The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa: Translated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit Text (12 Vols-Set)

The Mahabharata of Veda Vyasa is one of the greatest war epics in the world after lliad and Odyssey. Mahabharata is the story of the feud between two clans - Kaurava and Pandava. This English translation was originally published by Pratap Chandra Roy, a Calcutta-based bookseller, who owned a publishing house and printing press from 1883 to 1896. The fourteen parvas were published by Pratap Chandra Roy, and the last four parvas by his widow Sundari Bala Roy. The English version of the Sanskrit epic was composed at the behest of Dr Reynold Rost of the India Office Library, who was in dire need of an authentic and complete English version of the original text.

The first volume comprises Adi Parva, which is the first part of Mahabharata. The Adi Parva is further divided into several parvas: Anukramanika, Parva Sangraha, Pauloma, Astika, Adivansavatarana, Sambhava, Jatugniha, Hidimva-vadha, Vaka-vadha, Chaitraratha, Swa- yamvara, Vaivahika, Viduragamana, Rajya-labha, Arjuna-vanavasa, Subhadra-harana, Haranaharana, and Khandava-daha Parva. Adi Parva is recited to the sages by Ugrasava Sauti at Naimisha forest. It contains the history of Bharatas and Bhrigus. Also, it contains the biographies of Kuru and Pandava kingdoms, followed by the persecution of Pandavas under Dhritarashtra, It narrates the stories of characters like Dronacharya, Dhritarashtra, Dushyanta, Shakuntala, Shantanu, and the birth of the main character of this Epic, Lord Krishna. It also covers the marriages of Arjuna and Bhima with Subhadra and Hidimba respectively, and the five Pandavas with Draupadi. The Parva also discusses Yudhishthira's reign before his downfall and the sub- sequent exile of Pandavas.