# Recommend me some Hindu mythology **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 15, 2011, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-hindu-mythology/589138 "2011-07-15T15:48:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dr.Righteous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Dr.Righteous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Righteous)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2011, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-hindu-mythology/589138/1 "2011-07-15T15:48:01Z")
Looking for very “readable” tellings of classic Hindu myths, not any that take a scholarly approach. I know next to nothing about Hindu religious literature so anything goes. Thanks in advance! ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2011, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-hindu-mythology/589138/2 "2011-07-15T15:52:25Z")
Uh. Most of them are distressingly lecture-iffic, but I’ll see what I can find. I did like the Mahabharat TV serial, but when I mentioned it here, people were like “That horrid thing? With those horrible graphics?” So I just slinked away. ---
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2011, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-hindu-mythology/589138/3 "2011-07-15T16:01:25Z")
Try the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata. For approachable and short versions, check out R.K. Narayan’s efforts: [Ramayan](http://www.amazon.com/Ramayana-Shortened-Version-Penguin-Classics/dp/0143039679/), [Mahabharat](http://www.amazon.com/Mahabharata-Shortened-Modern-Version-Indian/dp/0226568229). ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-hindu-mythology/589138/4 "2011-07-17T03:02:35Z")
I could email you this pamphlet on Krishna Consciousness . . . ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-hindu-mythology/589138/5 "2011-07-17T03:50:20Z")
Well, there’s this Penguin edition. I have it: > **[Hindu Myths: A Sourcebook Translated from the Sanskrit (Penguin Classics):...](https://www.amazon.com/Hindu-Myths-Sourcebook-Translated-Sanskrit/dp/0140449906)** > > Hindu Myths: A Sourcebook Translated from the Sanskrit (Penguin Classics) \[Anonymous, Doniger, Wendy, Doniger, Wendy, Doniger, Wendy, Doniger, Wendy\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Hindu Myths: A Sourcebook Translated from the... [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/5377258786_1be94243a5_b.jpg "Penguin Books L306 - Hindu Myths") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/56781833@N06/5377258786) This one, by Veronica Ions is easier going, and has lots of photos of Indian artwork illustrating the myths: > **[Indian Mythology: Ions, Veronica: 9780600023692: Amazon.com: Books](https://www.amazon.com/Indian-Mythology-Veronica-Ions/dp/0600023699)** > > Indian Mythology \[Ions, Veronica\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Indian Mythology > **[Indian Mythology by Veronica Ions](https://www.librarything.com/work/137654)** > > Click to read more about Indian Mythology by Veronica Ions. LibraryThing is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers ---
**Author:** ![MilTan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@MilTan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MilTan)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-hindu-mythology/589138/6 "2011-07-17T04:07:51Z")
The C. Rajagopalachari translations of the _Ramayana_ and the _Mahabharata_ are, in my opinion, definitive. Very accessible, and not didactic. Written in obviously Indian English, though, so the prose may ring false to American ears. ---
**Author:** ![Panurge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@Panurge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panurge)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-hindu-mythology/589138/7 "2011-07-17T05:49:50Z")
I’d say go for some of the Penguin stuff **CalMeacham** links too. It’s mostly readable and not overly scholarly. The translations are usually sound. I’d recommend text from the Epics (Ramayana is the easier one to grasp) or some Puranic stuff. If you want myths and stories stay away from Vedas, Upanishads, Brahmanas, etc. for now. For other classic Indian tales and fables you could try _[Pancatantra](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancatantra)_ and the _[Hitopadesa](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitopadesa)_. ---
**Author:** ![Aankh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@Aankh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aankh)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-hindu-mythology/589138/8 "2011-07-17T18:52:53Z")
> [@II\_Gyan\_II](#): > > Try the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata. For approachable and short versions, check out R.K. Narayan’s efforts: [Ramayan](http://www.amazon.com/Ramayana-Shortened-Version-Penguin-Classics/dp/0143039679/), [Mahabharat](http://www.amazon.com/Mahabharata-Shortened-Modern-Version-Indian/dp/0226568229). I’ll recommend these as well. 100 million%. They’re written simply, without ponderous moralisations, as all R K Narayan stories are. If you don’t want a scholarly approach, LOOK NO FURTHER. I can bold it for you if you need more emphasis. 🙂 If you want the ‘classic’ comic book version that most of us Indian kids grew up with, there’s the [Amar Chitra Katha](http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_17?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=amar+chitra+katha&x=0&y=0&sprefix=amar+chitra+katha) collections. Don’t blame me, though, if the writing is shite. I lapped it up as a kid but a recent reread left me wide-eyed at the awful prose. Still, they’re comic books and easypeasy reads. ---
**Author:** ![kombatminipig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5ac83/32.png) [@kombatminipig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kombatminipig)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-hindu-mythology/589138/9 "2011-07-18T08:27:51Z")
I read the Ramayana (Penguin abridged version) and I thought it was generally pretty wild. Guts, blood and implied bukkake sex creation myths galore. I’m also surprised that southern India has any mountain tops remaining, seeing as they get used as throwing weapons every other page or so. Don’t get me wrong, I greatly enjoyed the read, but the last part of the book is seriously Michael Bay =) ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-hindu-mythology/589138/10 "2011-07-18T09:30:54Z")
Personally I have enjoyed C Rajagopalachari’s translations especially his Mahabharata (which anyway is much more interesting than the Ramayana IMO). I haven’t read Narayan’s translations but he is a fine novelist so they are probably good. And the Amar Chitra Katha comics are huge fun if you keep your expectations low. They cover a lot of stories from the Puranas for which good translations are hard to find. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Righteous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Dr.Righteous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Righteous)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-hindu-mythology/589138/11 "2011-07-18T12:37:15Z")
Thanks again all, I’m keeping a list of all of the suggestions and I’ll be starting with those R.K. Narayan ones.