{"product_id":"mahabharata-9780810130593","title":"Mahabharata","description":"\u003cp\u003eWithin its 200,000 verse lines in Sanskrit the \u003ci\u003eMahabharata \u003c\/i\u003etakes on many roles: epic poem, foundational text of Hinduism, and, more broadly, the engaging story of a dynastic struggle and the passing of an age when man and gods intermingled. David R. Slavitt's sparkling new edition condenses the epic for the general reader.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt its core, the \u003ci\u003eMahabharata \u003c\/i\u003eis the story of the rivalry between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, two related noble families who are struggling for control of a kingdom in ancient northern India. Slavitt's readable, plot-driven, single-volume account describes an arc from the conception and birth of Bhishma to that hero's death, while also introducing the four goals of life at the center of Hinduism: \u003ci\u003edharma \u003c\/i\u003e(righteousness, morality, duty), \u003ci\u003eartha \u003c\/i\u003e(purpose), \u003ci\u003ekāma \u003c\/i\u003e(pleasure), and \u003ci\u003emoksa \u003c\/i\u003e(spiritual liberation). The \u003ci\u003eMahabharata \u003c\/i\u003eis engaging, thrilling, funny, charming, and finally awesome, with a range in timbre from the impish naivete of fairy tales to the solemnity of our greatest epics, and this single-volume edition is the best introduction available.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Northwestern University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/30\/2015\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780810130593\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 592\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.70lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.20h x 6.10w x 1.30d","brand":"David R. Slavitt","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51474180767925,"sku":"9780810130593","price":21.21,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_5cdc1639-d555-4032-b96a-9f67392ce54f.jpg?v=1754405112","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/mahabharata-9780810130593","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}