MAHABHARATA retold by C. Rajagopalachari (Edited by Jay Mazo, Intemational Gita Society) 1. Ganapati the Seribe 2. Devavrata 3. Bhishma’s Vow 4, Amba And Bhishma 5. Devayani And Kacha 6. The Mantiage Of Devayani 7. Yayati 8. Vidura 9. Kunti Devi 10. Death Of Panda 11. Bhima 12. Kama 13. Drona 14, The Wax Palace 15. The Escape Of The Pandavas 16. The Slaying Of Bakasura 17. Draupad's Swayamvaram 18, Indraprastha 19. The Saranga Birds 20. Jarasandha 21. The Slaying Of Tarasandha 22. The First Honor 23. Sakuni Comes In 24. The Invitation 25. The Wager 26. Draupadi’s Grief 27. Dhritarashtra's Amity 28. Krishna's Vow 29. Pasupata 30. Afiliction Is Nothing New 31. Agastya 32. Rishyasringa 33. Fruitless Penance 34. Yavakrida's End 35. Mere Learning Is Not Enough 36. Ashtavakra 37. Bhima And Hawuman 38. Lam No Crane Contents 39. The Wicked Are Never Satisfied 40. Duryodhana Disgraced 41. Sri Krishna's Hunger 42. The Enchanted Pool 43. Domestic Service 44. Virtue Vindieated 45. Matsya Defended 46. Prince Uttara 47, Promise Fulfilled 48. Virata's Delusion 49. Taking Counsel 50. Arjuna's Charioteer 51. Salya Against His Nephews 52. Viitra 53. Nahusha 54. Sanjaya's Mission Not a Needle-Point Of Territory 56. Krishna's Mission 57. Attachment and Duty 58. The Pandava Generalissimo 59. Balarama 60, Rukmini 61. Non-Cooperation 62. Krishna Teaches 63. Yudhishthira Secks Benediction 64. The First Day's Battle 65. The Second Day 66. The Thitd Day's Battle 67. The Fourth Day 68. The Fifth Day 69. The Sixth Day 70. The Seventh Day 71. The Eighth Day 72. The Ninth Day 73. The Passing Of Bhishma 74. Kama and the Grandsire 75. Drona in Command 76. To Seize Yudhishthira Alive 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. Kama And Bhima 87. Pledge Respected 88, Somadatta’s End 89. Jayadratha Slain 90. Drona Passes Away 91. The Death Of Kama 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 TT is not an exaggeration to say that the persons and incidents portrayed in the great literature of a people influence national character no less potently than the actual heroes and events enshrined in its history. It may be claimed that the former play an even more important part in the formation of ideals, which give to character its impulse of growth, In the moving history of our land, from time immemorial great minds have been formed and nourished and touched to heroic deeds by the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. In most Indian homes, children formerly leamt these immortal stories as they leamt their mother tongne at the mother’s knee. And the sweetness and sorrows of Sita and Draupadi, the heroic fortitde of Rama and Arjuna and the loving fidelity of Lakshmana and Hanuman became the stuff of their young. philosophy of life. ‘The growing complexity of life has changed the simple pattem of early home life. Still, there are few in our land wio do not know the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Though the stories come to tem so embroidered with the garish fancies of the Kalakshepam (devotional meeting where an expert scholar and singer tells a story to his audience) and the cinema as to retain but litle of the dignity and approach to truth of Vyasa ot Valmiki. Vyasa's Mahabharata is one of our noblest heritages. And it is my cherished belief that to hear it faithfully told is to love it and come under its clevating influence. It streugthens the soul and drives home, as nothing else does, the vanity of ambition and the evil and fitlity of anger and hatred. The realities of life are idealised by genius and given the form that makes drama, poetry or great prose. Since literature is closely related to life, so long asthe Jaman family is divided into nations, literature cannot escape the effects of such division But the highest literature transcends regionalism and through it, when we are properly attuned, we realise the essential oneness of the human family. The Mahabharata is of this class. Tt belongs to the world and not only to India, To the people of India, indeed, this epic has been an unfailing and perennial source of spiritual strength. Leamt at the mother’s knee with reverence and love, it has inspired great men to heroic deeds as well as enabled the humble to face their trials ‘with fortitude and faith. The Mahabharata was composed many thousand years ago, But generations of sifted reciters have added to Vyaso's original a great mass of material. All the floating literature that was thought to be worth preserving, historical, geographical, legendary political, theological and philosophical, of nearly thirty centuries, found a place in it In those days, when there was no printing, interpolation in a recognised — classic seemed to comespond to inclusion in the national library. Divested ofthese accretions, the Mahabharata is a noble poem possessing in a supreme degree the characteristics of a true epic, great and fatefil_movement, heroic characters and stately diction. The characters in the epic move with the vitality of real li. It is difficult to find anywhere such vivid portraiture on so ample a canvas. Bhishma, the perfect lanight; the venerable Drona; the vain but chivalrous Kama; Duryodhana, whose perverse pride is redeemed by great courage in adversity; the high souled Pandavas with godlike strength as well as power of suffering; Draupadi, most unfortunate of queens: Kunti, the worthy