The Mahabharata is the longest literary work in existence. There
is only one unabridged English translation of it, by Kisari Mohan Ganguli,
completed in the 1890's. We offer two editions of this translation--both
are complete and unabridged (items #S4000 and #S4001). J.A.B. van Buitenen
set out to do a second unabridged translation, but passed away after finishing
about a third of it. The completed portion, published by the University
of Chicago, is offered here. Because the van Buitenen contains many readers-aids,
we suggest that first time readers who wish to read the whole work start
with his books.
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The
Mahabharata
Kisari Mohan Ganguli, Trans.
Seven times the length of the Illiad and the
Odyssey combined, this is an unabridged, all-English translation of
the greatest and most characteristically Indian of all sagas; it contains
some 100,000 verses or, to put it in a more Western, materialistic
fashion, some nineteen lbs. of poetry. Sold as a set, everything about
this Mahabharata is stupendous. 12 Vol. Set. Hardcover/4346pp (Indian
edition)
#S4001 $275.00
set
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The
Mahabharata
Kisari Mohan Ganguli, Trans.
This is a smaller print edition of the above,(#
S4001,) complete and unabridged. In the world of classical literature
The Mahabharata is unique in many respects. It is the mightiest single
endeavor of literary creation of any culture in human history.
An 11 lb. edition of the gargantuan epic which is said to contain
the solutions to all the problems of human life. A treasure-house
of Indian spirituality with jaw-dropping adventures galore, this is
a true classic of world literature. 4 Vol. Set. Softcover/4290pp (Indian
edition)
#S4000
$99.95 set
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The Mahabharata
—1. The Book of the Beginnings
J. A. B. van Buitenen, Trans. and Ed.
This is the most recent unabridged translation,
one third of which is complete, and the one we recommend if you want
to get started on the family fight between five heroic brothers and
their hundred contentious cousins; van Buitenen provides us with plenty
of context and background, with genealogies of the characters, maps,
footnotes, explanations, etc. The Mahabharata has outlasted many a
translator; van Buitenen died roughly a third of the way through his
own gargantuan task. The full set weighs 6 lbs. Softcover/492pp
#S4002
$29.50
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The Mahabharata
—2.
The Book of the Assembly Hall—3. The
Book of the Forest
J. A. B. van Buitenen, Trans.
Two books in one volume. Book two, The Book
of the Assembly Hall, is an epic dramatization of the Vedic ritual
of consecration that is central to the book. Book three, The Book
of the Forest, traces the further episodes of the heroes during their
years in exile. Softcover/864pp
#S4003
$34.00
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The Mahabharata
—4. The Book of Virata—5. The Book
of the Effort
J. A. B. van Buitenen, Trans.
Two books in one volume. Book 4, The Book of
Virata, begins as a burlesque, but the mood soon darkens amid molestation,
raids, and Arjuna's battle with the principal heroes of the enemy.
Book 5, The Book of the Effort, relates the attempts of the Pandavas
to negotiate the return of their patrimony. They are refused so much
as a "pinprick of land", and both parties finally march
to battle. Softcover/572pp
#S4004
$31.50
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Mahabharata
Kamala Subramaniam, Trans.
This much-beloved translation captures the
epic with dramatic intensity. Duryodhana went to the tent of
his grandfather. He sat near him after saluting him. He said, Grandfather,
I know you are powerful enough to fight with the Gods... Hardcover/766pp
(Indian edition)
#S4005
$34.95
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Mahabharata
Retold by William Buck
This beautifully illustrated edition is an
inspired retelling of this classic epic for the modern reader. Softcover/417pp
#S4007
$16.95
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