The Mahabharata

The three worlds are set shaking, great one, to see this wonderful, terrible form of yours'

The Mahabharata is the story of two warring factions of cousins ? 100 demons in human form against five sons of gods. Woven into this martial epic tale of great and bloody battles are numerous narrative digressions and much religious instruction ? including the wisdom of Bhisma [accent note: there should be a dot beneath the s of 'Bhisma'], given from a deathbed of arrows, and the legendary 'Bhagavadgita', spoken by Krsna [accent note: there should be a dot beneath the r, s and n of 'Krsna'] at the very verge of war. An enactment of eternal conflicts, it is also a vital Hindu text on the nature of dharma ? the right way for each person to live his or her life, and the only way to secure an improved lot in future births.

This selection by John D. Smith includes an introduction on the nature and fundamental themes of the Mahabharata, the events of story and the massive cast of characters appearing in it, and its importance to India and Hinduism. This edition also includes a pronunciation guide, map, glossary and key to names, bibliography and index.

Abridged and translated with an introduction by JOHN D. SMITH