This file is devoted to the brief study of different texts of Mahaabhaaratham.
Widely used in South India is the one published by Vavilla Ramaswami Sastrulu and Sons, Madras. This is a very comprehensive edition without any curtailng of the text ( Studied in 1988, in Tagore Library,Vijayawada) .Recently one from Arsha Vignan Trust, Hyderabad. And one from Geetha Press Gorakhpur, only Viraata Parva is available.
The one from Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute published under editorship of VS Suktankar, is a very much curtailed edition. Very obvious parts are also omited from text, stating as interpolations, thus reducing the size of the text to around 80000 or so ( to verify once again, as the text with illustrations was studied long back in 1989 in State Libray,Guntur. Need to read it again. An electronic version is available now with me. ).
A text, again from VVR and Sons, in nagari script published in 1913 is with me now, but I cannot often refer to it as going through the script is troublesome to me.
Editors of almost all the printed texts of Thelugu Mahaabhaaratham referred to a South Indian recension named The Kumbhakonam Text. Other prominent texts are Kerala Text, Grantha Text,Nirnayasaagar Press text and Vanga ( Bengal) text. There are many more, of course.
Presently, I am following the text as published by Arsha Vignana Trust, Hyderabad.
"After praying to Naaraayana, Nara, Sarasvathi and Vyaasa, then one should read the Jayam."
DEDICATED TO MY DEAR NIECE VYSHNAVI KRISHNA