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The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version Of The Indian Epic
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The Mahabharata Tells A Story Of Such Violence And Tragedy That Many People In India Refuse To Keep The Full Text In Their Homes, Fearing That If They Do, They Will Invite A Disastrous Fate Upon Their House. Covering Everything From Creation To Destruction, This Ancient Poem Remains An Indelible Part Of Hindu Culture And A Landmark In Ancient Literature.Centuries Of Listeners And Readers Have Been Drawn To The Mahabharata, Which Began As Disparate Oral Ballads And Grew Into A Sprawling Epic. The Modern Version Is Famously Long, And At More Than 1.8 Million Wordsseven Times The Combined Lengths Of The Iliad And Odysseyit Can Be Incredibly Daunting.Contemporary Readers Have A Much More Accessible Entry Point To This Important Work, Thanks To R. K. Narayans Masterful Translation And Abridgement Of The Poem. Now With A New Foreword By Wendy Doniger, As Well As A Concise Character And Place Guide And A Family Tree, The Mahabharata Is Ready For A New Generation Of Readers. As Wendy Doniger Explains In The Foreword, Narayan Tells The Stories So Well Because Theyre All His Stories. He Grew Up Hearing Them, Internalizing Their Mythology, Which Gave Him An Innate Ability To Choose The Right Passages And Their Best Translations.In This Elegant Translation, Narayan Ably Distills A Tale That Is Both Traditional And Constantly Changing. He Draws From Both Scholarly Analysis And Creative Interpretation And Vividly Fuses The Spiritual With The Secular. Through This Balance He Has Produced A Translation That Is Not Only Clear, But Graceful, One That Stands As Its Own Story As Much As An Adaptation Of A Larger Work.
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- Q: What is the main theme of The Mahabharata? A: The Mahabharata explores themes of duty, righteousness, and the moral dilemmas faced by its characters, set against a backdrop of conflict and tragedy.
- Q: Who is the author of this modern prose version? A: This modern prose version of The Mahabharata is translated and abridged by R. K. Narayan, a renowned Indian author.
- Q: How long is The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version? A: This edition has 216 pages, making it a more accessible version compared to the original epic, which is over 1.8 million words long.
- Q: What makes this version suitable for contemporary readers? A: R. K. Narayan’s translation simplifies the complex narratives and offers a clear and graceful retelling, making it easier for modern readers to engage with the text.
- Q: Is there additional content included in this edition? A: Yes, this edition includes a new foreword by Wendy Doniger, a concise character and place guide, as well as a family tree to help readers navigate the story.
- Q: What type of binding does this book have? A: The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version is available in paperback binding.
- Q: When was this edition of The Mahabharata published? A: This edition was published on February 12, 2016.
- Q: Is this book appropriate for readers unfamiliar with the original Mahabharata? A: Yes, this abridged version is designed to introduce readers who may not be familiar with the original text to the key stories and themes of The Mahabharata.
- Q: What are the characteristics of R. K. Narayan's translation? A: Narayan's translation is noted for its clarity and grace, balancing traditional storytelling with modern readability, making it engaging for all audiences.
- Q: Can this edition be used as a reference for studying The Mahabharata? A: While this edition is a retelling, its included guides and character summaries make it a helpful reference for understanding the larger epic.