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Mahabharata

by Anonymous, Ved Vyasa, William Buck (Translator), B. A. van Nooten (Introduction)

4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 · rating details · 662 ratings · 44 reviews

Few works in world literature have inspired so vast an audience, in nations with radically different languages and cultures, as the Ramayana and Mahabharata, two Sanskrit verse epics written some 2,000 years ago.
In Ramayana (written by a poet known to us as Valmiki), William Buck has retold the story of Prince Rama--with all its nobility of spirit, courtly intrigue, heroi...more

Paperback, 249 pages

Published October 1st 1987 by Penguin Books (first published 1973)

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Mar 09, 2012 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: religion-philosophy, folk-tales, fairy-tales, myths, legends, favorites

I still vividly remember the very first time I read Buck's translation of the Mahabharata. It was my first semester back to school after taking time off to have my son. We lived in a large room that was a sort of add-on to the side of my parent's church and doubled as the nursery on Sundays. My husband was working nights while going to school full time. I was trying to juggle a 21 hour semester at school while simultaneously only having my toddler in daycare for half days. Needless to say, I had...more I still vividly remember the very first time I read Buck's translation of the Mahabharata. It was my first semester back to school after taking time off to have my son. We lived in a large room that was a sort of add-on to the side of my parent's church and doubled as the nursery on Sundays. My husband was working nights while going to school full time. I was trying to juggle a 21 hour semester at school while simultaneously only having my toddler in daycare for half days. Needless to say, I had little enough time for school work, and even less for reading for pleasure. It was assigned reading for our Honors Humanities Project - basically a four semester course that combined World Literature, World History, Composition, Religions (and a bunch of other things I am sure I have now forgotten).

So, late one night as my son lie sleeping on a mattress in one corner of the room, I curled up with a lamp and Mahabharata in another - ready to get my assigned reading done for the week. As I began reading, though, something magical happened. I could no longer hear the soft snoring of my son, the whisk of cars along the highway outside the window, or the steady crunch of gravel as people pulled in and out of the liquor store across the street. (There is always a liquor store across from the church, isn't there?) Nor could I feel the weight of all the things I needed to do but hadn't yet done pressing down on me. For the first time in a long time I was transported somewhere else. Buck's words washed over me, through me, surrounded me, engulfed me. I did not stop at whatever arbitrary page had been chosen on the syllabus, but continued on until I had devoured it in full.

For a long time after that, I carried it with me to revisit. I loved the stories within stories within stories. I could reread the whole book, or the 30 page story within the book, or the 11 page story within the 30 page story, or the 2 page story within the 11 page story. I cannot read the Mahabharata in its original language, but I like to think that Buck did something very right in the way he chose to translate it. His language is lyrical. Reading it is like listening to the ocean, humming a lullaby, or listening to crickets and tree frogs in spring - but not quite. The cadence is comfortable, but also slightly unfamiliar. I understand all the words, but he puts them together in new ways that completely change the way I think about the words.

Five years and innumerable readings later I still love it as much as the first time I picked it up. The edges are a little worn, the pages a little smudged, the cover has some deep seams where it has been folded and can't be smoothed. Now, I read those small stories within the stories to my son at bedtime. Slowly working my way out to the larger stories, the bigger picture, even so far as to tell the story of Buck himself - a young man entranced by the spirit and flavor of the sweeping epics of India, intent on sharing them in his own language. I love becoming part of this tradition of stories of storytellers telling stories of storytellers, spiraling forward through the generations.(less)

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Sep 02, 2010 Welwyn Katz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is an easy to read translation (if any are truly easy) of the great epic tale from India about the terrible feud and resulting battle between the Pandavas and Kurus (really two branches of one family). In some ways it is not always absorbing because there are so many details a modern author might skip without realizing their future importance in another book such as the Ramayana, which Buck also translated and which I own, though I have not read it yet. However, in sum, Buck has made of the...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Christopher Bennett rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: spirituality

Puts the Gita - aka 'The Song of God,', Lord Krishna's timeless commentary to the great Warrior Arjun before the brother-against-brother battle of the Pandavs & kauravas- into epic context. I had read the Gita before but honestly the Mahabharata took the entire experience to a new height, guiding the reader into a grand centuries-long introduction that serves as a great prequel and build up to the story of the war of the great houses of Kaurava and Pandav. In due course the reader is introdu...more

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May 21, 2011 Jijo Varghese rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read it as a child, and it made me to believe that in all epics there will be a hidden hero, and in this too..there is Karna. Most interpretations on Mahabharata characters are for Karna.I couldn't help myself in falling love with him, as a human,I would say he is the prominent character in this, his humanitarian concepts, his relationships as a friend, as a son and as a devotee of his father( the ultimate energy source sun).
After reading this, first thing I done was to search interpretations...more

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Nov 13, 2008 Gregory rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just can't get to the end of this. I loved how they were all born in the weirdest possible ways--mom came out of a fish, mom had sex with the sun, you and your hundred brothers were divided up from a gelatinous mass. Their deaths just aren't--quite--as interesting.

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Aug 08, 2012 John rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A master story with many digressions composed over a millennia during the Axial Age in India, this is the subcontinent's equivalent of Bible, Homeric Iliad and Odyssey, Aesop's Fables, Wharton's Mythology and the canon of Greek philosophy all rolled into one enormous epic. While most of the work consists of oral stories that were transcribed, at least twenty authors actually wrote those stories down between 400 BC and 300 AD. The earlier chapters of the work date back at least three thousand yea...more

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Nov 30, 2009 Conessha rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

had to read this book for my class for religion in India.. Its really and interesting read.... if you are interested in India's culture, and religions.

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Mar 19, 2011 Nicholas Whyte rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Mahābhārata is much more accessible than, say, The Koran or Ta Hsüeh and Chung Yung, though also much much longer - the Penguin edition is 800 pages, and that is with two thirds of the text brutally summarized. Of course, it helps that there is a plot as well as profound philosophical, theological and moral discourse; perhaps the fairer comparison is with Homer (where I think the Mahābhārata still wins).

I did sometimes find it difficult to keep the names straight on my head; John D. Smith's...more The Mahābhārata is much more accessible than, say, The Koran or Ta Hsüeh and Chung Yung, though also much much longer - the Penguin edition is 800 pages, and that is with two thirds of the text brutally summarized. Of course, it helps that there is a plot as well as profound philosophical, theological and moral discourse; perhaps the fairer comparison is with Homer (where I think the Mahābhārata still wins).

I did sometimes find it difficult to keep the names straight on my head; John D. Smith's translation and adaptation makes few concessions. I'm not used to Indian nomenclature and wasn't quite prepared for Kṛṣṇa rather than Krishna. It was rather late in the book before I distinguished Bhīṣma and Bhīma; and I was puzzled by the brother and sister demons Hiḍimbā and Hiḍimba until I looked a bit closer. But this is how one learns.

The epic itself is a grand mythological tale of a battle between two families, the hundred demonic sons of Dhṛtarāṣtra and the five Pāṇḍava brothers (who between them have four fathers and two mothers). The first five books (of 18) are the setup: the genealogy of the two sides, including various miraculous feats of reproduction - pregnancies varying in length from a day to a year, children born from the landscape after passing heroic men ejaculate upon it; I note also that women in the Mahābhārata actually menstruate which is rare in any fiction I have read. There is even a transsexual charioteer, Śikhaṇḍī.

The actual battle, which occupies the next five books, is about as tedious as most fictional epic battles. I was interested though that the world of the Mahābhārata is actually rather high-tech; Indra's chariot which takes people to another world is distinctly spaceshippy, and the mystical Weapons of This and That which are wielded on the battlefield are definitely technologies of mass destruction, a thought which famously occurred to Robert Oppenheimer. Also of course one has built up a certain sympathy for the characters in the earlier chapters, particularly the Pāṇḍava brothers and their long-suffering joint wife, Draupadī.

The philosophy comes in two large chunks. The more famous passage is actually the shorter of the two: the Bhagavad Gītā is preached by Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna, the most attractive character among the Pāṇḍava brothers, on the eve of the battle, and is an exposition on the theme of dharma, which encompasses duty, legal obligation, and destiny. But I actually found more interesting the longer passage, two entire books (books 12 and 13) of the dying reflections of Bhīṣma (fatally wounded at the start of the battle, seven books earlier). It is a fascinating blend of very profound meditations on the meaning of life and how one should behave to one's fellow human beings and the natural world, combined with a fairly strong element of supernatural justification for the continued social supremacy of the Brahman class.

Anyway, this is a colossally intense read, and probably it's worth trying to absorb through some other medium rather than a paperback adaptation (eg the Indian TV series, which in this day and age cannot be too difficult to obtain). But I found it rather rewarding. (less)

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Mar 27, 2011 Furball rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Mythos lovers :)

Shelves: poetry, classics, mythology, favorites

Quick Introduction:
Mahabharata, being the longest epic poetry ever created in epic poetry history, is one of Hinduism's greatest works. Written in Sanskrit, Mahabharata is a complex, interesting story revolved around the sons of Pandu and sons of Dhritrashtra.

My Personal Review:
THE MAHABHARATA IS AMAZING!!! Sure, it was written a long time ago in Sanskrit and all that, but I went nuts over this story. :) Even though this is my first year of learning India culture and reading India epic poetry,...more Quick Introduction:
Mahabharata, being the longest epic poetry ever created in epic poetry history, is one of Hinduism's greatest works. Written in Sanskrit, Mahabharata is a complex, interesting story revolved around the sons of Pandu and sons of Dhritrashtra.

My Personal Review:
THE MAHABHARATA IS AMAZING!!! Sure, it was written a long time ago in Sanskrit and all that, but I went nuts over this story. :) Even though this is my first year of learning India culture and reading India epic poetry, I got drawn to India's epic poetry immediately. Compared to the Ramayana, I personally think the Mahabharata is better with more relate-able characters. In addition, the story is more complex and intriguing. My most favorite part about this epic is probably the wise messages it sends to us readers. My favorite character is Yudhistira, of course, because of his true dharma. (Then again, Yudhistira was born to the god of duty, after all. :)) Either way, the Mahabharata was AWESOME and that this should totally be something everyone reads at least one in their life. (At least the abridged English version, that is. :DD)

Specific Stories I have read from the Mahabharata:
Sibi - Pretty interesting. About King Sibi trying to protect a dove by distracting the hawk. The self sacrifice and cutting of the thigh gave me the shivers, but the message of dharma is nice. (Read on 3/5/11)

Hundred Questions - At first, I was thinking how stupid the brothers were to keep getting themselves killed. I did, however, liked Yudhistira's answer in the end in reviving his youngest brother for the reasons to have both of his mother's sons alive. Great message on justice, wisdom, and dharma. Probably one of my most favorite moments of the Mahabharata. (Read on 3/13/11)

Bhagavad Gita - Most famous excerpt of the Mahabharata. It centers around Arjuna, the warrior, refusing to fight his cousins from the enemy lines. Arjuna only decides to fight after he is consulted with the God Krishna (who is disguised as a charioteer). Interesting text. (Read on 3/16/11)

**I personally this that this is the best Indian mythology/epic of all the other epics.
The Ramayana and Panchatantra were good, but not nearly as interesting and relate-able as the Mahabharata. :)(less)

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May 21, 2010 GeekChick rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Anyone wondering why I moved so many books to my "on hold" shelf, this is why!

I'm reading this in preparation to read Shashi Tharoor's "The Great Indian Novel," which is supposedly based on this in some way. Tharoor's book is about the Indian fight for independence from Britain....so I'm thinking he uses the metaphor of the warring cousins as the stage-setter.

The Maha is a B-I-G book for sure. But as always, Penguin delivers. They are my go-to publishers for translations. This edition is abridg...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Anthea Carson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I started reading this in an attempt to write a hubpage article on the history of chess and quickly realized this book was as complex and full of mystery as the game of chess itself. I gave up half way through, not from boredom or lack of interest but simply due to mental exhaustion. It is not an easy read, but it is worth pursuing, and someday I plan to pick it up again and try to read the whole thing, which in itself was a mere abridgment of the original, which is many volumes long.

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Jul 28, 2012 Lynden Rodriguez rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: asian-culture, sacred-texts, religion

I have read parts, if not all, of the Mahabharata over the years; first beginning in the early 1970's when my interest was growing in yoga, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, etc. I would suggest that all people become more familiar with other peoples' beliefs, as they impact our world as the nation of India becomes more important on the world scene. This, and other sacred texts, have become more important as the years go by, and we all become familiar with our "neighbors," and our alliances make for a...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Sammi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-for-school

Definitely my favorite read of the semester. It had all the best parts of the excessively annoying heroic stuff that turned my off from Beowulf and The Odyssey. It had a strong sense of family that I enjoyed, and Draupadi is probably my favorite female character of all time. Overall just a really great story/collection stories, and I can't wait to read the Ramayana to supplement my knowledge of Indian epics.

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May 02, 2013 Vijeta rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013

The Mahabharata is, well, much more muchier. There's a muchness about it that the Greek epics lacked for me. The prose may not be entirely poetical but its imagery is tremendously vivid and graphic. Buck's translation isn't the complete Mahabharata but it captured the soul of it.

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Oct 28, 2011 Harish Kumar Sarma Challapalli rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: epics, all-time-favs, favorite-authors, indian-authors, inspirational, mythology, philosophy, religious, read-more-than-once, saw-this-movie

This is considered as one of the TRIO-Epics of Indian culture.

Besides its epic narrative of the Kurukshetra War and the fates of the Kauravas and the Pandavas, the Mahabharata contains much philosophical and devotional material, such as a discussion of the four "goals of life" or purusharthas.

This is considered as the grandhas which guides people to live a sociable life.

The division was into 18 parvas

Personally, I feel i have no words to describe these Trio-epics!!

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Aug 24, 2011 Kerry rated it 4 of 5 stars

I can't claim that I've read all of the Mahabharata, but I did enjoy learning more about the sacred Hindu text, especially Arjuna's enlightenment, and it helped me teach my students the comparative religious archetypes found worldwide.

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Aug 16, 2010 Diana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't believe I've ever before read so many different ways to have a baby that do not involve a woman. I wanted to believe that the Mahabharata promotes non-violence and pacifism. In the end, I feel like the message is "don't be cruel" but violence and war are necessary because some humans have got some sharp ass edges and besides, it controls the population. One of my favorite quote, "No," said Vibhandaka, "I must walk lest comfort destroy all men." I also like that there is a cow god, aftera...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Ron Khare rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Easily the best "translation" out there. While it might not be 100% accurate, it does take a huge, obscure tome and distill it down to one highly-readable novel.

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May 13, 2012 Donna rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Very tough read - many many names, and really long. I think I should have gone with a shortened version

Book # 16 in Clifton Fadiman's New Lifetime Reading Plan.

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Jul 04, 2012 Sahil rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, mythology

Amazing book. The magnanimity at which it was written plus every character is so detailed. It is without doubt one of my all time favorites.

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Aug 19, 2012 Kwende rated it 4 of 5 stars

A condensed version of the classic epic of war and destiny

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Aug 07, 2012 Shala rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fantastical stories...they are so crazy!

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Aug 08, 2011 Ensiform rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, mythology, india

The epic condensed and retold in prose form by William Buck. Apparently he worked from a translation of the original, being not much of a linguist himself, but it's supposed to be a good version, and he is a fairly good story-teller. Once the actual story of the Pandavas kicked in, I found myself engrossed, although the tragedy of the war didn't come out except explicitly in the telling, perhaps because the Pandavas and their actions were glorified too much.

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Feb 23, 2008 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of my top 5 five books of all time. Adventure, drama, humor, romance, sorrow, transcendence - it's all in there. Buck's prose is lush, gorgeous.

I know that Buck shortened things, rearranged some things and westernized some things. Still , I believe this is the best version for westerners to get closest to the same gut experience, the same feeling as cultural natives do when hearing these stories.

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Feb 01, 2013 Tom Harvey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

of course I love these great books. I think I enjoyed the Ramayana a little more (it has my favorite story).

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Jul 27, 2010 Megan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well, I started to read this and then stopped because it is really intense and I got lost a lot. I had to re-read each story several times for it to make sense and while it was interesting, it was a little heavy for my mood right now. Someday I will try to make it through this story because I think it was really good just too many confusing names!

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Mar 26, 2012 Autumn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I gave this three stars because the story of the Mahabharata is one of the "greatest stories ever told". It just so happens that this translation is probably not the best or most accurate. It seemed to gloss over every scene and skip many other stories that I know are in the epic.

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Aug 04, 2012 Ben marked it as maybe

Shelves: western-canon, south-asia, world-library-100, religion

Seven times the length of the Odyssey and Illiad combined? Sorry, unless I get compelling evidence why this book is vitally important to my understanding of Western literature, I am going to wimp out, and just read the much more manageable Bhagavad Gita.

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Mar 18, 2008 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-favorites, mythology-folklore-fairy-tales

this is one of the most beautiful books i've ever read. an ancient tale that chronicals the beginning of the human race. buck's version doesn't include the bhagavad gita, which was originally part of the text of the mahabharata.

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Feb 20, 2013 Mjm rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a beautifully written version of one of the world's great epics. Buck boils it down to the core of the story to create an unprecedentedly accessible version, ideal for Western readers.

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