The Mahabharata. Volume 4

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 Kouravas and Pandavas that led to the battle in Kurukshetra. Indeed, there are innumerable sub-plots embedded in the Mahabharata's staggering 80,000 shlokas or couplets.

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

The fourth volume of the Mahabharata includes Virata Parva and almost all of Udyoga Parva. It describes the Pandavas' thirteenth year of exile which they spend in disguise in King Virata's court. The Kouravas and Trigartas invade Matsya to rob Virata of his cattle, but the Pandavas defeat them in battle. With the period of banishment over, the Pandavas ask to be returned their share of the kingdom. This is refused and Udyoga Parva recounts the build up to an inevitable war.

The Mahabharata continues to captivate swathes of readers for the simple reason that it explores the full range of human emotions. With this lucid translation, Debroy succeeds in making the epic accessible to a contemporary audience.