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The world of Mahabharata

  • Writer: arnab ghosh
    arnab ghosh
  • Apr 7, 2020
  • 5 min read

Mahabharata is a very complex subject and one needs to do a proper research to under stand the fantastic world of Mahabharata. Common people have very less insight in to that and that leads to a lot of misunderstanding.


The first thing we get confusion when people say there are many version and which version is right version?


The epic written in Sanskrit - The epic Mahabharata which is known as longest poem of the world comprising 75000 - 1 lakh slokas was actually written in Sanskrit.

  • Now only evidence we have for Mahabharata is manuscripts. [Keeping the archaeological surveys aside for now].

  • This manuscripts were written in Sanskrit language using different scripts - Such as Sarada, Devanagari, Bengali, Tamil, Nepali etc.

  • Based on the scripts those manuscripts were divided into two category - Southern recension and northern recension.


Published editions of Sanskrit Mahabharata -

  • Bombay Edition.

  • Bengal Edition.

  • Kumbakonam Edition of Mahabharata.

  • P.P Shastri Edition - Critically edited version of southern recension.

  • Poona Edition - The critical version known as BORI edition.


Among them Bombay Edition was most famous and it was based on the commentary made by 17th CE Sanskrit Scholar Neelakantha Chaturdhara


  • The critical edition of Sanskrit epic - Since we have many manuscript BORI came up with an idea to form a critical edition of Sanskrit epic which would conform most of the manuscripts.

    • Well the textual research has it’s own method based on date, type of manuscripts and many other things.

    • All the 1259 manuscripts found still now are available in BORI Manuscripts museum.

    • It’s therefore the most researched version available today.


The Unabridged Translation of Sanskrit epic in English - There are few unabridged translations available.

  • Critical edition was recently translated by Bibek Debroy [Unabridged translation].

  • Unabridged translation by M.N Dutt.

  • Unabridged translation by Kisori Mohan Ganguli.

  • Unabridged Translation by University of Chicago Press.

  • Unabridged Translation by Clay Sanskrit library.


Similarly Sanskrit epic must be word by word translated into regional languages as well. [Unabridged Translations]


Abridged version of Mahabharata - You can find a shorter versions of Mahabharata giving the basic of the epic in 350+ pages.

  • It sticks to original epic but a shorter version.

  • Mahabharata by C. Rajagopalachari

  • There could be many others in english and regional languages.


Regional folklore retelling version - This are folklore version created by many authors in different regional languages where the authors took creative liberty to make the epic more appealing to the masses.

  • All those versions appear in much later after 900 CE during Mughal era. Most of the well known folk stories were in fact created by them.

  • [Ref - http://mahabharata-resources.org...].


Some examples I can put here -


Oriya -

  • Sarala Dasa, fifteenth century


Malayalam -

  • Bharatam Pattu Ayyanappilla Asan commentary by P.K. Narayana Pillai, National Book Stall, Kottayam (1988).

  • Bharatamala Niranatt Sankara Panikkar (Fifteenth century) With study and commentary by Dr. Ponnara Saraswati published by Kannassa Smaraka Trust, Niranam, Tiruvalla. (2003).

  • Bharatam Niranatt Rama Panikkar (Fifteenth century)

  • Cherussery Bharatam Cherusseri Namboodiri (Fifteenth century)

  • Sri Mahabharatam Kilippaattu Tunchattu Ramanujan Ezutthachan, (Sixteenth century)


Bengali -

  • Kabi Sanjay, (First half of sixteenth century)

  • Kasiram Das, (1650)


Tamil -

  • Perum Devanar, eighth century


Kannada -

  • Pampabharata, (902)

  • Kumara Vyasa , (1494 - 1520)


There can be political or cultural reason why some people wrote a different version rather than translating the Sanskrit epic word by word.


  • We also call them as folk versions. Many folk stories appeared from some of the above retelling.


Tribal and Other versions -


Modern Retelling - Same like the above where authors used creative liberties.

  • Ramesh Menon - Modern retelling of Mahabharata.

  • Many others.

  • Derivative literatures as well point of view novels- Same like the above where authors used creative liberties. Some of them can be called as Non-fiction and some were fiction.

    • Krishnavatara Series by K. M Munshi.

    • Arjuna - Chitrangada play by Rabindranath Tagore.

    • Mrityunjaya - Shivaji Sawant.

    • Yajnaseni - Prathibha Ray.

    • Palace of Illusions - Chitra Banerjee Devikaruni.

    • Yuganta by Irawait Karve. [Non-fiction]

    • Difficulties of being Good - Grucharan Das. [Non-fiction]

    • Draupadi by Saiswaroopa Iyer.

    • Arjuna by Anuja Chandrmouli.

    • Many others.


Well above ones just tip of iceberg. If you go through regional languages you can find hell lot of literature or novels based on Mahabharata.

  • You can also go through the following link to get more insight on different mahabharata and the folk stories - Arnab Ghosh's post in Analysis on Mahabharata

  • For many people Sanskrit epic Mahabharata is seen as an establishment and therefore movement is against the establishment.

  • These authors justify their act by saying peaceful co-existence of many Mahabharata.

    • Whether Sanskrit epic can be regarded as just another version because it was retold in different languages by later poets or authors?

    • The decision is up to you.

    • But there is no retelling available in the world which can match Sanskrit epic in it’s grandeur or intelligence or size.


The title of epic truly belongs to Sanskrit Mahabharata and none else - whether it 1 lakh sloka or 75000 sloka.


  • I don’t think there is any regional or folklore version exists which matches Sankskrit epic in this way.

  • For me it is either Sanskrit epic or my own version!!!

    • There can be 8 billion versions of Mahabharata if every one starts building his own.

  • Devdutt Pattanaik wrote Jaya which is nothing but a patch version or custom Mahabharata.

    • He took part of Tamil folk, Bhil Bharata, Vyas Mahabharata and Jaimini Mahabharata (Aswamedha parva) etc to form his book.

    • The problem is if you take it out of context and mix it you lose the essence of the original version from where it is taken forget about which version is correct.

  • There can be multiple version but lets not attribute every single version to Vyas to confuse people!!!


Now if you want to read a closest to the original version - Bibek debory translation is a must for you.

  • Having said that Bibek debory’s translation is not perfect - it is easy read but has many flawed translation.

  • I would rather say you also should read other translations such as Gita Press or Kishor mohan Ganguli or M.N. Dutt Translation to have a complete view.

 
 
 

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