MAfMBHARATA A CRITICISM BY V 1AIDYA, MA, LLB, r onorary Fellow of the University of Bombay A J COMBRIDGE &. CO BOMBAY 1905 I I IJvTED \T THE TIMES 1 KLfafc CONTENTS, I THtf MAHABHARATA AS A POB-M PAGE <THE THREE EDITIONS OF THE BOOK i WASA, VAISHAMPAYANA AND SAUTI 9 WHE$ AND WHY THE BHARATA WAS RECAST 13 How THE MAHABH \RATA ATTAINED TO ITS PRESENT BULK 22 THE VAISHNAVITE ELEMENT IN THE MAHABHARATA 37 MAHABHARATA AS AN EPIC POEM 47 -THE MAHABHARATA AS A HISTORY THE DATE OF THE MAHABHARATA WAR 65 WI^RE THE PANDAVAS REAL BEINGS ? 93 THE ANCESTORS OF THE PANDAVAS 10=5 THEIR BIRTH, EARLY LIFE AND MARRIAGE WITH DRAUPAPI m THE FOUNDING OF INDRAPRASTHA OR DEHLI AND ITS FIRST IMPERIAL ASSEM- BLAGE 1 24 THE DISGRACEFUL GAME AT DICE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES 1^53 THE TWELVE YEARS OF EXILE AND ONE YEAR OF DISAPPEARANCE 139 [ PREPARATIONS FOR WAR 147 THE FIGHT 155 THE TRIUMPH TURNED ivro A DISASTER 169 I THE SEQUEL 177 iv CONTENTS. APPENDIX. PAGE NOTE No. I THE EXTENT OF THE MAHABHARATA. 185 fc . > . .186 ,, ,, II THE SUB-PARVAS . ,, ,, III KUTA SHLOKAS .190 IV ADDITIONS SUBSEQUENTLY MADE TO THE BHARATA . 193 OF THE DOUBLE POSI- ,, V EXPLANATION TIONS OF THE PLANETS MENTIONED IN THE MAHABHARATA . .210 BRAHMA-HATYA . ,221 ,, VI JANMEJAYA'S PREFACE. A CRITICAL study of the Mahabharata and the Rama^ana, in conjunction with other works bearing n the subject, has suggested to me several new ideas about them which I propose to place before the public in three instalments. The present volume contains my views on the Maha- bharata, considered from the literary and historical stand-points. If the views published in this volume impress the public favourably, I may be encouraged to publish a second volume giving my views on the Ramayana from the same stand- points. In a third volume I intend to take a survey of the social, religious and intellectual con- ditions of the Aryans of India between 3ooo~'and 300 -B.C. as evidenced by these venerable epics. " ^Sankshipta Mahabharata" or Mahabharata abridged," a book recently published by me, if read along with this book, will be found to contain most of the of the original Shlokas Mahabharata^ on which this criticism is based. Owing to the haste with which this bopk was carried through the press, some errors, "of PREFACE. with to .spelling have crept in, especially regard often Sanskrit words, the spelling of which ck>e^not rules of conform to the now generally adopted characters* I writing Sanskrit words in English the reader will overtook such hojge indulgent inaccuracies. that some of readers It is just possible my may the have facts or arguments to advance against views*which at views propounded in this book be unshakeable. If therefore any present seem to me in of my readers wish to communicate with the work addition to, or instead of, criticising communications should be in the press, such addressed to me, to the care of Mr. Yande, to" whom Manager of the Induprakash Press, my thanks are due for the interest he took in the volume. publication of this C. V. VAIDYA. BOMBAY, December 1904. INSCRIBED WITH PERMISSION TO 1bts Ibigbness ftbe flDabaraja Sa^ajtrao (Baefcwar of Barofca, SENAKH^SKHEL SAMSHER BAHADUR, G.C.S.L, IN RESPECTFUL ADMIRATION OF HIS HIGHNESS'S SINCERE LOVE AND GENEROUS PATRONAGE OF LEARNING. THE MAHABHARATA AS A POEM ERRA TA THE MAHABHARATA AS A POEM* CHAPTER I THE THREE EDITIONS OF THE WORK THAT the Mahibharata m its present form is the second amplification of an orgmally much smaller work, nobody can consistently deny We have the authority of the Mahabharata itself for the statement that Vyasa, the author of the original work, taught it to five pupils, one of whom was Vaishampayana Vaishampayana recited the poem before k^ig Janmejaya at the time of the Sarpa- satra (serpent sacrifice), performed by him Now in the as we have there are several Mahabharata, it, questions asked by Janmejaya, and Vaishampayana gives suitable answers How can these questions and answers have ' formed part of the original epic composed by Vyasa We must hold that Vaishampayana, or some one wh$ heard the recitation and the dialogue, amplified the oygyial $ork Then, again, this amplified Bharata was J at recited oy Sauti before Shaunaka his twelve years'* sacrifice, and certain questions are asked by Shaunaka and answered by Sauti These cannot have formed part the eithei of the original work or amplified edition o^ Vaishampayana We are, therefore, compelled to admit that Sauti, or some one else who heard his recitation, amplified th? original work a second time 2 The Mahabhaiata A Cnhcism These three editions, if we may so call them, can ^further be proved by various other statements still pre- %erved 1$ the Mahabharata itself either b) oversight or owing to absence of motive to expunge^ them We have thus the statement that the work ;s supposed to have three beginnings Some behev^, it is said, that the Mahabharata begins with Upanchara, others with z Astika, and others still with the word Manu Different lengths are also assigned to the work, aiHl different divisions are also mentioned, and even different names can be easily discovered We shall see how these different names, divisions and lengths can well be ex- plained on the theory that there were two amplifications of the original work Ike Original Work Tne original epic was probably in its nature a history and not a didUfctic work It is specially called an Itihasa or history, and the name *' which Vyasa gave to this history was Jaya or Tri- ' umph 2 The very first invocation verse contains a u " mention of this name Tato jayamudirayet We have the same name again given to the work in the last Paiva afio The length of this historical poem of Vyasa cannot be ascertained with any exactness, though it is1 that it must have been a probable long one evtji tfien, 1 considering the ambitious scheme of the author, the importance and the grandeur of the events dcscnbcd, and the facility with \\hich Anushtub shlokas cag be composed by a gifted author MacDonell icmarks x Manvadi Bharatam kechidastikadi tathapare Tathopancharadyanye viprah samyagadhiyxte Adi n 52 mmetihasoyam Swargarohana Parvi The Three Editions of the Worf 3 that the length of the original poem of Vyasa is men- tioned as 8,8$o ^hlokas This is in our opnion not 1 ' true, and for this remark, perhaps, a foot-note irfWeber is responsibly This figure is given in the Mahabharata^ as the number ^f Kuta shlokas or addles, of which we shall have to speajr hereafter, and not as the number of shlokas in the oiigmal Mahabharata itself It is men- tioned in the Mahabharata that the industrious Knshna- dwaipayanS or Vyasa composed his poem in three years, woiking day a^d night It would be natuial to expect that Vyasa would begin his work with an account of himself, and the idea that Bharata leally begins with Upanchara seems very justifiable indeed In the chapter preceding the 63rd Chapter which begins with fci Rajopancharo nama," a praise of the Mahabharata and some facts ahf9ut its composition are given by Vai- shampayana which clearly shows that these 62 chapters in the Adi Parva are later additions made by either Vai- shampayana 01 Sauti This does not mean that the work subsequent to Chapter 62 is in the words of Vyasa himself For, it seems probable that the whole has been so overhauled that it is impossible now to poiirt Jf> any portion of the succeeding work as the composition oth original author himself e Ihe Second Edition We now come to the seconcf edition, ma the edition of as , Vaishampayana, who, has b$en stated was own and was before, Vyasa's pupil 4 1 Foot note *2o6 Weber, page 187 The i>ame statement is given b} Mr Dtitt 4 Ashtau shl*ka sihasrani ishtau shloka shatanicha Aham vedmi shuko vctti Sinjayo vetti va na va -Adi 81 5^ 4 The Mahabhai ata A Cntmsm the Bharata with four m# taught along others, , Sumantu, Jaimini, Pailaand Shuka, the son ofV)^sa There is a statement in the Bharata itself that each one of these five pupils published a different edition of the; Bharata This is an express authority for us to* hold that Vai- shampayana almost recast the whole, land brought out his version own That version is the only one now pi eserved to us, though we have one doubtful Ashuamedha Paiva under of the name Jaimini It seems, however, probable that five different versions were really extant in the days of Ashwala^ana uho has enumerated all these live Rishis as Bharatacharyas or the editors of Bharata This also shows that Vaishampayana and his co-pupils' works first came to be called Biiarata The extent of Vaishampayana's Bharata appears to have been 24,000 verses is , for, there a shloka in thdNVtahabhirata that Vyasa composed Bharata Samhita (this word is im- of that portant) extent, and that work without its Upa- kh)anas is called Bharata In this Bharata theie was a summary chaptei at the beginning, covering 150 shlokas, in which the number of chapters and the Parvas 'Were also mentioned Vaishampayana would naturally his version with an account of begin Janmcjay^a, and h* Sarpasatra, where he recited his poem, and thus we?hdVc ^the second to the mi beginning assigned Mahabhauta, , with the Astikopakhyana The Third Edition We lastly come to the thyd edition of Sauti That Sauti did recast or clabotatc the work of Vaishampayana can be piovcd f*om his own lips "Know ye, Rishis," says he, "I have the Bharata in one recced hundred thousand shloka s, The riiree Editions of the Work z Vaishampayana being the first reciter in this human >h world This is a clear admission by Sauti o having recited the work of