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Mahabharata: Designs of Dharma
From Academy Award-nominated Pixar animator and director, founder of Ghee Happy Studio, and acclaimed author/illustrator Sanjay Patel comes a bold, modern retelling of the Mahabharata, India’s greatest epic.
Adapted, abridged, and illustrated with both humor and heart for a contemporary audience, this stunning visual retelling of the Indian epic the Mahabharata features 400 pages of illustrated text in Academy Award-nominated animator Sanjay Patel’s iconic style.
Ten times the length of the Iliad and the Odyssey combined, the Mahabharata is astonishingly vast in both scope and size, a library of ancient Indian culture and knowledge. In this thrilling modern adaptation of the text, Patel has condensed over 200,000 lines of the original Sanskrit verse into a single, 400-page volume that is easy to understand for those new to the story. Patel’s engaging artwork imparts multiple layers of meaning and story, creating a groundbreaking visual presentation that enables readers to immerse themselves in the Mahabharata and all its wonders.
ACADEMY AWARD-NOMINATED Sanjay Patel is an animator and illustrator who worked at Pixar for 20 years, contributing to many of their most beloved films. In 2015, he wrote and directed the short film Sanjay’s Super Team, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Short Film. In 2018, he launched Ghee Happy Studio, which produces the animated children’s show Ghee Happy, about the Hindu pantheon.
UNIVERSAL While written to be accessible to a middle grade audience, Sanjay’s adaptation of the Mahabharata will appeal to readers of all ages and faiths.
ACCESSIBLE TO This adaptation of the Mahabharata will entrance both those familiar with and new to the story. A dramatis personae, genealogy chart, and map of key locations are included for the uninitiated reader.
PROCESS Includes behind-the-scenes images of Sanjay’s sketch books, story boards, color palettes, and more, with commentary illuminating how he built the stunning world of the Mahabharata.
Adapted, abridged, and illustrated with both humor and heart for a contemporary audience, this stunning visual retelling of the Indian epic the Mahabharata features 400 pages of illustrated text in Academy Award-nominated animator Sanjay Patel’s iconic style.
Ten times the length of the Iliad and the Odyssey combined, the Mahabharata is astonishingly vast in both scope and size, a library of ancient Indian culture and knowledge. In this thrilling modern adaptation of the text, Patel has condensed over 200,000 lines of the original Sanskrit verse into a single, 400-page volume that is easy to understand for those new to the story. Patel’s engaging artwork imparts multiple layers of meaning and story, creating a groundbreaking visual presentation that enables readers to immerse themselves in the Mahabharata and all its wonders.
ACADEMY AWARD-NOMINATED Sanjay Patel is an animator and illustrator who worked at Pixar for 20 years, contributing to many of their most beloved films. In 2015, he wrote and directed the short film Sanjay’s Super Team, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Short Film. In 2018, he launched Ghee Happy Studio, which produces the animated children’s show Ghee Happy, about the Hindu pantheon.
UNIVERSAL While written to be accessible to a middle grade audience, Sanjay’s adaptation of the Mahabharata will appeal to readers of all ages and faiths.
ACCESSIBLE TO This adaptation of the Mahabharata will entrance both those familiar with and new to the story. A dramatis personae, genealogy chart, and map of key locations are included for the uninitiated reader.
PROCESS Includes behind-the-scenes images of Sanjay’s sketch books, story boards, color palettes, and more, with commentary illuminating how he built the stunning world of the Mahabharata.
- GenresComics
432 pages, Hardcover
Published October 28, 2025
About the author
Sanjay Patel
52 books75 followersSanjay Patel is an animator and storyboard artist for Pixar Animation Studios, where he has worked on many features including A Bug's Life, Ratatouille, and the Cars series. Sanjay is also the creator of Ramayana: Divine Loophole, The Big Poster Book of Hindu Deities, and The Little Book of Hindu Deities. His modern interpretations of Hindu epics have been exhibited at the San Francisco Asian Art Museum.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 12, 2026
I haven’t read any other versions so I can’t do a comparison, but Google “sam mendelsohn mahabharata” and you’ll see he has done many comparisons and recommends this version.
My understanding is that it is the easiest to read version that doesn’t skip anything. I enjoyed it quite a bit, both the writing and the illustration. It reminded me of the Usborne version of the Odyssey, in that it dramatically simplifies the story but stays true to it in a kid friendly way. Although parts of this are probably more PG-13…
I both enjoyed it and learned from it. Choosing peace over cycles of violence is a lesson as needed today as it had been for all human history.
Highly recommended. I am the fifth to leave a rating and the second reviewer. This book is great and more people should read it!
My understanding is that it is the easiest to read version that doesn’t skip anything. I enjoyed it quite a bit, both the writing and the illustration. It reminded me of the Usborne version of the Odyssey, in that it dramatically simplifies the story but stays true to it in a kid friendly way. Although parts of this are probably more PG-13…
I both enjoyed it and learned from it. Choosing peace over cycles of violence is a lesson as needed today as it had been for all human history.
Highly recommended. I am the fifth to leave a rating and the second reviewer. This book is great and more people should read it!
March 2, 2026
Incredible Book
This is epic production of an epic too big for me to review. Maybe I’ll try after rereading(s). Don’t be put off by the odd reality it presents. After the shock wears off, you will submerge in it. Also don’t be put off by the contemporary art cartoons. They are actually profound and will grow in expressivity as you read on.
This is epic production of an epic too big for me to review. Maybe I’ll try after rereading(s). Don’t be put off by the odd reality it presents. After the shock wears off, you will submerge in it. Also don’t be put off by the contemporary art cartoons. They are actually profound and will grow in expressivity as you read on.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews