The Mahābhārata
The Great Epic of India
The Mahābhārata (pronounced approximately as Ma-haa-BHAAR-a-ta) is an ancient religious epic of India. It has existed in many forms, the fundamental one being a text in ancient Sanskrit, which may well be the world's second largest book (after the Gesar Epic of Tibet). I, James L. Fitzgerald (Ph.D. in Sanskrit, Chicago, 1980) of the Department of Classics at Brown University, am currently translating about one fifth of the Mahābhārata for a complete translation of the Sanskrit text being published by the University of Chicago Press. I am also editing the remainder of the translation of the text by other Sanskrit scholars. This work follows and completes the translation of theMahābhārata begun by Professor J. A. B. van Buitenen of the University of Chicago.
The purpose of this web page is to introduce those unfamiliar with the Mahābhārata to this literary and spiritual marvel and to provide initial and basic assistance in becoming familiar with the text to anyone who wants such help. Those who are interested can now find here a basic guide to begin reading about theMahābhārata, and to reading the text in translation, or in abridged form, or even in Sanskrit.
A brief description of the Mahābhārata
Reading Suggestions for Getting Started
All material on this site is copyright James L. Fitzgerald. Copyright © 2009 James L. Fitzgerald
3.22 Created and maintained by James L. Fitzgerald, Das Professor of Sanskrit, Department of Classics, Brown University