Mahabharata Contributor(s): Slavitt, David R. (Adapted by), Carrigan, Henry L. (Introduction by) |
|
ISBN: 0810130599 ISBN-13: 9780810130593 Publisher: Northwestern University Press OUR PRICE: $22.46 Product Type: Paperback Published: March 2015 |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Poetry | Subjects & Themes - Inspirational & Religious - Religion | Hinduism - General |
Dewey: 294.592 |
LCCN: 2014050149 |
Series: Northwestern World Classics |
Physical Information: 1.3" H x 6.1" W x 9.2" (1.70 lbs) 592 pages |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: Within its 200,000 verse lines in Sanskrit the Mahabharata takes on many roles: epic poem, foundational text of Hinduism, and, more broadly, the engaging story of a dynastic struggle and the passing of an age when man and gods intermingled. David R. Slavitt's sparkling new edition condenses the epic for the general reader. At its core, the Mahabharata is the story of the rivalry between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, two related noble families who are struggling for control of a kingdom in ancient northern India. Slavitt's readable, plot-driven, single-volume account describes an arc from the conception and birth of Bhishma to that hero's death, while also introducing the four goals of life at the center of Hinduism: dharma (righteousness, morality, duty), artha (purpose), kāma (pleasure), and moksa (spiritual liberation). The Mahabharata is engaging, thrilling, funny, charming, and finally awesome, with a range in timbre from the impish naivete of fairy tales to the solemnity of our greatest epics, and this single-volume edition is the best introduction available. |