Arjuna (10)

Ranks 10th on The Fictional 100

The following books will introduce you to Arjuna, who said these words in the Bhagavad Gita (Edgerton trans.).

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• The Bhagavad Gita (Franklin Edgerton, Trans.). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1972.
  • This magnificent dialogue between the unsurpassed archer Arjuna and his charioteer, Lord Krishna, is the pivotal sixth book of the Mahabharata and the best loved classic of Indian spirituality. Prompted by Arjuna's serious moral doubts about the coming battle, aimed at regaining his kingdom from his kinsmen, Krishna delivers his teaching on the meaning of action in this life and the paths to ultimate salvation. Edgerton's verse translation is clear, moving, and highly praised for its authenticity.
    
• The Mahabharata (J. A. B. van Buitenen, Ed. and Trans.). University of Chicago Press, 1973-1978. (Van Buitenen's introductions and notes to each part of the epic are invaluable tools for deeper understanding.)
  • Volume 1: I. The Book of the Beginning.--Tells the origins of the Bharata clan and the early life of the five Pandava brothers (Arjuna is the middle one) up until the fateful dice game in which they lose their freedom and their kingdom. (To order Vol. 1, go to Shakuntala for the link to its page in Amazon.com.)
  • Volume 2: II. The Book of the Assembly Hall. III. The Book of the Forest.--Arjuna and his brothers are invited to a dice game in the assembly hall of Hastinapura by their treacherous cousin, Duryodhana. The game is rigged and they lose everything, and must wander in forest exile for 12 years.
  • Volume 3: IV. The Book of Virata. V. The Book of the Effort.--Arjuna and his brothers must spend their thirteenth year of exile in anonymity, before they can return to reclaim their kingdom. Arjuna, with divine help, poses as a eunuch dancing master in the court of Virata. Upon their return, Krishna tries to avert war with diplomacy, but his offers are rejected, and the opposing armies face each other on the field of Kurukshetra (this is the point at which the Bhagavad Gita begins).
  • The Bhagavadgita in the Mahabharata: A Bilingual edition.--van Buitenen's prose translation, facing the transliterated Sanskrit original, upholds the same standards of excellence in scholarship displayed in the other three volumes.
    
• Buck, William. Mahabharata. New American Library, 1979.
  • Van Buitenen died after translating only a little more than 5 of the total 18 books of this monumental epic. Buck's retelling conveys the full narrative, although no brief novelization can convey the power of the original poetry, myth, and religious teaching contained in this encyclopedic treasure of ancient Indian literature.
    
• Narayan, R. K. The Mahabharata. South Asia Books, 1989.
  • Another admirable retelling by an accomplished modern novelist.
    
• Hiltebeitel, Alf. The Ritual of Battle: Krishna in the Mahabharata. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1990.
  • Although this book by the renowned scholar Hiltebeitel focuses on Krishna's roles in the Mahabharata, it necessarily covers Arjuna's participation and his relationship to Krishna.
    
• Katz, Ruth C. Arjuna in the Mahabharata. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1989.
  • This is the best commentary on Arjuna as warrior, lover, and mystic.
    
• Chaitanya, Krishna. Mahabharata: A Literary Study. Asia Book Corporation of America, 1985.
  • Excellent literary analysis of the epic from beginning to end. Chaitanya writes enthusiastically, with strong opinions and probing questions, for example, on the meaning of the Gita. (1993 edition also available.)
    
• Brook, Peter. Mahabharata Film Version (VHS). Paraclete, 1995.
  • Shown a few years ago on public television, this is the film version of Peter Brook's successful stage adaptation, featuring an international cast.
    
• Carrière, Jean-Claude and Brook, Peter (Trans.). The Mahabharata: A Play. HarperCollins, 1989.
  • Basis for the stage and film versions of the Indian epic.
    
• Reza, Rahi Masoom. The Mahabharata TV Film Script (10 vols.; S. Bhatnagar and S. Magan, Trans.). Calcutta: Writers Workshop, 1991.
  • This is the English translation of the full script for the B. R. TV serialization, which kept all of India riveted every Sunday morning for two years. In rural areas, people would walk or bicycle many miles to gather around the only TV in a village so that they would not miss Krishna's inspiring lessons to Arjuna or the gripping battle scenes. The complete series in Hindi with English subtitles was shown in the U.S. on the International Channel (12401 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90064), which also offered the set on video.

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