Title: The Mahabharata
ISBN: 8121505933
Author: Krishna-dwaipayana Vyasa, translated into English prose by Kisari Mohan Ganguli
Synopsis: This is probably one of the longest books ever written, making it worthy of being called an epic. Literally meaning “Great India”, this work is very famous and revolves around the historical events that took place in India some five thousand years ago involving the plight of five brothers, known as the Pandavas, to regain their kingdom. This book has everything: riveting stories, details on the origin of man, the proper rules of conduct for all classes of society, and descriptions of the spiritual world. The most appealing part of this book is the inclusion of even more pastimes of Lord Krishna. As with most Vedic literature, the Mahabharata was originally recited orally by learned sages. Because of that, it was assumed that the audiences already knew about Lord Krishna, thus the details of His early life aren’t included. However, the Mahabharata contains many conversations and dialogues between Krishna and others that aren’t found in any other book. The translator doesn’t appear to be a devotee, but rather a high scholar. Regardless, the translation appears to be done very well and the content alone makes this book worth reading.