5 h 52 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 5 h 52 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What does duty demand when the people you must fight are your own family?
In Romesh Chunder Dutt’s verse epic Maha-bharata, the Pandavas and Kauravas share a royal house but clash over its inheritance. Yudhishthira seeks justice, Bhima brings immense strength, and Arjuna excels in battle. Against them, Duryodhana resists their claims. Their rivalry turns kingship into a painful struggle over loyalty, honour, and the right to rule.
A game of dice carries the conflict into the royal hall, where Yudhishthira’s gambling exposes his brothers and Draupadi to humiliation and exile. Away from power, patience and resolve face fresh tests. As the question of return draws near, pride and distrust threaten negotiation. Dharma—right conduct and duty—becomes hard to judge when promises and responsibilities pull in different directions.
What you’ll discover
- A family divided Follow a shared inheritance as it becomes a bitter contest over justice and power.
- The royal hall Enter the dice game where one man’s choices place his whole family at risk.
- Draupadi at the centre Meet the woman whose honour stands at the heart of the royal conflict.
- Warriors with divided loyalties Encounter Bhishma, Drona, and Karna, whose personal debts complicate the sides they serve.
- An epic in verse Move through court life, marriage, exile, and battle, where public skill sharpens private rivalry.
Who will love it
This book suits lovers of heroic tales, rival cousins, loyal friends, clever disguises and wronged queens, and readers who like India's epic in rhythmic verse.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A tournament reveals a family rivalry
- Generosity wins Karna's lasting loyalty
- Arjun's skill shines through his disguise
- A dice game strips away honour
- Savitri answers grief with faithful love
- Disguise protects the brothers' promise
- Pride closes the road to peace
- Duty divides those bound by love
Who’s who
- YudhishthirThe eldest Pandav, truthful and pious, who keeps his word through loss and exile and seeks his rightful kingdom.
- ArjunThe third Pandav and finest archer, who wins Draupadi, serves Krishna as a friend, and seeks glory in arms.
- BhimaThe second Pandav, a mighty mace fighter, who swears vengeance for the insult to Draupadi and shields his brothers.
- DraupadiThe princess of Panchala, won by Arjun, who defies the Kuru court and holds her husbands to justice.
- DuryodhanThe proud eldest son of Dhrita-rashtra, jealous of his cousins and set on keeping the whole Kuru realm for himself.
- KarnaA golden-armoured archer of unknown birth, made king by Duryodhan and bound to him by gratitude and a rivalry with Arjun.
- KrishnaThe chief of Dwarka, friend and adviser to the Pandavs, who pleads for peace and guides Arjun's chariot.
- PrithaThe mother of the Pandavs, who keeps a secret about Karna and mourns her sons' fortunes.
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Maha-bharata
Two cousin families, a rigged game of dice and a wronged queen push the kings of India toward war.
Challenging2–5 hours to read2 languages
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In short
Picture a tournament ground beside a crystal fountain in the ancient kingdom of the Kurus. Trumpets sound, thousands crowd the stands, and young princes show their skill with bow, sword and mace.
Maha-bharata at a glance
- Reading time
- About 3 h 30 min2 h 45 min fast, 4 h 5 min slow
- Length
- 49,500 words
- Library level
- Challenging long sentences, a rich vocabulary
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A tournament shows the princes and their rivalry
The first book opens at Hastina, capital of the Kurus. The blind king Dhrita-rashtra raises his late brother Pandu's five sons beside his own hundred. Their teacher Drona asks the king to let the boys show what they have learned, and the king agrees with a glad heart.
A meadow is cleared, a fountain sparkles, and white tents rise around the field. The townsfolk roar like an ocean in a storm. Bhima and Duryodhan take up heavy maces and circle each other like wild elephants. The crowd splits into two shouting camps, and Drona sends his son to part the fighters.
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- 15-minute summary
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Details
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Cite this edition
Dutt, Romesh Chunder. Maha-bharata. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/maha-bharata.
Dutt, R. C. (2026). Maha-bharata. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/maha-bharata
Dutt, Romesh Chunder. Maha-bharata. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/maha-bharata.
@book{dutt2026mahabharata,
author = {Dutt, Romesh Chunder},
title = {Maha-bharata},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/maha-bharata}
}
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What is the Maha-bharata about?
It tells of two branches of the Kuru royal family, the five Pandav brothers and their hundred cousins. Jealousy, a rigged dice game and exile lead to a vast war. Krishna guides the Pandavs, and duty, loyalty and honour drive the plot.
Who are the Pandavs?
The Pandavs are the five sons of King Pandu, named Yudhishthir, Bhima, Arjun, Nakula and Sahadeva. Each is born through a god's blessing. They share Draupadi as their queen and are raised by their blind uncle Dhrita-rashtra.
Who is Karna and why does he matter?
Karna is a golden-armoured archer of unknown birth, born through the sun god. Duryodhan makes him king of Anga, and he becomes Duryodhan's closest friend. His rivalry with Arjun is called the central theme of the epic.
The author
Romesh Chunder Dutt
1848–1909 · Indian historian and novelist
Romesh Chunder Dutt (1848–1909) was an Indian historian, economist, writer, and civil servant. He was born in Calcutta, studied in London, and worked in India. He wrote in Bengali and English. His English verse translation of the Mahabharata appeared in 1898. He also wrote economic histories of India. He died in Baroda.
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