---
product_id: 14705601
title: "The Mahabharata-a modern rendering/2 Vol Set"
price: "€ 103.55"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.be/products/14705601-the-mahabharata-a-modern-rendering-2-vol-set
store_origin: BE
region: Belgium
---

# Ancient epic reimagined for modern readers Cultural cornerstone influencing South Asia & beyond 1539 pages of immersive storytelling The Mahabharata-a modern rendering/2 Vol Set

**Price:** € 103.55
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 📖 Unlock the timeless saga that shaped civilizations—don’t just read history, live it!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** The Mahabharata-a modern rendering/2 Vol Set
- **How much does it cost?** € 103.55 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.be](https://www.desertcart.be/products/14705601-the-mahabharata-a-modern-rendering-2-vol-set)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
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## Key Features

- • **Cultural Masterpiece:** Explore the foundational text that shaped South Asian history, philosophy, and arts—join a global community of readers.
- • **Cinematic Storytelling:** Dramatic narration of the Bhagavad Gita and key episodes that bring ancient characters vividly to life.
- • **Epic Length, Modern Flow:** Two volumes totaling 1539 pages of lyrical prose that keep you hooked from start to finish.
- • **Glossary & Appendix Included:** Helpful tools to navigate complex themes, perfect for curious minds new to Indian epics.
- • **Timeless Wisdom Meets Contemporary Readership:** A fresh, accessible rendering of a 4000-year-old epic that resonates with today's global professionals.

## Overview

The Mahabharata - A Modern Rendering (2 Vol Set) is a contemporary prose adaptation of the ancient Indian epic, spanning 1539 pages across two volumes. This edition brings alive the grand narrative, including the Bhagavad Gita, with accessible language and cinematic storytelling. It is ideal for readers seeking a deep cultural experience and timeless wisdom, blending epic drama with philosophical insight.

## Description

The greatest Indian epic, The Mahabharata, is the tale of life - its intrigues, its joys, its sorrows and about the elusive truth. First composed in verse, coming down the centuries through the ancient oral tradition, the epic has deeply influenced the history, culture, and arts of the subcontinent, as well as most of South-East Asia. The Mahabharata tells of a great war and the events that lead upto it. The battlefield of Kurukshetra and the eventual victory of one of the warring factions leads to the end of a yuga and a new world order comes into existence. The epic is a treasure trove of human feelings and anguish while at the heart of it lies the Song of God, the Bhagavad Gita. At one level, all the restless action of the epic is a quest for the Gita and its sacred stillness. The Gita remains the holiest of all Hindu texts while The Mahabharata continues to enamour readers and scholars all over the world. This new rendering retells the Mahabharata to the contemporary reader in lyrical, modern prose. Without being too short or forbiddingly long, it brings alive all the epic's excitement, magic and grandeur to our times. Published in two Volumes the Book has 821 Pags in Volume.1 and 718 Pages in Vol.2,totalling 1539 Pges.

Review: Epic Proportions - This epic poem so completely entranced me that for two weeks I could not put it down. If I didn't have to work a day job as we all do, I would have gone without sleep until I had finished it. Why is this so? I'm not entirely sure. There is some adage I've heard somewhere that a books have a tendency to find the people who must read them when those people become ready; just as "when the pupil is ready, the teacher appears." Ramesh Menon has done an extraordinary job rendering this 4000-odd year old epic poem into powerful, simple, resonant prose. Not having any background in Sanskrit, I'm not certain what creative liberties have been taken with the translation, but one thing I appreciated was some of the dramatic commentary interspersed between stanzas of the Bhagavad Gita. Menon dramatizes this most-famous section of the Mahabharata so that it comes across as something cinematic; and whether or not such words actually exist in the original text, the idea that Krishna is cognizant of the unborn future generations hanging on his every word to Arjuna for their own salvation was a nice touch. In a word, this is the grandest epic of them all. Prepare to fall in love, to undertake trials, suffer humiliating defeats, mete out justice, travel the land high and low, win the day, live in opulence, and confront death as the words, pictures, and scenes of "Great India" play out before the mind's eye.
Review: menon's version is the way to go - such an incredible translation of this ancient story. i originally ordered the penguin classics translation, but i was disappointed to find that a large portion of it is summarized and about half is direct translation from sanskrit poetry. after doing a lot of searching, i found ramesh menon. his translation, however, brings the characters, their stories, and the whole situation to life. it's like reading the greatest romance, drama, action novels ever written all in one place. however, i am not a scholar but a casual reader. i am also not of indian origin and i have little to no familiarity with the hindu religion. the penguin edition has a lengthy introduction explaining the basic story line, sanskrit linguistics, some basic concepts in indian/hindu worldview (like dharma, caste system) which are huge themes in the book. since i had the chance to read that wonderful introduction, i definitely have an easier time reading and understanding menons version, which is lacking in an introduction. to make up for this, menon has a basic appendix and glossary at the end of the book, but if you're not an indian reader his explanations may not be in depth enough to help you understand. menon also cuts out pretty much all the preamble to the story (which he states is over 200 pages) which includes some interesting stories and information not related to the main story including a snake sacrifice. if i were a scholar and wanted a more inclusive (but still abridged) version, i may have stuck with penguin or another more scholarly edit. in conclusion, menon made this ancient story easy to read, exciting, intriguing, romantic, etc etc. if you are not familiar with the story of the mahabharata and you find yourself inexplicably intrigued (as i did), you will find a world of magic inside of menons re writing of this epic. if you want a scholarly version, i would still say menon is the way to go, but maybe you would want to supplement with the free complete translation (available at protect gutenberg online) or some other scholarly editions with more complete introductions. i plan to try to read the complete online version at project gutenberg once i get through menons.

## Features

- Brand: imusti
- The Mahabharata-a modern rendering/2 Vol Set

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #135,633 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #402 in Religion & Philosophy (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 163 Reviews |

## Images

![The Mahabharata-a modern rendering/2 Vol Set - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51MSfqG3VjL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Epic Proportions
*by A***L on October 22, 2012*

This epic poem so completely entranced me that for two weeks I could not put it down. If I didn't have to work a day job as we all do, I would have gone without sleep until I had finished it. Why is this so? I'm not entirely sure. There is some adage I've heard somewhere that a books have a tendency to find the people who must read them when those people become ready; just as "when the pupil is ready, the teacher appears." Ramesh Menon has done an extraordinary job rendering this 4000-odd year old epic poem into powerful, simple, resonant prose. Not having any background in Sanskrit, I'm not certain what creative liberties have been taken with the translation, but one thing I appreciated was some of the dramatic commentary interspersed between stanzas of the Bhagavad Gita. Menon dramatizes this most-famous section of the Mahabharata so that it comes across as something cinematic; and whether or not such words actually exist in the original text, the idea that Krishna is cognizant of the unborn future generations hanging on his every word to Arjuna for their own salvation was a nice touch. In a word, this is the grandest epic of them all. Prepare to fall in love, to undertake trials, suffer humiliating defeats, mete out justice, travel the land high and low, win the day, live in opulence, and confront death as the words, pictures, and scenes of "Great India" play out before the mind's eye.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ menon's version is the way to go
*by B***E on November 19, 2017*

such an incredible translation of this ancient story. i originally ordered the penguin classics translation, but i was disappointed to find that a large portion of it is summarized and about half is direct translation from sanskrit poetry. after doing a lot of searching, i found ramesh menon. his translation, however, brings the characters, their stories, and the whole situation to life. it's like reading the greatest romance, drama, action novels ever written all in one place. however, i am not a scholar but a casual reader. i am also not of indian origin and i have little to no familiarity with the hindu religion. the penguin edition has a lengthy introduction explaining the basic story line, sanskrit linguistics, some basic concepts in indian/hindu worldview (like dharma, caste system) which are huge themes in the book. since i had the chance to read that wonderful introduction, i definitely have an easier time reading and understanding menons version, which is lacking in an introduction. to make up for this, menon has a basic appendix and glossary at the end of the book, but if you're not an indian reader his explanations may not be in depth enough to help you understand. menon also cuts out pretty much all the preamble to the story (which he states is over 200 pages) which includes some interesting stories and information not related to the main story including a snake sacrifice. if i were a scholar and wanted a more inclusive (but still abridged) version, i may have stuck with penguin or another more scholarly edit. in conclusion, menon made this ancient story easy to read, exciting, intriguing, romantic, etc etc. if you are not familiar with the story of the mahabharata and you find yourself inexplicably intrigued (as i did), you will find a world of magic inside of menons re writing of this epic. if you want a scholarly version, i would still say menon is the way to go, but maybe you would want to supplement with the free complete translation (available at protect gutenberg online) or some other scholarly editions with more complete introductions. i plan to try to read the complete online version at project gutenberg once i get through menons.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Breath taking.
*by N***E on July 2, 2012*

I'd like to be able to personally tell the author how deeply moving his work is. This book is thick and its material vast and I could not put it down. I've read The Gita in many translations, but reading the sweeping epic from which The Bhagavad Gita was born put the entire story into sharp focus. This author is flawless in his skill and brings what could have been dry and hard to read in its complexity to readers with no previous exposure to the stories contained in the large work. This book is devotional, inspiring, and entertaining. It contains all the makings of perfect story telling, and is available to the western audience because of the fluid and artistic rendering. I've also read The Siva Purana by the same author and absolutely recomend that book as well. After reading well over a thousand pages of this authors work I would be hard pressed not to highly recomend anything he wrote. Thank you.

## Frequently Bought Together

- The Mahabharata-a modern rendering/2 Vol Set
- The Ramayana: A Modern Retelling of the Great Indian Epic
- Bhagavata Purana (A Set of Two Volumes)

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*Product available on Desertcart Belgium*
*Store origin: BE*
*Last updated: 2026-08-05*