The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa: Translated Into English Prose Ted Into English Prose

Excerpt from The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa: Translated Into English Prose Ted Into English Prose

Through the grace of Hari who never abandons those that humbly invoke his aid, I have at last completed the Anuçasana Parvan. Of the eighteen Parvans of the Mahabharata, the Anuçasana forms the thirteenth, and is the third in extent, being slightly less the Vana. From beginning to end, the Anuçasana is didactic in tis character. The duties of men in various stations of life have been declared by Bhishma in answer to the successive questions of Yudhishtbira. Of those duties, gift has been declarer to be one of the foremost. Accordingly, the merits, as understood in ancient India, of the diverse kinds of gift have been laid down most appear as quaint to Western readers. But it should always be remembered that those ideas however quaint, are still cherished by ea very large section of the people of India. The very gifts are regarded by them to be meritorious, and are, accordingly, made under nearly the very same formalities.

The literary difficulties which the Anuçasana presents, though slightly less than those presented by the Canti, are still very great. Both the Bengali versions have been executed carelessly. The gloss of Nilakantha, as usual, is clear. There are verses in the Anuçasana which, if not exactly cruces, are at least very nearly so, considerable labour and reflection being necessary to get at their meaning. The aid offorded by Nilakantha in such places is simply invaluable. The English version of the Anuçasana has been, for the most part based upon Nilakantha's gloss. It only a few instances has the translator differed from that Commentator.

The completion of the Anuçasana has brought my task to a point such that six or seven more fascicules are necessary for bringing my labours to their termination. Those seven fascicules will cost, including all contingent charges, about Rs. 10,000 in all. How to provide for this amount has made me exceedingly anxious. If I had health and stregth as before, I would not have been at all anxious. Unfortunately for myself, for about two years I have been ill, very ill. For more than six months I have been entirely prostrated.

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