Longtime readers might remember that for much of 2024, I was writing about my experiences reading an unabridged translation of the Mahabharata, which is one of the two foundational Hindu epics.
My father was a professor who studied Balinese puppetry and dance and so was intimately familiar with the Mahabharata. I grew up around some of those stories, particularly the Pandava brothers, but there's just so much to know....
This was a wonderful read and it makes me want to read Debroy's translation, when the right time comes for me to immerse myself in it. I like the distinction between the text version and the oral / folk versions. I'm more interested in the latter, maybe just because I find those to be more accessible and enjoyable, but clearly there's huge value in the unabridged version.
For outsiders to the stories, I wrote about my experiences reading abridged versions of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, which would be good training wheels for the unabridged versions. Even a lot of these can be a challenge to people with no prior familiarity, but engaging with the epics is a must for anyone interested in Indian culture: https://www.sammendelsohn.com/post/beginner-s-guide-to-the-mahabharata-and-ramayana
Is there a particular abridged version you would recommend? I would love to learn more about this, but realistically I am not going to read the full 10 volume edition.
The Satyamurti version, the abridged Penguin version, or Jaya by Devdutt Pattanaik. Jaya is particularly interesting because it goes through the Mahabharata episode by episode with multiple folk and textual variations of the same story but basically gives the cliff-notes version.
I was so curious about this line, which you agreed with: "this vision of life, this vision of the universe, is probably more true than the vision provided by the Christian religion, or Islam, or even Buddhism." What do you think it is that's distinctive about the Hindu vision of the universe that makes it more true than the others? Maybe that's in one of your previous posts, it's been too long since I've read them.
I don’t speak for Naomi of course, though I sensed we were on the same page, but for me it’s primarily (1) the Hindu metaphysical vision of the universe, i.e. the nature of humans and their souls, cosmology, nature of God, etc. and (2) the purpose and implications of dharma in explaining human life, ethics, goals, and social relationships.
I loved this post! I'm a huge Mahabharata fan, though not of South Asian descent; I fell in love with it as a kid reading the Carole Satyamurti retelling (which I'm curious about both your thoughts on). I had a really transformative experience reading the whole thing later--I honestly think it's one of the greatest books ever written, both in terms of the story and the gorgeous complexity of the themes/writing/etc (the Khandava Forest part gave me chills, to say nothing of the Yaksha's Questions part, the death of Abhimanyu, and the ending). I really resonated with Anandavardhana's reading of it. Of course, my experience has been mostly text-based, so it's lovely to hear about what it was like for people who encountered it in an oral format growing up. Thank you for sharing this conversation :)
The Satyamurti version is great. It’s the version I recommend to friends and beginners. It captures much of the spirit of the language and vibe of the original and presents it in a single, digestible volume. That being said, the author chooses to emphasize certain elements and stories as per her preferences, not that that’s a bad thing, but people should be aware of that.
Thank you both so much for this conversation. As a nominal Hindu who keeps trying to explore Hinduism through the Mahabharata (not yet the unabridged version, but I’m gearing up for it), and whose approach to the text is inherently Western, it’s been difficult to find others to share this interest with. My Indian friends and family tend to view Hinduism as something you either accept obediently from the pandit and don’t try to question or understand—or else reject entirely. I really, really resonate with what you’re saying about wanting a third way. “A realist Hinduism that can talk about political questions, empirical questions, society, ethics, and really the whole gamut of life”—this is my dream Hinduism.
Fascinating! While I've never read the Mahabharata, I DID watch the TV show, which was broadcast on Saturday afternoons c. 1989, over the course of about a year. I never missed an episode!
It was never about religion for me, but I was hooked by the sheer scope of the story. It was unlike anything I'd experienced before!
Thanks for the discussion! Could I ask what each of your view points were about Hinduism and Hindu philosophy in general prior to reading the unabridged work? I have always been struck by how Hinduism or what passes for it has managed to sustain itself through all this time - my sense while growing up was that people found comfort in the rituals and traditions which they associated with their own parents and perhaps other ancestors along with the sense of community it brought them. Outside of that, it mostly felt to me as if people did it almost out of a sense of social pressure (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). Having grown up around a lot of New Atheist adjacent content and then having encountered the nastik philosophies, I have since mellowed in my own knee jerk reactions to religions and the impact I think they have on people and society in general. I am curious about your own journeys in this regard. I know Naomi wrote a lot about her personal journey over the year she read the Mahabharatha of course
My father was a professor who studied Balinese puppetry and dance and so was intimately familiar with the Mahabharata. I grew up around some of those stories, particularly the Pandava brothers, but there's just so much to know....
This was a wonderful read and it makes me want to read Debroy's translation, when the right time comes for me to immerse myself in it. I like the distinction between the text version and the oral / folk versions. I'm more interested in the latter, maybe just because I find those to be more accessible and enjoyable, but clearly there's huge value in the unabridged version.
For outsiders to the stories, I wrote about my experiences reading abridged versions of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, which would be good training wheels for the unabridged versions. Even a lot of these can be a challenge to people with no prior familiarity, but engaging with the epics is a must for anyone interested in Indian culture: https://www.sammendelsohn.com/post/beginner-s-guide-to-the-mahabharata-and-ramayana
I look forward to Naomi's Ramayana posts!
Is there a particular abridged version you would recommend? I would love to learn more about this, but realistically I am not going to read the full 10 volume edition.
The Satyamurti version, the abridged Penguin version, or Jaya by Devdutt Pattanaik. Jaya is particularly interesting because it goes through the Mahabharata episode by episode with multiple folk and textual variations of the same story but basically gives the cliff-notes version.
Thanks!
I was so curious about this line, which you agreed with: "this vision of life, this vision of the universe, is probably more true than the vision provided by the Christian religion, or Islam, or even Buddhism." What do you think it is that's distinctive about the Hindu vision of the universe that makes it more true than the others? Maybe that's in one of your previous posts, it's been too long since I've read them.
I don’t speak for Naomi of course, though I sensed we were on the same page, but for me it’s primarily (1) the Hindu metaphysical vision of the universe, i.e. the nature of humans and their souls, cosmology, nature of God, etc. and (2) the purpose and implications of dharma in explaining human life, ethics, goals, and social relationships.
Thank you!
I loved this post! I'm a huge Mahabharata fan, though not of South Asian descent; I fell in love with it as a kid reading the Carole Satyamurti retelling (which I'm curious about both your thoughts on). I had a really transformative experience reading the whole thing later--I honestly think it's one of the greatest books ever written, both in terms of the story and the gorgeous complexity of the themes/writing/etc (the Khandava Forest part gave me chills, to say nothing of the Yaksha's Questions part, the death of Abhimanyu, and the ending). I really resonated with Anandavardhana's reading of it. Of course, my experience has been mostly text-based, so it's lovely to hear about what it was like for people who encountered it in an oral format growing up. Thank you for sharing this conversation :)
The Satyamurti version is great. It’s the version I recommend to friends and beginners. It captures much of the spirit of the language and vibe of the original and presents it in a single, digestible volume. That being said, the author chooses to emphasize certain elements and stories as per her preferences, not that that’s a bad thing, but people should be aware of that.
That makes perfect sense; thank you so much for the response. I really appreciate it!
Thank you both so much for this conversation. As a nominal Hindu who keeps trying to explore Hinduism through the Mahabharata (not yet the unabridged version, but I’m gearing up for it), and whose approach to the text is inherently Western, it’s been difficult to find others to share this interest with. My Indian friends and family tend to view Hinduism as something you either accept obediently from the pandit and don’t try to question or understand—or else reject entirely. I really, really resonate with what you’re saying about wanting a third way. “A realist Hinduism that can talk about political questions, empirical questions, society, ethics, and really the whole gamut of life”—this is my dream Hinduism.
Thank you! Great to know that there’s a meeting of minds in the search for a third way!
Fascinating! While I've never read the Mahabharata, I DID watch the TV show, which was broadcast on Saturday afternoons c. 1989, over the course of about a year. I never missed an episode!
It was never about religion for me, but I was hooked by the sheer scope of the story. It was unlike anything I'd experienced before!
I've had an abridged translation on my shelf ever since college but have only read (a number of times) the opening pages...
Thanks for the discussion! Could I ask what each of your view points were about Hinduism and Hindu philosophy in general prior to reading the unabridged work? I have always been struck by how Hinduism or what passes for it has managed to sustain itself through all this time - my sense while growing up was that people found comfort in the rituals and traditions which they associated with their own parents and perhaps other ancestors along with the sense of community it brought them. Outside of that, it mostly felt to me as if people did it almost out of a sense of social pressure (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). Having grown up around a lot of New Atheist adjacent content and then having encountered the nastik philosophies, I have since mellowed in my own knee jerk reactions to religions and the impact I think they have on people and society in general. I am curious about your own journeys in this regard. I know Naomi wrote a lot about her personal journey over the year she read the Mahabharatha of course
I’m going to write something specifically on this topic. It’ll go up on my Substack in a few weeks.
Hello all — here is my essay on this topic. https://akhipill.substack.com/p/beyond-ritual-and-mysticism
Loved this. I have the initial few volumes from the late Debroy. Maybe it's time to finally dig in.