Canto XI. Dundubhi.
Canto XII. The Palm Trees.
Canto XIII. The Return To Kishkindhá.
Canto XIV. The Challenge.
Canto XV. Tárá.
Canto XVI. The Fall Of Báli.
Canto XVII. Báli’s Speech.
Canto XVIII. Ráma’s Reply.
Canto XIX. Tárá’s Grief.
Canto XX. Tárá’s Lament.
Canto XXI. Hanumán’s Speech.
Canto XXII. Báli Dead.
Canto XXIII. Tárá’s Lament.
Canto XXIV. Sugríva’s Lament.
Canto XXV. Ráma’s Speech.
Canto XXVI. The Coronation.
Canto XXVII. Ráma On The Hill.
Canto XXVIII. The Rains.
Canto XXIX. Hanumán’s Counsel.
Canto XXX. Ráma’s Lament.
Canto XXXI. The Envoy.
Canto XXXII. Hanumán’s Counsel.
Canto XXXIII. Lakshman’s Entry.
Canto XXXIV. Lakshman’s Speech.
Canto XXXV. Tárá’s Speech.
Canto XXXVI. Sugríva’s Speech.
Canto XXXVII. The Gathering.
Canto XXXVIII. Sugríva’s Departure.
Canto XXXIX. The Vánar Host.
Canto XL. The Army Of The East.
Canto XLI. The Army Of The South.
Canto XLII. The Army Of The West.
Canto XLIII. The Army Of The North.
Canto XLIV. The Ring.
Canto XLV. The Departure.
Canto XLVI. Sugríva’s Tale.
Canto XLVII. The Return.
Canto XLVIII. The Asur’s Death.
Canto XLIX. Angad’s Speech.
Canto L. The Enchanted Cave.
Canto LI. Svayamprabhá.
Canto LII. The Exit.
Canto LIII. Angad’s Counsel.
Canto LIV. Hanumán’s Speech.
Canto LV. Angad’s Reply.
Canto LVI. Sampáti.
Canto LVII. Angad’s Speech.
Canto LVIII. Tidings Of Sítá.
Canto LIX. Sampáti’s Story.
Canto LX. Sampáti’s Story.
Canto LXI. Sampáti’s Story.
Canto LXII. Sampáti’s Story.
Canto LXIII. Sampáti’s Story.
Canto LXIV. The Sea.
Canto LXV. The Council.
Canto LXVI. Hanumán.
Canto LXVII. Hanumán’s Speech.
BOOK V.787
Canto I. Hanumán’s Leap.
Canto II. Lanká.
Canto III. The Guardian Goddess.
Canto IV. Within The City.
Canto VI. The Court.
Canto VII. Rávan’s Palace.
Canto VIII. The Enchanted Car.
Canto IX. The Ladies’ Bower.
Canto X. Rávan Asleep.
Canto XI. The Banquet Hall.
Canto XII. The Search Renewed.
Canto XIII. Despair And Hope.
Canto XIV. The Asoka Grove.
Canto XV. Sítá.
Canto XVI. Hanumán’s Lament.
Canto XVII. Sítá’s Guard.
Canto XVIII. Rávan.
Canto XIX. Sítá’s Fear.
Canto XX. Rávan’s Wooing.
Canto XXI. Sítá’s Scorn.
Canto XXII. Rávan’s Threat.
Canto XXIII. The Demons’ Threats.
Canto XXIV. Sítá’s Reply.
Canto XXV. Sítá’s Lament.
Canto XXVI. Sítá’s Lament.
Canto XXVII. Trijatá’s Dream.
Canto XXX. Hanumán’s Deliberation.
Canto XXXI. Hanumán’s Speech.
Canto XXXII. Sítá’s Doubt.
Canto XXXIII. The Colloquy.
Canto XXXIV. Hanumán’s Speech.
Canto XXXV. Hanumán’s Speech.
Canto XXXVI. Ráma’s Ring.
Canto XXXVII. Sítá’s Speech.
Canto XXXVIII. Sítá’s Gem.
Canto XLI. The Ruin Of The Grove.
Canto XLII. The Giants Roused.
Canto XLIII. The Ruin Of The Temple.
Canto XLIV. Jambumáli’s Death.
Canto XLV. The Seven Defeated.
Canto XLVI. The Captains.
Canto XLVII. The Death Of Aksha.
Canto XLVIII. Hanumán Captured.
Canto XLIX. Rávan.
Canto L. Prahasta’s Questions.
Canto LI. Hanumán’s Reply.
Canto LII. Vibhishan’s Speech.
Canto LIII. The Punishment.
Canto LIV. The Burning Of Lanká.
Canto LV. Fear For Sítá.
Canto LVI. Mount Arishta.
Canto LVII. Hanumán’s Return.
Canto LVIII. The Feast Of Honey.
Canto LXV. The Tidings.
Canto LXVI. Ráma’s Speech.
BOOK VI.895
Canto I. Ráma’s Speech.
Canto II. Sugríva’s Speech.
Canto III. Lanká.
Canto IV. The March.
Canto V. Ráma’s Lament.
Canto VI. Rávan’s Speech.
Canto VII. Rávan Encouraged.
Canto VIII. Prahasta’s Speech.
Canto IX. Vibhishan’s Counsel.
Canto X. Vibhishan’s Counsel.
Canto XI. The Summons.
Canto XII. Rávan’s Speech.
Canto XIII. Rávan’s Speech.
Canto XIV. Vibhishan’s Speech.
Canto XV. Indrajít’s Speech.
Canto XVI. Rávan’s Speech.
Canto XVII. Vibhishan’s Flight.
Canto XVIII. Ráma’s Speech.
Canto XIX. Vibhishan’s Counsel.
Canto XX. The Spies.
Canto XXI. Ocean Threatened.
Canto XXII. Ocean Threatened.
Canto XXIII. The Omens.
Canto XXIV. The Spy’s Return.
Canto XXV. Rávan’s Spies.938
Canto XXVI. The Vánar Chiefs.
Canto XXVII. The Vánar Chiefs.
Canto XXVIII. The Chieftains.
Canto XXIX. Sárdúla Captured.
Canto XXX. Sárdúla’s Speech.
Canto XXXI. The Magic Head.
Canto XXXII. Sítá’s Lament.
Canto XXXIII. Saramá.
Canto XXXIV. Saramá’s Tidings.
Canto XXXV. Malyaván’s Speech.
Canto XXXVI. Rávan’s Reply.
Canto XXXVII. Preparations.
Canto XXXVIII. The Ascent Of Suvela.
Canto XXXIX. Lanká.
Canto XL. Rávan Attacked.
Canto XLI. Ráma’s Envoy.
Canto XLII. The Sally.
Canto XLIII. The Single Combats.
Canto XLIV. The Night.
Canto XLV. Indrajít’s Victory.
Canto XLVI. Indrajít’s Triumph.
Canto XLVII. Sítá.
Canto XLVIII. Sítá’s Lament.
Canto XLIX. Ráma’s Lament.
Canto L. The Broken Spell.
Canto LI. Dhúmráksha’s Sally.
Canto LII. Dhúmráksha’s Death.
Canto LIII. Vajradanshtra’s Sally.
Canto LIV. Vajradanshtra’s Death.
Canto LIX. Rávan’s Sally.
Canto LX. Kumbhakarna Roused.
Canto LXI. The Vánars’ Alarm.
Canto LXII. Rávan’s Request.
Canto LXIII. Kumbhakarna’s Boast.
Canto LXIV. Mahodar’s Speech.
Canto LXV. Kumbhakarna’s Speech.
Canto LXVI. Kumbhakarna’s Sally.
Canto LXVII. Kumbhakarna’s Death.
Canto LXVIII. Rávan’s Lament.
Canto LXIX. Narántak’s Death.
Canto LXX. The Death Of Trisirás.
Canto LXXI. Atikáya’s Death.
Canto LXXII. Rávan’s Speech.
Canto LXXIII. Indrajít’s Victory.
Canto LXXIV. The Medicinal Herbs.
Cant
o LXXV. The Night Attack.
Canto XCIII. Rávan’s Lament.
Canto XCVI. Rávan’s Sally.
Canto C. Rávan In The Field.
Canto CI. Lakshman’s Fall.
Canto CII. Lakshman Healed.
Canto CIII. Indra’s Car.
Canto CVI. Glory To The Sun.
Canto CVIII. The Battle.
Canto CIX. The Battle.
Canto CX. Rávan’s Death.
Canto CXI. Vibhishan’s Lament.
Canto CXII. The Rákshas Dames.
Canto CXIII. Mandodarí’s Lament.
Canto CXIV. Vibhishan Consecrated.
Canto CXV. Sítá’s Joy.
Canto CXVI. The Meeting.
Canto CXVII. Sítá’s Disgrace.
Canto CXVIII. Sítá’s Reply.
Canto CXIX. Glory To Vishnu.
Canto CXX. Sítá Restored.
Canto CXXI. Dasaratha.
Canto CXXII. Indra’s Boon.
Canto CXXIII. The Magic Car.
Canto CXXIV. The Departure.
Canto CXXV. The Return.
Canto CXXVI. Bharat Consoled.
Canto CXXVII. Ráma’s Message.
Canto CXXVIII. Hanumán’s Story.
Canto CXXIX. The Meeting With Bharat.
Canto CXXX. The Consecration.
APPENDIX.
Section XIII. Rávan Doomed.
Caput XIV. RATIO NECANDI RAVANAE EXCOGITATA.
Caput XIV. IL MEZZO STABILITO PER UCCIDERE RÁVANO.
Uttarakánda.
ADDITIONAL NOTES.
ENDNOTES
RAMAYANA: DETAILED TABLE OF CONTENTS
Mahabharata by Vyasa
Translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli
One of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the Mahabharata is traditionally ascribed to the sage Vyāsa, who is also a major character in the narrative. There have been many attempts to unravel its historical growth and compositional layers. The oldest preserved parts of the text are thought to be not much older than 400 BC, though the origins of the epic most likely fall between the eighth and ninth centuries BC. Divided into 18 parvas or books, the text probably reached its final form by the fourth century AD. According to the text itself, the tale is extended from a shorter version of 24,000 verses called simply Bhārata. The longest epic poem of world literature, Mahabharata consists of over 200,000 individual verse lines, compared to the Iliad’s 15,693 lines. At about 1.8 million words in total, the Sanskrit epic is in fact ten times the length of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey combined and about four times the length of the Ramayaṇa.
The plot opens with the blindness of Dhritarashtra, the elder of two princes, causing him to be passed over in favour of his brother Pandu as king, following their father’s death. However, a curse prevents Pandu from fathering children and his wife Kunti asks the gods to father children in Pandu’s name. The god Dharma fathers Yudhishtira, the Wind fathers Bhima, Indra fathers Arjuna and the Ashvins (twins) father Nakula and Sahadeva (also twins; born to Pandu’s second wife, Madri). The enmity that develops between the cousins results in the Pandavas leaving the kingdom when their father dies. During their exile, the five jointly marry Draupadi and meet their cousin Krishna, who remains their companion from then on. Although the Pandavas return to the kingdom, they are once more exiled to the forest for 12 years, when Yudhishthira loses everything in a game of dice with Duryodhana, the eldest of the Kauravas.
The central plot comprises little more than one fifth of the total work, as the remainder of the poem chronicles a range of ancient myths and legends, including the romance of Damayanti and her husband Nala and the legend of Savitri, whose devotion to her dead husband persuades Yama, the god of death, to return him to life. The Mahabharata charts the evolution of Hinduism and its relations with other religions during its composition. The period during which the epic took shape was one of transition from Vedic sacrifice to sectarian Hinduism, as well as a time of interaction, both benign and hostile, with Buddhism and Jainism. Different sections of the epic express conflicting beliefs, often in creative tension. Overall, the extant text is an exposition of dharma (codes of conduct), including the correct conduct of a king, a warrior and an individual living in times of great unrest.
The first complete English translation was the Victorian prose version by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, published between 1883 and 1896. Many critics consider the translation by Ganguli to be faithful to the original text.
‘Shantanu woos Satyavati, the fisherwoman’ by Raja Ravi Varma
Krishna and Arjuna at Kurukshetra, as depicted in an eighteenth century painting
CONTENTS
BOOK 1. ADI PARVA
BOOK 2. SABHA PARVA
BOOK 3. VANA PARVA
BOOK 4. BHISHMA PARVA
BOOK 5. UDYOGA PARVA
BOOK 6. BHISHMA PARVA
BOOK 7. DRONA PARVA
BOOK 8. KARNA PARVA
BOOK 9. SHALYA PARVA
BOOK 10. SAUPTIKA PARVA
BOOK 11. STRI PARVA
BOOK 12. SANTI PARVA
BOOK 13. ANUSASANA PARVA
BOOK 14. ASWAMEDHA PARVA
BOOK 15. ASRAMAVASIKA PARVA
BOOK 16. MAUSALA PARVA
BOOK 17. MAHAPRASTHANIKA PARVA
BOOK 18. SVARGAROHANIKA PARVA
MAHABHARATA: DETAILED TABLE OF CONTENTS
Manuscript illustration of the Battle of Kurukshetra
Draupadi with her five husbands — the Pandavas. The central figure is Yudhishthira; the two on the bottom are Bhima and Arjuna. Nakula and Sahadeva, the twins, are standing — painting by Raja Ravi Varma, c. 1900.
TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE
THE OBJECT OF a translator should ever be to hold the mirror upto his author. That being so, his chief duty is to represent so far as practicable the manner in which his author’s ideas have been expressed, retaining if possible at the sacrifice of idiom and taste all the peculiarities of his author’s imagery and of language as well. In regard to translations from the Sanskrit, nothing is easier than to dish up Hindu ideas, so as to make them agreeable to English taste. But the endeavour of the present translator has been to give in the following pages as literal a rendering as possible of the great work of Vyasa. To the purely English reader there is much in the following pages that will strike as ridiculous. Those unacquainted with any language but their own are generally very exclusive in matters of taste. Having no knowledge of models other than what they meet with in their own tongue, the standard they have formed of purity and taste in composition must necessarily be a narrow one. The translator, however, would ill-discharge his duty, if for the sake of avoiding ridicule, he sacrificed fidelity to the original. He must represent his author as he is, not as he should be to please the narrow taste of those entirely unacquainted with him. Mr. Pickford, in the preface to his English translation of the Mahavira Charita, ably defends a close adherence to the original even at the sacrifice of idiom and taste against the claims of what has been called ‘Free Translation,’ which means dressing the author in an outlandish garb to please those to whom he is introduced.
In the preface to his classical translation of Bhartrihari’s Niti Satakam and Vairagya Satakam, Mr. C.H. Tawney says, “I am sensible that in the present attempt I have retained much local colouring. For instance, the ideas of worshipping the feet of a god of great men, though it frequently occurs in Indian literature, will undoubtedly move the laughter of Englishmen unacquainted with Sanskrit, especially if they happen to belong to that class of readers who revel their attention on the accidental and remain blind to the essential. But a certain measure of fidelity to the original even at the risk of making oneself ridiculous, is better than the studied dishonesty which characterises so many translations of oriental poets.”
We fully subscribe to the above although, it must be observed, the censure conveyed to the class of translators last indicated is rather undeserved, there being nothing like a ‘studied dishonesty’ in th
eir efforts which proceed only from a mistaken view of their duties and as such betray only an error of the head but not of the heart. More than twelve years ago when Babu Pratapa Chandra Roy, with Babu Durga Charan Banerjee, went to my retreat at Seebpore, for engaging me to translate the Mahabharata into English, I was amazed with the grandeur of the scheme. My first question to him was, — whence was the money to come, supposing my competence for the task. Pratapa then unfolded to me the details of his plan, the hopes he could legitimately cherish of assistance from different quarters. He was full of enthusiasm. He showed me Dr. Rost’s letter, which, he said, had suggested to him the undertaking. I had known Babu Durga Charan for many years and I had the highest opinion of his scholarship and practical good sense. When he warmly took Pratapa’s side for convincing me of the practicability of the scheme, I listened to him patiently. The two were for completing all arrangements with me the very day. To this I did not agree. I took a week’s time to consider. I consulted some of my literary friends, foremost among whom was the late lamented Dr. Sambhu C. Mookherjee. The latter, I found, had been waited upon by Pratapa. Dr. Mookherjee spoke to me of Pratapa as a man of indomitable energy and perseverance. The result of my conference with Dr. Mookherjee was that I wrote to Pratapa asking him to see me again. In this second interview estimates were drawn up, and everything was arranged as far as my portion of the work was concerned. My friend left with me a specimen of translation which he had received from Professor Max Muller. This I began to study, carefully comparing it sentence by sentence with the original. About its literal character there could be no doubt, but it had no flow and, therefore, could not be perused with pleasure by the general reader. The translation had been executed thirty years ago by a young German friend of the great Pundit. I had to touch up every sentence. This I did without at all impairing faithfulness to the original. My first ‘copy’ was set up in type and a dozen sheets were struck off. These were submitted to the judgment of a number of eminent writers, European and native. All of them, I was glad to see, approved of the specimen, and then the task of translating the Mahabharata into English seriously began.
Before, however, the first fasciculus could be issued, the question as to whether the authorship of the translation should be publicly owned, arose. Babu Pratapa Chandra Roy was against anonymity. I was for it. The reasons I adduced were chiefly founded upon the impossibility of one person translating the whole of the gigantic work. Notwithstanding my resolve to discharge to the fullest extent the duty that I took up, I might not live to carry it out. It would take many years before the end could be reached. Other circumstances than death might arise in consequence of which my connection with the work might cease. It could not be desirable to issue successive fasciculus with the names of a succession of translators appearing on the title pages. These and other considerations convinced my friend that, after all, my view was correct. It was, accordingly, resolved to withhold the name of the translator. As a compromise, however, between the two views, it was resolved to issue the first fasciculus with two prefaces, one over the signature of the publisher and the other headed— ‘Translator’s Preface.’ This, it was supposed, would effectually guard against misconceptions of every kind. No careful reader would then confound the publisher with the author.
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