Manipuri Mahabharata

The Mahabharata is one of the epics of Sanskrit literature that is translated as well as literarily adapted into Meitei language (officially called Manipuri), thereby creating a space for Hindu literature within the granary of Meitei literature ( Manipuri literature).

As Meitei language uses both Meitei script as well as Eastern Nagari script (Bengali script), the literary works are written in either of the two scripts.

History

Parikshit (Saka 1647/1725 AD)

Meitei King Pamheiba ( fa, Garib Niwaj, script=Latn), after being converted into Hinduism from Sanamahism (traditional Meitei religion) by Guru Gopaldas, composed the ''Parikshit'', an episode of the Mahabharata 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 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.

Indra gave asylum to Takshak, the murderer of King Parikshit, for which Parikshit's son, King Janmejoy (Janamejaya) engaged sage Kashyap in a yagna, 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's grief of her husband's life at risk, sage Astik felt pity and refrained King Janmejoy 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 mentioned that the prince was formally made the heir apparent when his father Ching-Thang Khomba ascended the throne of Manipur Kingdom 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). 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 Mahabharata epic.
The introduction to the Meitei work says the following:

Unlike other Meitei literary works on Hinduism, this text is free from the usual mixing of the words of Indo Aryan languages.

List

Works of Kalachand Shastri

Kalachand Singh Shastri translated 37 volumes of the Mahabharata into Meitei language, for which he was bestowed the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award for translation.

Works of Manisana Sharma

Works of Ayekpam Syamsunder

Works of Ningthoujam Haridas Singh

Works of Aheibam Dhananjay

See also

* '' Andhra Mahabharatam'' - the Telugu language version of the ''Mahabharata''
* List of Tirukkural translations by language
* Mahabharata#Translations, versions and derivative works
* Versions of the Ramayana
* '' Moirang Shayon''

Notes

References

External links

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Classical literature
Hindu literature
Mahabharata
Meitei literature
Translations into Meitei
Works based on the Mahabharata