Few works in world literature have inspired so vast an audience in nations with radically different languages and cultures as the Mahabharata. Written some 2,000 years ago and probably the longest Indian epic ever composed, it is a story of dynastic struggle that culminates in a fatal clash between two branches of a single ruling family. It is a moral and philosophical tale as well as a historical one. In his introduction, Sanskritist B. A. van Nooten notes that apart from William Buck’s rendition no other English version has been able to capture the blend of religion and martial spirit that pervades the original epic.

“William Buck recaptures a spirit, a poetry of expression, an atmosphere of awe, a liveliness of appreciation. The book is a pleasure to read.”—Times Literary Supplement
 
"The volume is modern in feeling and masterly in its classical finish of form and expression. It is not only a translation but has been reworked and rewritten with such close similarity with the original that the task deserves to be applauded. The mellifluous muse of the original epic can be heard in this version throughout."—The Journal of Religious Studies

"An absorbing tale. Buck has retold the story so that the modern reader will not be discouraged from knowing and loving the stories as he did himself."—Focus on Asian Studies Newsletter