you can watch it online with english subtitles
here is one for mahabharata, there are 94 episodes
Mahabharata with English Subtitles - YouTube
here is one for mahabharata, there are 94 episodes
Mahabharata with English Subtitles - YouTube
Question for indians here, regarding Ramayana and Mahabharata
- Thread starter Saradiel
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1. Educated people regard Ramayan as a mythology. As far as Mahabharat is concerned, it doesn't matter educated or uneducated. Anyone who has studied Mahabharat understands that the story and final war refer to the one that was fought among the 10 MahaJanapads (10 states in the Indian subcontinent) around 1500 BC. And that these 10 states were conquered by and unified under one ruler - Bharat, after whom this country was named. The Mahabharat is basically the story of King Bharat's lineage - chief architects of that pan-India war.
2. The events that led to the war, and the war itself (which comprises over 50% of the epic) took place in India in exactly the same manner as depicted in Mahabharat (eschew the supernatural stuff), around 1500 B.C.
3. I would suggest buying it from Gita Press, and avoiding ISKCON's (contrary to what someone suggested up there) because ISKCON's greatest deity (Krishna) plays the central role in the story of Mahabharat and they tend to include, and focus on, the life of Krishna a bit more than is relevant to the story and that too in a highly religious way adding a great deal of mythology in it.
Since it is the longest epic in the world, it would take you a long time to go through it. There's also a series that depicts Mahabharat by the same name (produced in 1988) and it will give you a pretty good idea on what the epic is all about. I think you can find it with subtitles on youtube.
GR!FF!N
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@Saradiel
there is possibly no way to confirm whether it is a fact or fiction,just like researchers found Troy,but couldn't confirm whether its a fact or fiction.they said,yes,Troy existed and was destroyed several times.but it is yet to prove Greeks sailed across Aegean Sea to wage war and all..same goes for Mahabharat and Ramayan.places exists till date.but nobody knows how much truth is in these stories.
I'd advice you to take these epics-Mahabharat,Ramayan and Geeta(part of Mahabharat,its called our 5th Veda) as moral teachings.especially Geeta,which is incredible.it'll teach you how to live your life.
there is possibly no way to confirm whether it is a fact or fiction,just like researchers found Troy,but couldn't confirm whether its a fact or fiction.they said,yes,Troy existed and was destroyed several times.but it is yet to prove Greeks sailed across Aegean Sea to wage war and all..same goes for Mahabharat and Ramayan.places exists till date.but nobody knows how much truth is in these stories.
I'd advice you to take these epics-Mahabharat,Ramayan and Geeta(part of Mahabharat,its called our 5th Veda) as moral teachings.especially Geeta,which is incredible.it'll teach you how to live your life.
RKO
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I read it three times.... not as religious book bt as an epic story. ... its one of the most Intresting book I ever read!!! twists n turns, suspens and war is my favorite part!!!Mahabharata is the longest text...
so you wont be able to read it ALL..
But surely Mahabharata tells you about EVERY relation in life
Professional Rivalry : Karna and Arjun
Personal-cum-Professional Rivalry : Bheema-Duryodhana
Sibling Rivalry : Kauravas and Pandavas
Relationships of a teacher(Drona) with his son(ashwatthama),favorite pupil(arjun) and other normal pupils which are valid upto this date..
Take it Philosophically, and welcome to true liberty
@Saradiel dont miss it... read it!!! atleast as an epic!!
chairborne ranger
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I'd say it was definitely real in some sense, with a lot of mythology , and exaggeration , as it grew in the telling. There exist hundreds of versions of the ramayan, each with some differences in storyline.
Here's something else you might find interesting
It is the Worlds first recorded Battle , and won by King SUDAS - the ancestor of Iskvaku dynasty the ancestor of Lord Shri Rama of Ayodhya. The evidence is chronologically recorded in various Puranas with reefence to Suryavanshi + Chandravanshi Kings . This war itself presupposes a lineage of kings before Sudas going back thousands of years to Manu Vaivasvata. Thus it seems to have taken place sometimes between 7500-8900 BCE- nearly 5400 years preceding the Mahabharata war, as per Puranic chronology which coincides with the decline of the Harappans.
The Rig Veda is mankinds oldest literature (composed much before 3000 BC).In Book 7 of the RV we find reference to the Dasarajna war (Battle of the ten kings) between various Indo European tribes including the Bharatas(Indians) Parsu(Persians), Druhyu (Druids) etc.It was fought on the banks of the Parusni river in NW India. Today the river is called Ravi.
The powerful Puru tribe, allied with other tribes of the north west India and guided by the royal sage Vishvamitra, were defeated by the Trtsu (Bharata) king Sudas in battle, celebrated in a hymn by Sudas' poet and priest Vasistha (RV 7.18). The victory of the Bharatas allowed them to move eastwards and settle in Kurukshetra, paving the way for the emergence of the Kuru "super-tribe" or tribal union, which dominated northern India in the subsequent period.
It is the oldest recorded war in history. Not just that, it was no mere neolithic stick and stone fight .It was the first organized war-- with infantry,archers and elephants .Its date may safely be placed at around 8000 BC..
The evidence is the Head of Vasista discovered in Delhi.A copper item representing a human head styled in the manner described for the Rigvedic Vashista has been dated to around 3700 B.C. in three western universities using among other tests carbon 14 tests, spectrographic analysis, X-ray dispersal analysis and metallography. . The head was not found in an archaeological context, as it was rescued from being melted down in Delhi.
Vasista was the adviser to king Sudas , the Bharatha King who won the war .
The Trtsu are the tribe led by king Sudas. Sudas himself is included in the "ten kings", as the Trtsus are said to be surrounded by ten kings in 7.33.5. But it is not made explicit how this number is supposed to be broken down: if of the tribes mentioned in 7.18, the Turvasas, Yaksuss (pun for Yadu), Matsyas, Bhrgus, Druhyus, Pakthas, Bhalanas, Alinas, Shivas and Visanins are counted, the full number is reached, leaving the Anavas (7.18.14), the Ajas and Sigrus (7.18.19) and the "21 men of both Vaikarna tribes" (7.18.11) without a king, and implying that Bheda (7.18.19, also mentioned 7.33.3 and 7.83.4, the main leader slain by Sudas), Shimyu (7.18.5), and Kavasa (7.18.12) are the names of individual kings. The Bharatas are named among the enemies in 7.33 but not in 7.18.
Alinas: One of the tribes defeated by Sudas at the Dasarajna, and it was suggested that they lived to the north-east of Nuristan, because the land was mentioned by the Chinese pilgrim Hiouen Thsang.
Anu: Some place them in the Paruṣṇī (Ravi) area.
Bhrigus: Probably the priestly family descended from the ancient Kavi Bhrigu. Later, they are related to the composition of parts of the Atharva Veda (Bhṛgv-Āṅgirasa) .
Bhalanas: Fought against Sudas in the Dasarajna battle. Some scholars have argued that the Bhalanas lived in the Bolan Pass area.
Druhyus: Some align them with the Gandhari (RV I 1.126.7).
Matsya are only mentioned in the RV (7.18.6), but later in connection with the Śālva.
Parsu: The Parśu have been connected by some with the ancient Persians.
Purus: one of the major tribal confederations in the Rigveda.
Panis: also the name of a class of demons; later associated with the Scythians.
Hymns 7.18 and 7.83 are dedicated to Indra and Indra paired with Varuna, respectively. They thank the deity for helping Sudas to defeat his enemies, while hymn 7.33 is addressed by Vashista's descendants to Vashista, praising him for moving the gods to take Sudas' side by his prayers (Indra preferred Vashista's prayers over those of Pasadyumna, son of Vayata, 7.33.2). They describe him as a son of Mitra and Varuna (7.33.11). The hymn stresses the importance of the priests (Vashista is named along with Parashara and Satayatu) in winning Indra's favour; they had invoked Indra while they had moved away from "home" (grhāt, 7.18.21)
The situation leading up to the battle is described in 7.18.6: The Turvasas and Yaksus (Yadu), together with the Matsya tribe (punned upon by the rishi by comparing them to hungry fish (matsya) flocking together) appear and ally themselves with the Bhrigus and the Druhyus. Their confederation was further increased by the Pakthas, the Bhalanas, the Alinas, the Shivas and the Visanins (7.18.7), while the Trtsus relied solely on the help of the "Arya's Comrade" (āryasya sadhamāḥ), Indra.
he warriors of Sudas are described as white-robed (shvityanca), wearing hair-knots on the right side of their heads (daksinataskaparda), having flying banners (krtádhvaj) (RV 7.83.2), while the ten kings do not sacrifice (áyajyavaḥ). It appears (7.18.5) that Sudas managed to cross the Parusni safely, while his foes, trying to pursue, were scattered by a flood and either drowned or were slaughtered by Sudas' men:
Kavaṣa and the Druhyu were "overwhelmed by Indra" while still in the water (7.18.10). The slain warriors of the Anu and Druhyus are numbered 6,666 (7.18.14).
In the aftermath of the battle, the Bharatas under Sudas (7.33.6), received tribute from the Ajas, the Sigrus and the Yaksus Yadu, 7.18.20), and Indra destroyed the seven fortifications of the enemies, and gave the treasures of Anu to Sudas (7.18.13). 7.18.17 stresses that this was a victory against all odds, compared to a lamb defeating a lion.
Not only did Sudas and the Bharatas win, they routed the enemy in a massacre that was aided by nature itself, when the river and weather came to their aid. Was it Indra himself or merely a brilliant battle strategy by Raja Sudas? Either way, the Bharatas won the day. And as a result they became the dominant tribe of the Indian sub-continent.
Later, Raja Sudas’s descendants split into the Puru and Kuru lines, and waged another great war for Arya supremacy: the Mahabharata yuddh.
Yavana is hence here, an adaptation of Javana, and a Vedic term referring to any great monarch, or peoples that migrated fast defeating others.
The accounts in Mandala 7 hymn 18 suggests that in initial engagements Sudas's army was defeated. However, they knew their country better than the invaders. They found place to safely cross the Ravi River and come on the eastern shores. The invaders, however, found it difficult to cross the river. Indra and Varuna helped Sudas to won over ten kings.
The aftermaths of the battle were as usual. Sudas got the booty from conquered. The distant tribes promised to pay regular tributes. Sapta-Sindhu and Aryavarta came under the dominion of Bharatas. Perhaps this was the beginning of Indian Empire. Which later came to be known as Bharat-varsha OR Bharat after the king OR clan which unified it.
This Puru-Bharata dynasty provided the continuity of leadership which is documented in the ancient scriptures, particularly the Rigveda. After the Battle of Ten Kings, many inhabitants of India got scared and out of fear migrated westwards into Iran and beyond.( RV- VII:18,19,33,83).
Western scholars easily misinterpreted this battle to mean an invasion of nomadic people called Aryans rather than simply a war in which the superior Aryan kings re-established the spiritual values and the Vedic Aryan way of life.
—
Here's something else you might find interesting
It is the Worlds first recorded Battle , and won by King SUDAS - the ancestor of Iskvaku dynasty the ancestor of Lord Shri Rama of Ayodhya. The evidence is chronologically recorded in various Puranas with reefence to Suryavanshi + Chandravanshi Kings . This war itself presupposes a lineage of kings before Sudas going back thousands of years to Manu Vaivasvata. Thus it seems to have taken place sometimes between 7500-8900 BCE- nearly 5400 years preceding the Mahabharata war, as per Puranic chronology which coincides with the decline of the Harappans.
The Rig Veda is mankinds oldest literature (composed much before 3000 BC).In Book 7 of the RV we find reference to the Dasarajna war (Battle of the ten kings) between various Indo European tribes including the Bharatas(Indians) Parsu(Persians), Druhyu (Druids) etc.It was fought on the banks of the Parusni river in NW India. Today the river is called Ravi.
The powerful Puru tribe, allied with other tribes of the north west India and guided by the royal sage Vishvamitra, were defeated by the Trtsu (Bharata) king Sudas in battle, celebrated in a hymn by Sudas' poet and priest Vasistha (RV 7.18). The victory of the Bharatas allowed them to move eastwards and settle in Kurukshetra, paving the way for the emergence of the Kuru "super-tribe" or tribal union, which dominated northern India in the subsequent period.
It is the oldest recorded war in history. Not just that, it was no mere neolithic stick and stone fight .It was the first organized war-- with infantry,archers and elephants .Its date may safely be placed at around 8000 BC..
The evidence is the Head of Vasista discovered in Delhi.A copper item representing a human head styled in the manner described for the Rigvedic Vashista has been dated to around 3700 B.C. in three western universities using among other tests carbon 14 tests, spectrographic analysis, X-ray dispersal analysis and metallography. . The head was not found in an archaeological context, as it was rescued from being melted down in Delhi.
Vasista was the adviser to king Sudas , the Bharatha King who won the war .
The Trtsu are the tribe led by king Sudas. Sudas himself is included in the "ten kings", as the Trtsus are said to be surrounded by ten kings in 7.33.5. But it is not made explicit how this number is supposed to be broken down: if of the tribes mentioned in 7.18, the Turvasas, Yaksuss (pun for Yadu), Matsyas, Bhrgus, Druhyus, Pakthas, Bhalanas, Alinas, Shivas and Visanins are counted, the full number is reached, leaving the Anavas (7.18.14), the Ajas and Sigrus (7.18.19) and the "21 men of both Vaikarna tribes" (7.18.11) without a king, and implying that Bheda (7.18.19, also mentioned 7.33.3 and 7.83.4, the main leader slain by Sudas), Shimyu (7.18.5), and Kavasa (7.18.12) are the names of individual kings. The Bharatas are named among the enemies in 7.33 but not in 7.18.
Alinas: One of the tribes defeated by Sudas at the Dasarajna, and it was suggested that they lived to the north-east of Nuristan, because the land was mentioned by the Chinese pilgrim Hiouen Thsang.
Anu: Some place them in the Paruṣṇī (Ravi) area.
Bhrigus: Probably the priestly family descended from the ancient Kavi Bhrigu. Later, they are related to the composition of parts of the Atharva Veda (Bhṛgv-Āṅgirasa) .
Bhalanas: Fought against Sudas in the Dasarajna battle. Some scholars have argued that the Bhalanas lived in the Bolan Pass area.
Druhyus: Some align them with the Gandhari (RV I 1.126.7).
Matsya are only mentioned in the RV (7.18.6), but later in connection with the Śālva.
Parsu: The Parśu have been connected by some with the ancient Persians.
Purus: one of the major tribal confederations in the Rigveda.
Panis: also the name of a class of demons; later associated with the Scythians.
Hymns 7.18 and 7.83 are dedicated to Indra and Indra paired with Varuna, respectively. They thank the deity for helping Sudas to defeat his enemies, while hymn 7.33 is addressed by Vashista's descendants to Vashista, praising him for moving the gods to take Sudas' side by his prayers (Indra preferred Vashista's prayers over those of Pasadyumna, son of Vayata, 7.33.2). They describe him as a son of Mitra and Varuna (7.33.11). The hymn stresses the importance of the priests (Vashista is named along with Parashara and Satayatu) in winning Indra's favour; they had invoked Indra while they had moved away from "home" (grhāt, 7.18.21)
The situation leading up to the battle is described in 7.18.6: The Turvasas and Yaksus (Yadu), together with the Matsya tribe (punned upon by the rishi by comparing them to hungry fish (matsya) flocking together) appear and ally themselves with the Bhrigus and the Druhyus. Their confederation was further increased by the Pakthas, the Bhalanas, the Alinas, the Shivas and the Visanins (7.18.7), while the Trtsus relied solely on the help of the "Arya's Comrade" (āryasya sadhamāḥ), Indra.
he warriors of Sudas are described as white-robed (shvityanca), wearing hair-knots on the right side of their heads (daksinataskaparda), having flying banners (krtádhvaj) (RV 7.83.2), while the ten kings do not sacrifice (áyajyavaḥ). It appears (7.18.5) that Sudas managed to cross the Parusni safely, while his foes, trying to pursue, were scattered by a flood and either drowned or were slaughtered by Sudas' men:
Kavaṣa and the Druhyu were "overwhelmed by Indra" while still in the water (7.18.10). The slain warriors of the Anu and Druhyus are numbered 6,666 (7.18.14).
In the aftermath of the battle, the Bharatas under Sudas (7.33.6), received tribute from the Ajas, the Sigrus and the Yaksus Yadu, 7.18.20), and Indra destroyed the seven fortifications of the enemies, and gave the treasures of Anu to Sudas (7.18.13). 7.18.17 stresses that this was a victory against all odds, compared to a lamb defeating a lion.
Not only did Sudas and the Bharatas win, they routed the enemy in a massacre that was aided by nature itself, when the river and weather came to their aid. Was it Indra himself or merely a brilliant battle strategy by Raja Sudas? Either way, the Bharatas won the day. And as a result they became the dominant tribe of the Indian sub-continent.
Later, Raja Sudas’s descendants split into the Puru and Kuru lines, and waged another great war for Arya supremacy: the Mahabharata yuddh.
Yavana is hence here, an adaptation of Javana, and a Vedic term referring to any great monarch, or peoples that migrated fast defeating others.
The accounts in Mandala 7 hymn 18 suggests that in initial engagements Sudas's army was defeated. However, they knew their country better than the invaders. They found place to safely cross the Ravi River and come on the eastern shores. The invaders, however, found it difficult to cross the river. Indra and Varuna helped Sudas to won over ten kings.
The aftermaths of the battle were as usual. Sudas got the booty from conquered. The distant tribes promised to pay regular tributes. Sapta-Sindhu and Aryavarta came under the dominion of Bharatas. Perhaps this was the beginning of Indian Empire. Which later came to be known as Bharat-varsha OR Bharat after the king OR clan which unified it.
This Puru-Bharata dynasty provided the continuity of leadership which is documented in the ancient scriptures, particularly the Rigveda. After the Battle of Ten Kings, many inhabitants of India got scared and out of fear migrated westwards into Iran and beyond.( RV- VII:18,19,33,83).
Western scholars easily misinterpreted this battle to mean an invasion of nomadic people called Aryans rather than simply a war in which the superior Aryan kings re-established the spiritual values and the Vedic Aryan way of life.
—
AUSTERLITZ
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Best and definitive english translation of the mahabharata is Ramesh menon's Mahabharata-a Modern rendering in 2 volumes.
Now personally i think most indians believe that these are based on real events with supernatural elements later added to it.This is corroborated by the fact that all kingdoms and locations stated actually existed in history and the puranas also confirm many of the names of the kings through the dynastic line lists provided.
The ramayana is rather straight forward good vs evil story.Rama is portrayed infallible and this in my opinion makes it an inferior epic compared to the mahabharata which is multi-layered and every character is flawed.So if u read i would start with the mahabharata.
jarves
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Just want add that they are very,very,very long epics.So dont lose patience easily.
Personally i would recommend you to give preference to Mahabharata.
Bang Galore
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Sudas was a king of the Bharatas, a sub tribe of the Purus. Like all the main tribes of the rig veda, he was a Chandravanshi. The Ikshvakus were Suryavanshis, Rama being one of them.
@Saradiel : If poetry itself interests you, then RC Dutt has translated some parts of both the epics in the same rhyme and meter as the original, and with the same poetic power (as far as possible). It's only a fraction of the whole epics, but since he has selected the most interesting bits, it would be more engaging than the whole works. Mahabharata is the longest work in world literature, bar none. It is about four times as long as the Illiad and Odyssey put together!
Here is a link to RC Dutt's translation. His notes are also informative:
The Ramayana and Mahabharata Index
(For those that don't know, RC Dutt was a prominent freedom fighter, and presided over the Indian National Congress for one session, in 1899 if I remember correctly.)
Here is a link to RC Dutt's translation. His notes are also informative:
The Ramayana and Mahabharata Index
(For those that don't know, RC Dutt was a prominent freedom fighter, and presided over the Indian National Congress for one session, in 1899 if I remember correctly.)
DarkSeid
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Sri Lankan TV channel Swarnavahini is already telecasting starplus-Mahabharat with Sinhalese dubbed and Tamil subtitles.you can watch it online with english subtitles
here is one for mahabharata, there are 94 episodes
Mahabharata with English Subtitles - YouTube
Here are other ongoing Indian teledramas.
ptltejas
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90's mahabharata is far better than this. There are many things missing in the present one.Sri Lankan TV channel Swarnavahini is already telecasting starplus-Mahabharat with Sinhalese dubbed and Tamil subtitles.
Here are other ongoing Indian teledramas.
Kinetic
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No. This new Star plus one is as great as 90s one. 90s one made according to that time, new one made according our time. After 30 years also another Mahabharats series will come with taste of that time.
Accept the change, accept what is good.
BTW not the Ekta Kapoor one, its the worst one.
INDIC
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History of India before 600BC are recorded in Hindu religious texts but after 600BC we have Buddhists and Jain sources to verify the existence of Kings and kingdoms, so most probable they are based on true events and can't be rejected mere as a mythology. Moreover, Mahabharata gives very accurate description of the geography of ancient India and kingdoms and ancient people/tribes inhabiting them and many of such ancient place names are still in use. Anyway, two epics have contributed lot in shaping the Indian civilization and I really don't care if people believe them to be true or not, they are still very important for the Indian civilization.
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