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The Mahabharata, Volume 1 cover art

The Mahabharata, Volume 1

Written by: Bibek Debroy - translator
Narrated by: Gaurav Marwa
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Publisher's Summary

The Mahabharata is one of the greatest stories ever told.

Though the basic plot is widely known, there is much more to the epic than the dispute between the Kouravas and Pandavas that led to the battle in Kurukshetra. It has innumerable sub-plots that accommodate fascinating meanderings and digressions, and it has rarely been translated in full, given its formidable length of 80,000 shlokas or couplets.

This magnificent 10-volume unabridged translation of the epic is based on the Critical Edition compiled at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute.

Volume one consists of most of Adi Parva, in which much happens before the Kouravas and the Pandavas actually arrive on the scene. This volume covers the origins of the Kuru clan; the stories of Poushya, Poulama and Astika; the births of the Kouravas and the Pandavas; the house of lac; the slaying of Hidimba and Baka; Droupadi's marriage; and ends with the Pandavas obtaining their share of the kingdom.

Every conceivable human emotion figures in The Mahabharata, the reason why the epic continues to hold sway over our imagination. In this lucid, nuanced and confident translation, Bibek Debroy makes The Mahabharata marvelously accessible to contemporary listeners.

©2010, 2015 Bibek Debroy (P)2019 Random House Audio
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What listeners say about The Mahabharata, Volume 1

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The narration ruins the experience

The translation is perfect. All the details, as close as they can be to the Sanskrit text. The narrator however, is unendurable. From hearing names being repeatedly mispronounced to callous repetitions of sentences and phrases, the experience was ruined.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Pathetic pronunciation

The translation is absolutely top notch. It's so sad to see such an amazing story and it's translation utterly ruined by this reading.

It's disgraceful that someone who has no clue about how to pronounce even the most basic Sanskrit was selected. Someone who pronounces 8 out of 10 words wrong and destroys the listening experience.

Sad! Should be definitely re-recorded by someone else and released again.

Stay far far away from this. Buy the book and read it yourself.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very detailed and highly enjoyable

This book gives a true feel of the unabridged Mahabharata!! Well narrated and very enjoyable. Can we have the other parts of the series on the platform please.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

My first experience with Mahabharta

I had been longing to start my journey with this eternal story since long. And finally or started with this audio book and I have the impression that it was a decent enough start. I would recommend this to novices like me

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Good Narration

Good Narration. Worth a credit. Requesting the narrator to upload more volumes of this book.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Please get the other volumes on Audiobook too

I am totally captured by this story and how it reflects the spiritual path. I thank the rishis, the author and the reader for making it available in such a comfortable manner. I am listening to this along with having a kindle translation available and along with watching the B.R. Chopra series on YouTube.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

mind blowing experience!

undoubtedly the most profound experience I had ever had, nicely done and very beneficial to the serious reader.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Poor narration

Description of the sloka numbers and more such data unrelated to the idihasa
Too boring🥴

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Avoid.Terrible narration and worse production.

Had high hopes, but now cruelly dashed. The narration is terrible: a robotic voice would have fared better. There are far too many broken sentences and many more repeated phrases and even a whole passage. Avoid. Read the book yourself. Author, please get a better narrator who could do justice to the epic.

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3 people found this helpful