The

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...

is one of the epics of

Sanskrit literature Sanskrit literature broadly comprises all literature in the Sanskrit language. This includes texts composed in the earliest attested descendant of the Proto-Indo-Aryan language known as Vedic Sanskrit, texts in Classical Sanskrit as well as s ...

that is

translated Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transla ...

as well as literarily adapted into

Meitei language Meitei (), also known as Manipuri (, ), is a Tibeto-Burman language of north-eastern India. It is spoken by around 1.8 million people, predominantly in the state of Manipur, but also by smaller communities in the rest of the country and in pa ...

(officially called Manipuri), thereby creating a space for

Hindu literature Hindu texts are manuscripts and voluminous historical literature which are related to any of the diverse traditions within Hinduism. A few of these texts are shared across these traditions and they are broadly considered Hindu scriptures. These ...

within the granary of

Meitei literature , image = Numit Kappa.jpg , imagesize = , caption = The Numit Kappa, a Classical Meitei epic text written during the 1st century, based on ancient Meitei mythology and religion (Sanamahism) , alt ...

(

Manipuri literature , image = Numit Kappa.jpg , imagesize = , caption = The Numit Kappa, a Classical Meitei epic text written during the 1st century, based on ancient Meitei mythology and religion (Sanamahism) , alt ...

). As Meitei language uses both

Meitei script ) , altname = , type = Abugida , languages = Meitei language (officially known as Manipuri language) , region = * Manipur , sample = "Meitei Mayek" (literally meaning "Meitei script" in Meitei language) written ...

as well as

Eastern Nagari script Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai * Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways * Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 *Eastern Air ...

(

Bengali script Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

), the literary works are written in either of the two scripts.

History

Parikshit (Saka 1647/1725 AD)

Meitei King

Pamheiba Gharib Nawaz (born Pamheiba, 1690–1751) was a Meetei king of Manipur, ruling from c. 1709 until his death. He introduced Hinduism as the state religion of his kingdom (1717) and changed the name of the kingdom to the Sanskrit ''Manipur'' (1 ...

( fa, Garib Niwaj, script=Latn), after being converted into

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

from

Sanamahism () , native_name_lang = mni , image = The Symbol of Sanamahi.svg , imagewidth = , alt = , caption = The Symbol of Sanamahism (Source: Wakoklon Heelel Thilen Salai Amailon Pukok Puya) , ...

(traditional

Meitei religion () , native_name_lang = mni , image = The Symbol of Sanamahi.svg , imagewidth = , alt = , caption = The Symbol of Sanamahism (Source: Wakoklon Heelel Thilen Salai Amailon Pukok Puya) , ...

) by Guru Gopaldas, composed the ''Parikshit'', an episode of the

epic in Meitei language. Because this part of the story was the most appealing to him personally. In the introduction to the literary work, the text says that the story of

Parikshit Parikshit ( sa, परीक्षित्, ) was a Kuru king who reigned during the Middle Vedic period (12th-10th centuries BCE). Along with his son and successor, Janamejaya, he played a decisive role in the consolidation of the Kuru state, ...

was rewritten by the Meitei king, "Sri Garib Niwaj", also known also as "Sri Sri Gopal Singh", in the Hindu year "Saka 1647". The work was actually a translation of a Bengali literary work History of Bengali Language and Literature by Gangadas Sen into Meitei language. Later, the Meitei version was retouched by

Angom Gopi Angom Gopi or Angom Chaoba (1710–1780) was an Indian writer. He was responsible for translating many works of Bengali and Sanskrit literature into Meitei (Meiteilon). He also wrote Meetei The Meitei people, also known as the Manipuri ...

Indra Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes/ref> I ...

gave asylum to

Takshak Takshaka (Sanskrit: तक्षक, IAST: Takṣaka) is a Nagaraja in Hinduism and Buddhism. He is mentioned in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He is described to be a king of the Nagas. He is one of the sons of Kadru. Takshaka also known in ...

, the murderer of King

, for which Parikshit's son, King

Janmejoy Janamejaya ( sa, जनमेजय) was a Kuru king who reigned during the Middle Vedic period. Along with his father and predecessor Parikshit, he played a decisive role in the consolidation of the Kuru state, the arrangement of Vedic hymns ...

(

Janamejaya Janamejaya ( sa, जनमेजय) was a Kuru king who reigned during the Middle Vedic period. Along with his father and predecessor Parikshit, he played a decisive role in the consolidation of the Kuru state, the arrangement of Vedic hymns i ...

) engaged sage

Kashyap The Kashyap Rajput or Kashyap are a caste in India. They are sometimes called the Koshyal or Kanshilya. History ''Kashyap'' is originally one of the eight primary gotras (clans) of the Brahmins, being derived from Kashyapa, the name of a rishi ...

in a

yagna Yajna ( sa, यज्ञ, yajña, translit-std=IAST, sacrifice, devotion, worship, offering) refers in Hinduism to any ritual done in front of a sacred fire, often with mantras.SG Nigal (1986), Axiological Approach to the Vedas, Northern Book ...

, thereby dragging the snake into the ritual fire. In the next scene, Indra, being the asylum giver to Takshak, was also dragged along with Takshak, and remained suspended in the midst of thick smoke over the burning flames of the yagna. Seeing goddess

Indrani Indrani (Sanskrit: इन्द्राणी, IAST: ''Indrāṇī, lit.'' Indra's queen), also known as Shachi (Sanskrit: शची, IAST: ''Śacī''), is the queen of the devas in Hinduism. Described as tantalisingly beautiful, proud and ki ...

's grief of her husband's life at risk, sage Astik felt pity and refrained King

from taking extreme steps in taking others' life. However, King Janmejoy, who was firm and unrelenting, to avenge his father's death, was unwilling to give up.

Virat Santhuplon (Saka 1702/1780 AD)

The is a Meitei translation of the Bengali work by Ramkrishna Das. The translation work was done by the Meitei prince Nabananda when the Meitei capital city was situated at . The

Cheitharol Kumbaba ''Cheitharol Kumbaba'', also spelled ''Cheithalon Kumpapa'', is the court chronicle of the kings of Manipur. The oldest extant version was copied in the early 19th century, under Jai Singh, the puppet king installed after the Burmese invasion, ...

mentioned that the prince was formally made the heir apparent when his father

Ching-Thang Khomba Ningthou Ching-Thang Khomba (also Rajarshi Bhagya Chandra, Jai Singh Maharaja) (1748–1799) was a Meitei monarch of the 18th century CE. The inventor of the Manipuri Raas Leela dance, with his daughter ''Shija Lailoibi'' playing as Radha at ...

ascended the throne of

Manipur Kingdom The Manipur Kingdom was an ancient independent kingdom at the India–Burma frontier that was in subsidiary alliance with British India from 1824, and became a princely state in 1891. It bordered Assam Province in the west and Briti ...

when Ching-Thang Khomba's elder brother Gourashyam died in "Saka 1685". Prince Nanananda spent around two months in the woods for carrying out a royal task of cutting down large trees for preparing race-boats ( mni,

Hiyang Hiren Hiyang Hiren ( mni, ꯍꯤꯌꯥꯡ ꯍꯤꯔꯦꯟ) (literally, ''"large race boat"'') is a traditional royal race boat, used at the Hiyang Tannaba ceremony in the religious festival of Lai Haraoba. The boat is regarded as invested with spiri ...

). During those days of his stay in the forests, as a part of his leisure hours, he did the translation work on the part of the

epic. The introduction to the Meitei work says the following: Unlike other Meitei literary works on

, this text is free from the usual mixing of the words of

Indo Aryan languages The Indo-Aryan languages (or sometimes Indic languages) are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European language family. As of the early 21st century, they have more than 800 million speakers, primarily concentrated in India, Pa ...

List

Works of Kalachand Shastri

Kalachand Singh Shastri translated 37 volumes of the

into

, for which he was bestowed the prestigious

Sahitya Akademi Award The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...

for translation.

Works of Manisana Sharma

Works of Ayekpam Syamsunder

Works of Ningthoujam Haridas Singh

Works of Aheibam Dhananjay

Notes

References

External links

* {{Authority control Classical literature Hindu literature Mahabharata Meitei literature Translations into Meitei Works based on the Mahabharata