The Mahabharata Paperback – 1 July 2015

This a great translation of the Mahabharata, following on the BORI edition exactly and without any interpretation and retelling by the author. Many other translations are a loose retelling with embellishments and additions such as Ramesh Menons fantasy-genre version. This is one is as close to the original Sanskrit as you can get and is very readable.Swestbooks, the seller was brilliant. Item arrived sooner than predicted, very reasonably priced and was well packaged. Would recommend seller and book both.

Fast shipping great price amazing read

my son love this book

This is something I never thought would, or could, exist. But it does, and at a relatively cheap price, especially considering what it's offering. Debroy's translation, while admittedly somewhat workmanlike, does an adequate job at conveying the original Sanskrit in a way that is neither too familiar nor too foreign. You'll encounter some strange wordings and turns of phrase at points, but that's just the nature of translating from a foreign language which is spoken in a totally different way to English. The reason I don't give this 5 stars is because of several issues I had with the packaging: some of the books were actually quite bent, by way of being crammed into a tightly-packed box together, but it's nothing a bit of kneading couldn't sort out (I recommend displaying them without the box, so as to avoid future issues with this, and to let the books breathe). Secondly, the covers. They're just bad. That's the elephant (hehe) in the room here that I need to clear up. The covers for these books are just plain bad, and in a way that could be off-putting to buyers. Yes, it makes the books look like fantasy tat. I assure you, the covers are not at all reflective of the quality of the work of Mr. Debroy, who, for one, just totally astounds me with his work ethic, as well as provides an exciting foray into ancient Indian literature, an area I feel is too oft-neglected by Westerners. There is some really fascinating stuff in here, including philosophy that predates the ideas of Socrates and Plato, and even allusions to more modern concepts such as dark matter, space-time and even flying saucers. You won't regret this purchase—seriously one of the most elucidating pieces of literature you could ever read.

I was given this book as my birthday present on my 62nd Birthday by my son. Just finished reading the Introduction and the first chapter, Anukramanika Parva. The book is highly readable and the wisdom in it is breathtaking. I will recommend it to anyone seeking a broader understanding of life and the purpose of living.

Arrived slightly late but seller communication was good.very nice set of books. If time is not major concern - as it arrives from India , then it’s great value for money . Will recommend.