Searching for a translated epic

It was one of those days, when I was obsessed to find out the best available condensed English translation of the Mahabharata. I hunted the web as usual and found a plethora of opinion. I came across the following translations that people have frequently mentioned:

• The Mahabharata by John D. Smith
• Mahabharata by William Buck
• The Mahabharata by R.K Narayan
• Mahabharata by C. Rajagopalachari
• The Mahabharata: A Modern Rendering, by Ramesh Menon
• Mahabharata by Tr. Kamala Subramaniam

As you can see, most of them are Indian authors. It is obvious, being an Indian epic and a Sanskrit text would lead to it being translated by Sanskrit scholars. Where can you find most of them? (That is my thought, highly debatable!)

The condensed versions run from about 200 pages to some up to 1000 pages. These pages carry as many stories as much possible from the original text that has 100,000 verses. You might understand the dilemma that goes in picking up a version of the great epic.

Here are some things that I had in my mind:

• There is no way I can sustain enough patience to go through the texts such as the complete English translation by Kisari Mohan Ganguli. (The digital version is available online. Link here.) Even the J. A. B. van Buitenen version is rather big for me to plunge into.
• Having said that, I do not prefer a version that compromises the multidimensional characters that bring about the Mahabharata and hence, want a version that does justice to the huge text and the myriad characters.
• I wanted a version that will present the situations that made the characters who they are. We all know the stories and we all know the demarcations into good and bad. Some of us now are interested to know the about the grey side part that overlaps both. I am one of them.
• Going ahead when I read books like Mrityunjay (Mahabharata from Karna’s POV), or the English translation of Randaamoozham (Bhim’s POV) done by the revered Prem Panicker (A digital copy is available here for free download, review here.), or Palace of Illusions (Draupadi’s POV) by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, or Yuganta by Iravati Karve (link here), I should be able to fit them in the larger picture and understand the nuances of each and every character as retold by the authors.
  

(Some more related books posted here.)

Faced with these constraints I stumbled upon http://jaiarjun.blogspot.com/ (Better late than...). He somehow convinced me to select Kamala Subramaniam’s Mahabharata (post's here and here). This decision was also backed by favourable reviews on Amazon (link here). I also read a negative review (link here) about her version that the sentences are slightly broken, but I believe that a text that is originally in Sanskrit will have its own characteristics when translated to English.

I was also convinced to buy a two volume Mahabharata rendition by Ramesh Menon (link here), and I may give it a shot too. Just that I wanted to start with something smaller.

After saying all this, the only Mahabharata related book that I have read so far is Radheya by Ranjit Desai. It is, as the name suggests, Karna’s story. Brilliant story and beautiful rendering of the characters. It made me realize how strongly Duryodhana has been portrayed as an outright villain without understanding any facets of his character. I wrote a post about this thought here. So I hope I get a better insight in the epic that Mahabharata is and delve into it a bit deeper.

To sum it all, I would quote Jai Arjun Singh: “...one that places us right amidst the characters...” is a feeling that should be strong when I take up a book.

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On a related note – is it a boon or a disadvantage that we have so many opinions out there that we tend to get carried away towards either sides before arriving to a knowledgeable and a very individual understanding?

Moot question.

Father of the Nation

In the near future, a man strolls in a dingy alley searching for a recent book that is banned all over the country. He finds the book stall and walks up to that friendly book seller.

“Who Gandhi waala book hai?”
“Haina Sir, kal hi naya pirated stock aaya hai. Ek copy aapke liye?”

The man smiles and waits till the book seller gets a copy.

“Iska 150 rupees hoga sir.”

The man doesn’t usually bargain. He removes two notes and hands them over. While handing them over he notices the picture on the note. Father of the nation. He smiles to himself, picks up the book and leaves.

On the way back, he thinks about the note and the picture on it. Ironic. His government bans the book that maligns the Father of the nation. Or so the people-in-charge think. The same people who get bribes, gifts in the form of notes with the Father’s picture on it.

Same note that is given to the policemen.

Same note that is flung on bar dancers in already banned dance bars.

Same note that is used to make fake currency but with the same old Father on it.

The man can’t help but smile. Ironic democracy. Yeah, that is the best way to sum up my country.

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In an Outlook article, the author says, "In a country that calls itself a democracy, it is shameful to ban a book that no one has read, including the people who are doing the banning."

To err is human...

To err is human, to get addicted to Twitter more so.

To err is human, to get editorial comments more so.

To err is human, to prioritize everything else but the deadline more so.

To err is human, to realize it later more so.

To err is human, to not learn even after the realization more so.

To err is human, to write it in a post more so.

Being Human

(Click the picture to see an enlarged image)

The spotted deers were seen in the Tadoba forest. Being Human is something we all know. That was the first thing that came to my mind when I saw the horns clash.

Do you call yourself a Poet?

I sometimes did. But now that I have read this awesome set of verses (yeah poetry) called MY COLORLESS SOLITUDE, I am skeptical and very very disturbed.

Poignant

The boy in me relates to this post by Rosemarie Urquico. If you are a bibliophile, go hit the link.

If you are too lazy, read this excerpt from the same post:

Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.

Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who understand that all things will come to end. That you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.

Frog

The frog is rocking his well, thinking it is rocking the world.

I posted this line on Twitter sometime back and it got me thinking. Who is this frog I keep alluding to in my thoughts whenever I come across a reincarnation of this frog as a human?

I remember reading this story in a book that had speeches and works by Swami Vivekananda. Yeah, I got all those books when I had been for a camp in the Swami Vivekananda center. Point is, this frog story has stayed with me for long. It is the simplicity of the story and the fact that you see it so often in the world around you that brings it closer to reality than most other stories.

The frog who thinks that his well is the entire universe. The frog who thinks that there is so much in this well of his that it is the best thing ever. The frog who is proud and looks down upon the other mighty sea folks who have explored the unknown ocean.

The little frog who is the king of his own world.

But would you blame the frog for that? This Chinese story ends with the frog realizing how little the well is as compared the ocean. It is mildly shocked and is upset.

Does this happen in reality? Humans are more likely to turn to their own well and be the Lord Frog of that splendid well. My well is bigger than yours. My well is shinier, damper and filled with delicious edible creatures.

Humans are also more likely to realize that their well is not the world and keep complaining about it. Yeah that is possible too. Do you know how tough it is to maintain my well? I have to do tons of things to keep it a good place. What about you big shelled turtle, the seasons take care of your uncontrollable ocean. What would you know!

I really don’t know what side should I take when I want to allude to the frog now. Maybe both, maybe some other dimension would come up.

I wish at times that I was Sigmund Freud.

Who Am I?

Demetri Martin tries to answer the question Who Am I? in The New Yorker.

One of the best posts I have read in recent times. Here is an excerpt that refers to:

Batman -

I am Batman, but only on Halloween. And then I am not invited to many parties. But I am fine with that, because that just makes me an even more accurate Batman (because Batman does not go to parties as Batman but only as Bruce Wayne). I am right about this.

One of my favourite song by The Beatles -

I am the Walrus, but not the one you’re probably thinking of. I am the Other Walrus, the one who is less the Walrus in the sense of legendary music and more the Walrus in the sense of his tendency to lie around on a beach for too long.

Go read!