MAHABHARATA

In the moving history of our land, from time immemorial great minds have beenformed and nourished and touched to heroic deeds by the Ramayana and the Maha- bharata. In most Indian homes, children formerly learnt these immortal stories as they learnt their mother- tongue- at the mother's knee, and the sweetness and sorrows of Sita and Draupadi, the heroic fortitude of Rama and Arjuna and the loving fidelity of Lakshmana and Hanuman became the stuff of their young philosophy of life.

Thegrowing complexity of life haschanged the simple pattern of early home life. Still, there are few in our land who do not know the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, though the stories come to them so embroidered with the garish fancies of the Kalakshepam* and the cinema as to retain but little of the dignity and approach to truth of Vyasa or Valmiki.

It occurred to me some years ago that I might employ some of the scanty leisure of a busy life in giving to our Tamil children in easy prose the story of the Mahabharata that we, more fortunate in this than they, heard in our homes as children. 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 elevating influence. It strengthens the soul and drives home-as nothing else does-the vanity of ambition and the evil and futility of anger and hatred.

Some years ago, I wrote the story of Sisupala under the caption "Mudal Tambulam" (precedence in Guest- Worship) for a Tamil magazine. The editor liked it so much that he persuaded me to take up the task of giving the whole of the Mahabharata to our people hi the form of stories. Thework, which I began with some diffidence, soon cast its spell on me, and presently I came to love it and imagined myself telling these stories to dear Tamil children, clustering eager-eyed to hear the deeds of the godlike heroes of our mother land.

[ Up ] [ Next ]