IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0 !SK* I

1^ 112

I.I

■^ I

SB."

2.5
2.2

140

2.0

1.8

'•25 i'-^ 1'-^

< 6"

►

Photographic

Sciences

Corporation

33 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4503

^Q^'

■!>'

'^.

■; L

vl%

4f^ m^.

CIHM/ICMH

Microfiche

Series.

CIHM/ICMH
Collection de
microfiches.

Canadian Institute for Historical IVIicroreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques

Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes tachniques at bibliographiquea

The Institute has attempted to obtain the boat
original copy available for filming. Features of this
copy which may be bibliographically unique,
which may alter any of the images in the
reproduction, or which may significantly change
the usual method of filming, are checlted below.

D
D

Coloured covers/
Couverture de couleur

I I Covers damaged/

Couverture endommag^e

Covers restored and/or laminated/
Couverture restaur6e et/ou pelliculAe

I I Cover title missing/

Le titre de couverture manque

I I Coloured maps/

Cartes gdographiques en couleur

Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/
Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bieue ou noire)

I I Coloured plates and/or illustrations/

Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur

Bound with other material/
Relii avec d'autres documents

Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion
along interior margin/

La re liure serr6e peut causer de I'ombre ou de la
distortion le long de la marge intirieure

Blank leaves added during restoration may
appear within the text. Whenever possible, these
have been omitted from filming/
II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajouttes
lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte,
mais, lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont
pas M fiimies.

Additional comments:/
Commentaires suppldmentaires;

L'Institut a microfilm* le meilleur exemplaire
qu'il lui a 6x6 possible de se procurer. Les details
de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-Atre uniques du
point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier
une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une
modification dans la mAthode normale de filmage
sont indiquis ci-dessous.

I I Coloured pages/

Pages de couleur

Pages damaged/
Pages endommagies

Pages restored and/oi

Pages restaur^es et/ou pelliculAes

Pages discoloured, stained or foxe<
Pages dicolor^es, tacheties ou piqudes

Pages detached/
Pages ditach^es

Showthroughy
Transparence

Quality of prir

Qualit^ inigale de I'impression

Includes supplementary materii
Comprend du materiel suppl^mentaire

Only edition available/
Seule Edition disponible

I I Pages damaged/

I I Pages restored and/or laminated/

r~7| Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/

I I Pages detached/

r~y| Showthrough/

I I Quality of print varies/

I I Includes supplementary material/

I I Only edition available/

Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata
slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to
ensure the best possible image/
Les pages totaiement ou partiellement
obscurcies par un feuiliet d'errata, une pelure,
etc., ont M filmies A nouveau de fapon d
obtenir la meilleure image possible.

This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/

Ce document est film* au taux de reduction indiqu* ci-dessous.

10X 14X 18X 22X

26X

30X

12X

16X

20X

24X

28X

32X

Th« copy filmed h«r« hat b««n reproduced thanka
to the generoaity of :

Library
Agricuiture Canada

L'exemplaire film6 fut reproduit grice A ia
gtn^roait* de:

Bibiiotlikiue
Agricuiture Canada

The imagee appearing here are the beat quality
poaaible conaidering the condition and legibility
of the originel copy and in Iceeping with the
filming contract apecif icationa.

Original copiea in printed paper covera are filmed
beginning with the front cover and ending on
the leat page with a printed or illuatrated imprea-
aion, or the bacic cover when appropriate. All
other original copiea are filmed beginning on the
f irat page with a printed or illuatrated imprea-
aion, and ending on the laat page with a printed
or illuatrated impreaaion.

The laat recorded frame on each microfiche
ahall contain the aymbol — »> (moaning "CON-
TINUED"), or the aymbol y (meaning "END"),
whichever appliea.

Lea imagea auivantea ont *t4 reproduitea avec ie
plua grand aoin, compte tenu de ia condition ot
de la nettet* de l'exemplaire fiimA, et en
conformity avec lea conditiona du contrat de
filmage.

Lea exemplairea originaux dont la couverture en
papier eat imprimte aont filmte en commenqant
par Ie premier plat et en terminant aoit par ia
dernlAre page qui comporte une empreinte
d'impreaaion ou d'illuatration, aoit par ie aecond
plat, aelon Ie caa. Toua lea autrea exemplairea
originaux aont filmia en commenpant par la
premidre page qui comporte une empreinte
d'impreaaion ou d'illuatration at en terminant par
la derniAre page qui comporte une telle
empreinte.

Un dee aymbolea auivanta apparaltra aur ia
derniire image de cheque microfiche, aelon Ie
caa: Ie aymbole — ^ aign.tie "A SUIVRE". Ie
aymbole ▼ aignifie "FIN".

IVIapa, platea, eharta. etc., may b9 filmed at
different reduction ratioa. Thoae too large to be
entirely included in one expoaure are filmed
beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to
right and top to bottom, aa many framea aa
required. The following diagrama illuatrate the
method:

Lea cartea, planchea, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre
filmia A dea taux de rMuction diff^renta.
Loraque Ie document eat trop grand pour Atre
reproduit en un aeul clichA, il eat film* A partir
de I'angle aupArieur gauche, de gauche A droite,
et de haut en Isaa, en prenant ie nombre
d'imagea nteeaaaire. Lea diagrammea auivanta
illuatrent la mAthode.

32X

! f

THE

MAHABHARATA

rapo read Iwfon- the Ha»ulto>t
Assihiation, Hamilton, Canaua,
/V<. -///. iSSy, I'V

H. B. W ITTON.

Mi-ml'< r iif til" .\m<rli'«n
Orii'iiUl Swlfty-

';' ^^-^

i «

HAMILTON ;
.,»icrsT..n f«p<Tisu ,..m»M

i ;

. .- )

\ I

; !

t \ '

'l^

I ^ ^

( ^ '

. - "tTI"?'!''' ' • iir'T'T — '^ni^^M

Jmm-

l '

» ?; f- t

t 4

■H

TIIC MAMABMARATA.

The Mahal )harata is the ^rcat epic poem of the Hindus. Its
main story narrates in detail a lun^ feud, ( uhninating in a great
battle, between two ( lostly related families of a race in India, who
feigning, through the mists of tradition, to trace their pedigree to the
moon, are called the Lunar race. The strictly epi( portion forms,
however, but a small part of the whole poem, as the bulk is made up
of Hrahmanic le.uends, disciuisitions on Hindu philosophy, and
numerous episodes, many of which, though (jf great beauty and ten-
derness, yet so widely diverge from the chief story, that they make
its leading im idents dit'tic ult to lra( e in secjuence.

Hharata is the name of one of the i)atriarchal heroes of the
Lunar dynasty. He was a remote ancestor of the chief heroes of
the poem, and of great celebrity, as, after him, the natives still <all
hidia, /Wuirdfii 7-(irs//(7-'lhc domain ot l>harata. 'I'his poem cele-
brating the deeds of the descendants of this ancient i)rin(e, from its i
Icngtii, might be justly < ailed the wi///*; or great Hharata, as it con-
t.uns 220,000 sixteen syllable lines, besides a supplement, the
//arh'anui, iA i^). ^74 couplets, (hieily occupied with the race and
adventures of Krishna. In importanc e its contents are also claimed
to be in keeping with its length. In the beginning of the poem we
are told that in a celestial balam e |)rei)ared by the gods, when the
\'edas were placed on one scale, .md this poem on the other, it out-
weighed the tour \'ed.is .md then mysteries, .md from that time on
has been c ailed the Mahabh.iraia. Hut the derivation of the name
of the poem from hhara weight, lo.ui, is thought by some to be only
an instanc e of that play upon words of which Indian writers are so
fond.

If these pretensions seem too exalted, it may be well to bear in
mind that they siarcely ex< eed the esteem in which the poem is
actually held. As Kdwin .Vrnold jiointedly says, "the value ascribed
in Hinilustan to this poem transcends all literary standards estab-
lished in the west." Its religious imi)ortance is ))aramount, and its
influeru e is intimately interwoven with the whole intellectual and
social life of the Hindus. Indian poets and artists find in it innum-

2 IMI MAHAIiHAKATA.

crahle sources of' inspiration, and never tire in portraying; its ( liarac-
ters and incidents. Kven its names of" personaj^es and places
continue to this day names of endearment, and are repeated in all
directions, to an almost indefinite length.

Protap Chandra Roy. wlio is doini; so miu h to extend the in-
terest due to ancient Hindu poetry, in a letter last year to Professor
l,anman, graphically tles( rihed the manner in which the Hindus
still study their great epic. He says; "Whenever the Hharala is
*' read, it is read to a group of hearers. The jjrofessional reciters,
" who are Hrahniin-^, read the poem to larger audiences. They who
*' read are (ailed /"(////^//v/x. Side hy side with them sit the <///</ /v;/,v/.v
'* — supi)orters whose business it is to correct the /r////(;/w/\. (len-
" erally it takes about three lucinths to complete the recitation of the
•' entire Pharata, which, leaving out the Harivansa, is at the rate of
" about a thousand coui)lets a ilay. I'.oth readers and su|)porlers are
*' handsomelv I'aid by those in whose houses the recitations are
" given. Throughout the entire i»eno(l llrahmms are sumptuously
" fed every day. and are rewarded with ddksinn, whi< li varies from a
'• four anna bit to a rupee — aiiout twelve to I'lfiy ( ents. At the cpn-
" elusion of the reading, a largj numl)er of i)ersons, c hielly Brahmins,
*' aie i^i.\, and large yifts are made to them. There is another class of
"men, calletl kiit/nikus, who sing the Pharata, draw 'bumper'
" audiences and receive large remuneration. "

Several editions of the original text of the .Maliabharata have
been published. 'I'he first entire jjrinted edition is thai c ommen< ed
by the Committee of Public instruction, and comjjleted, nearly fifty
years ago, by the Asiatic Society of Bengal. .Another edition held
in high esteem was edited by the Pandit Tarakanath, and printed in
Bengali character, somewhat more than twenty years since, at the
expense of the Maharaja of liurdwan. I'or that edition eighteen
manuscri])ls were collated by the editors. Of about the same date
is the edition jirinTed at Bombay, and more recently, within a few-
years, a society established b\ .\Ir. Protap Chandra Roy, of Calcutta,
has circulated, at a nominal pric e, four editions of the Mahabharata,
in Sanskrit Text, and P>engali translation.

The poem has been mcjre or less completely translated into
most of the vernacular languages of India, and Akbar, the Mogul
Emperor, as far back as the sixteenth century, under the care of the
brother c;f his great minister, Abulfa/el, had some of its books trans-

TUM MAHAFJUARATA.

'■1

lated into Persian. VVilkins, the English pioneer in many fields ot
ancient Indian literature, now more than a hundred years since,
translated into Knglish two episodes of the |)oem — the Hhagavat
(lita, and that of the < hurning of the ocean to procure the amrito —
the neclar of the (iods. Wilkins was then a servant of the Kast
India Company, and Warren Hastings, first (lovernor (leneral of
India, sought to have Wilkins' translation published by the directors
of the company. In the letter on that subject to his president,
Hastings wrote with genuine eniliusiasm of the value to the com-
pany of suf h work as Wilkins had done. The true knowledge of
Hindu chara( tor, he urged, would lighten the ( hain of the conquered
and imprint benevolen( c on the hearts of the conijuerors. That
knowledge, he averred, could be learned only from their writings,
and these, he adds, " will survive when the British dominion in
*' hulia shall have long ceased to exist, and when the sources it once
" yie'ded of wealth and jjower are lost to remembrance. " Hastings
knew the unsentimental ( hara< ler of his dire( tors. Once when he
sent them some Indian antiipie ( oins of rare value, his rarities were
transferreil to the mell'ng pot, and transformed into serviceable
guineas. lUil his recjuesl in the tase of Wilkins' translation was one
which concerned only native opinion, not guineas. John Company
had never been intolerant of native opinions. Col. Dow, on the
state of Bengal in 1770, reports, "he that will consent to part
" with his property, may < arry his opinions away with freedom."
So the eloijuence of Hastings was successful. The court of directors
had the translation published utuler their authority, and in their
advertisement declare it is " one of the greatest curiosities ever pre-
" sented to the literary world."

The literary mine discovered by Wilkins was \\ \ neglected.
Wilson, Muir, Dean Milman, Kdwin Arnold, and others, explored
its treasures, and have kei)t on bringing to the light, for English
readers, new specimens of its ri( hes ; while in Cermany and France,
Bopp and Lassen, Focaux and Fauche, have rendered like services
for their countrymen. In 1H47, Brockhaus, the famous Leipzig
l)ublisher, proposed the issue by subscription of a critical complete
translation of the whole poem. The translator was to be the late
Professor Ijoldstucker, yet notwithstanding his recognized admirable
(jualifications for the proposed task, but a few subscribers responded
to the prospectus issued, and the work was droi)ped. Fauche, in

4 llir MAMAIUIAKATA.

France, also started to translate the whole poem, and at the time of
his death, fifteen years a^^o, had a(( oinphslud about half his work.

To this day no western language sut'tiees to unlork all the pages
of this great poem. Hut in 1SS2 a |)lan was devised to translate the
whole Mahabharata into JMigJish prose, and it was from India, and
from a Hindu gentleman that the suggestion came. Mr. Trotaj)
Chandra Koy of Calcutta pro|)o.se(l to issue an edition of 1,250
copies of the Mahabharata ui an Knglish version, and further, to
eirrulate it amongst Anglo-Indian, l.nglish and American readers
taking an interest in Indian literature, free. or at least at a nominal
price. He felt himself impelled to this, by the |)rofound < onviction
that this additional knowledge of the splendid inheritance of his
countrymen in their ancient literature, might prove no unworthy con
tribution to modern |)hilological and kindred learning. .Moreover,
as an inscrutable jirovideni e had linked the destiny of his country
with that of an island in the west having the si)lendid present and
glorious future of England, he believed it must be a common service
for both Kngland and India, to jiresent I'jiglishmen with such an
illustration of what had been the glory of India in the remote past.

Thirty-four fasciculi, more than 2,000 pages, a third of the
work, are already issued at a cost — including honorarium to trans-
lators, outlay lor j)ostal transmission to members, and all other
expenses added to that of printing amounting to over $600.00 for
each fasciculus. The ciatarya bharata haryitlaya^ the society orgai'i-
i/ed by Mr. Roy for the gratuitous distribution of the Mahabharata
has borne this e.\i)ense, and has deri\ed its funds to do so from the
native princes and chiefs of India, who contributed more than half
the amount ; fr(jm the Local Covernments of India, who gave nearly
a third of the (nitlay ; and the balance from single sul)S( riptions.
A))plications to Mr. Roy are more numerous than his first edition of
1,250 can meet, and he has already c ommenced to j)rint a .second
edition of the early parts, to sujiply the in<Teasing liemand.

The age of the Mahabharata is uncertain, as India has few
chronological landmarks t(j be trusted. ("areful investigation has
made it- tolerably certain that the Indian prince Chandragupta is
the Sandrocottus of the (Jreeks, the prince who came to the camp
of Alexander the Crcat, when that conciueror invaded India. This
is a slender thread for historic al dates to hang on, but without it the
time when Buddha lived, and when Asoka made lUiddhism the

IHK MAHADIIARATA.

This

religion of his state — events often referred to, and of great import-
ance in Inchan chronology- would he even more uncertain than
they now are. Asoka, it must he home in mind, was the grandson
of Chandragupta, the second successor to his throne, and the prince
who ere( ted the pillars throughout India, insc rihed with Buddhistic
edi( Is. Dr. Rajcndral.ila Mitra, lately president of the Asiatic

So( icty of Bengal, a most learned Hindu, says : '* The Mahahharata

'* is admitted on almost all hands to have existed long before the
" reign of ANoka, very likely from before the date of Buddha hini-
" self.'' That is— following the ( lue given by our knowledge of the
time of the (Jrcck invasion of India -at least 350 years B. C, and
|)r()bably several centuries earlier. lulwin Arnold, in the preface
to his Idylls, translated from the .Mahahharata, says the simpler and
nobler parts of the i)oem were " atUerior to Homer, perhaps even to
" Moses."

I'he author of the Mahahharata was the sage Krishna Dwai-
payana V'yasa. I lis pupil, Sauti, opens the poem in true Indian
style by narrating to the re( luses in the forest of Naimisha that when
N'yasa had formed the poem in his imagination, (lanesa, whom all
Indian authors respectfully salute ni the first sentence of their books,
the divinity whose s|)ecial |<rovin( e it is to ( rown honest exertion
with suc( ess, himself consented to write at the poet's dictation. To
some this may give only such satisfaction as the i)oet Heine took
from his thorough knowledge of the entire list of the kings of regal
Rome, namely, an enhanced appreciation of the criticism which
showed they never existed at all ; for Lassen, with his unrivalled
knowledge of Indian antiijuity, is on hand to coolly assure us that
N'yasa, meaning the arranger, is to the Mahahharata what he is to
the Vedas, '■" dt-r ptrionifuirten Didsktuase'' — merely the personified
arranger and ( orrector — ncn the author of the j)oem at all. The
believer in V'yasa may perhaps take comfort in remembering that the
Indian poem is not the only e|)i< whose author critics have done to
death. Nit/.ch regretfully says, " We (lermans have so blotted the
" image of Homer that scarcely a shadow of his personality remains."
And even (irote, the English man of affairs, as well as scholar, whose
brain we have a right to exjiect free from cobwebs, says : — '• Homer
•' is no individual man, but the divine or heroic Hither of the gentle
" Homerids." On the other hand Professor Blackie kindly tells us
to bear in mind that as all good work presui)poses a good workman,

IHE MAHAItllAKAIA.

SO all good iH)etry posiiilatos llio cxistetue of a i\oot\ poet, and it is
rcfrcsliini; to hear his assertion of hilief in the tlesh and blood per
sonality of Honior, which \\v ( an no more iloiiht than he douhts
that of luhiis Cesar or Kohi-rl iUirns. Whether the dtnifihty pro-
fessor {A the north uuiiM iii;ht as triiriiletuly to estalilish the
personality of \ yasa as he has done for his favorite Homer may he
very doubtful ; and the truth may pen ham c lie hidden somewhere
midway between the theory of Lassen and the belief of the altoi;ether
uncritical. Indeed, in all old cpu poetry the imaginative anil the

real, t'a< t ami Ik tion, shade into ea( h other a'> delicately aiK

I und

is-

tinguishably as do the colors ol the rainbow, an average ai ume

readily enoiigi) marks; the broader distinctions m both, but ii

their

tmer gratlations the acutest pen cption is at fault in discerning where
one ends ami the other begins.

Although the Mahabharata is a poem of mh h inonlmate length,
its main story might be told in a lew words. Passing bv the more
mythical characters i.i the tir^t book, we 'ind the Mharata already
referred to, on the throne ol llastina]>ura, about sixty miles east of
modern Delhi. lie was son of the graceful Sakuntala, the favorite
story of whose life is told in the Inst book of the poem, and which
in Its mam outlines is the same as given in the drama of Kalidasa,
the later poet, who drew fnjm it his inspiration. It was the trans-
lation of Kalidasas Sakuntala, by Sir William Jones, which ( aused
the ihst tlutter of excitement m l'airope'o\er Indian jxietry.

Kveii in the time of liharata wc lind the golden age was in the
past, for our poet sings it was m a still earlier reign, when all were
virtuous from virtuous motives, and there was no fear of thieves, or
famine, or disease. Passing o\er several ilesi endants (;f Hharata,
wlio in su( ( ession sat on his throne, we ( ome to the time when
Tandu, son of Kuru, reigned in great s])lendor. He subjugated
robber tribes, made kin^s pay him tribute, and aspired, we are told,
to be <:on(|uerorof the world. At length, sated with contjuests, he
resigned his throne to I )hritarashtra, his elder bn)ther, who was
blind. The two wives of I'andii, the abdicated king, had live sons,
who were brought uj) at their uncle's court, and trained by l)n)na, a
great sage and warrior, with their cousins, the hundred sons of the
king, given to him in a miraculous way.

The sons of I'andu are called, in the jHjem, after their father,
the Pandavas, and those of the king after their remoter ancestor.

IMK MAHAItll AKAIA.

Kuril, the Kaiirnvas, and it is the feud hctwecti these fainihes and
their retainers whi( h furnishes the epif portion of the Mahahharata.
Of the five l*an(hi sons, the third, Arjuna {splendid)^ is tlie hero of
the poem. In his « haracter are roinhined itUenij^eiice, huniihty,
v;i|or, modesty, ^if^antic strenj^th and womanly tenderness; he is, in
fart, after the ideal of the tiine'^, a paraxon of the warrior kinuly,
the Ks/ititn\it class. Yudhishthira (Jinn in hatilc), the eldest, is
rightly, however, the favorUe with the Hindus. lie experiences joy
and sorrow with the same di;;tutled equanimity, and is a perfect
model of justice, valor, honor a»id self ahnej^alion. I5hima (Arr//'/c),
the second son, was of unmensc stature and streii^th, and though
wrathful and uupetuous, was good at heart and devoted to his kins-
folk. The twin younger sons, Nakiila and .Sahadeva, were high
spirited and worthy. The kmg's sons are in character the reverse of
their cousms, and serve as (oils tor the poet to make the Pandavas
more resplendent

("ontimious petty strifes sprang up between the < oumus, hut the
grand contention was, who should stand first in succession to the
throne. On account ot his l>lindni-ss. Dhrilarashtra the king, re-

luired

a 1 //;'<;/■<//(/, a prince legetu, to aic

1 m h

inglv c)ftices.

and

\'udhisjuhira, though only the son of ilu king's younger brother
I'andu, hcing horn liefore the king's own eldest son Duryodhana
(</////t//// A' /r\'/// -iCith) was l>y c iisidiii the luir apparetit, and, there,
fore, entitled to act as ywinrajn. Nudishthir.i was installed as
prince regent hy the' king.
increased. With honey c»n his tongue hut ])oison in his heart, he
treacherously tried first to pouon, then to ijrown Hhima, hut his

Hut the discontent of his eldest son

wic

ked

ness w

as miraculotislv Irustrated, thouiih he at length suc-

ceeded in getting the king, his father, to send all the I'uru princes
into exile to Varanavata {.l/In/tti/nui.) I'rior to their exile there, the
wicked Duryodhana had a palace built m ad\ancefor them, their
mother ami their friends, but had it secretly filled between the walls
with inll.immable resins, intending to burn them in their sleep. The
Pandavas, learning this wicked design, frustrated it by mining
secretly an underground passage to escape by, setting fire to the pal-
ace themselves, when the agent left to destroy them was asleep, and
fieeing for their lives. The Kauravas for some time thought their
rivals were destroyed, while they were living at a place called I'.ka-
chakra with a iJrohmin, where they slew monsters aiul protected the
helpless in true mytho heroic fashion.

THE MAHABHARATA.

The Pandavas at the suggestion of their mother, and with advice
of Vyasa, left their retirement, going to the kingdom of the Pan"
chalas, north and west of Delhi, where the swayamvara of Drau-
padi, the daughter of that king, was to be held. The S7vayamvara
or self choice of a husband, is not unconunon with the Hindus, and
their poets vie with each other in picturing the ceremony. The
account of the swayamvara of Draupadi in the Mahabliarata, is a
series of exquisite word pictures. A vast amphitheatre, shaded with
a canopy of many colors, was erected on a pl.iin, northeastwards of
the capital of the Panchalas, and there the candidates for the maid-
en's hand, and hosts of spectators gathered. For the invited suitors,
mansions seven stories high, each with an hundred doors, and stair-
ways of snowy mari)lc, garlanded with flowers and fragran.t witli
aloes, surrounded the am])hitheatre. Around these again was a
moat, and a wall with high arches at intervals. The windows of each
mansion were fretted with gold, and the walls sjjarkled with precious
stones. Visit(jrs were received with the blare of a thousand trum-
pets, and actors and dancers amused the assembly for sixteen days
in succession. An elevated platform ran around tb.e amphitheatre
for the sj)ectators. Usually the candidates at a swayamvara occujjy
elevated seats or manchas in the area, each Mancha being separate
from the rest and i)rovided with steps for as( eiu and (k's( ent. The
maiden who makes her choi( c, attended wiih a bevy ot fair girls
carrying a garland, and accomiianied by her brother or some bard,
j)a.sses from Mancha to Mancha. Before each candidate the brother
announces the distinctions that are his due, and the maiden fuially
places the coveted garland on the hero of her choid.-. .\t the .sT»'<n-
amvara ot Draupadi on tiie sixteenth day of the feast, jier bn^ther,
taking her arm, led her to ihc middle of the amphitheatre, and j)ro-
ducing a bow of immense strength, with live sharp arrows, announced
that he of the candidates who ( ould string that bow, and hit the tar-
get there before them in a certain i)rescribed manner, if of accept-
able lineage and person, should have his sister Draupadi to wife. Nu-
merous suitors tried in vain to bend that bow. The poet fairly revels
in describing them and their adornments of crowns, garlands, orna-
ments and mighty arms. So far none but Kama of the Suta tribe
could string the bow, and Dranpadi at once declared she would not
take a Suta for her lord. What all failed to do, at last Ariuna did.
In the twinkling of an eye he strung the bow and sped an arrow to

}

IHK MAHAHHAK A lA.

the mark. The unsuccessful suitors sent up one wail of despair,
while flowers for the victor were showered down into the arena, which
rang with exultant shouts. Thf^n hards, to joyous music, chanted in
sweet tones, the hero's praise. Krishna himself, to whom the hero
was akin, a|)proached him with a white robe and floral wreath, and
Arjuna loft the lists followed by her who thus became his wife.

A polyandroMs marriage — or series of marriages — was celebrated
between Draujiadi and all the five Pandu brothers. The consent
of their mother to this union was readily obtained. There is
evidence to think she suggested that form of marriage tf) her sons,
as there is to show that it took considerable casuistry to secure for it
the consent of the bride's father. Poiyandrous marriages, though
opposed to Prahmanic laws, likely ol)taiiic(l in India ages ago. ^'udh-
ishthira refers to the custom ns tiie way trodden by their fathers,
and the usages ot a few puny low tribes in India still, as of the Todas
in the Xiligiri hills, show the traces of their footsteps are not even
yet altogether obliterated. In Britain such marriages are said to
Inve been in vogue at the time of (J;esar"s first invasion. \'yasa
tells that miracles were not lacking to make the union a happy one,
and a inodia :ii'etidi was agreed on to prevent family jars.

I )hritarashtra knowing how much the streiii^th of the Pandavas
was increaseil i)y this marriage allian< e with the Panchalas, sent bridal
gilts to I )rau|)adi, and an invitation to the l)rothers to return
to his capital. Their return and entry in state tu) llastinapura
is duly chroni( led. .\t ( ourt, the king, to make peace with the
cousins, solemnly gave over half his kingdom to the Pandavas ;
and with N'udhishihiia as king, they settled in Khandava-
l)rastha. Near the site of modem Delhi they built their caj)ital.
Krom Us marvellous s|)lendor and importance, the city they built
was likened to the abode of Indr.i. the city of the gods, and was for
that reason (ailed Indra prastha. In the outskirts of Delhi, near the
great tower called the Kutub Minar, fragmentary rums of Vudhish-
thira's ( ity remain to this day.

Hy entering the < hainber of the king at .i forbidden time,
Arjuna broke the compact made hetween the brothers at their mar-
riage, and in atonement went into e\ile, for twelve years, in the
forest. He tresjjassed the forbidden pre< incts in order to obtain
arms foi the chastisement of robbers, who had stolen a Brahman's
kine, and though the king condoned the offence and wished his

TMK MAHAHHARAIA.

illustrious brother to forego the penance, Arjuna persisted in carrying
out the provisions ot the fraternal compact at their marriage. Vyasa
relates at length the numerous and strange adventures of Arjuna's
exile, and his ceremonious reception at Indraprastha on his return.
The streets were decked with llowers, and sprinkled with sandal
wood water, at once fragrant and cooling, and were tilled witii a
joyous throng of citizens, merrhants and traders. One (1y, indeed,
there was in the ointment, one incident marred the happiness of the
hero's return. With the ( onsent of \'udhisthira, and following the
customs of hi>> time, .Arjuna, in exile, had married Sahhadra of the
Satwata race, ;i maiden of rare beauty, and when he presented him-
self to l)rau!)adi, she said. " Why tarriest thnu here, go where the
daughter of the S;itwata race is, a second tie upon a bundle relaxeth
the first." Hut the second wuV profferetl to become the hanilmaid
ot the first, and Arjuna at length i»btained f irgiveness. I'he whole
family became liaiijjv. Draupadi had live sons, licroes, steadfast in'
battle like the hills.

.Meanwhile, \'udhishthira's subje( ts grew prosperous and con-
tented, and adjacent kingdoms tell under his sway. His actions
were kingly, and it is moreo\ci said that he had great intelligence,
and spake nothing that w.is iinprojicr, untrue, or disagreeable. .\s
in some more modern instaiK is, it is to be feared that occasionally
at his court liceivse followed on the heels of lii\ur\. for the poet,
describing a regal picnir on ihe banks ol the \'.inuina ( /um/hi), says
that feasting ran not, so ihat even amongst the women of the party
some had a gaii nn^tead) with wine, and d.iiK ed ami sang, aiul
laughed and jested, and some even obstruc led each (Jihers progress,
and fought with ea( h other.

The Kingdom of \ udhishlhira continued to ])rosi)er, the j)eople,
from Hrahmin to Siuha, being more attached to the king than to
their own relatives. In the < .qiital, a sti/>/iti or audience chamber

as built, w'lich was the line>t work of art m the kinud

ngUom.

vion

after the new .ur/>/i(7 chaml)er was built, the king's councillors urged
him t(j peifMin the ( eremony of the /xajiisuya. That could be per-
formed onl\' by a king desiring the attributes of emperor, and when
the monarchs attending the (eremony. acknowledged the sovereignty

of the institutor of the sacrifice.

ts a i)reliininary ste]),

the k

ing sent

out his f(jur brothers, with f(nir armies, in all dire( ti(;ns. They ( on-
quered numerous kings, and returned to Indraprastha with droves of

THE MAHAnHAKATA.

camels laden with sjioils. The poet takes evident pleasure in de-
scribing the i)rei)arati()ns of the Pandavas for the celebration of this
ceremony in honor of their king. Buildings with beautiful awnings
were erected for the guests. None of the acces-saries for making a
great teast complete were lacking. Thousands of Brahmins were in
attendance, and —a curious feature of the morality of the times —
many damsels were allotted to each lirahmin. As to tribute from the
kingly guests, the poet fairly lets his imagination run riot in
describing the elephants, horses, gold, weaj)ons, i)recious stones,
serving-men and serving-women, brought as offerings. But there is
evidently much to be lopped ofl' by the critical j)runing hook if we
wish to get rid of all that is imaginary, as amongst t>ther fictions, the
poet avers that the fame of the (cicmnny had spread to races of men
bom so far distant liiat they were of abnormal structure, many
having but one leg and three eyes.

When at length these tributary kings had i)resented their offer-
itigs, and the la>t day of the sacrifice, when the king should be
sprinkled with sacred water had (ome, Bhishma suggested that .hx^/vd
respectful f>ffering, should be made to the kmgly guests, according to
custom. Archil was a resjuM tt'ul token of s()( ial distinction, and
nught be merely the presentatu)n of (lowers, durva grass, or a few
grams of ri« e ; but the noblest guest must lie proffered the I'lrst offer-
ing, and so on m sur( ession to all the guests, a' (ordmg to rank.
Bhishma, m reply to the kmg's en([uiry as to who stood tirst in
rank, gave Krishna as the foremost guest, and .Ir^/iyii was tirst pre-
senteil U) him. I'he humbled pride i)f some in that ancient assembly
of kings was angereil to be outranked, as that of less distinguished
guests has been from like ( .uise m many an assembly since. I'he
anger of Vudhishthira's guests became maddened beyond control,
and culminated when the king of I'hedi < hallenged .Arjuna to (om-
bat, and was slain by .-Vrjuna's ilisc us.

.\l length the Rujusuyii rites were fimshed, and the attendant
kings escorted to the limits t)f N'lklhishlhira's kingdom on their return
home. The great king had pledged himself to a polu y ot peare and
justice towards all his subjects, but there were breakers aiieatl. The
ceremony had ( onterred on the king the Mattering insignia of imper-
ial authority, but had inllametl atVesh the jealousy of his cousin.s, and
had on all sides (juickened envy which menaces the great in propor-
tion to their exaltation. After his return from the ceremony to Has-

THK MAHABHARATA.

tinapura, the eldest of the Raurava princes, Duryodhana felt his
heart burn as if on fire, with envy against the I'andavas, but knowing
he and his brothers could not matt h them in fight, he agreed to the
conteminable scheme of his uncle Shakuni, to lure Vudhishthira to
destruction by gaml)ling. Preparations were made on a sumptuous
scale to entertain Vudhishthira at llastina|)ura, where he was invited
to be present at the opening of a new assembly house, and to engage
in a friendly match at dice. The king was fond of di'e, though he
did not desire to i)lay on that occasion. Hut the code of honor of
the times made it unkingly to decline a ( hallenge either to fight or
l)lay, and the king was at length taunted into a contest with Shakuni,
a most skiilt"ul player, albeit of dubious reputation for fairness at dice.
The ])oem shows with realistic force how the game was jjlayed, and
how the king step by stc]) staked and lost, jewels, gold, chariots,
retainers, clei)hants, horses, all his possessions, even to the disposal
of the persons of his brothers and of himself; and as a final slake
the lovely Draujiadi his wife In the gambling madness that i)oss-
essed him all was lost, his kmgiiom and hunsclf Hut I )hitaiashtra
the old blind king, fearing what might roult from the new turn
taken by the envy of his eldest son towards the l'anda\as, and wish
ing to make jjeace between the cousins, annulled the results of the
gambling, and alUjwed Vudhishthira to return home master of all he
had before the gambling took place. .Shakuni < hallenged the king,
however, to a final stake whiih was to be exile into the woods for the
family of the defeatetl, for twelve years, the thirteenth year to be
passed unrecognized in some inhabited i^lace. Vudhishthira acce|)ted
the (hallenge, played, and lost ; and the Tandavas went mlo exile in
the forest, jeered at and ridiculed by their cousins.

The 7'(i Nil pa ri'd, or forest book, one of the longest in the poem,
details at great length the adventures of the I'andavas in the forest ;
and to jjrevent his song from becoming monotonous, the poet en

livens it with digressions of the most diverse kind.

We are favoied

with a glowing jiicture of .Xrjuna's visit to Indra's heaven, and a long
account of the tirthas or sa( red springs and streams of Hindustan,
t(j which the devout make j)ilgrimage. To console Vudhishthira,
a sage tells him the story of Xala and hamayanli, a royal \yA\x more
wret(hed than himself and Draujjadi, and from the same < ause, gam-
ing. This Nala episode is one of the best known parts of the Maha-
bharata, to readers outside of India. This book also contains other

wtr

THK MAHAHHARATA.

idyllic stories such as, the tem|)tation of Rishyasringa ; the Pandu
brothers at the enchanted lake ; and how Savitri, by her imi)ortunity,
won back her departed lord from Yama, who, with his dread noose,
leads mortals to the regions of the dead. These idylls it would be
difficult to etjual, and they are accessible to all, as Edwin Arnold has
translated them into inimitable English verse. In another digression,
the poet gives us the Hindu version of the deluge, which in some
points resembles, but in more differs from that given in our own
Scriptures.

One condition of the exile of the I'andavas was : if the spies of
their cousins found out their |)la( c of concealment in the thirteenth —
the last year of their exile, their banishment must i)e another twelve
years, but if they mamlaincd a srut inrognilo, their kingdom would
be restorctl. Twelve years having l)een s|)ent l)y the I'andus in the
forest, the brothers after long ( ounsel, resolved to i)ass, if ])Ossible,
their year of cone ealment at the court of Virata, king of the Matsyas,
whose tlomain bordered on that ot the Kurus. Having resolved on
tliis, they left the mountain forests, and journeyed to tiie Matsya
country. On nearmg \iratas <apital they hid their arms in a tree in
the outskirts of the city, and one bv one engaged to serve in N'irata's
household. To make their disguiNC as complete :is possible, .Arjuna
became story teller to the coiut, and tea* !ier of dancing, singing and
music to the king's d.iughter. \'ud'nishthira obtained a position as
courtier, being chief gamester, alinsgiver ami companion of the kmg.
Hhima was cook. One of the twins be(ame » hief horse keeper, the
other (hief cowherd, and Draupadi was ladies' maid and coifft'usc to
the queen. In these disgiuses, till their year of exile was u|), they
lived at \'irata's court securely hidden from the spies of the Kaura-
vas. Each skillfully playeil the role he had uiulertaken, though
Bhima, at a festival held after they had lived three months with the
.Matsyas, made an indiscreet display of his strength l)y killing a
wrestler at a joust, and six months Liter on, pummelled to death
Ki( haka, brother in law of the king aiul commander of his forces,
because that roue warrior had insulted Draupa-li. The Kaurava.s
thinkiiig that the tleath of Ki( haka woulil paralyse \ iiata's army,
formed an alliance with a neighboring king, and in.ule raid:> into the
kingdom of Mat. \a, tlriving off thousands of cattle. In pursuing the
raiders, Virata was wounded and taken prisoner, but the I'uru princes
rescued him and defeated his enemies. \ sinuiltaneous attack was

***-

THP: MAHAnHARATX.

also made on another part of the kingdom by troops led by Diiryodh-
ana, and was successfully repulsed by Uttara, the king's son, with
Arjuna and a few servants, owing to the miraculous jjowcr of the
divinely bestowed arms of Arjuna.

Thirteen years, the whole term of the penalty incurred by
Vudnishthira in his last eventful throw of the dice with Shakuni,
were now passed. The Kauravas, by the terms of the game, were
bound to restore to him his kingdom, and Hhishma. one of the oldest
and best members of their family, urged them to do so without
delay. This Duryodhana lefused to do, and made ready to fight,
as he susi)ected the i'andavas would do battle for the domain justly
their own. What the Kauravas thought likely to happen soon came
to pass, for the Pandus on their i)art, fearing the course their cousins
would take, lost no time in forming alliances for forcibly asserting their
rights to their former kingdom. Krishna rendered them valuable
service in sec uring allies. Tlu' son of Arjuna w.^^ married to the
daughter of \'irata, and some cf the most powerful kings of N'orthern
India wese i)resent at the ceremony. Before they left the feast,
Krishna took the op])ortunity to propose that an ambassailor repre-
senting that assembly of kings, should be sent to the Kauravas,
asking that \'udhishthira"s kingdom be restored to him. Tlie pro-
j)Osal of Krishna was agreed to, and the king of the I'aiK halas sent
his own priest as ambassador. The king of the Pane halas foresaw
that war was inevitable: Duryodhana, he said, would never render
back the disputed kingdom peacefully, and the bliiul king, though
dreading war, doated on his son and would he led by him, as would
his minister.s, some from imbet ility, others from folly. U hat the
shrewd king ))redicted came to pass. The embassy of the priest was
fruitless, as was that of a return embassy sent by the old king of the
Kurus who dreaded a fratricidal war. Krishna himself went to
Hastinapura to see if means could not be found to avert war. but
all was (;f no avail, and scjcjn the cry (;n both sides was, onwards to
the i)lain of Kuruskshetra. a sjiot that has been » ailed the Waterloo
of India,

We are given to understand that the battle was arran^^ed to be
fought after the strictest rules of honorable warfare then in vogue.
None was to be slain who threw down his arms or ran ; none must
take arms against an antagonist without warning ; and if two warriors
were fighting, no third man ( ould interfere. Foot soldiers, hor.se-

, 1

TUJi MAHAHHARATA.

«5

men, warriors in chariots and on elephants, could only fight soldiers
similarly c(iuii)i)ed to themselves. Bhishma, one of the oldest of their
heroes, was made commander of the Kauravas, and lihima had like
honor with the Pandavas. As the forces neared each other,
Duryodhana i)()inted out to Drona the chiefs on both sides, naming
them one by one ; a formidable list. Suddenly Bhishma blows his
con( h -the challenge to battle — and is answered by a blast from
that of Arjuna, whose chariot driver in the fight was Krishna. A
(light of arrows is sped from cither side, and the famous battle opens.
So soon as the fight cotnmenced, .\rjuna reijuested Krishna to drive
his chariot into the space between the two armies, and surveying
them both, he was overpcjwered with sadness at the thought of such
valiant men being intent on taking the lives of each other of the
same blood ; and wished his cousins would fall upon him and kill
him at the onset. 'Ihis outlturst of grief was the i)relude to the
( elebraled Hhagavatgita, the divine discourse in which Krishna
insiru( ts .Arjuna respec ting the soul, its source and destiny, and the
nature ot moral obligation. The soul of man, he is given to under-
stand, IS a fragment of the universal soul into which ultimately it will
be absorbeil. The shadow of death lu)vers round mortals from their
birth, and the thorn of sorrow soon jiierces the heart elated with
pleasvuc ; yet all pain and jjlcasure are but as for a moment, nay
human life is but a transient phase of being, tor the spirit throws off
the body as a garment. In view of these truths life or death, tq
slay or be slam, ( ai'. be of but little moment ; they cannot one jot or
little affect the ilcstiny of the soul. Duty alone is of paramount
importatK e, and the duly ot Arjuna, born of the warrior class, was
to fight. The valour of our hero returnetl at the thought of duty.
The battle lasted eighteen days, and the pt)em gives with minuteness
an account of numerous single combats that were fought. Both
sides fought bravely, but at the end of ten days Bhishma, the com-
mander of the Kauravas fell mortally wounded, although he lived
on for two months. Drona, his su<:cessor, was slam U\c days after,
and Kama, who followed lumbal the end of two ilays more. Salya,
who succeeded Kama, c onunaiuled only on the eighteenth day,
which brought victory to the I'andavas.

Kurukshctra is on the right bank of the Jumna about fifty four
uules north of Delhi. I'Ulwin Arnold visited it two or three years
ago and wrote a most interesting account of the district, for the

rm. M \MAHH,\K.\rA.

press. The country he said was l)iisy about cotton sales, and (juite
ol)livious of its own fame. At raniput, the nearest town to Kuru-
kshelra, he failed to meet two Hrahmiiis of the j^lace who would most
hkely have served as his guides, but in their absence — alas ! such is
fame — he found not a soul who knew anything of the Kurus or their
battle-field. As Byron sang of other heroes : —

*'Nnt .1 stoni' on tluii iiirf, nor a bone in their graves,
Hut they live in the verse that immortally saves.

The poet pathetically jiortrays the scenes immediately after the
battle; the waiting of the women ; burning of tlu- bodies of the
slain, and presentation of water to their manes. \'iidhishthira
was appointed junior king luuier his utK le, as Duryodhana, the
former regent was kilk-d bv Hhiina in the battle. Hut the heart of
the reinstated king was Ikmvv on account of the great slaughter in
the t'lght, and he sought counsel from the sage Hhishma who though
d\ing from hi> wounds and with his head j)ropped up by a i)illow of
arrows, instruc ted him at great length on the diUies of kings. This
wonderful discourse which in the poem is (ailed the favorite of the
wise, reconcileil \'iulhishthira to his kingly office. It ct)mprises
several thousand verses of the I'oem.

N'udhishthira. again become a powerful king, resolved to ( ele-
brate the great -.af rituc ealleil the .Asvamedha. or the horse sacrifice.
This, when |ierlormed by a king, was a ( eremony of great j)oIitical
as well as religious importaiu e. and one which n(jne i)Ut the most
jjowerful ruler couUl hope to ( elebrate. The horse selected for the
offering was set tree to go at will where it pleased, but was followed
by the most fauunis of the king's warriors. If the proclaimed
authority of the institutor of the sacrifice were disputed, any king
who disputed it to make his contestation valid, must sei/e the horse.
If this were done there was jtostponement of the sacrifice and
humiliation of the king who intended to celebrate it. If, on the
other hand the warriors unconquered, returned with the horse, it
was sacrificed with iinjiosing ceremony, and the authority of the
king, in whose favor the te.ist was conducletl, was established. The
]M)et sings at length the jiraises of .\rjuna, who valiantly saved from
the attack of rival kings, the horse chosen for the Asvamedha
instituted by Nudhishthira.

But the old king, Dhritarashtra, growing weary of his crown
renounced it, and retired to the forest, to finish his days as an

^''<

IHI \l AIIAHHAkAl \.

is
Mr

anrhoiitc. His wife, and rrillia, ihc inolhcr of tlic I'andus, and also
their uiK lo V'idiirn, followed the king's cxainidc, and withdrew into
the s<»litiidis of the forest with him. Their retreat was, however, of
hut short duration, for the I'andivas s^iin received painful tidings that
their unc le was dead, and their mother with the aged king and ([iieen
had perished from a lire which swe|)t through tiie forest they had
chosen for their retreat, These lo^^es caused great grief at \'udhish-
thira's (ourt: and as "he who has most of heart knows most (A'
sorrow " tluy weighed heaviest on the king. The ( U]) of happiness
fallen to hun. ( harged to the hinn though it was with hliss as sweet
as e.iitli ( Duld give, had faileil l(< satisly, and was becoming hitter to
the taste. The friends of his yiMith were tailing away, and exciting
struggles ag.iinst injustic e were no longer a ne< essity ; all things
earthly cea>cd to (harm ; so, ahtlicating his throne to successors of
his ( hoice. he with his four brothers, and I )raupa(li, followed hy a
faithful dog, started tor Mount Mcru in the Hiniala\as, in (|uest of
Indra's heaven. Ihe (nuit and i iti/ens followed them out>i(ie the
city, hut knowing his great sorrow noiu- < oiild hid hun stay. l-'irst
in th.it s.id r.tinue went \'udhishthira himself, tiien iJhima. and then
.Arjuna, atler them the twin brothers, then |)rau|»adi "with soli dark
fa< e, and eyes like lotus petals," and following after tluin the dog.
\\'earily they wandered on till they reached the sea, where at the
< Dinmand of the divinity from whom .Arjuna had re<ei\eil (ituiiiird,
his l)est of bows, he threw it bat k to the waves wheiue it had tome,
loiirneying on for many days they came m \iew of Mount Himavat.
.uid entering on a sea of sand, saw rocky .Meru, the king of moun-
tains. (Gradually the strength of these royal jiilgrims failed, and one
after another they fell i-\luiusti'd .hort of the goal tor whi( h they
started. I""irst poor 1 )raupaili sank by the way, then the twins, then
.Arjuna, then Hhiina. till finally tlie king luid no companion l)Ut the
dog. Then with a rushing sound came the ( ar of Iiuira, but the
king tletliiuil to enter without his fallen companions, and was
assureil he would find them aireail\ in heaven. riu-n the tlog was
refused admittance, but the king did nut yield to any reasoning
against the dog, and would not be ; -^.rted from him, feeling in his
heart that not not the cumulative guilt of the four most deadly sins,
would equal the sin of abandoning the meanest comraile. Then it
was made known to him that this was only a test of the genuineness
of his sympathy, as D/iarma, the god of justice, himself had taken

I-

It)

IHK MAN \KHAk A I V.

the shape of a clog to sec how steady his attachimnt would prove.
'I'hcn ho found his cousins wtTc in heaven, hut his hmtliers an(l
Draupadi were expiating tlieir sins in one of the tlreadhil .WrrtUds
or hells. He at once decided to join his brothers and share their
misery, when it was made known to lum that what he hail seen was
but Maya, illusion, a fmal test of his lidelity. Then plunging in the
sacred Ganges, he left beliind the frailties of the llesh, and entered
into a purified relationship to the heroes of the Hharata r.u e, and
was admitted to ( ()mi>anionshi|) with the blessed m .SVi '<//;;■</.

This meagre statement ot the main story of the Mahabharala
can give but the slightest (onceptiori of its merits as a poem. I he
dry bones of an incomplete skeleton (ould as well ( (Muey a cornet
idea of the beauty and action ot tlie living animal. Hut the rudist
outlines of the characters ami in( idents of the poem sutlice to show-
that it has the essentials of a great epic : it ^mgs at length great
deeds of jjopular interest and national iuiportam e. Another feanire
which it possesses should < unmiend the |)oem to l-aiglish speaking
peo|)le lis numerous ( hara' ters rellec t every i)hase of llimhi life,
and Its religious and phihjsophical parts, make it a most valuable
exponent cjf the " faith and morals "" still held by out- hundred and
eighty millions of Huulus who form part of the Iiritish l.mpire.

)