Author: P. Lal
Publisher: Writers Workshop
Year: 2005
Language: English
Pages: 83
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8181573382
Description
From Author's Preface:
There are many condensed versions in English of Mahabharata of Vyasa but the only one that can be called a translation is Dr. V. Raghavan’s rendering which, by shortening the 100,000 shlokas, is microscopic in its compression. My aim has been to re-tell the story of the Kurukshetra war at greater length but always in Vyasa’s own words, without simplifying, interpreting, or elaborating. I have selected only such shlokas as formed a continuous narrative, leaving out the large clutch of sub-stories, legends, peripheral digressions and other tangential material that is fascinating by itself but not absolutely relevant to the tale of the Kaurava-Pandava conflict.
Some readers may wonder why the transcreation in this book differs sometimes from the transcreation of the same passages in my continuing sholka-by-shloka complete version. This is probably due to the fact that the passages happened to be transcreated at different times, the differences being the result of changes in my understanding and appreciation of Vyasa.
Contents
THE DOOMSDAY EPIC
THE HARD CORE NARRATIVE
COMPLEXITY OF CHARACTERIZATION
THE MESSAGE OF THE MAHABHARATA
TRANSLATING THE MAHABHARATA