The Mahabharata: The Epic of Dharma, Destiny and War

Two royal houses. One kingdom. A war that changed the world.

The Mahabharata is one of the great stories ever told, but its hundreds of characters and its tangled family history make it hard to approach. This retelling is written to be read: vivid and emotional, with every name and Sanskrit term explained as it appears.

Volume One, The Origins, begins with the river goddess Ganga and a king's fatal promise. It follows Bhishma's terrible vow, the births of the Pandavas and the hundred Kauravas, the arrival of the teacher Drona, and the young archers Ekalavya and Karna, whose talent the world refuses to honour. Every chapter ends with a short reflection on what the story asks of us.

Inside this volume:

• Six chapters told as a story, not a summary

• Original illustrations at the opening of each chapter

• A family tree of the Kuru dynasty

• A glossary, discussion questions, and recommended further reading

• An honest note on the epic's many traditional versions

Written for first-time readers, students, and anyone curious about the questions of duty, justice, loyalty and ambition that the epic still asks.

Volume One of a planned five-part retelling.