The Project Gutenberg EBook of Maha-bharata, by Anonymous

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Title: Maha-bharata
The Epic of Ancient India Condensed into English Verse

Author: Anonymous

Translator: Romesh Dutt

Release Date: October 25, 2006 [EBook #19630]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MAHA-BHARATA ***

Produced by Andrew Sly, using a text prepared by John B.
Hare of sacred-texts.com.

[Frontespiece: The Banishment]

MAHA-BHARATA

THE EPIC OF ANCIENT INDIA

CONDENSED INTO ENGLISH VERSE

By Romesh C. Dutt C.I.E.

MDCCCXCIX Published by J. M. Dent
and Co. Aldine House London W. C.

To
THE MARQUIS OF RIPON
Ever gratefully remembered by my countrymen for his
just and benevolent administration and for his
generous and helpful measures for the
introduction of self-government
in India

This translation
of the ancient epic of my country
is respectfully dedicated

Contents

BOOK PAGE
I. Astra Darsana (The Tournament) 1
II. Swayamvara (The Bride's Choice) 14
III. Rajasuya (The Imperial Sacrifice) 28
IV. Dyuta (The Fatal Dice) 42
V. Pativrata-Mahatmya (Woman's Love) 55
VI. Go-Harana (Cattle-Lifting) 73
VII. Udyoga (The Preparation) 86
VIII. Bhishma-Badha (Fall of Bhishma) 100
IX. Drona-Badha (Fall of Drona) 119
X. Karna-Badha (Fall of Karna) 136
XI. Sraddha (Funeral Rites) 151
XII. Aswa-Medha (Sacrifice of the Horse) 161
Conclusion 171
Translator's Epilogue 174

THE EPIC OF ANCIENT INDIA

BOOK I

ASTRA DARSANA

(The Tournament)

The scene of the Epic is the ancient kingdom of the Kurus which
flourished along the upper course of the Ganges; and the historical
fact on which the Epic is based is a great war which took place
between the Kurus and a neighbouring tribe, the Panchalas, in the
thirteenth or fourteenth century before Christ.

According to the Epic, Pandu and Dhrita-rashtra, who was born blind,
were brothers. Pandu died early, and Dhrita-rash