Mahabharata - R.K. Narayan

This is a NEW copy. However it some shop scuffs

The Mahabharata is some 3,500 years old and is the longest poem in any language. It is one of the founding epics of Indian culture and, with its mixture of cosmic drama and profound philosophy (one small section forms the BHAGHAVAD GITA) it holds an unique place in world literature. In this drastically shortened prose rendering, Narayan uses all his extraordinary talents to convey to a modern reader why this is such a great story. Filled with vivid characters, obsessed with the rise and fall of gods, empires and heroes, Narayan's MAHABHARATA is an enormously enjoyable experience and the perfect introduction to the otherwise bewildering Indian cosmology.

The Mahabharata is the story of two branches of a certain family, the Pandavas and the Kauravas, which turn against each other through strange twists of fate. This enmity and bitterness results in an 18-day war, which is waged at Kurukshetra, a district in the state of Haryana in modern day India. Lord Krishna, one of the most important Hindu deities, plays a key role in deciding the fate of the war when he sees Arjuna facing the terrible dilemma of waging a war against his loved ones.

R.K Narayan s direct and simplistic writing makes The Mahabharata a great read and sheds even more light onto the characters that make the epic what it is. The tales of nobility, greed, hatred, love, sorrow, and sacrifice are wonderfully weaved and re-told by the writer.