Maxims from Mahabharata by Sridhar Potaraju - Book Review

Maxims from Mahabharata by Sridhar Potaraju

Genre: Non Fiction, Indic 

3.5 Stars 

One Liner: Kudos to the intent and effort 

Maxims from Mahabharata is a compilation of Slokas from the epic, dealing with an array of important topics. The Slokas are originally written in Sanskrit. The author sourced them from the Devanagri script and translated them into English. He included the context, the name of the narrator, and the meaning of the Sloka. 

The book is short, crisp, and to the point. The author explains how he came up with the idea for the book and the amount of work required for the credibility of his translations. This book works more as a reference guide than a book one would read and keep on the bookshelf. 

Our rich cultural heritage has many pearls of wisdom scattered at random. Maxims from Mahabharata contains such Slokas to help people get a better understanding of their day-to-day lives. The topics are divided as: 

• Dharma 

• Truth 

• Principles Governing Punishment 

• Karma 

• Hygiene as Good Conduct 

• Nature 

• Faith 

• Anger 

• Reputation 

• Eternal Values 

• Mental Health 

• Power of Words 

The author is a lawyer, and it shows in his usage of certain words. In fact, a few meanings are written in the same long-winded sentences. The explanation of certain Slokas is too brief and doesn’t create much impact. 

Moreover, the English translation is written in Sanskrit/ Devanagri style, making the whole thing sound awkward. English sentences should have English grammar. A professional editor would have ironed out the bumps (this helps when reading focus majorly on English text). 

However, the book would work as a starting point for beginners trying to understand the intricacies of life, society, dharma, etc. Here are a few Slokas (meanings) I personally liked: 

"Wherever Krsna is, Dharma will be there, and where Dharma is, Victory shall be there." 

"A forest without lions is destroyed, and lions without forest will perish."

"If the earth is properly treated, it becomes father, mother, child, and heaven for all creatures."

"The man who incurs evil as the consequence of his own wrongdoings should not blame others for his own failings." 

"The daughter has been ordained to be equal to the son." 

"Mental stress leads to physical ailments, similar to how calm water tends to boil when in contact with hot metal." 

"As the destination of all rivers is the ocean, so the end of all embodied creatures is death." 

To sum up, Maxims from Mahabharata is the kind of book one could keep with them at all times and open a page when looking for affirmations or solace. 

I received a review copy from Indica Books and Indica. 

This review is posted as a part of the Thousand Reviewers Club. 

#ThousandReviewersClub 2022