| Subcategories |
 |
Religion & Spirituality |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Mahabharata
Studio : Motilal Banarsidass,
by Motilal Banarsidass,
Publisher : Motilal Banarsidass,
Released : 2000-09-01
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
EAN : 9788120817197
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 25 reviews)
Our Price : $7.50
|
|
| |
|
Product Description |
|
The Mahabharata is the story of a dynastic struggle that provides a social, moral and cosmological background tot he climatic battle. |
| |
|
| |
|
"Once Hearing This, Who Can Bear Listening to Other Stories?" |
India has two great Epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, which have influenced popular Hinduism more over the last 2,000 years than the Sacred Scriptures, the Vedas, themselves.
The Ramayana tells of how Sri Rama, helped by the monkey/god Hanuman, rescues his wife Sita, kidnapped by the demon Ravana and held captive in his fortress on Sri Lanka. The Mahabharata is a more complex tale of war, betrayal, thoughtless oaths and the tragedies of loyalty.
The Ramayana is a literary epic, shapely and polished. The Mahabharata is a titanic, sprawling miscellany, filling half a shelf on a book-case. Complete sets gather dust and nourish weevils in University Libraries.
In what was both a labour of love and a virtuoso feat, William Buck distilled the pure story into one small magical paperback. Not for scholarship, not for religious devotion, for pure delight. This is a book that makes all fantasy fiction look lame. It is as enchanting as "The Lord of the Rings" and as credible as "All Quiet on the Western Front." The giddying intricacy of the narrative is the organic intricacy of a fern unfolding, not the mechanical intricacy of a thriller. It took generations and a whole civilisation to create this book. There are not many like it.
In two words. Read it. If you have children 10, 12 or older, get them to read it, buy it on CD, download it or (!?) read it to them. Friends, neighbours or the people you bump into at the supermarket, get them to read it. And if there's someone you especially dislike, someone who is making your life difficult, give them a copy. You just never know. They may decide you're so weird they'll leave you alone from now on. |
| |
|
Not for the Scholarly anyway |
This is by far the best written English version of this epic; William Buck strives for the essence and feeling of the text, not a scholarly literal translation that is archived elsewhere and is inaccessible to the many. There are other reviewers who criticise Buck's rendition for this very reason, however Buck never intended his rendition to BE scholarly, and as for the differences in the content mentioned elsewhere, it must be understood that there isn't any one version of the story, and instead Buck's approach was to develop the characters themselves and THEN the essence and spirit of the story, focusing on what the lessons and values instead of tedious accuracy.
Bottom line: If you know Sanskrit, go elsewhere as this wasn't meant for you. If you don't, and want the essence and spirit of this great epic; Buck rules supreme.
|
| |
|
Buck's Mahabharata |
The Mahabharata is the world's longest epic, but this version is short and sweet. Like Buck's Ramayana, it conveys the essence and spiritual energy of the original, in this case without having to read all 18 volumes. Highly recommended.
I enjoyed C. Rajagopalachari's version but vastly prefer Buck's and have recommended these to many people over the years who have been delighted with it. |
| |
|
Not the best version of Mahabharata to read |
|
I would strongly recommend you to get "The Mahabharata" retold by C.Rajagopalachari. This is the best version of the Mahabhatata you can ever read!!! Please do not buy the version by William buck... |
| |
|
For Flavor and Sense, A Fine Introduction |
I am pleased to see so many reviews of this book. I have read it several times, most recently a week ago, and though I now like it less than I first did, the first encounter was delight, and I still enjoy the warmth and energy of Buck's version. He is validated by centuries of prior writers adapting the MAHABHARATA for their audiences.
I, too, am sorry that Buck decided to make some of the changes and omissions he did, but as others have pointed out this volume is a fine way to sample the taste and sensibilities of Sanskrit literature, including its humor.
Buck was pretty good at inserting translations of key phrases, suggesting the use of aphorism throughout the epic, and he provided plenty of clues to the complexity of original. Most important, he kept the story moving along. (His RAMAYANA is an even better example of his rendering of Sanskrit epic into English story.) Like others, I would recommend this MAHABHARATA in preference to the R. K. Narayan version from Penguin, which is much more drastically condensed.
The Clay Sanskrit Library is now issuing new translations, real translations, of the MAHABHARATA in parts. I'd recommend "The Forest" for anyone seeking to get a better sense of how extensive the subplots and interspersed stories are. |
| |
|
|
|
