I received a few questions about this topic and I’d like to share them with you.
I have been asked, why are you working on a Maha-bharata edition when there are already good Maha-bharata on sale?
The first answer is that I am giving the full Maha-bharata, probably in 10 volumes, and not an abriged edition. I read several of these short edition (Rajagopalachari, Kamala Subramanyam and others) and I have written and published one myself in italian language. However I felt unsatisfied. I prefer the full version.
Next question was, but you can find online the complete Maha-bharata by Ganguli (in paper are 12 volumes). At this I answer that the online rendering is full of mistakes, has chapter missing and even sections mixed together, like, part of a chapter and part of another chapter mixed together.
I had arrived at page 424 on 530 when I realized that the online Ganguli edition can’t be trusted. So I bought the Dutt edition (nine volumes) with full sanskrit devanagari text (having the original sanskrit helps a lot) and translation in english and I am now reshaping my work using both editions. It will be a real encyclopedia of Puranic history.
But the unique feature of my work is that I am giving historical and philosophical footnotes explanations. Most of people wouldn’t understand who is who and what is what without an explanation. Maha-bharata is not an easy book for the less expert readers. So far only on Adi Parva I arrived at 1,257 footnotes, which is already a lot, and will be much more at the end.
To answer to the question when it could be ready, for the Adi Parva it will take few months more. Be patient and at end you’ll have a unique work on the wonderful Maha-bharata of Srila Vyasadeva.
– Manonatha Dasa (ACBSP)
16 december 2018
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