Mahabharata  (English, Paperback, Rajagopalachari C.)

The Mahabharatha is India's greatest epic and the longest poem ever written. In its pages one finds love, lust, power, greed, religion and spiritualism. Within its verses is the divine message of Krishna, expounded to Arjuna in his moments of doubt. C. Rajagopalachari's translation brings the story to children in a lively book.

Summary of the Book

The world takes center-stage as Hastinapur becomes the foundation of war. The sons of Pandu and his blind brother Dritharashtra grow up as cousins, almost brothers, but the signs of war are imminent even in their childhood games. Taught the divine arts of war by the great Rishi Dronacharya and the Grand Master Bhishma, the Kauravas and the Pandavas grow into hostile enemies, drawn to hate each other because of their heritage and the machinations of Shakuni, the Kauravas' uncle. Through fights over the hand of Draupadi, called Panchali for she alone in Indian mythology had five husbands, and through petty greed enticed over a game of dice, the two families are destined for war. Guided by the divine Krishna, believed to be the reincarnation of Lord Vishnu, the Pandavas return from exile and face the Kauravas for their rightful heritage: the throne of Hastinapur and the Kuru empire. Their battle at Kurukshetra contains the most vital stories told by Hindu scriptures, from the story of Abhimanyu to the tragedy of Karna and the avarice of Yudhishtira, the Mahabharata is a story to enchant, educate and entertain readers of all ages.

About C. Rajagopalachari

Chakravarti Rajagopalachari was the first Governor General of Free India. He was a well-read writer, known mainly for his adaptation of the Kambar Ramayana into a novel. He is also known for his translation of the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads and the works of Socrates and Marcus Aurelius.

A forefigure of the Indian freedom struggle against the British, Rajaji was a graduate of the Presidency College at Madras and studied Law. He was close to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi who referred to him as "keeper of my conscience" and to Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India.