The Illustrated Mahabharata: The Definitive Guide to India s Greatest Epic

It is a really beautiful picture book also very informative.. good quality

Very similar to its sibling- the illustrated Ramayana, this is an collection of pictures with text explanations of the various stories contained in this enormous work, called the Mahabharata.I am again reminded of Pattnaik's (beautiful) Jaya, with the same two caveats- it is a lot more pictorial (again, don't expect every page to be infused with awe-inspiring images) and it doesn't do even as much philosophical dissecting (though that is not saying much, if you are into heavy philosophy- these works are for casual philosophers like me!)Print quality- good, not great. Binding- great! Hefty book, even more than the Ramayana, but wouldn't you have expected that!!Would I buy it again if this copy somehow disappeared? Yes!

Although there are many editions of the epic over many centuries, this publication stands out in its treatment of each instance of the Mahabharata. Even after having read 2 books of the great poem & watching 1 really long television show based on the same, I still ordered this volume as it provided a brief narrative of EACH & EVERY instance preceding & constituting the saga. There are numerous images, quotes, extracts to aid the reader grasp concept/ moral of the chapter. Good for educating children & adults like-wise in Hindu mythology/ culture. Paper & print quality is extremely nice.The negative is that it restricts most chapters to 2 pages on an average & packs these pages with more visual aids than textual subject matter. Henceforth, leaves you with unanswered questions if you are someone who wants to immerse yourself into every tiny portion of the saga. This is understandable as breaking the book down further would require publication of multiple volumes. It achieves its purpose most efficiently & animatedly.

This is perhaps the finest comprehensive and authentic introduction to Valmiki Ramayan. Very well researched text and stunningly designed and illustrated by DK team. Even for someone who may have read / heard Ramayan this book will make him wise and happy.

Good book , but felt bit expensive.

Loved the way the book was packedAnd i got it in the best way possible.....thank u for this amazing book

Well worth the money...

Amazing book. Great depiction. The author has supported this greatest epic with proofs. But its cost at bookstore is Rs 1800.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I admit, it took me a while to get into the style, the way the story is broken into simple pieces, and the repetition from page to page.But by the end, I really appreciated this lesson-like approach. I had no prior knowledge of any of this material, so the simple explanatory style and the repetition really helped me. A more straight-forward narrative would have made it much harder to understand and retain the very complex relationships, personal histories and events, especially given the vast number of characters.I can see how someone could be disappointed with that approach, if they’re already familiar with the Mahabharata and wished for a deeper treatment, but surely there are other books for that.This one is a beautiful intro for someone who needs a starting point; it made me want to learn more.

I am familiar with a few versions of Mahabharata, so the content was not my goal. What I was looking for is a collection of illustrations that are relative to the epos. I would say that I am delighted with this fantastic book except for one part - Bhagavad Gita. I think these pages could be designed better with less free space on a page, more verses and some illustrations. Otherwise, it is a fantastic book and an excellent pair for Ramayana from the same publisher. And it is a good book to spend an evening with, flipping pages and diving into the magic of this great epos.

Fidelidade ao original, ilustrações lindas e encadernação primorosa. Parabéns!!

Si lees el mahabharata en una versión resumida, que son seguro un par de volúmenes, o en su edición completa, entre 10 y 12 tomos, es terriblemente útil una guía de lectura. Esta está muy bien organizada e ilustrada en sus más de 500 páginas. Es más completa que la de Penguin “A companion to the mahabharata” que es de bolsillo.

I'm one of those "I never write reviews" people, but this guide to one of India's great epics is the most beautiful book I own, so I felt I had to share my thoughts. It's huge, beautifully illustrated and really well laid out such that it's easy to digest and a joy to read. It was an impulse buy that I am more than happy I made. If you're interested in Eastern philosophy, mythology or just incredible works of art, you will not be disappointed.