Mahabharata Online: Public Domain Edition

The first version of the evolving Public Domain Edition of the Mahabharata is now in production! You will find links to the 80 pages below, and each page will contain text from an existing public domain translation of the Mahabharata along with some comments from me, plus an illustration on each page, and also lots of links to help you explore the story in more detail. And... there is audio too! I hope you will find it an enjoyable and useful approach to the epic. Your comments and suggestions are very welcome; feel free to comment here at the blog or contact me by email, laurakgibbs@gmail.com.

There are links to the individual posts below, and you can also use this link — PDE Mahabharata — to see multiple posts on a page, spread out over several very big webpages (just click the "older posts" link at the bottom of each page to go on to the next page).

Arjuna statue in Bali

(image source)

Sources used: Arnold, Besant, Devee, Dutt, Ganguli, Kincaid, Macfie, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Seeger, and Tagore.

Reading Part A

1. Vyasa and Ganesha
2. King Shantanu and Ganga
3. King Shantanu and Satyavati
4. Devavrata's Vow
5. Bhishma at the Swayamvara
6. Amba
7. Dhritarashtra and Pandu
8. Kunti and Her Son
9. Pandu and His Wives
10. The Sons of Pandu
11. Gandhari and Dhritarashtra
12. Pandavas and Kauravas
13. Bhima and the Nagas
14. Drona
15. Drona Trains the Princes
16. Ekalavya
17. The Contest
18. The Arrival of Karna
19. Drona's Revenge
20. Duryodhana's Jealousy

Reading Part B

21. The House of Fire
22. Bhima and Hidimba
23. Bhima and Hidimbi
24. Bhima and Baka
25. Birth of Draupadi
26. Draupadi's Swayamwara
27. Wife of the Five Pandavas
28. The Story of Nalayani
29. Indraprastha
30. Arjuna and Ulupi
31. Arjuna and the Apsaras
32. Arjuna and Chitra
33. Arjuna and Subhadra
34. The Burning of the Forest
35. Maya's Palace
36. The Pandavas Victorious
37. The Gambling Match
38. Draupadi Lost
39. Draupadi in the Assembly Hall
40. The Second Match

Reading Part C

41. Life in the Forest
42. Krishna's Visit
43. Arjuna and Shiva
44. Arjuna and Indra
45. The Himalayas
46. Bhima and Hanuman
47. Duryodhana and the Gandharvas
48. Karna and Indra
49. Jayadratha and Draupadi
50. Riddles at the Lake
51. The Court of King Virata
52. Bhima and Kichaka
53. The Cattle Raid
54. Preparations for War
55. Krishna and His Army
56. Krishna's Mission to the Kauravas
57. Krishna and Karna
58. The Armies at Kurukshetra
59. Bhagavad-Gita
60. The Battle Begins

Reading Part D

61. Bhishma Falls
62. Drona in Command
63. Abhimanyu and Jayadratha
64. Ghatotkacha
65. Death of Drona
66. Bhima and Duhshasana
67. Arjuna and Karna
68. Duryodhana in the Lake
69. The Raid
70. Ashwatthaman's Jewel
71. Mourning
72. The Pandavas and Bhishma
73. King Yudhishthira's Horse
74. Parikshit
75. Horse Sacrifice
76. The Mongoose
77. The Forest and its Ghosts
78. Death of Krishna
79. The Pandavas Depart
80. The Afterlife