The Mahabharata, Volume 2: Book 2: The Book of Assembly; Book 3: The Book of the Forest (Mahabharata (English Translation by Univ of Chicago Press))

__The Mahabharata__, an ancient and vast Sanskrit poem, is a remarkable collection of epics, legends, romances, theology, and ethical and metaphysical doctrine. The core of this great work is the epic struggle between five heroic brothers, the Pandavas, and their one hundred contentious cousins for rule of the land. This is the second volume of van Buitenen's acclaimed translation of the definitive Poona edition of the text. Book two, __The Book of the Assembly Hall__, is an epic dramatization of the Vedic ritual of consecration that is central to the book. Book three, __The Book of the Forest__, traces the further episodes of the heroes during their years in exile. Also included are the famous story of Nala, dealing with the theme of love in separation, and the story of Rama, the subject of the other great Sanskrit epic, the __Ramayana__, as well as other colorful tales. v. 1. The book of the beginning v. 2. The book of the assembly hall. The book of the forest v. 3. The book of Virata. The book of the effort 1 (1 ; 1). Maya, a Danava who had been rescued by Arjuna from the Khandava fire, wishes to reciprocate.