The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 4

Project GutenbergProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 4.8

Word count: 2.6M words
Chapters: 257

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 4 by Kisari Mohan GanguliAuthor: ,Language: English, Class: PK: Language and Literatures: Indo-Iranian literatures, Release Date: Mar 26, 2005

Editor's review

This volume is the fourth of the English translation of the Mahabharata, covering important passages in the latter half of the epic, including plot developments after the Forest Book and a great deal of didactic and dialogic material. Its value lies not in offering a concise plot summary, but in showing how the epic interweaves narrative, ethical discussion, and religious philosophy; it is a key text for understanding traditional Indian thought and narrative modes. The English translation is in a late nineteenth-century style, with terminology and sentence patterns bearing the marks of its era, and requires patience in reading. It is better suited as an object of long-term study, used together with introductions, character genealogies, and glossaries; those seeking only a quick understanding of the epic's main storyline will easily get lost among the characters and digressions if they start here.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students and scholars specializing in Indian epic and Hindu thought
Readers interested in the English translation tradition and translation history of the Mahabharata
Those who need English source material for comparative literature or religious studies research
Experienced enthusiasts who have read volume summaries and wish to delve into textual details

Not a good fit for

Beginners encountering the Mahabharata for the first time who need a coherent guide
General readers seeking a modern Chinese retelling or simplified story
Those impatient with nineteenth-century English prose and seeking light reading

Reading tips

Prepare a character genealogy and volume plot summaries before entering the specific chapters of this volume.
Read in groups by chapter theme, keeping separate notes for narrative passages and didactic dialogue.
Mark unfamiliar divine names and terms first and look them up in batches, avoiding frequent interruptions to reading rhythm.
Read alternately with earlier volumes to clarify this volume's position and connections within the overall structure.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Can I read Volume 4 without having read the first three volumes?

You can, but it is not recommended as a starting point. This volume continues character relationships and plot threads from earlier text, and without overall context it is easy to confuse characters and digressions. It is best to first understand the epic's main storyline and main family genealogy, or at least read volume summaries before entering this volume; understanding will be much smoother.

What is the language style of this English translation?

It uses a late nineteenth-century English translation style, with solemn sentence patterns and dense terminology; some expressions are distant from contemporary English. Readers need to adapt to its rhythm and use glossaries and notes to understand proper names. It is manageable for readers accustomed to classical English translations, but difficult for those seeking modern colloquial expression.

Is the main content of this volume more story-oriented or more philosophical?

It has both, with didactic and dialogic content occupying considerable space; narrative progression is interwoven with ethical and religious discussion. Those expecting continuous action plot may find the pace slow; those interested in thought expression and character debate will find this volume's material quite rich.

What practical advice is there for reading the electronic edition?

Public-domain electronic texts are convenient for full-text search and suitable for locating passages by character name, term, or theme. It is advisable to build your own index while reading and record key chapter locations; at the same time, organize character relationships with paper notes to avoid losing track in long digressions.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Project Gutenberg Author

Project Gutenberg is not a single author but a nonprofit digital library founded by Michael Hart in 1971 and one of the world's earliest free ebook platforms. It relies on volunteers to digitize, proofread, and freely distribute public-domain works and is now operated by the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Its collection contains 2,692 works, mainly religious texts, epics, and story collections, including the King James Bible and the Douay-Rheims volumes, the epic Mahabharata, a literal translation of the Arabian Nights, and Danish editions of the Old and New Testaments. Public information is limited, and its nature is closer to a public-interest compiling and dissemination body; these texts are open to the public, easy to consult and circulate, and have had a profound influence on the spread of ebooks and the preservation of public-domain resources.