The Essential Mahabharata

by A.R. Krishnashastri, Arjun Bharadwaj (Translator), Hari Ravikumar (Translator)

The Mahabharata is the greatest epic in the world both in magnitude and profundity. A veritable cultural compendium of Bharata-varsa, it is a product of the creative genius of Maharşi Kṛṣṇa-dvaipayana Vyasa. The epic captures the experiential wisdom of our civilization and all subsequent literary, artistic, and philosophical creations are indebted to it. To read the Mahabharata is to understand the heart of India.

The nucleus of the epic is the Great War between the Pandavas and the Kauravas that was fought at Kuruksetra. The guiding light to the Pandavas and the charioteer of the grand saga is Bhagavan Srikṛṣṇa, the embodiment of the finest values of Sanatana-dharma. A sublime hero like none other, Śrīkṛṣṇa represents s the greatest human ideal.

Prof. A.R. Krishnasastri's classic Vacana Bharata is a high-resolution photograph of the timeless epic that captures its creamiest essence in sculpted Kannada prose. It has been a perennial favourite with Kannadigas since it first came out in 1950. Neither before nor after has such a succinct yet rich-in details abridgement of the world's grandest epic been published in any language.

The Essential Mahabharata is an authentic English translation by Arjun Bharadwaj and Hari Ravikumar, lifelong students of both Bharata and the Bharata.

An insightful essay about the book by Saravadhani Dr. R. Ganesh and an elevating pen portrait of Prof. Krishnasastri by Nädoja Dr. S.R. Ramaswamy adorn this volume.

For anyone who wishes to catch a glimpse of India and savour the essence of the Mahabharata, this book is a must-read!

676 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1949

Reviews

[Ashish Iyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Essential Mahabharata is an abridged rendering of Maharshi Veda-Vyasa’s original Mahabharata. It is an English adaptation of Prof. A.R. Krishnasastri’s Kannada classic Vachana Bharata. The book here is a faithful modern translation of the Kannada original. Those who read this book will understand the essence of the Mahabharata. The very intention of writing Vachana Bharata was that the common should also easily understand and appreciate Mahabharata. Probably one of the best Mahabharata i have read.

The books come with a lot of philosophical discourse about aspects of Dharma. It was a riveting account of the most prestigious war in the Indic civilizational history that bore testimony to many a principle of Dharma and Divine. Krishnasastri takes us through the part of the War that became Adharmic and drifted into an absolute horror. All rules of the game change and it tell us why Dharma is supreme. It provides a new and profound vision for those wanting to understand the epic war that has no end and will go on between the good and the evil until the human race exists.

I also appreciate the fact that this book provided map of Bharata, glossary and extensive footnotes which was quite helpful. Introduction itself was around 100 pages explaining us the nuance of backstories and various writings. The cover of this book is so aesthetic. If you can read Kannada, do read ವಚನ ಭಾರತ or this English one is too good.

[Nishu Thakur · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you can read Kannada, do read Vachana Bharata. You will love it. I loved this Mahabharata.

[Ajay Thakur · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect book to introduce someone to Mahabharata. The language is simple and the translator does not confuse us with lengthy explanations. This is one is as close to the original Sanskrit as you can get and is very readable but remember its an abridged version but it covers every aspect of Mahabharata.

[Shreyansh Thakur · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the must read book on Mahabharata. If you want to read a book on Mahabharata, this should be the one.

[Nachiket · Rating 5 out of 5]

ನಮ್ಮ ಜನರಿಗೆ ಮೂಲ ವ್ಯಾಸಭಾರತವನ್ನು ಓದುವಷ್ಟು ತಾಳ್ಮೆ ಇರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ನಾವು ಓದಿದವರಿಗೆ ಅದನ್ನು ಅವರಿಗೆ ತಿಳಿಸುವುದು ಹೇಗೆಂಬ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ. ಆದರೆ ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಮೂಲ ವ್ಯಾಸಭಾರತದ ಕಥೆಗಳನ್ನು ಯಥಾವತ್ತಾಗಿ ಸಂಕ್ಷಿಪ್ತವಾಗಿ ಕಟ್ಟಿಕೊಡುತ್ತದೆ. ಆಬಾಲವೃದ್ಧರಾದಿಯಾಗಿ ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಬ್ಬರೂ ಓದಲೇಬೇಕಾದ ಪುಸ್ತಕ....

[Praveen Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazingly short book narrating Maha Bharatha. Kudos to the author.

[Mukta D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mahabharata for me is always an interesting read because each of its version presents a different viewpoint as propounded by its author. Each time I read it, I seem to get an entirely new perspective. I guess, this is the beauty of this magnum opus. Vachana Bharata is definitely a compelling read and the book is simply un-putdownable. The introduction of the characters and the exchange of dialogues between them during tense moments of the story are quite intense. This book truly does justice to the epic of all times.

[Anirudh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a superb read. The writing is very alluring. One of the best books on Mahabharata I have read.

[venkatesh r · Rating 4 out of 5]

Presented the huge load of story in simple lines, thanks to d author, but at the 50% slows and some character's explanation lacks. overall its good.

[Iranna G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

[B YP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simplified for layman, easy read. Most of magical stuff is dropped.

[Ravishankara Godse]

👌👌👌

[Santosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mahabharata on fast track.