Re: reasons to read Nanayya's Mahabharatam
Venkateswara Rao Veluri (vrveluri@worldnet.att.net)
Fri, 13 Sep 1996 22:39:26 -0500
Aravinda Pillalamarri wrote:
> Here is a question: Would anyone who could read Sanskrit be interested in
> reading Nannaya's _Andhra Mahabharatamu_?
Yes. Without a doubt! I don't want to repeat the reasons. Telugu mahaabhaarataM
has sparks of brilliance, sometimes surpassing the original, as they say!
> Question 2: Since there are many translations of Vyasa's
> Mahabharata, would there be any interest in translating from Telugu into
> English as well? Would this be considered further from the original,
> being a translation of a translation, or have any literary value in its
> own right?
Of the many translations of vyaasa mahaabhaarata, the one (alas! only partially
completed!) that clearly stands out for the present times is the translation by
J. A. B. van Buitenen of the University of Chicago. IMHO, it is superb. My
knowledge of sanskrit is very close to zero, and I depend on JABvB's commentary when
ever it is needed!
You may have already known that JABvB completed only the first five books(the
udyOga parva) and died before reaching the age of 50! (These five books
came out in three volumes, amounting to about 2000 pages, and very reasonably priced
by the University of Chicago Press!)
Some one like tikkana( why not a ms. tikkana, for a healthy change!) has to come
up to complete the mammoth task! Its worth it!
Go for it! Wish you the best.
> thanks -- Aravinda
Affectionately,
Venkateswara Rao Veluri