Slavitt outlines his approach to adapting the Mahabharata for modern readers. Acknowledging the epic’s immense scale—about 9,000 pages, surpassing Western works like Homer’s epics—he concentrates on the core narrative, especially the life of Bhishma from birth to death. Slavitt aims to preserve what he sees as the essential story—the conflict between the Pandavas (the sons of Pandu) and the Kauravas (the sons of Dhritarashtra) and its consequences for their dynasty and humanity.

Notably, he excludes the Bhagavad Gita, considering it “preachy and tiresome” and likely a later addition (viii). Slavitt, revealing his biases, prefers for philosophical themes to emerge organically through characters in action rather than through didactic discourse—a preference that aligns with modern notions of narrative.

Instead of a direct translation from the original Sanskrit, Slavitt relies for his version on Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s 19th-century English prose translation. According to Slavitt, Ganguli’s prose lacks the poetic qualities that Slavitt believes are essential. Also, Slavitt claims that Ganguli’s use of archaic language (like “thou” and “hadst”) could distract modern readers. Slavitt intends to update the language while maintaining the spirit of the ancient text.