Yath'aiva tvaṃ tath'aiv'āhaṃ ko vā mā'śvāsayiṣyati

You may have watched a movie or TV show based on Mahābhārata, or read an adaptation or translation of the story, or even written a fan fiction from the point of view of your favourite character. Have you ever wondered how an incident or dialogue sounded in the original Saṃskṛta text?

What values did Kṛṣṇa Vāsudeva, Karṇa Rādheya etc. espouse according to their speeches in the critical edition's reconstruction of the text as it was several centuries ago? Unfortunately, most people of Indian origin or affinity don't make the effort to read Saṃskṛta. Through this book, I would like to make it accessible to my readers. I have created fan fiction and translated the text that inspired it, but please try to sound out the original Saṃskṛta as well, and feel its rhythm.

Mahābhārata is fiction in the public domain. Everyone who retells the story adds or ignores something, as I do in this book. You may or may not like my Mahābhārata fan fiction (please tell me either way!), but the purpose of this book is to give everyone the opportunity to read their favourite parts of Mahābhārata in the original Saṃskṛta - a musical, enchanting, and refined language. Your contributions and requests are welcome.

The title is spoken by Gāndhārī to Kṛṣṇā Draupadī (Strīparvan 15.20): "Just as you are, even so am I; or who would reassure me?" How many characters from Mahābhārata may have felt lonely in shared experiences?

Cover picture of Satyabhāmā Sātrājitī visiting Kṛṣṇā Draupadī is from Mahābhārata with Hindi translation by Paṇḍita Rāmanārāyaṇadatta Śāstrī Pāṇḍeya, Gita Press (Gorakhpur).

Cover Credit: devashree_h of India Forums