more
Paperback, 444 pages
Published
2012
by Bhavan
(first published 1950)
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Kisah Mahabharata diawali dg pertemuan antara Raja Sentanu dan Dewi Gangga yg cantik jelita. Sentanu ingin menikahi Dewi Gangga, namun Dewi Gangga mengajukan syarat, a.l. tdk akan menghalangi apapun yg Dewi Gangga lakukan. Sentanu menyanggupi. Dari pernikahan mereka, Dewi Gangga melahirkan banyak anak, namun setiap anak yg lahir ditenggelamkannya di sungai Gangga. Sentanu tak kuasa berbuat apa2 krn sumpahnya. Namun ketika Dewi Gangga akan menenggelamkan anaknya yg ke-8, Sentanu tak bisa lagi men...more
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The Mahabharata is in my opinion the greatest story ever told, without even a near second. But this is definitely not the best version out there. Unfortunately, there really isn't a perfect version; but the flaws with this particular work are the following:
Rajaji is a politician, not a writer, and was not capable of moulding the essential story into a readable whole. The first mistake he makes is that he follows the original Ganguli version by summarising the whole story before he even begins! A...more
Rajaji is a politician, not a writer, and was not capable of moulding the essential story into a readable whole. The first mistake he makes is that he follows the original Ganguli version by summarising the whole story before he even begins! A...more
Mahabharata. The greatest story ever told. Discount that this is a rendition by C. Rajagopalachari, you can bank upon his virtuous intellect and assiduous efforts to bring to you the greatest epic in the world veritably unabridged and undefiled.
I am no one to review the Mahabharata and any efforts by me to rate or judge this grandiose epic would do nothing to attenuate the indelible glory of this literary creation.
If there is a book that projects all imaginable and thinkable facets of human exp...more
I am no one to review the Mahabharata and any efforts by me to rate or judge this grandiose epic would do nothing to attenuate the indelible glory of this literary creation.
If there is a book that projects all imaginable and thinkable facets of human exp...more
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 m...more
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 m...more
2 likes · like · see review
sayang sekali saya baca versi Indonesianya (ya iyalah, emang bisa gitu bahasa india??). hehe. maksudnya terjemahannya rada gak ngalir gitu bahasanya. tetapi tetap bagi saya mahabharata adalah cerita yang oke karena saya pecinta sejarah kerajaan dan cerita-cerita tentangnya. termasuk mahabharata. cuma buku ini lebih ringkas menurut saya. soalnya kisah pandawa-kurawa yang pernah saya pelajari waktu SD lebih banyak dan beragam dibandingkan dengan yang ada di buku ini. tapi mungkin juga bahwa cerita...more
The Mahabharata is one of those epics that needs to be constantly re-read. Its been an all time favourite with me since I was a little brat and now that I understand more of the spirituality of the book. From rage, blood lust, fraticide, passion, betrayal this epic has it all.
What I enjoy most about the epic is that even through all the angst, hatred and betrayal each character is shrouded in humanity. Maybe a smaller measure than some but each character has been depicted to the depths with and...more
What I enjoy most about the epic is that even through all the angst, hatred and betrayal each character is shrouded in humanity. Maybe a smaller measure than some but each character has been depicted to the depths with and...more
2 likes · like · see review
I first read this book when I was aged 8.And have read it close to 23 times from cover to cover since then.I have been absolutely in love with this...so much so that I even know the pages and words used by heart!The best part of this book, which is one of the best books about India, is that you get way more than what you bargained for.The number of sub stories within this book is just mind-blowing!It touches almost every cultural aspect of India and also touches on certain major scientific proce...more
A beautiful, beautiful story that resonates across not only cultures but thousands of years. Even though this is the only translation I've read, I understand that C. Rajagopalachari version is the best.
Great book! Tidak mengherankan mengapa buku ini masih fenomenal pada tahun-tahun ini karena walaupun ditulis berabad-abad lampau, buku ini masih menceritakan intrik-intrik politik yang relevan, refleksi hidup, perjuangan, dsb, karena sebenarnya, walaupun zaman berubah, manusia masihlah tetap manusia. Saya menyukai sosok Wrekudara pada kisah-kisah Mahabharata Jawa atau Sansekerta. Tangguh, tersayang, tidak pilih kasih, dan merupakan seorang dari Pandawa yang mendengarkan nasihat Dewa Ruci; sebuah...more
awalnya sih nyari semua cerita tentang penjelmaan Dewa Wisnu, mulai dari Arjuna Sasrabhahu, Ramayana hingga ke Parikesit (putra Abimanyu), dan berhubung Krishna tidak ada buku tersendirinya, jadilah membaca kembali Mahabaratha. Tetap suka cerita ini, banyak yang bisa diambil dari kisah perang Barathayuda di medan Kurusetra. Tentang asal muasal bangsa Baratha, kebijaksanaan Yudhistira, pantang menyerahnya Bima dan Arjuna, sifat iri dan dengki Kurawa yg membawa kehancuran, ketidaksengajaan Kunti h...more
Seperti biasa, karena pengarangnya orang India, tatabahasanya sangat menyejukkan hati siapapun yang membaca karya sastra yang berfilosofi tinggi ini.
Setiap pengarang mempunyai versi tersendiri. Sebenarnya saya masih kurang puas, karena pengarang memilih tidak menceritakan beberapa kisah secara detil dengan alasannya tersendiri. Padahal saya tahu kisah-kisah itu mempunyai jalan cerita tersendiri yang sangat menarik.
Misalnya pada bagian peperangan Bharatayuda, kurang diceritakan secara detail. Pad...more
Setiap pengarang mempunyai versi tersendiri. Sebenarnya saya masih kurang puas, karena pengarang memilih tidak menceritakan beberapa kisah secara detil dengan alasannya tersendiri. Padahal saya tahu kisah-kisah itu mempunyai jalan cerita tersendiri yang sangat menarik.
Misalnya pada bagian peperangan Bharatayuda, kurang diceritakan secara detail. Pad...more
First time I read this version was in 1990 as a nine year old, after being hooked on the tv version, ever since been hooked onto it, trying to find better versions, more detailed versions, even managing to persuade my family in letting me keep all versons at home (there is an old indian superstition that u shouldnt keep it at home! Lol). But how can you not keep a book so beautifully written, of such epic scale, in your home, especially if you love books so much! Plus since both this and The Ram...more
This book is an excellent retelling of arguably one of the greatest stories ever written, the Mahabharata. Personally, in terms of ancient epics, I would put this book above both the Iliad & the Odyssey.
The Mahabharata is the story of a torn kingdom in ancient India, it deals with concepts of leadership, kingship, human relationships, duty, karma, war & religion.
Rajagopalachari has broken down this complex story into something much more manageable but has also retained a lot of the lesso...more
The Mahabharata is the story of a torn kingdom in ancient India, it deals with concepts of leadership, kingship, human relationships, duty, karma, war & religion.
Rajagopalachari has broken down this complex story into something much more manageable but has also retained a lot of the lesso...more
I love epics.
Banyak yang tahu nama Mahabharata, sebuah epik kehidupan - yang menunjukkan setiap orang memegang selembar benang nasib, dan tidak tau kemana benang nasib itu terkait.
Apakah putih atau hitam jalan hidup yang dijalani - yang semuanya terbentuk hanya karena keyakinan, pengetahuan dari ajaran, dan keteguhan hati yang terbentuk sejak awal kehidupan - tidak ada yang bisa menolak kemana benang kita akan terkait.
Masing - masing lembar dapat terkait ke sisi yang dianggap dunia sebagai sis...more
Banyak yang tahu nama Mahabharata, sebuah epik kehidupan - yang menunjukkan setiap orang memegang selembar benang nasib, dan tidak tau kemana benang nasib itu terkait.
Apakah putih atau hitam jalan hidup yang dijalani - yang semuanya terbentuk hanya karena keyakinan, pengetahuan dari ajaran, dan keteguhan hati yang terbentuk sejak awal kehidupan - tidak ada yang bisa menolak kemana benang kita akan terkait.
Masing - masing lembar dapat terkait ke sisi yang dianggap dunia sebagai sis...more
I read recently the Mahabarhata and from the first pages I have not stopped being amazed by the quality and the beauty of the narrative stories .. I find it interesting to discover in a book written many decades ago that humans have not really changed, we always follow the same impulses and even if now we have lost the illusion to believe in magical powers and even in God we always fight for the same things: love, money and power ..
Timeless classic of the Indian subcontinent and a story where everyone in the country has grown up with yet most people have not read the real version or actually read the book. This book is a precise version of it and written in a neat and elegant way. A must read book if you want to understand the later and more complex version of the story and its interpretation.
I've read the Mahabharatha story written by other authors before. And I am extremely familiar with all the other stories associated with it. But I did not like this version at all. The war is explained in an inadequate and silly fashion. He belittles the soul of Mahabharatha.
This is not really a translation but a retelling of the story, which is a very good introduction to the epic, and helps you get your head around the whole story. After reading it I am keen to read the whole unabridged story, which I would probably not have attempted before.
Mahabharata is the greatest epic!! it teaches dos and don'ts in life n its aftereffects. Rajaji's lucid writing will reach all the strata of de society. This book tries to cover all de major instances of dis grand epic and also succeeded in this. Must read!!
Reducing the Mahabharata to 483 pages is kind of like writing a 30 page plot summary of Lord of the Rings. That being said, Rajaji does an admirable job of conveying the basic plot structure of this epic in a way that is both simple and effective.
Unfortunately, however, this book suffers from what is perhaps the worst editing job I've ever come across in book (even more pathetic considering this is supposedly the 50th edition). Typos abound (sometimes more than three per page); page formatting c...more
Unfortunately, however, this book suffers from what is perhaps the worst editing job I've ever come across in book (even more pathetic considering this is supposedly the 50th edition). Typos abound (sometimes more than three per page); page formatting c...more
Excellent translation. Pretty close to the original. The author narrates all the complexities of the story without being too verbose, which makes it pretty easy to understand. (I've read it when I was 12 years old and could understand most of it)
I like this version of the Mahabharat because it incorporates the heady idealism of the independence movement into a classic story to invigorate it with new meaning. Rajaji's version imbues this classic with meaning and relevance in a modern world.
Diawali dengan menonton Mahabharath, terpesona pada sosok Pandhawa bersaudara serta sosok Krishna...
Berlanjut dibuat berpikir kritis oleh Banerjee tentang sosok dan keberadaan tokoh2 perempuan yg terkesan dibungkam, lalu diberi suara dalam Palace of Illusion oleh wanita berdarah India yg tinggal di Amerika tersebut.
Dan ketika membaca aslinya...nyaris seperti membaca Paradise Lost, membutuhkan waktu, keheningan dan konsentrasi lebih. Tapi tetap, Mahabarata adalah salah satu epik yg menarik perhat...more
Berlanjut dibuat berpikir kritis oleh Banerjee tentang sosok dan keberadaan tokoh2 perempuan yg terkesan dibungkam, lalu diberi suara dalam Palace of Illusion oleh wanita berdarah India yg tinggal di Amerika tersebut.
Dan ketika membaca aslinya...nyaris seperti membaca Paradise Lost, membutuhkan waktu, keheningan dan konsentrasi lebih. Tapi tetap, Mahabarata adalah salah satu epik yg menarik perhat...more
Kisah terhebat yang pernah saya baca. Dimana terjadi sebuah perang saudara antar pihak pandawa dan kurawa.
Lalu, makna yang terkadung dalam setiap babnya begitu terasa dan hebat Buku yang menurutku wajib dibaca. Sungguh menyentuh.
Lalu, makna yang terkadung dalam setiap babnya begitu terasa dan hebat Buku yang menurutku wajib dibaca. Sungguh menyentuh.
May 18, 2013
Poonam Garvan
added it
Had to read it as it was a part of my syllabus..... contained most of the things that i already knew abt "mahabharat". But ofcourse there were things that were new and made it easy for me to continue with the book....
An amazing compilation of world's longest epic. Rajaji was truly a genius. The way he relates age old knowledge to today's world and how it is still as useful as it has ever been.
Ini cerita tentang tokoh-tokoh pandawa, intrik peperangan dan permusuhan dengan saudara-saudaranya (kurawa). penderitaan yang mereka alami dan sikap-sikap yang mereka ambil.
No list is complete without this epic. While I do not recommend any particular author, this book is a classic read that offers new insights no matter how many times we read it.
It would have been much better if it were a proper story as opposed to discrete short stories of characters and events. Revealing how a certain character dies or what their future is way before the war of Kurukshetra happens is not how you tell one of the most epic stories of all time. There's no real character build up. No sense of drama. I didn't find myself awed at all. Disappointing IMO.
The epic , Grand as always , but this version's lacking the story of Ekalavya , Chitrangada and Hidimba , among some others too ......
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