MAHABHARATA Retold by C. Rajagopalachari Contents
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MAHABHARATA retold by C. Rajagopalachari (Edited by Jay Mazo, International Gita Society) Contents 39. The Wicked Are Never Satisfied 1. Ganapati, the Scribe 40. Duryodhana Disgraced 2. Devavrata 41. Sri Krishna's Hunger 3. Bhishma's Vow 42. The Enchanted Pool 4. Amba And Bhishma 43. Domestic Service 5. Devayani And Kacha 44. Virtue Vindicated 6. The Marriage Of Devayani 45. Matsya Defended 7. Yayati 46. Prince Uttara 8. Vidura 47. Promise Fulfilled 9. Kunti Devi 48. Virata's Delusion 10. Death Of Pandu 49. Taking Counsel 11. Bhima 50. Arjuna's Charioteer 12. Karna 51. Salya Against His Nephews 13. Drona 52. Vritra 14. The Wax Palace 53. Nahusha 15. The Escape Of The Pandavas 54. Sanjaya's Mission 16. The Slaying Of Bakasura 55. Not a Needle-Point Of Territory 17. Draupadi's Swayamvaram 56. Krishna's Mission 18. Indraprastha 57. Attachment and Duty 19. The Saranga Birds 58. The Pandava Generalissimo 20. Jarasandha 59. Balarama 21. The Slaying Of Jarasandha 60. Rukmini 22. The First Honor 61. Non-Cooperation 23. Sakuni Comes In 62. Krishna Teaches 24. The Invitation 63. Yudhishthira Seeks Benediction 25. The Wager 64. The First Day's Battle 26. Draupadi's Grief 65. The Second Day 27. Dhritarashtra's Anxiety 66. The Third Day's Battle 28. Krishna's Vow 67. The Fourth Day 29. Pasupata 68. The Fifth Day 30. Affliction Is Nothing New 69. The Sixth Day 31. Agastya 70. The Seventh Day 32. Rishyasringa 71. The Eighth Day 33. Fruitless Penance 72. The Ninth Day 34. Yavakrida's End 73. The Passing Of Bhishma 35. Mere Learning Is Not Enough 74. Karna and the Grandsire 36. Ashtavakra 75. Drona in Command 37. Bhima And Hanuman 76. To Seize Yudhishthira Alive 38. I am No Crane 77. The Twelfth Day 78. Brave Bhagadatta 79. Abhimanyu 80. The Death Of Abhimanyu 81. A Father's Grief 82. The Sindhu King 83. Borrowed Armor 84. Yudhishthira's Misgivings 85. Yudhishthira's Fond Hope 86. Karna And Bhima 87. Pledge Respected 88. Somadatta's End 89. Jayadratha Slain 90. Drona Passes Away 91. The Death Of Karna 92. Duryodhana 93. The Pandavas Reproached 94. Aswatthama 95. Avenged 96. Who Can Give Solace? 97. Yudhishthira's Anguish 98. Yudhishthira Comforted 99. Envy 100. Utanga 101. A Pound Of Flour 102. Yudhishthira Rules 103. Dhritarashtra 104. The Passing Away Of The Three 105. Krishna Passes Away 106. Yudhishthira's Final Trial AUTHOR'S PREFACE closely related to life, so long as the human family is divided into nations, IT is not an exaggeration to say that the literature cannot escape the effects of such persons and incidents portrayed in the division. great literature of a people influence But the highest literature transcends national character no less potently than regionalism and through it, when we are the actual heroes and events enshrined in properly attuned, we realise the essential its history. It may be claimed that the oneness of the human family. The former play an even more important part Mahabharata is of this class. It belongs to in the formation of ideals, which give to the world and not only to India. To the character its impulse of growth. people of India, indeed, this epic has been In the moving history of our land, from an unfailing and perennial source of time immemorial great minds have been spiritual strength. Learnt at the mother's formed and nourished and touched to knee with reverence and love, it has heroic deeds by the Ramayana and the inspired great men to heroic deeds as well Mahabharata. In most Indian homes, as enabled the humble to face their trials children formerly learnt these immortal with fortitude and faith. stories as they learnt their mother tongue The Mahabharata was composed many at the mother's knee. And the sweetness thousand years ago. But generations of and sorrows of Sita and Draupadi, the gifted reciters have added to Vyasa's heroic fortitude of Rama and Arjuna and original a great mass of material. All the the loving fidelity of Lakshmana and floating literature that was thought to be Hanuman became the stuff of their young worth preserving, historical, geographical, philosophy of life. legendary political, theological and The growing complexity of life has philosophical, of nearly thirty centuries, changed the simple pattern of early home found a place in it. life. Still, there are few in our land who do In those days, when there was no printing, not know the Ramayana and the interpolation in a recognised classic Mahabharata. Though the stories come to seemed to correspond to inclusion in the them so embroidered with the garish national library. Divested of these fancies of the Kalakshepam (devotional accretions, the Mahabharata is a noble meeting where an expert scholar and poem possessing in a supreme degree the singer tells a story to his audience) and the characteristics of a true epic, great and cinema as to retain but little of the dignity fateful movement, heroic characters and and approach to truth of Vyasa or stately diction. Valmiki. Vyasa's Mahabharata is one of The characters in the epic move with the our noblest heritages. And it is my vitality of real life. It is difficult to find cherished belief that to hear it faithfully anywhere such vivid portraiture on so told is to love it and come under its ample a canvas. Bhishma, the perfect elevating influence. It strengthens the soul knight; the venerable Drona; the vain but and drives home, as nothing else does, the chivalrous Karna; Duryodhana, whose vanity of ambition and the evil and futility perverse pride is redeemed by great of anger and hatred. courage in adversity; the high souled The realities of life are idealised by genius Pandavas with godlike strength as well as and given the form that makes drama, power of suffering; Draupadi, most poetry or great prose. Since literature is unfortunate of queens; Kunti, the worthy mother of heroes; Gandhari, the devoted and their household and staff. There were wife and sad mother of the wicked sons of beautiful palaces and gardens and the Dhritarashtra, these are some of the lives led were cultured and luxurious. immortal figures on that crowded, but There was trade in the cities, but the mass never confused, canvas. of the people were agriculturists. Then there is great Krishna himself, most Besides this urban and rural life, there was energetic of men, whose divinity a very highly cultured life in the seclusion scintillates through a cloud of very human of forest recesses, centerd round ascetic characteristics. His high purposefulness teachers. These ashramas kept alive the pervades the whole epic. One can read bright fires of learning and spiritual even a translation and feel the over thought. Young men of noble birth whelming power of the incomparable eagerly sought education at these vastness and sublimity of the poem. ashramas. World-weary aged went there The Mahabharata discloses a rich for peace. These centers of culture were civilisation and a highly evolved society, cherished by the rulers of the land and not which though of an older world, strangely the proudest of them would dare to treat resembles the India of our own time, with the members of the hermitages otherwise the same values and ideals. India was than with respect and consideration. divided into a number of independent Women were highly honored and entered kingdoms. largely in the lives of their husbands and Occasionally, one king, more sons. The caste system prevailed, but distinguished or ambitious than the rest, intercaste marriages were not unknown. would assume the title of emperor, Some of the greatest warriors in the securing the acquiescence of other Mahabharata were brahmanas. The royalties, and signalised it by a great Mahabharata has moulded the character sacrificial feast. The adherence was and civilisation of one of the most generally voluntary. The assumption of numerous of the world's people. imperial title conferred no overlordship. How did it fulfil, how is it still continuing The emperor was only first among his to fulfil, this function? By its gospel of peers. dharma, which like a golden thread runs The art of war was highly developed and through all the complex movements in the military prowess and skill were held in epic. By its lesson that hatred breeds high esteem. We read in the Mahabharata hatred, that covetousness and violence of standardised phalanxes and of various lead inevitably to ruin, that the only real tactical movements. There was an conquest is in the battle against one's accepted code of honorable warfare, lower nature. deviations from which met with reproof 1. GANAPATI, THE SCRIBE among Kshatriyas. The advent of the Kali BHAGAVAN VYASA, the celebrated age is marked by many breaches of these compiler of the Vedas, was the son of the conventions in the Kurukshetra battle, on great sage Parasara. It was he who gave to account of the bitterness of conflict, the world the divine epic of the frustration and bereavements. Some of the Mahabharata. most impressive passages in the epic Having conceived the Mahabharata he center round these breaches of dharma. thought of the means of giving the sacred The population lived in cities and villages. story to the world. He meditated on The cities were the headquarters of kings Brahma, the Creator, who manifested himself before him. Vyasa saluted him known that the virtuous and learned with bowed head and folded hands and Vaisampayana, one of the chief disciples prayed: of Vyasa, revealed the epic for the benefit "Lord, I have conceived an excellent of humanity. work, but cannot think of one who can Janamejaya, the son of the great King take it down to my dictation." Parikshit, conducted a great sacrifice in Brahma extolled Vyasa and said: "O sage, the course of which Vaisampayana invoke Ganapati and beg him to be your narrated the story at the request of the amanuensis." Having said these words he former.