"A new selection from the national epic of India. Originally composed in Sanskrit sometime between 400 BC and 400 AD, The Mahabharata--with one hundred thousand stanzas of verse--is one of the longest poems in existence. At the heart of the saga is a conflict between two branches of a royal family whose feud culminates in a titanic eighteen-day battle. Exploring such timeless subjects as dharma (duty), artha (purpose), and kama (pleasure) in a mythic world of warfare, magic, and beauty, this is a magnificent and legendary Hindu text of immense importance to the culture of the Indian subcontinent."--Publisher's description.