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Mahabharata
• European and Italian Renaissance influences, together with Indian decorative elements and a spiritual ethos
• Elaborately drawn and brightly colored suite articulates the great heroic epic
The epic Mahabharata, eulogized and worshiped by devotees worldwide, takes center stage in the artist's current creative repertoire. Tomassetti’s paintings, mostly in large size and bold colors, engage with the phenomenal Sanskrit epic of ancient India. As the title suggests it is a mahan (great) narration about bharatbaraga (descendants of Bharat/India), inscribed millennia ago by rishi Vyasadeva, around 400 BCE. Revered as a significant civilizational marker, the Mahabharata is the longest epic poem ever written. In its original, full form, it contains about 1.8 million words in over 100,000 shlokas (couplets) or 200,000 plus individual verse lines and long prose passages. Over the centuries, it has been revised and interpolated in attempts to unravel its historical or compositional layers and continues to be engagingly mysterious.
It traverses the struggle for sovereignty between two groups of the Kauravas and the Pandavas. The intrigues, struggles, and morals underlined in the spiritual narrative are replayed in amazing dramatic imagery in this body of work by artist Giampaolo Tomassetti, also known as JnananjanaDasa.
• Elaborately drawn and brightly colored suite articulates the great heroic epic
The epic Mahabharata, eulogized and worshiped by devotees worldwide, takes center stage in the artist's current creative repertoire. Tomassetti’s paintings, mostly in large size and bold colors, engage with the phenomenal Sanskrit epic of ancient India. As the title suggests it is a mahan (great) narration about bharatbaraga (descendants of Bharat/India), inscribed millennia ago by rishi Vyasadeva, around 400 BCE. Revered as a significant civilizational marker, the Mahabharata is the longest epic poem ever written. In its original, full form, it contains about 1.8 million words in over 100,000 shlokas (couplets) or 200,000 plus individual verse lines and long prose passages. Over the centuries, it has been revised and interpolated in attempts to unravel its historical or compositional layers and continues to be engagingly mysterious.
It traverses the struggle for sovereignty between two groups of the Kauravas and the Pandavas. The intrigues, struggles, and morals underlined in the spiritual narrative are replayed in amazing dramatic imagery in this body of work by artist Giampaolo Tomassetti, also known as JnananjanaDasa.
126 pages, Paperback
Published March 18, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 26, 2018
There are 22 Mahabharata stories narrated in this book by Krishna Dharma and each story is accompanied by beautiful paintings and pencil sketches which are simply mesmerizing. Those beautiful artwork done by Giampaolo Tomassetti, also known as Jnananjana Dasa. It took him 12 years to paint some of the most iconic scenes from the legendary epic.
This book consist of 124 pages. Of course Mahabharata can't be justify by just 124 pages but those paintings are very beautiful hence 5 stars.
This book consist of 124 pages. Of course Mahabharata can't be justify by just 124 pages but those paintings are very beautiful hence 5 stars.
March 17, 2018
This book has 22 pictures of Giampaolo Tomassetti's Oil on Canvas paintings, accompanied by pencil sketches and short write-ups introducing the subject of each painting. The blurbs can be skipped if you have a basic familiarity with the epic.
The art style is unique, paintings very rich in detail and the printing paper is of a very good quality. Mahabharata is huge and obviously 22 paintings can't do justice to the epic but the effort itself is worth a lot of appreciation. Almost half of the paintings in this series are from the war portion of the Mahabharat, the last being on the death of Karna. The ones that I liked best - Save my honour (Draupadi meets Krishna), O Brother! (Bhima and Hanuman), Parthasarathi (Krishna leads Arjuna into battle), and The Young Hero (Abhimanyu is martyred in battle).
The art style is unique, paintings very rich in detail and the printing paper is of a very good quality. Mahabharata is huge and obviously 22 paintings can't do justice to the epic but the effort itself is worth a lot of appreciation. Almost half of the paintings in this series are from the war portion of the Mahabharat, the last being on the death of Karna. The ones that I liked best - Save my honour (Draupadi meets Krishna), O Brother! (Bhima and Hanuman), Parthasarathi (Krishna leads Arjuna into battle), and The Young Hero (Abhimanyu is martyred in battle).
September 12, 2018
Brilliant, Extraordinary, heart touching paintings and picturization of various scenes from Mahabharat
July 26, 2020
The pictures in this book are breathtaking! It’s how I pictured the scenes and characters when I read these stories in the past! Totally worth it just for the art.
November 21, 2020
purely stunning ❤️
October 26, 2023
The paintings are beautiful and the narration adds much more beauty to them. Overall its a good combination or words and art taking you back to those times.
May 10, 2025
Western style on Indian themes.
July 31, 2025
favorite paintings (ordered):
- Karna
- The Fall of the Hero
- Karna and Kunti
- Kunti and Draupadi
- Towards Badarika-ashram
- Karna
- The Fall of the Hero
- Karna and Kunti
- Kunti and Draupadi
- Towards Badarika-ashram
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews