Ganguli's Mahabharata

[Eric11235]

Vannakam,

I am curious, I have been reading the Mahabharata unabridged, and have many thoughts on the translation. Aside from yajvan, I wonder who else has attempted the Ganguli translation and their thoughts on it. I would like to see if anybody could find some analytical aspects I may have missed (such as the story of garuda's birth paralleling the birth of the Pandava's and Kaurava's).

It is a fascinating text and although very long, very rewarding.

If you are attempting the ganguli translation or have read it, if you wouldn't mind telling me how far in you are, that way I can compare notes with those who are at about the same place I am (around the beginning of the battle of kurukshetra, bhishma parva section LV)

[realdemigod]

Hi All,
Eric, I was about to post a query whether this is the comprehensive Mahabharata widely available and luckily you did the job :) . I tried once reading online but it was too difficult for me..so planning to buy the books.

So my question to all folks here.. is Kisari Mohan Ganguli's translation of Mahabharata is the most comprehensive one available today?

I'm looking for the most comprehensive one with very detailed information..as some of the versions I started reading skipped some of the details. Please suggest me which versions are really good to read.

Thanks in advance,
realdemigod

[Sahasranama]

You are in India right, maybe you can get the six volume edition of the Gita Press of the Mahabharata translated in Hindi. I do not have this one, but all other translations of Gita Press I have in possesion have been superb and you won't have to deal with comments in the margins from the indologists criticising Hinduism.

[realdemigod]

I'll think about it.. and anyone else here read Gita Press published Mahabharat or Ganguli's Mahabharat .. please pour your experiences

[Eric11235]

Vannakam realdemigod,

In fact, the most comprehensive is the P. Lal translation it is written in non-rhyming verse in all recensions of the work. The only problem is that it is extremely expensive (for me it is 110 american dollars for the first volume) and hard to acquire.

Ganguli is the first (and to my knowledge) only complete unabridged translation of the work that is widely available, it is in the public domain as well and is free as an ebook, which is how I acquired it. It is based on the bengali and calcutta versions

The clay sanskrit library is making a 32 volume version based on popular versions of the story, about half of that is out right now.

There is another incomplete commercial edition by J.A.B. Van Buitenen and then there is the academic Poona Edition which is 13,000 pages and is known as the critical edition.


Hope that helps.

[realdemigod]

Thanks Eric that was helfpul

[Eric11235]

my pleasure realdemigod

[Sahasranama]

Resources: http://www.mahabharata-resources.org/

some interesting essays:
http://www.india-seminar.com/2010/608.htm

[realdemigod]

Thanks for the resources Sahasranama.

For anyone who is interested in Kisari Mohan Ganguli's Mahabharata, today I saw the collection in four volumes in a book shop in B'lore. I wanted to buy it but the paper quality is really bad and so is the text. Though the price Rs. 1100/- seemed very enticing I refrained from buying it. If anyone wants it let me know I can provide you the address

[Sahasranama]

Gita Press edition in six volumes is 1350 rupees with Sanskrit/Hindi text. I wish I was in India so I could buy this.

BTW an abridged version can be read online:
http://www.vedpuran.com/

[realdemigod]

Sahasranama, I believe Gita press delivers overseas as well..and I'm also thinking of buying first volume and read and see how is it..before I buy the rest

[Sahasranama]

......

[Sahasranama]

Yes, but I have heard that they will make the order 15 times more expensive for oversees costumers. I mostly order from http://vedicbooks.net/ They have fair shipping prices and they include some books of Gita Press.

They carry an abridged version in two volumes from the Gita press for only $11,89. (http://www.vedicbooks.net/sankshipta-mahabharata-2-vols---p-16131.html)

Too bad they don't have the six volume edition.

They also have a complete nine volume set with Sanskrit text and English translation by M.N. Dutt (http://www.vedicbooks.net/mahabharata-9-vols-p-10486.html). This one is too expensive for me.

The Ganguli translation doesn't have the Sanskrit shlokas, right? I don't like reading scriptures if I can not refer to the Sanskrit text.

[realdemigod]

That's bad deal for you.

Yes, Ganguli's translation does not have Sanskrit slokas. I will go to Gita Press store and personally check the six volume of Mahabharata before I buy.

[Sahasranama]

Let me know what you think of it. :)

Here is another site where you can download a Hindi version of the texts:
http://www.archive.org/details/hindimahabharat1005055mbp

[realdemigod]

Sure will do

[Sahasranama]

Vedpuran.com now has audio of the abridged Hindi Mahabharata. http://www.vedpuran.com/listenmahakavya_mahabharat1.asp

:)

[harih]

Eric,

I have been reading Ganguli's translation as it is the only one that is freely available and more importantly, available as an eText. I have learnt Sanskrit, and I have the Gita Press edition in original Sanskrit, and with the aid of these two I have made some progress in reading MBH.

[philosoraptor]

Eric,

I have been reading Ganguli's translation as it is the only one that is freely available and more importantly, available as an eText. I have learnt Sanskrit, and I have the Gita Press edition in original Sanskrit, and with the aid of these two I have made some progress in reading MBH.

How can one obtain Ganguli's translation as an eText? I have an App that is basically Ganguli's translation but I would prefer to get it as an e-Book.

[realdemigod]

Eric,

I have been reading Ganguli's translation as it is the only one that is freely available and more importantly, available as an eText. I have learnt Sanskrit, and I have the Gita Press edition in original Sanskrit, and with the aid of these two I have made some progress in reading MBH.

I tried reading it online but it gets boring after sometime reading just English words on screen after screen..have to go check Gita Press edition in Hindi and also waiting for TTD's publication in 14 or 15 volumes ..very comprehensive ones in Telugu though :D

[philosoraptor]

I tried reading it online but it gets boring after sometime reading just English words on screen after screen..have to go check Gita Press edition in Hindi and also waiting for TTD's publication in 14 or 15 volumes ..very comprehensive ones in Telugu though :D

Is the TTD one being planned with an English translation? That would be awesome.

[Sahasranama]

Sahasranama, I believe Gita press delivers overseas as well..and I'm also thinking of buying first volume and read and see how is it..before I buy the rest
I don't have very good experience with Gita Press' costumer service, but I have requested vedicbooks.net to include the Mahabharata in six volumes with Sanskrit text and Hindi translations to their catalog and they were very kind to do so. I made this request more than a year ago, but have not placed the order yet. I should do this soon.

btw. What does TTD stand for?

[philosoraptor]

I don't have very good experience with Gita Press' costumer service, but I have requested vedicbooks.net to include the Mahabharata in six volumes with Sanskrit text and Hindi translations to their catalog and they were very kind to do so. I made this request more than a year ago, but have not placed the order yet. I should do this soon.

btw. What does TTD stand for?

I assume he was referring to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams. They do publish good books from time to time.

[realdemigod]

Yes, it's Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam

philosoraptor - I think they would publish in Telugu only since it is Andhra Mahabharatam composed by Kavitrayam (Nannayya, Tikkana, Yerrapradaga). I wasn't aware when they released the first batch in 2006 and now desperately waiting for next batch :D. I need to read it complete before I die :)

But if you are looking for English edition Ganguli's is the only version I know of which is worth reading.

[Sahasranama]

I have gotten this link from an email, there is an bhakti channel from Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam which can also be viewed online: http://www.yupptv.com/svbc_channel_live.html

There is a class on the Bhagavad Gita every Mon-Wed at 10:00-10:30 IST. The class is in Telugu and Sanskrit. Looks interesting.

[Omkara]

How can one obtain Ganguli's translation as an eText? I have an App that is basically Ganguli's translation but I would prefer to get it as an e-Book.


Hi,I have posted the entire translation on my online library in pdf format.