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The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1 by or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli

O >> or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli >> The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1






SECTION L

Duryodhana said,--'Listen now, O Bharata, about all the most costly
articles I saw, belonging unto the sons of Pandu, and brought one after
another by the kings of the earth. Beholding that wealth of the foe, I
lost my reason and scarcely knew myself. And, O Bharata, listen as I
describe that wealth consisting of both manufactures and the produce of
the land. The king of Kamboja gave innumerable skins of the best king,
and blankets made of wool, of the soft fur of rodents and other
burroughers, and of the hair of cats,--all inlaid with threads of gold.
And he also gave three hundred horses of the Titteti and the Kalmasha
species possessing noses like parrots. And he also gave three hundred
camels and an equal number of she-asses, all fattened with the olives and
the Pilusha. And innumerable Brahmanas engaged in rearing cattle and
occupied in low offices for the gratification of the illustrious king
Yudhishthira the just waited at the gate with three hundred millions of
tribute but they were denied admission into the palace. And hundred upon
hundreds of Brahmanas possessing wealth of kine and living upon the lands
that Yudhishthira had given them, came there with their handsome golden
Kamandalus filled with clarified butter. And though they had brought such
tribute, they were refused admission into the palace. And the Sudra kings
that dwelt in the regions on the seacoast, brought with them, O king,
hundred thousands of serving girls of the Karpasika country, all of
beautiful features and slender waist and luxuriant hair and decked in
golden ornaments; and also many skins of the Ranku deer worthy even of
Brahmanas as tribute unto king Yudhishthira. And the tribes Vairamas,
Paradas, Tungas, with the Kitavas who lived upon crops that depended on
water from the sky or of the river and also they who were born in regions
on the sea-shore, in woodlands, or countries on the other side of the
ocean waited at the gate, being refused permission to enter, with goats
and kine and asses and camels and vegetable, honey and blankets and
jewels and gems of various kinds. And that great warrior king Bhagadatta,
the brave ruler of Pragjyotisha and the mighty sovereign of the
mlechchas, at the head of a large number of Yavanas waited at the gate
unable to enter, with a considerable tribute comprising of horses of the
best breed and possessing the speed of the wind. And king Bhagadatta
(beholding the concourse) had to go away from the gate, making over a
number of swords with handles made of the purest ivory and well-adorned
with diamonds and every kind of gems. And many tribes coming from
different regions, of whom some possess two eyes, some three and some had
eyes on their foreheads, and those also called Aushmikas, and Nishadas,
and Romakas, some cannibals and many possessing only one leg. I say, O
king, standing at the gate, being refused permission to enter. And these
diverse rulers brought as tribute ten thousand asses of diverse hues and
black necks and huge bodies and great speed and much docility and
celebrated all over the world. And these asses were all of goodly size
and delightful colour. And they were all bred on the coast of Vankhu. And
there were many kings that gave unto Yudhishthira much gold and silver.
And having given much tribute they obtained admission into the palace of
Yudhishthira. The people that came there possessing only one leg gave
unto Yudhishthira many wild horses, some of which were as red as the
cochineal, and some white, and some possessing the hues of the rainbow
and some looking like evening clouds, and some that were of variegated
colour. And they were all endued with the speed of the mind. And they
also gave unto the king enough gold of superior quality. I also saw
numberless Chins and Sakas and Uddras and many barbarous tribes living in
the woods, and many Vrishnis and Harahunas, and dusky tribes of the
Himavat, and many Nipas and people residing in regions on the sea-coast,
waiting at the gate being refused permission to enter. And the people of
Valhika gave unto him as tribute ten thousand asses, of goodly size and
black necks and daily running two hundred miles, And those asses were of
many shapes. And they were well-trained and celebrated all over the
world. And possessed of symmetrical proportion and excellent colour,
their skins were pleasant to the touch. And the Valhikas also presented
numerous blankets of woollen texture manufactured in Chin and numerous
skins of the Ranku deer, and clothes manufactured from jute, and others
woven with the threads spun by insects. And they also gave thousands of
other clothes not made of cotton, possessing the colour of the lotus. And
these were all of smooth texture. And they also gave soft sheep-skins by
thousands. And they also gave many sharp and long swords and scimitars,
and hatchets and fine-edged battle-axes manufactured in the western
countries. And having presented perfumes and jewels and gems of various
kinds by thousands as tribute, they waited at the gate, being refused
admission into the palace. And the Sakas and Tukhatas and Tukharas and
Kankas and Romakas and men with horns bringing with them as tribute
numerous large elephants and ten thousand horses, and hundreds and
hundreds of millions of gold waited at the gate, being refused permission
to enter. And the kings of the eastern countries having presented
numerous valuable articles including many costly carpets and vehicles and
beds, and armours of diverse hues decked with jewels and gold and ivory,
and weapons of various kinds, and cars of various shapes and handsome
make and adorned with gold, with well-trained horses trimmed with tiger
skins, and rich and variegated blankets for caprisoning elephants, and
various kinds of jewels and gems, arrows long and short and various other
kinds of weapons, obtained permission to enter the sacrificial palace of
the illustrious Pandava!'"



SECTION LI

Duryodhana said,--'O sinless one, listen to me as I describe that large
mass of wealth consisting of various kinds of tribute presented unto
Yudhishthira by the kings of the earth. They that dwell by the side of
the river Sailoda flowing between the mountains of Mer and Mandara and
enjoy the delicious shade of topes of the Kichaka bamboo, viz., the
Khashas, Ekasanas, the Arhas, the Pradaras, the Dirghavenus, the Paradas,
the Kulindas, the Tanganas, and the other Tanganas, brought as tribute
heaps of gold measured in dronas (jars) and raised from underneath the
earth by ants and therefore called after these creatures. The mountain
tribes endued with great strength having brought as tribute numerous
Chamaras (long brushes) soft and black and others white as moon-beam and
sweet honey extracted from the flowers growing on the Himavat as also
from the Mishali champaka and garlands of flowers brought from the region
of the northern Kurus, and diverse kinds of plants from the north even
from Kailasa, waited with their heads bent down at the gate of king
Yudhishthira, being refused permission to enter. I also beheld there
numberless chiefs of the Kiratas armed with cruel weapons and ever
engaged in cruel deeds, eating of fruits and roots and attired in skins
and living on the northern slopes of the Himavat and on the mountain from
behind which the sun rises and in the region of Karusha on the sea-coast
and on both sides of the Lohitya mountains. And, O king, having brought
with them as tribute loads upon loads of sandal and aloe as also black
aloe, and heaps upon heaps of valuable skins and gold and perfumes, and
ten thousand serving-girls of their own race, and many beautiful animals
and birds of remote countries, and much gold of great splendour procured
from mountains, the Kiratas waited at the gate, being refused permission
to enter. The Kairatas, the Daradas, the Darvas, the Suras, the
Vaiamakas, the Audumvaras, the Durvibhagas, the Kumaras, the Paradas
along with the Vahlikas, the Kashmiras, the Ghorakas, the Hansakayanas,
the Sivis, the Trigartas, the Yauddheyas, the ruler of Madras and the
Kaikeyas, the Amvashtas, the Kaukuras, the Tarkshyas, the Vastrapas along
with the Palhavas, the Vashatayas, the Mauleyas along with the
Kshudrakas, and the Malavas, the Paundrayas, the Kukkuras, the Sakas, the
Angas, the Vangas, the Punras, the Sanavatyas, and the Gayas--these good
and well-born Kshatriyas distributed into regular clans and trained to
the use of arms, brought tribute unto king Yudhishthira by hundreds and
thousands. And the Vangas, the Kalingas, the Magadhas, the Tamraliptas,
the Supundrakas, the Dauvalikas, the Sagarakas, the Patrornas, the
Saisavas, and innumerable Karnapravaranas, who presented themselves at
the gate, were told by the gate-keepers at the command of the king, that
if they could wait and bring good tribute they could obtain admission.
Then the kings of those nations each gave a thousand elephants furnished
with tusks like unto the shafts of ploughs and decked with girdles made
of gold, and covered with fine blankets and therefore, resembling the
lotus in hue. And they were all darkish as rocks and always musty, and
procured from the sides of the Kamyaka lake, and covered with defensive
armour. And they were also exceedingly patient and of the best breed. And
having made these presents, those kings were permitted to enter. O king,
these and many others, coming from various regions, and numberless other
illustrious kings, brought jewels and gems unto this sacrifice. And
Chitraratha, also the king of Gandharvas, the friend of Indra, gave four
hundred horses gifted with the speed of the wind. And the Gandharva
Tumvuru gladly gave a hundred horses of the colour of mango leaf and
decked in gold. And, O thou of the Kuru race, the celebrated king of the
Mlechcha tribe, called the Sukaras, gave many hundreds of excellent
elephants. And Virata, the king of Matsya, gave as tribute two thousand
elephants decked in gold. And king Vasudana from the kingdom of Pansu
presented unto the son of Pandu six and twenty elephants and two thousand
horses. O king, all decked in gold and endued with speed and strength and
in full vigour of youth, and diverse other kinds of wealth. And Yajnasena
presented unto the sons of Pandu for the sacrifice, fourteen thousand
serving-girls and ten thousand serving-men with their wives, many
hundreds of excellent elephants, six and twenty cars with elephants yoked
unto them, and also his whole kingdom. And Vasudeva of the Vrishni race,
in order to enhance the dignity of Arjuna, gave fourteen thousands of
excellent elephants. Indeed, Krishna is the soul of Arjuna and Arjuna is
the soul of Krishna, and whatever Arjuna may say Krishna is certain to
accomplish. And Krishna is capable of abandoning heaven itself for the
sake of Arjuna. and Arjuna also is capable of sacrificing his life for
the sake of Krishna. And the Kings of Chola and Pandya, though they
brought numberless jars of gold filled with fragrant sandal juice from
the hills of Malaya, and loads of sandal and aloe wood from the Dardduras
hills, and many gems of great brilliancy and fine cloths inlaid with
gold, did not obtain permission (to enter). And the king of the Singhalas
gave those best of sea-born gems called the lapis lazuli, and heaps of
pearls also, and hundreds of coverlets for elephants. And numberless
dark-coloured men with the ends of their, eyes red as copper, attired in
clothes decked with gems, waited at the gate with those presents. And
numberless Brahmanas and Kshatriyas who had been vanquished, and Vaisyas
and serving Sudras, from love of Yudhishthira, brought tribute unto the
son of Pandu. And even all the Mlechchas, from love and respect, came
unto Yudhishthira. And all orders of men, good, indifferent and low,
belonging to numberless races, coming from diverse lands made
Yudhishthira's habitation the epitome of the world.

"And beholding the kings of the earth to present unto the foes such
excellent and valuable presents, I wished for death out of grief. And O
king, I will now tell thee of the servants of the Pandavas, people for
whom Yudhishthira supplieth food, both cooked and uncooked. There are a
hundred thousand billions of mounted elephants and cavalry and a hundred
millions of cars and countless foot soldiers. At one place raw provisions
are being measured out; at another they are being cooked; and at another
place the foods are being distributed. And the notes of festivity are
being heard everywhere. And amongst men of all orders I beheld not a
single one in the mansion of Yudhishthira that had not food and drink and
ornaments. And eighty-eight thousands of Snataka Brahmanas leading
domestic lives, all supported by Yudhishthira, with thirty serving-girls
given unto each, gratified by the king, always pray with complacent
hearts for the destruction of his foes. And ten thousands of other
ascetics with vital seed drawn up, daily eat of golden plates in
Yudhishthira's palace. And, O king, Yajnaseni, without having eaten
herself, daily seeth whether everybody, including even the deformed and
the dwarfs, hath eaten or not. And, O Bharata, only two do not pay
tribute unto the son of Kunti, viz., the Panchalas in consequence of
their relationship by marriage, and the Andhakas and Vrishnis in
consequence of their friendship.



SECTION LII

Duryodhana said,--"Those king that are revered over all the world, who
are devoted to truth and who are pledged to the observance of rigid vows,
who are possessed of great learning and eloquence, who are fully
conversant with the Vedas and their branches as also with sacrifices, who
have piety and modesty, whose souls are devoted to virtue, who possess
fame, and who have enjoyed the grand rites of coronation, all wait upon
and worship Yudhishthira. And, O king, I beheld there many thousands of
wild kine with as many vessels of white copper for milking them, brought
thither by the kings of the earth as sacrificial presents to be given
away by Yudhishthira unto the Brahmana. And, O Bharata, for bathing
Yudhishthira at the conclusion of the sacrifice, many kings with the
greatest alacrity, themselves brought there in a state of purity many
excellent jars (containing water). And king Vahlika brought there a car
decked with pure gold. And king Sudakshina himself yoked thereto four
white horses of Kamboja breed, and Sunitha of great might fitted the
lower pole and the ruler of Chedi with his own hands took up and fitted
the flag-staff. And the king of the Southern country stood ready with the
coat of mail; the ruler of Magadha, with garlands of flowers and the
head-gear; the great warrior Vasudana with a sixty years old elephant,
the king of Matsya, with the side-fittings of the car, all encased in
gold; king Ekalavya, with the shoes; the king of Avanti, with diverse
kinds of water for the final bath; king Chekitana, with the quiver; the
king of Kasi, with the bow; and Salya; with a sword whose hilt and straps
were adorned with gold. Then Dhaumya and Vyasa, of great ascetic merit,
with Narada and Asita's son Devala, standing before performed the
ceremony of sprinkling the sacred water over the king. And the great
Rishis with cheerful hearts sat where the sprinkling ceremony was
performed. And other illustrious Rishis conversant with the Vedas, with
Jamadagni's son among them, approached Yudhishthira, the giver of large
sacrificial presents, uttering mantras all the while, like the seven
Rishis, approaching the great India in heaven. And Satyaki of unbaffled
prowess held the umbrella (over the king's head). And Dhananjaya and
Bhima were engaged in tanning the king; while the twins held a couple of
chamaras in their hands. And the Ocean himself brought in a sling that
big conch of Varuna which the celestial artificer Viswakarman had
constructed with a thousand Nishkas of gold, and which Prajapati had in a
former Kalpa, presented unto India. It was with that conch that Krishna
bathed Yudhishthira after the conclusion of the sacrifice, and beholding
it, I swooned away. People go to the Eastern or the Western seas and also
to the Southern one. But, O father, none except birds can ever go to the
Northern sea. But the Pandavas have spread their dominion even there, for
I heard hundreds of conches that had been brought thence blown (in the
sacrificial mansion) indicative of auspicious rejoicing. And while those
conches blew simultaneously, my hair stood on end. And those among the
kings, who were weak in strength fell down. And Dhrishtadyumna and
Satyaki and the sons of Pandu and Kesava,--those eight, endued with
strength and prowess and handsome in person, beholding the kings deprived
of consciousness and myself in that plight, laughed outright. Then
Vibhatsu (Arjuna) with a cheerful heart gave, O Bharata, unto the
principal Brahmanas five hundred bullocks with horns plated with gold.
And king Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, having completed the Rajasuya
sacrifice, obtained like the exalted Harishchandra such prosperity that
neither Rantideva nor Nabhaga, nor Jauvanaswa, nor Manu, nor king Prithu
the son of Vena, nor Bhagiratha, Yayati, nor Nahusha, had obtained its
like. And beholding, O exalted one, such prosperity, in the son of Pritha
which is even like that which Harishchandra had, I do not see the least
good in continuing to live, O Bharata! O ruler of men, a yoke that is
tied (to the bullock's shoulders) by a blind man becomes loosened. Even
such is the case with us. The younger ones are growing while the elder
ones are decaying. And beholding all this, O chief of the Kurus, I cannot
enjoy peace even with the aid of reflection. And it is for this, O king,
that I am plunged into grief and becoming pale and emaciated."



SECTION LIII

"Dhritrashtra said,--Thou art my eldest son and born also of my eldest
wife. Therefore, O son, be not jealous of the Pandavas. He that is
jealous is always unhappy and suffereth the pangs of death. O bull of the
Bharata race, Yudhishthira knoweth not deception, possesseth wealth equal
unto thine, hath thy friends for his, and is not jealous of thee. Why
shouldst thou, therefore, be jealous of him? O king, in respect of
friends and allies thou art equal unto Yudhishthira. Why shouldst thou,
therefore, covet, from folly, the property of thy brother? Be not so.
Cease to be jealous. Do not grieve. O bull of the Bharata race, it thou
covetest the dignity attaching to the performance of a sacrifice, let the
priests arrange for thee the great sacrifice, called the Saptatantu. The
kings of the earth will then, cheerfully and with great respect, bring
for thee also much wealth and gems and ornaments. O child, coveting
other's possessions is exceedingly mean. He, on the other hand, enjoyeth
happiness, who is content with his own being engaged in the practices of
his own order. Never striving to obtain the wealth of others, persevering
in one's own affairs, and protecting what hath been earned,--these are
the indications of true greatness. He that is unmoved in calamity,
skilled in his own business, ever exerting vigilant and humble, always
beholdeth prosperity. The sons of Pandu are as thy arms. Do not lop off
those arms of thine. Plunge not into internal dissensions for the sake of
that wealth of thy brothers. O king, be not jealous of the sons of Pandu.
Thy wealth is equal unto that of thy brothers in his entirety. There is
great sin in quarrelling with friends. They that are thy grandsires are
theirs also. Give away in charity on occasions of sacrifices, gratify
every dear object of thy desire, disport in the company of women freely,
and enjoy thou peace.'"



SECTION LIV

"Duryodhana said,--'He that is devoid of intellect but hath merely heard
of many things, can scarcely understand the real import of the
scriptures, like the spoon that hath no perception of the taste of the
soup it toucheth. Thou knowest everything, but yet confoundest me. Like a
boat fastened to another, thou and I are tied to each other. Art thou
unmindful of thy own interests? Or, dost thou entertain hostile feeling
towards me? These thy sons and allies are doomed to destruction, inasmuch
as they have thee for their ruler, for thou describest as attainable in
the future what is to be done at the present moment. He often trippeth
whose guide acts under the instructions of others. How then can his
followers expect to come across a right path? O king, thou art of mature
wisdom; thou hast the opportunity to listen to the words of old, and thy
senses also are under thy control. It behoveth thee not to confound us
who are ready to seek our own interests. Vrihaspati hath said that the
usage of kings are different from those of common people. Therefore kings
should always attend to their own interests with vigilance. The
attainment of success is the sole criterion that should guide the conduct
of a Kshatriya. Whether, therefore, the means is virtuous or sinful, what
scruples can there be in the duties of one's own order? He that is
desirous of snatching the blazing prosperity of his foe, should, O bull
of the Bharata race, bring every direction under his subjection like the
charioteer taming the steeds with his whip. Those used to handling
weapons say that, a weapon is not simply an instrument that cuts but is a
means, whether covert or overt, that can defeat a foe. Who is to be
reckoned a foe and who a friend, doth not depend on one's figure or
dimensions. He that paineth another is, O king, to be regarded a foe by
him that is pained. Discontent is the root of prosperity. Therefore, O
king, I desire to be discontented. He that striveth after the acquisition
of prosperity is, O king, a truly politic person. Nobody should be
attached to wealth and affluence, for the wealth that hath been earned
and hoarded may be plundered. The usages of kings are even such. It was
during a period of peace that Sakra cut off the head of Namuchi after
having given a pledge to the contrary, and it was because he approved of
this eternal usage towards the enemy that he did so. Like a snake that
swalloweth up frogs and other creatures living in holes, the earth
swalloweth up a king that is peaceful and a Brahmana that stirreth not
out of home. O king, none can by nature be any person's foe. He is one's
foe, and not anybody else, who hath common pursuits with one. He that
from folly neglecteth a growing foe, hath his vitals cut off as by a
disease that he cherished without treatment. A foe, however
insignificant, if suffered to grow in prowess, swalloweth one like the
white ants at the root of a tree eating off the tree itself. O Bharata, O
Ajamida, let not the prosperity of the foe be acceptable to thee. This
policy (of neglecting the foe) should always be borne on their heads by
the wise even like a load. He that always wisheth for the increase of his
wealth, ever groweth in the midst of his relatives even like the body
naturally growing from the moment of birth. Prowess conferreth speedy
growth. Coveting as I do the prosperity of the Pandavas. I have not yet
made it my own. At present I am a prey to doubts in respect of my
ability. I am determined to resolve those doubts of mine. I will either
obtain that prosperity of theirs, or lie down having perished in battle.
O king when the state of my mind is such, what do I care now for life,
for the Pandavas are daily growing while our possessions know no
increase?'"



SECTION LV

"Sakuni said,--O thou foremost of victorious persons, I will snatch (for
thee) this prosperity of Yudhishthira, the son of Pandu, at the sight of
which thou grievest so. Therefore, O king, let Yudhishthira the son of
Kunti be summoned. By throwing dice a skilful man, himself uninjured, may
vanquish one that hath no skill. Know, O Bharata, that betting is my bow,
the dice are my arrows, the marks on them my bow-string, and the
dice-board my car.

"Duryodhana said,--'This Sukuni skilled at dice, is ready, O king, to
snatch the prosperity of the son of Pandu by means of dice. It behoveth
thee to give him permission.

"Dhritarashtra said,--'I am obedient to the counsels of my brother, the
illustrious Vidura. Consulting with him, I shall tell what should be done
in this matter.

"Duryodhana said,--'Vidura is always engaged in doing good to the sons of
Pandu. O Kaurava, his feelings towards us are otherwise. He will,
therefore, without doubt, withdraw thy heart from the proposed act. No
man should set himself to any task depending upon the counsels of
another, for, O son of Kuru's race, the minds of two persons seldom agree
in any particular act. The fool that liveth shunning all causes of fear
wasteth himself like an insect in the rainy season. Neither sickness nor
Yama waiteth till one is in prosperity. So long, therefore, as there is
life and health, one should (without waiting for prosperity) accomplish
his purpose.'

"Dhritarashtra said,--'O son, hostility with those that are strong, is
what never recommendeth itself to me. Hostility bringeth about a change
of feelings, and that itself is a weapon though not made of steel. Thou
regardest, O Prince, as a great blessing what will bring in its train the
terrible consequences of war. What is really fraught with mischief. If
once it beginneth, it will create sharp swords and pointed arrows.'

Copyright (c) 2007. bestextbooks.com. All rights reserved.

Edmund Burke - "The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. III. (of 12)"

Joan Conquest - "Leonie of the Jungle"

Sue Ainslie Clark and Edith Wyatt - "Making Both Ends Meet"

Edmund Burke - "The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. VI. (of 12)"

President Obama teams up with one of Marvel's greatest heroes, reports Alison Flood
Articles published by guardian.co.uk Books

Murder One closing so did we commit this crime?

Barack Obama is teaming up with Spider-Man in a new comic from Marvel, which will see the future president exchanging a fist-bump with Peter Parker's alter ego.

The five-page story takes place in Washington DC on inauguration day, when one of Spidey's oldest enemies, the Chameleon, attempts to stop Obama's swearing-in ceremony. Fortunately, Peter Parker is covering the event as a photographer, and jumps in to save the day.

"Ya hear that, Chameleon? The president-elect here just appointed me ... secretary of shuttin' you up," Spider-Man says as he thwacks the Chameleon in the face. "I hope this doesn't ruin the inauguration for you," he tells Obama, as the Chameleon is led away by security officials. "Honestly, I'm more upset by the Chameleon's shockingly deficient understanding of the electoral process," Obama replies.

Spidey then cedes the limelight to Obama. "This is your day, after all, and I know it wouldn't look good to be seen palling around with me," he says, in a nod to Sarah Palin's comment that the then presidential candidate had been "palling around with terrorists".

The story, written by Zeb Wells and illustrated by Todd Nauck and Frank D'Armata, will appear as a bonus feature in Amazing Spider-Man 583, which goes on sale on 14 January.

"When we heard that president-elect Obama is a collector of Spider-Man comics, we knew that these two historic figures had to meet in our comics' Marvel Universe," said Marvel's editor-in-chief Joe Quesada. "A Spider-Man fan moving into the Oval Office is an event that must be commemorated in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man."

In October, graphic novel biographies of Obama and his then rival John McCain were published by IDW. April will see Michelle Obama appearing in the Female Force comic book series.

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Poetry Workshop creature features

For many years my local corner shop displayed a large sign in its window telling local residents to "use us or lose us!" It always looked a rather toothless threat to me. After all, if I didn't use them, what difference would it make to me if they weren't there? And surely a corner shop, one that had been there for years, would have enough customers to survive without recourse to such apocalyptic warning? But it didn't and was soon converted into flats.

This community shop was destroyed not so much by the pressures of the supermarkets or people's commuting patterns, but simply by customer apathy. It's something to think about as crime writers and readers across the world mourn the imminent passing of Maxim Jakubowski's celebrated Charing Cross Road bookshop in London, Murder One.

Apathy is a strange word to connect to a bookstore that thrives on passion. It's noticeable when you walk through the door, when you speak to the friendly, knowledgeable staff, when you look at the shelves and see the vast range of titles on offer. This isn't your regular kind of bookstore: the first time I visited spent a whole lunch break looking up and down, from floor to ceiling from table to table; it was an hour that changed my perception of both crime writing and of bookselling.

Murder One was – and for a few weeks will remain – a shop that took crime seriously. Not in the sense that it intellectualised it, or made unsubstantiated claims for its importance, but in the way that it treated crime writing with the respect it was due. With a genre that has so many off-shoots, branches and sub-genres, it took a shop of Murder One's calibre to show just how diverse, interesting and mentally stimulating crime could be – far more than the guilty pleasure I had, until then, considered it.

Thanks to judicious recommendations, enticing table displays and hours of foraging among the stacks, I discovered writers that I would never have picked up, let alone read. You could always get the latest blockbuster, but delve a little deeper and you'd find books that were not stocked anywhere else, novels that, like the perfect crime, were hidden from public view. The Martin Beck novels by Sjöwall & Wahlöö – probably my favourite sequence of novels in any genre – were introduced to me via Murder One, as were Kem Nunn, Sue Grafton, and Henning Mankell. It's also the staff of Murder One who piqued my interest in the inimitable Fred Vargas, and I can't thank them enough for the introduction.

Inclusive and without snobbery, Murder One amply demonstrated that the best bookshops are places not just of commerce, but of community; places that make feel you belong. It's the kind of store that bibliophiles dream about: well-stocked, well-staffed and shabby enough to lose days browsing within. It's just unfortunate that such shops don't have enough paying customers to keep them afloat, or that these customers visit all too infrequently – something of which I'm certainly guilty.

These kinds of shops are facing a long, bloody battle – and one which, without significant reinforcements, they are likely to lose. As we hear of the travesty of another brilliant independent going down, we'll mourn the loss, wring our hands and damn Amazon and the supermarkets and Waterstone's. Yet perhaps the most important detail we'll probably keep under wraps: the last time we actually spent any money there.

Murder One closing its doors for the final time is undoubtedly a .38 shell for independent bookshops, but whether it's body blow or a warning shot all depends upon us, the consumers. No one, no matter how iconic or established, can exist on fond memories alone: just ask Woolworths. Use these shops now, because it doesn't take a master sleuth to deduce what will happen if we don't.

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