Mahabharata by Kamala Subramaniam

Most of us, if not all, are familiar with the legendary story of the Mahabharata. But very few have read any translation, let alone the original text. With one lakh verses, it is seven or eight times longer than the Greek epics Iliad and Odyssey combined! But then the Mahabharata is not just an interesting story. It is a part of our itihasa (which means ‘thus it happened’). While it tells the story of yore, it also has within it lessons of importance. One has to read and dive into the depth of each verse to reach the pearls of wisdom embedded within each. It’s an endeavour that would take more than a few years to complete.Though I aspire to do just that, I haven’t yet garnered the courage to commit to its serious stud. So, I thought I would start by reading acclaimed translations and renderings that would give me at least the story in more detail and maybe a bit of its wisdom as well. And thus began my reading of Mahabharat by Kamala Subramaniam. It is an abridged version of the timeless text that brings alive each character and scene with such intensity, it draws you in. I couldn’t put it down. And when I did, I couldn’t wait to get back to it!.I am amazed at how the author has managed to cull out what she thinks is necessary and what could be left out only for the sake of brevity. The narration begins with the meeting of King Santanu and Ganga, their subsequent marriage and life together, leading up to the great war, and ending with the Pandavas ascent to heaven. At the heart of the great epic is the Bhagavad Gita, a manual for life that is as relevant to us today in our battlefield of life as it was on the battlefield of Kurukshetra for Arjun.This is a book that has many layers. Even if we touch its mere surface and read it as a story, it is interesting, inspiring and mesmerising. The language is simple yet descriptive and creates vivid images of the scenes in the mind, keeping one engrossed in the narration.