Bibek Debroy - Mahabharata Vol-8

The modernization of language is visible, its easier on the mind, through expressions that are somewhat familiar. The detailing of the story is intact, the varying tempo maintained, with no deviations from the original. The short introduction reflects a brilliant mind. For those who passionately love the Mahabharata and want to explore it to its depths, Debroys translation offers great promise in the first volume.

Hindustan Times

[Debroy] has really carved out a niche for himself in crafting and presenting a translation of the Mahabharata The book takes us on a great journey with admirable ease.

The Indian Express

The first thing that appeals to one is the simplicity with which Debroy has been able to express himself and infuse the right kind of meanings Considering that Sanskrit is not the simplest of languages to translate a text from, Debroy exhibits his deep understanding and appreciation of the medium.

The Hindu

Overwhelmingly impressive Bibek is a truly eclectic scholar.

Business Line

Debroys lucid and nuanced retelling of the original makes the masterpiece even more enjoyably accessible.

Open

The quality of translation is excellent. The lucid language makes it a pleasure to read the various stories, digressions and parables.

The Tribune

Extremely well-organized, and has a substantial and helpful Introduction, plot summaries and notes. The volume is a beautiful example of a well thought-out layout which makes for much easier reading.

The Book Review

The dispassionate vision [Debroy] brings to this endeavour will surely earn him merit in the three worlds.

Mail Today

This [second] volume, as voluminous as the first one, is expectedly as scholarly Like the earlier volume, the whole book is an easy read.

The Hindu

Debroys is not the only English translation available in the market, but where he scores and others fail is that his is the closest rendering of the original text in modern English without unduly complicating the readers understanding of the epic.

Business Standard

The brilliance of Ved Vysya comes through [in Volume 3], ably translated by Bibek Debroy.

Hindustan Times

About the Translator

Bibek Debroy is an economist and is Research Professor (Centre of Policy Research) and a columnist with Economic Times. He has worked in universities, research institutes, industry and for the government. He has published books, papers and popular articles in economics. But he has also published in Indology and translated (into English) the Vedas, the Puranas, the Upanishads and the Gita (Penguin India, 2005). His book Sarama and her Children: The Dog in Indian Myth (Penguin India, 2008) splices his interest in Hinduism with his love for dogs. He is currently translating the remaining volumes of the unabridged Mahabharata.

Ardha bhry manu yasya bhry rehatama sakh

Bhry mulam trivargasya bhry mitram mariyata

Mahabharata (1/68/40)

Nsti bhrysamo bandhurnsti bhryasam gati

Nsti bhrysamo loke sahyo dharmasdhana

Mahabharata (12/142/10)

Family Tree

Bharata/Puru

Introduction

The Hindu tradition has an amazingly large corpus of religious texts, spanning Vedas, Vedanta (brahmanas, smritis, Puranas, dharmashastras and itihasa. For most of these texts, especially if one excludes classical Sanskrit literature, we dont quite know when they were composed and by whom, not that one is looking for single authors. Some of the minor Puranas (Upa Purana) are of later vintage. For instance, the Bhavishya Purana (which is often listed as a major Purana or Maha Purana) mentions Queen Victoria.

In the listing of the corpus above figures itihasa, translated into English as history. History doesnt entirely capture the nuance of itihasa, which is better translated as this is indeed what happened. Itihasa isnt myth or fiction. It is a chronicle of what happened; it is fact. Or so runs the belief. And itihasa consists of Indias two major epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The former is believed to have been composed as poetry and the latter as prose. This isnt quite correct. The Ramayana has segments in prose and the Mahabharata has segments in poetry. Itihasa doesnt quite belong to the category of religious texts in a way that the Vedas and Vedanta are religious. However, the dividing line between what is religious and what is not is fuzzy. After all, itihasa is also about attaining the objectives of