Maha-bharata

Maha-bharata, by Anonymous

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Title: Maha-bharata The Epic of Ancient India Condensed into English
Verse
Author: Anonymous
Translator: Romesh Dutt
Release Date: October 25, 2006 [EBook #19630]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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MAHA-BHARATA ***

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[Frontespiece: The Banishment]
MAHA-BHARATA

THE EPIC OF ANCIENT INDIA
CONDENSED INTO ENGLISH VERSE
By Romesh C. Dutt C.I.E.
MDCCCXCIX Published by J. M. Dent and Co. Aldine House London
W. C.
To THE MARQUIS OF RIPON Ever gratefully remembered by my
countrymen for his just and benevolent administration and for his
generous and helpful measures for the introduction of self-government
in India
This translation of the ancient epic of my country is respectfully
dedicated
Contents
BOOK PAGE I. Astra Darsana (The Tournament) 1 II. Swayamvara
(The Bride's Choice) 14 III. Rajasuya (The Imperial Sacrifice) 28 IV.
Dyuta (The Fatal Dice) 42 V. Pativrata-Mahatmya (Woman's Love) 55
VI. Go-Harana (Cattle-Lifting) 73 VII. Udyoga (The Preparation) 86
VIII. Bhishma-Badha (Fall of Bhishma) 100 IX. Drona-Badha (Fall of
Drona) 119 X. Karna-Badha (Fall of Karna) 136 XI. Sraddha (Funeral
Rites) 151 XII. Aswa-Medha (Sacrifice of the Horse) 161 Conclusion
171 Translator's Epilogue 174

THE EPIC OF ANCIENT INDIA

BOOK I
ASTRA DARSANA
(The Tournament)

The scene of the Epic is the ancient kingdom of the Kurus which
flourished along the upper course of the Ganges; and the historical fact
on which the Epic is based is a great war which took place between the
Kurus and a neighbouring tribe, the Panchalas, in the thirteenth or
fourteenth century before Christ.
According to the Epic, Pandu and Dhrita-rashtra, who was born blind,
were brothers. Pandu died early, and Dhrita-rashtra became king of the
Kurus, and brought up the five sons of Pandu along with his hundred
sons.
Yudhishthir, the eldest son of Pandu, was a man of truth and piety;
Bhima, the second, was a stalwart fighter; and Arjun, the third son,
distinguished himself above all the other princes in arms. The two
youngest brothers, Nakula and Sahadeva, were twins. Duryodhan was
the eldest son of Dhrita-rashtra and was jealous of his cousins, the sons
of Pandu. A tournament was held, and in the course of the day a
warrior named Karna, of unknown origin, appeared on the scene and
proved himself a worthy rival of Arjun. The rivalry between Arjun and
Karna is the leading thought of the Epic, as the rivalry between
Achilles and Hector is the leading thought of the Iliad.
It is only necessary to add that the sons of Pandu as well as Karna, were,
like the heroes of Homer, god-born chiefs. Some god inspired the birth
of each. Yudhishthir was the son of Dharma or Virtue, Bhima of Vayu
or Wind, Arjun of Indra or Rain-god, the twin youngest were the sons
of the Aswin twins, and Karna was the son of Surya the Sun, but was
believed by himself and by all others to be the son of a simple
chariot-driver.
The portion translated in this Book forms Sections cxxxiv. to cxxxvii.
of Book i. of the original Epic in Sanscrit (Calcutta edition of 1834).
I
The Gathering
Wrathful sons of Dhrita-rashtra, born of Kuru's royal race! Righteous

sons of noble Pandu, god-born men of godlike grace!
Skill in arms attained these princes from a Brahman warrior bold,
Drona, priest and proud preceptor, peerless chief of days of old!
Out spake Drona to the monarch in Hastina's royal hall, Spake to
Bhishma and to Kripa, spake to lords and courtiers all:
"Mark the gallant princes, monarch, trained in arms and warlike art, Let
them prove their skill and valour, rein the steed and throw the dart."
Answered then the ancient monarch, joyful was his royal heart, "Best
of Brahmans and of warriors, nobly hast thou done thy part!
Name the place and fix the moment, hold a royal tournament, Publish
wide the laws of combat, publish far thy king's consent.
Sightless roll these orbs of vision, dark to me is noonday light, Happier
men will mark the tourney and the peerless princes' fight.
Let the good and wise Vidura serve thy mandate and behest, Let a
father's pride and gladness fill this old and cheerless breast."
Then the good and wise Vidura unto his duties bound, Drona, blessed
with skill and wisdom, measured out the tourney ground,
Clear of jungle was the meadow, by a crystal fountain graced, Drona