Mahabharata. Three Great Legends of Ancient India

«Mahabharata» and «Ramayana» — the most important monuments of ancient Indian creativity. The authors of this edition, like N. A. Kun in his «Myths of Ancient Greece», have created a literary adaptation of the epic: they have clothed it in... prose form and adapted it for modern readers.

In essence, «Mahabharata» and «Ramayana» are similar to Homer’s «Iliad» and «Odyssey». The «Ramayana» thematically echoes the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, as well as the fairy tale epic «Ruslan and Lyudmila» by Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin.

The book begins with the «Tale of Rama» — a gripping story of the abduction of the beautiful Sita by the terrible Ravana, the lord of the rakshasas. Rama, along with his army of monkeys, sets out to find his beloved, overcoming various obstacles that arise along their way.

The «Tale of Krishna» narrates the earthly life of the incarnation of Vishnu. The cruel king Kansa was foretold to meet his death at the hands of his sister's eighth son. Miraculously, Krishna survives. From a young age, he astonishes those around him with his strength and agility. Like the cunning Odysseus, Krishna defeats his enemies.

For those interested in Ancient India, the edition includes an article explaining the specifics of the work on the interpretation of literary monuments.