The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa | Page 3

such alterations as were
needed for securing a uniformity of style with the rest of the work.
I should here observe that in rendering the Mahabharata into English I
have derived very little aid from the three Bengali versions that are
supposed to have been executed with care. Every one of these is full of
inaccuracies and blunders of every description. The Santi in particular
which is by far the most difficult of the eighteen Parvas, has been made
a mess of by the Pundits that attacked it. Hundreds of ridiculous
blunders can be pointed out in both the Rajadharma and the

Mokshadharma sections. Some of these I have pointed out in footnotes.
I cannot lay claim to infallibility. There are verses in the Mahabharata
that are exceedingly difficult to construe. I have derived much aid from
the great commentator Nilakantha. I know that Nilakantha's authority is
not incapable of being challenged. But when it is remembered that the
interpretations given by Nilakantha came down to him from preceptors
of olden days, one should think twice before rejecting Nilakantha as a
guide.
About the readings I have adopted, I should say that as regards the first
half of the work, I have generally adhered to the Bengal texts; as
regards the latter half, to the printed Bombay edition. Sometimes
individual sections, as occurring in the Bengal editions, differ widely,
in respect of the order of the verses, from the corresponding ones in the
Bombay edition. In such cases I have adhered to the Bengal texts,
convinced that the sequence of ideas has been better preserved in the
Bengal editions than the Bombay one.
I should express my particular obligations to Pundit Ram Nath
Tarkaratna, the author of 'Vasudeva Vijayam' and other poems, Pundit
Shyama Charan Kaviratna, the learned editor of Kavyaprakasha with
the commentary of Professor Mahesh Chandra Nayaratna, and Babu
Aghore Nath Banerjee, the manager of the Bharata Karyalaya. All these
scholars were my referees on all points of difficulty. Pundit Ram Nath's
solid scholarship is known to them that have come in contact with him.
I never referred to him a difficulty that he could not clear up.
Unfortunately, he was not always at hand to consult. Pundit Shyama
Charan Kaviratna, during my residence at Seebpore, assisted me in
going over the Mokshadharma sections of the Santi Parva.
Unostentatious in the extreme, Kaviratna is truly the type of a learned
Brahman of ancient India. Babu Aghore Nath Banerjee also has from
time to time, rendered me valuable assistance in clearing my
difficulties.
Gigantic as the work is, it would have been exceedingly difficult for me
to go on with it if I had not been encouraged by Sir Stuart Bayley, Sir
Auckland Colvin, Sir Alfred Croft, and among Oriental scholars, by the
late lamented Dr. Reinhold Rost, and Mons. A. Barth of Paris. All these
eminent men know from the beginning that the translation was
proceeding from my pen. Notwithstanding the enthusiasm, with which

my poor friend, Pratapa Chandra Roy, always endeavoured to fill me. I
am sure my energies would have flagged and patience exhausted but
for the encouraging words which I always received from these patrons
and friends of the enterprise.
Lastly, I should name my literary chief and friend, Dr. Sambhu C.
Mookherjee. The kind interest he took in my labours, the repeated
exhortations he addressed to me inculcating patience, the care with
which he read every fasciculus as it came out, marking all those
passages which threw light upon topics of antiquarian interest, and the
words of praise he uttered when any expression particularly happy met
his eyes, served to stimulate me more than anything else in going on
with a task that sometimes seemed to me endless.
Kisari Mohan Ganguli
Calcutta
THE MAHABHARATA
ADI PARVA
SECTION I
Om! Having bowed down to Narayana and Nara, the most exalted male
being, and also to the goddess Saraswati, must the word Jaya be
uttered.
Ugrasrava, the son of Lomaharshana, surnamed Sauti, well-versed in
the Puranas, bending with humility, one day approached the great sages
of rigid vows, sitting at their ease, who had attended the twelve years'
sacrifice of Saunaka, surnamed Kulapati, in the forest of Naimisha.
Those ascetics, wishing to hear his wonderful narrations, presently
began to address him who had thus arrived at that recluse abode of the
inhabitants of the forest of Naimisha. Having been entertained with due
respect by those holy men, he saluted those Munis (sages) with joined
palms, even all of them, and inquired about the progress of their
asceticism. Then all the ascetics being again seated, the son of
Lomaharshana humbly occupied the seat that was assigned to him.
Seeing that he was comfortably seated, and recovered from fatigue, one
of the Rishis beginning the conversation, asked him, 'Whence comest