A \ B \ C \ D \ E \ F \ G \ H \ I \ J \ K \ L \ M \ N \ O \ P \ R \ S \ T \ U \ V \ W \Z

The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 4 by or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli

O >> or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli >> The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 4




564. Samprakshalas are those Rishis who wash all their utensils daily so
that nothing is stored for them for the next day. Asmakuttas are those
that use only two pieces of stone for husking their grain. Dantolukhalas
are those that use their teeth for purposes of husking the grain they eat.

565. Swasarirapa-jivishu implies persons that do not stand in need of the
services of others for the support of their bodies.

566. The great forests are called Virasthana for cowards cannot enter or
reside in them.

567. Marum samsadhya implies abstention from even air and water as food
or means of subsistence.

568. It should be noted that the word Vira in the various compounds in
which, it occurs here, does not mean heroes of war. On the other hand, it
signifies heroes of righteousness and penances. The path of heroes is the
forest, for cowards cannot go there. The attitude of heroes (Virasana) is
a kind of attitude for Yogins to sit in.

569. Nisargat is literally through creation or original nature, or birth.
Of course, what is implied is that one becomes a Brahmana, or Kshatriya,
or Vaisya or Sudra, through original creation as such, by the Self-born,
that is, birth.

570. Ugra means a fierce or cruel person. It is also applied to signify a
person of a mixed caste whose occupation is the slaughter of animals in
the chase. The commentator is silent. I think, the food supplied by a
fierce or cruel person is meant here, What is said in this verse is that
the several kinds of food spoken of here should be renounced by a good
Brahmana.

571. The sense is this: if a Brahmana dies with any portion of the food
of a Sudra, a Vaisya, or a Kshatriya in his stomach, in his next life he
has to take birth as a Sudra, a Vaisya, or a Kshatriya. If, again, during
life he subsists upon food supplied to him by a Sudra, a Vaisya, or a
Kshatriya, he has to take birth in his next life as a Sudra, a Vaisya, or
a Kshatriya.

572. Kundasin means a pander. It may also imply one who eats from off the
vessel in which the food eaten has been cooked without, that is, using
plates or leaves.

573. The sense seems to be this: a Vaisya ultimately becomes a Brahmans
by observing the duties indicated in verses 30 to 33. As the immediate
reward, however, of his observance of these duties, he becomes a great
Kshatriya. What he should next do in order to become a Brahmana is said
in the verses that follow.

574. This may, besides, imply the taking of a sixth portion of the merits
acquired by his subjects through the righteous deeds they perform.

575. In India an inferior should always stand aside for letting his
superior pass. The Kshatriya should give way to the Brahmana, the Vaisya
to the Kshatriya, and the Sudra to the Vaisya.

576. i.e. Soul (including the Supreme Soul) and Not-soul.

577. Gauri is another name for Earth.

578. The Nadies or Rivers are feminine. Of course, among Rivers there are
some that are masculine, notably, the Sindhu or Indus. Tirthas are places
with sacred waters.

579. One who is free from vanity or arrogance deserves to be called
Purusha. The absence of vanity is implied by soliciting the help of
others even when one is competent oneself. Females follow females, such
being their nature. It is a compliment that Parvati pays to Siva for
Siva's questioning her when he himself is well-acquainted with the topic
upon which she is asked to discourse.

580. The word Sindhu in this verse does not imply the river Indus, but
stands for a river in general. Grammatically, it qualifies Devika before
it. Devika is another name of Sarayu.

581. According to the Hindu scriptures, marriage is not a contract. It is
the union of two individuals of opposite sexes into one person for better
performance of all deeds of piety.

582. Trivikrama is one who covered the three worlds with three steps of
his. It implies Vishnu who assumed the form of a dwarf for beguiling the
Asura king Vali.

583. The sense seems to be this: Thou knowest all things, all mysteries,
yet Thou canst bear all this knowledge within Thyself. We, however, are
so light-minded, i.e., destitute of gravity, that we are unable to bear
within ourselves the knowledge of a mystery. As soon as we got that
knowledge from Mahadeva, we felt the desire of letting it out; and,
indeed, we have let it out at thy request, and let out unto whom?--unto
one that must be secretly laughing at us for our seeming pride.

584. It is said that no person wishes to be vanquished by another in
respect of anything. The only one whose victory or superiority, however,
is bearable or, rather, prayed for, is the son. Hence, the Rishis wish
unto Krishna a son even superior to him.

585. The ward Pushti literally signifies growth or advancement. Hence, it
stands generally for excellence of greatness.

586. The correct reading is not pratisrayam but pratisravam which means
promise or pledge.

587. The pledge, probably, refers to the oaths taken by Bhima and others
about the slaughter of the Kauravas.

588. The sense is this: the king acquires great merit by wielding the rod
of chastisement properly, i.e., by punishing those that deserve
punishment. The infliction of punishment is what keeps the subjects
within the restraints of duty. The rod of chastisement, therefore, is the
very embodiment of the righteousness or merit of the king.

589. Vasudeva is Narayana, and Arjuna is Nara. Nara and Narayana had
practised severe penances at Vadari on the breast of the Himavat for many
thousand years. Vyasa afterwards adopted Vadari as his retreat.

590. The Hindu sages never attempt to speculate on the original creation
of the universe. Their speculations, however, are concerned with what is
called Avantara srishti or that creation which springs forth with the
awakening of Brahman. Creation and Destruction have occurred ceaselessly
and will occur ceaselessly. The original creation is impossible to
conceive as Eternity cannot have a beginning.

591. Putatman means, of cleansed Soul. This implies that though He is the
Lord or ruler of all existent objects, yet He is dissociated from them
The Refuge of the Emancipated--Comp. Gita, 'Mamupetya tu Kaunteya
punarjanma na vidyate,' etc., Purusha is He that lies in a pura or the
nine-doored mansion, i.e., the body. Sakshi or Witness implies that He
sees all things directly, without any medium obstructing His vision.
Kshetrajna implies the Chit lying within the body and who knows the body;
however, being inert, is not cognisant of the Chit it holds.

592. He is called Yoga because of the mind resting upon Him while it is
in Yoga abstraction. Pradhana, in Sankhya philosophy, is another name of
Prakriti or original Nature. All things have sprung from the union of
Prakriti and Purusha. Vasudeva, however, transcends Prakriti and Purusha
and is their Lord. Narasinghavapu--He assumed the human form with a
lion's head for slaying the Asura Hiranyakasipu, the father of Prahlada.

593. Sarva implies the source of all existent and non-existent things and
that in which all existent and non-existent things become merged at the
universal dissolution. Sambhava signifies Him who takes birth at His own
will. Acts cannot touch him. The birth of all other beings is determined
by their acts in previous lives. Com. Gita, Paritranaya sadhunam etc.
sambhavami yuge yuge. Bhuvana means one who attaches to acts their
respective fruits i.e., he in consequence of whom the weal and woe of all
creatures flow as due to acts.

594. Sambhu implies one whose birth has not been determined by extraneous
circumstances, or other influences than his own wish, the birth of all
other creatures being determined by forces extraneous to themselves.
Aditya may also mean the foremost one among the deities especially called
the Adityas. They are twelve in number. Dhatri may also imply one who
upholds everything in the universe by multiplying Himself infinitely.
Dhaturuttama may, besides, signify one who as Chit is superior to all
elements like Earth, Water, etc., which constitute all that is not-Chit.

595. Aprameya is, literally, immeasurable. Sankara thus explains it: He
has no such attributes as sound, etc; in consequence of this He is not an
object of direct perception by the sense; nor can He be an object of
inference, in consequence of there being nothing to which belong the same
attributes as His, etc. His inconceivability is the foundation of His
immeasurableness. Hrishikesa is regarded by European scholars as a
doubtful word. The Hindu commentators do not regard it so. It implies the
lord of the senses i.e., One who has his sense under complete control.
Or, it may mean One who sways the sense of others, i.e., causes them to
exercise their functions. Sankara proposes another meaning, viz. He that
is the form of the Sun or the Moon and as such, the rays of light
emanating from those luminaries and gladdening all creatures, are the
hairs on His head. Manu is another name for Mantra or sacred words having
great efficacy.

596. Krishna is one of the foremost names of the supreme God-head. It
means One who is always in transports of joy. It is derived from krish
which implies to be, and na meaning final Emancipation or cessation of
existence; the compound probably means One in whom every attribute has
been extinguished; hence, absence of change, of sorrow, of gift, etc.,
or, eternal and highest joy. Lohitaksha is Red-eyed, from His eyes being
of the hue of polished copper. Pratardana, according to Sankara, means
the killer of all creatures. Others take it as implying one who destroys
the cheerlessness of his worshippers. Prabhuta is One who is Great or
Vast in consequence of Knowledge, Puissance, Energy, and Renunciation,
etc.; Pavitram, Mangalam, Param should be taken as one name, although
each of them has a separate meaning.

597. Pranada is interpreted variously. It may mean He that causes the
life-breaths to operate; He that, as Time suspends the life-breaths
(i.e., kills all creatures); He that connects the life-breaths (i.e., set
them a-going when threatened with extinction; hence, healer of diseases).
Prana implies He who is the cause of the life of every living creature
being Himself, as it were, the life-breath that inspires them.
Hiranyagarbha signifies He that is identical with the Grandsire.
Bhugarbha is one who has the Earth for his abdomen, implying that all
things on Earth are in His abdomen.

598. Atmavan, other Beings are said to be Sariravan, Indriyavan, etc., in
consequence of the possession of such attributes as Sarira, Indriya, etc.
But the Supreme God-head is nothing but soul. He rests on his own true
nature or essence without requiring anything extraneous like the deities
or human beings whereon to live or exist,

599. Aha is the day; He is so called because of Jiva being, as it were,
awakened when he goes to Him. As long as Jiva is at a distance from Him,
he is steeped in the sleep of Avidya or Nescience (a happy word which
Professor Max Muller has coined) Samvatsara or the year He is so called
because Time is His essence. Vyala--He is a huge and fierce snake that
inspires dread.

600. Vrishakapi is otherwise explained by Valadeva Vidyabhushan, as He
that showers blessings upon His worshippers and causes all His foes to
tremble with fear.

601. Vishnu is supposed to be within the constellation called Sisumara or
the Northern Bear. The stars, without changing their places per se, seem
to revolve round this point within the constellation named.

602. In India, no man should worship the deities, with a full stomach.
Indeed, one must abstain from every kind of food and drink if one has to
worship the deities formally.

603. Rama of Bhrigu's race went to Mahadeva for acquiring the science of
arms. While dwelling in Siva's retreat, he had a quarrel with Karttikeya
or Kumara, the son of Siva's loins. Rama worsted his preceptor's son in
battle, at which his preceptor, gratified with him, made him a present of
his own battle-axe, wherewith the regenerate here exterminated the
Kshatriyas for full one and twenty times.

604. Many of these words beginning with Mahat represent Krishna's own
words as spoken to Arjuna in the Gita. 'I am the foremost of sacrifices;
I am the foremost of sacrificers,' etc.

605. Referring to Hanumat and others among the apes that Rama led against
Ravana.

606. The universe consists of Soul and Not-soul. Jiva, when cased in
matter or Not-soul takes Not-soul for himself, in his ignorance. In fact
until true knowledge is attained, the body is taken for self.

607. The sense is that untimely deaths do not occur in such places; nor
fear of oppression or unlawful chastisement by the king; etc.

608. The Bengal reading mrishtascha varina is incorrect. The Bombay
reading mrishtasya varinsha is correct.

609. The word--kavi used in this verse, means Agni or fire, as explained
by the commentator, One of the vernacular translators wrongly takes it as
implying the preceptor Sukara.

610. The last verse, as read in the Bengal texts, is vicious. Nastyandam
astitu Brahma, etc., is the correct reading.

611. To an afflicted person the day seems long.

612. The sense is that it is this Kesava who upholds the cause of
Righteousness when dangers overtake it. cf. 'Yada yada hi dharmasya,
etc.' in the Gita. It does not mean that when doubts are entertained by
persons on questions of morality, it is Kesava who dispels them.

613. Refers to the existence of Brahma when all else is nought.

614. The fivefold seed consists of the four orders of creatures and acts
which determine the conditions of all beings.

615. Eagle marmelos, Linn.

616. Durvasa is regarded as a portion of Mahadeva. The question of
Yudhishthira, therefore, really relates to Mahadeva although the name
that occurs is of Durvasa.

617. A Parvam is a knot. Reeds and bamboos consist of a series of knots.
The space between two knots is called a Salya.

618. The allusion is to the fiery mare's head which is supposed to wander
through the ocean.

619. Verses 4 to 9 are extremely difficult. They represent so many
surceases. Nilakantha, however, has shown great ingenuity in expounding
them. In the first line of 4, drishtam refers to pratyaksham, and srutam
to sruti or agama. Hence, what is meant by the first line
is,--Innumerable are the cases of both direct perception and scriptural
assertion in which the scriptures are regarded as more authoritative, and
those is which direct perception is regarded as more authoritative. In 5,
the speaker refers to the atomic and other theories of the creation
derived from Reason. Bhishma declares it as his opinion that all such
theories are untenable or groundless. In the first line of 6, the word
Ekam implies Brahma. The sense is, if thou thinkest that Brahma alone is
the cause of the universe and in thinking so becomest landed on doubt.
The reply to this is that Yoga for a long course of years will enable
thee to comprehend the sufficiency of unassisted Brahma to evolve the
universe. In 7, anekam pranayatram kalpamanena refers to one who without
leading any particular or settled mode of life lives just as it suits him
to live, that is, who leads the life of a religious mendicant never
thinking of the morrow. In 9, anihaddham vacha implies what is not
defined or indicated by the words of the Vedas or scriptures. The Burdwan
Pundits have made a mess of the whole passage, or, rather, of nearly the
whole of this section.

620. Teshu is equivalent to praryakshanumanachareshu. The sense,
therefore, is that the three, viz., direct perception, inference, and
good conduct being, for these reasons, fallible, the only infallible
standard that remain, is audition or the scriptures, or, as verse 14 puts
it, men with understandings born of the scriptures.

621. Atripyantah are men who like Yudhishthira are filled with anxiety:
as to what they should do. Seekers after the right are so called.

622. The five who must be first fed are the deities, the Pitris, the
guests, diverse creatures included under the word Bhutus, and lastly
relatives.

623. Some texts read nabhibhavet, meaning one should never vanquish an
old man (i.e., assert one's superiority over him).

624. In his excellent work on the Curiosities of Literature Mr. D'Israeli
attempts to trace the origin of the custom of uttering a blessing on
people who sneeze. The custom seems, however, to be very ancient and
widespread. It exists to this day in India, among the Hindus at any rate,
as it existed in the days of the Mahabharata.

625. It seems that the author is of opinion that one lightens one's sins
by admissions before the wise. To conceal a sin after having committed it
proves the confirmed sinner.

626. 'Covered by righteousness' implies 'if, having once tripped, the
sinner restrains himself and engages to do acts of righteousness.'

627. What is stated here is this; the condition of all living creatures
is determined by their acts of this and past lives.. Nature, again, is
the cause of acts. What of felicity and misery, therefore, one sees in
this world, must be ascribed to these two causes. As regards the self
also, O Yudhishthira, thou art not freed from that universal law. Do
thou, therefore, cease to cherish doubts of any kind. If thou seest a
learned man that is poor, or an ignorant man that is wealthy, if thou
seest exertion failing and the absence of exertion leading to success.
thou must always ascribe the result to acts and Nature.

628. What is stated here is this; one may become righteous by
accomplishing oneself righteous deeds or inducing or helping others to do
them. Similarly, one becomes unrighteous by doing oneself acts that are
evil or by inducing or helping others to do them.

629. Righteousness leads to regions of felicity. The former is said to be
eternal. While the latter are not so. The question asked (or doubt
raised) is why is the effect not eternal when the cause is eternal? It is
explained below.

630. There are two kinds of Righteousness, viz., nishkama and sakama. The
former leads to attainment of Brahma, the latter to heaven and felicity.
Brahma is eternal; the latter not so. Nishkama Righteousness being
eternal, leads to an eternal reward. Sakama Righteousness not being so,
does not lead to an eternal reward. The word Kala here means Sankalpa,
hence Dhruvahkalah means nishkama Dharma.

631. Here, Calah means 'Sankalpa'









The Mahabharata

of

Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa

BOOK 14

ASWAMEDHA PARVA

Translated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit Text

by

Kisari Mohan Ganguli

[1883-1896]

Scanned at sacred-texts.com, January 2004. Proofed by John Bruno Hare.



THE MAHABHARATA

ASWAMEDHA PARVA

SECTION I

(Aswamedhika Parva)

OM! HAVING BOWED down unto Narayana, and Nara the foremost of male
beings, and unto the goddess Saraswati, must the word Jaya be uttered.

"Vaisampayana said, "After the king Dhritarashtra had offered libations
of water (unto the manes of Bhisma), the mighty-armed[1] Yudhishthira,
with his senses bewildered, placing the former in his front, ascended the
banks (of the river), his eyes suffused with tears, and dropt down on the
bank of the Ganga like an elephant pierced by the hunter. Then incited by
Krishna, Bhima took him up sinking. 'This must not be so,' said Krishna,
the grinder of hostile hosts. The Pandavas, O king, saw Yudhishthira, the
son of Dharma, troubled and lying on the ground, and also sighing again
and again. And seeing the king despondent and feeble, the Pandavas,
overwhelmed with grief, sat down, surrounding him. And endowed with high
intelligence and having the sight of wisdom, king Dhritarashtra,
exceedingly afflicted with grief for his sons, addressed the monarch,
saying,--'Rise up, O thou tiger among the Kurus. Do thou now attend to
thy duties. O Kunti's son, thou hast conquered this Earth according to
the usage of the Kshatriyas. Do thou now, O lord of men, enjoy her with
thy brothers and friends. O foremost of the righteous, I do not see why
thou shouldst grieve. O lord of the Earth, having lost a hundred sons
like unto riches obtained in a dream, it is Gandhari and I, who should
mourn. Not having listened to the pregnant words of the high-souled
Vidura, who sought our welfare, I, of perverse senses, (now) repent. The
virtuous Vidura, endowed with divine insight, had told me,--'Thy race
will meet with annihilation owing to the transgressions of Duryodhana. O
king, if thou wish for the weal of thy line, act up to my advice. Cast
off this wicked-minded monarch, Suyodhana, and let not either Karna or
Sakuni by any means see him. Their gambling too do thou, without making
any fuss suppress, and anoint the righteous king Yudhishthira. That one
of subdued senses will righteously govern the Earth. If thou wouldst not
have king Yudhishthira, son of Kunti, then, O monarch, do thou,
performing a sacrifice, thyself take charge of the kingdom, and regarding
all creatures with an even eye, O lord of men, do thou let thy kinsmen. O
thou advancer of thy kindred, subsist on thy bounty.' When, O Kunti's
son, the far-sighted Vidura said this, fool that I was I followed the
wicked Duryodhana. Having turned a deaf ear to the sweet speech of that
sedate one, I have obtained this mighty sorrow as a consequence, and have
been plunged in an ocean of woe. Behold thy old father and mother, O
king, plunged in misery. But, O master of men, I find no occasion for thy
grief.'"



SECTION II

"Vaisampayana said, "Thus addressed by the intelligent king Dhritarashtra
Yudhishthira, possessed of understanding, became calm. And then Kesava
(Krishna) accosted him,--'If a person indulges excessively in sorrow for
his departed forefathers, he grieves them. (Therefore, banishing grief),
do thou (now) celebrate many a sacrifice with suitable presents to the
priests; and do thou gratify the gods with Soma liquor, and the manes of
thy forefathers with their due food and drink. Do thou also gratify thy
guests with meat and drink and the destitute with gifts commensurate with
their desires. A person of thy high intelligence should not bear himself
thus. What ought to be known hath been known by thee; what ought to be
done, hath also been performed. And thou hast heard the duties of the
Kshatriyas, recited by Bhishma, the son of Bhagirathi, by Krishna
Dwaipayana, Narada and Vidura. Therefore thou shouldst not walk the way
of the stupid; but pursuing the course of thy forefathers, sustain the
burthen (of the empire). It is meet that a Kshatriya should attain heaven
for certain by his (own) renown. Of heroes, those that came to be slain
never shall have to turn away (from the celestial regions). Renounce thy
grief, O mighty sovereign. Verily, what hath happened was destined to
happen so. Thou canst in no wise see those that have been slain in this
war.--Having said this unto Yudhishthira, prince of the pious, the
high-spirited Govinda paused; and Yudhishthira answered him thus, 'O
Govinda, full well do I know thy fondness for me. Thou hast ever favoured
me with thy love and thy friendship. And, O holder of the mace and the
discus. O scion of Yadu's race, O glorious one, if (now) with a pleased
mind thou dost permit me to go to the ascetic's retreat in the woods,
then thou wouldst compass what is highly desired by me. Peace find I none
after having slain my grand-father, and that foremost of men, Karna, who
never fled from the field of battle. Do thou, O Janarddana, so order that
I may be freed from this heinous sin and that my mind may be purified. As
Pritha's son was speaking thus, the highly-energetic Vyasa, cognisant of
the duties of life, soothing him, spoke these excellent words, My child,
thy mind is not yet calmed; and therefore thou art again stupefied by a
childish sentiment. And wherefore, O child, do we over and over again
scatter our speech to the winds? Thou knowest duties of the Kshatriyas,
who live by warfare. A king that hath performed his proper part should
not suffer himself to be overwhelmed by sorrow. Thou hast faithfully
listened to the entire doctrine of salvation; and I have repeatedly
removed thy misgivings arising out of desire. But not paying due heed to
what I have unfolded, thou of perverse understanding hast doubtless
forgotten it clean. Be it not so. Such ignorance is not worthy of thee. O
sinless one, thou knowest all kinds, of expiation; and thou hast also
heard of the virtues of kings as well as the merits of gifts. Wherefore
then, O Bharata, acquainted with every morality and versed in all the
Agamas, art thou overwhelmed (with grief) as if from ignorance?'"



SECTION III

"Vyasa said, 'O Yudhishthira, thy wisdom, I conceive, is not adequate.
None doth any act by virtue of his own power. It is God. who engageth him
in acts good or bad, O bestower of honour. Where then is the room for
repentance? Thou deemest thyself as having perpetrated impious acts. Do
thou, therefore, O Bharata, harken as to the way in which sin may be
removed. O Yudhishthira, those that commit sins, can always free
themselves from them through penance, sacrifice and gifts. O king, O
foremost of men, sinful people are purified by sacrifice, austerities and
charity. The high-souled celestials and Asuras perform sacrifices for
securing religious merit; and therefore sacrifice are of supreme
importance. It is through sacrifices that the high-souled celestials had
waxed so wondrously powerful; and having celebrated rites did they
vanquish the Danavas. Do thou, O Yudhishthira, prepare for the Rajasuya,
and the horse-sacrifice, as well as, O Bharata, for the Sarvamedha and
the Naramedha.[2] And then as Dasaratha's son, Rama, or as Dushmanta's
and Sakuntala's son, thy ancestor, the lord of the Earth, the exceedingly
puissant king Bharata, had done, do thou agreeably to the ordinance
celebrate the Horse-sacrifice with Dakshinas. Yudhishthira replied,
'Beyond a doubt, the Horse-sacrifice purifieth princes. But I have a
purpose of which it behoveth thee to hear. Having caused this huge
carnage of kindred, I cannot, O best of the regenerate ones, dispense
gifts even on a small scale; I have no wealth to give. Nor can I for
wealth solicit these juvenile sons of kings, staying in sorry plight,
with their wounds yet green, and undergoing suffering. How, O foremost of
twice-born ones, having myself destroyed the Earth can I, overcome by
sorrow, levy dues for celebrating a sacrifice? Through Duryodhana's
fault, O best of ascetics, the kings of the Earth have met with
destruction, and we have reaped ignominy. For wealth Duryodhana hath
wasted the Earth; and the treasury of that wicked-minded son of
Dhritarashtra is empty. (In this sacrifice), the Earth is the Dakshina;
this is the rule that is prescribed in the first instance. The usual
reversal of this rule, though sanctioned, is observed, by the learned as
such. Nor, O ascetic, do I like to have a substitute (for this process).
In this matter, O reverend sir, it behoveth thee to favour me with thy
counsel'. Thus addressed by Pritha's son, Krishna Dwaipayana, reflecting
for a while, spoke unto the righteous king,--'This treasury, (now)
exhausted, shall be full. O son of Pritha, in the mountain Himavat (The
Himalayas) there is gold which had been left behind by Brahmanas at the
sacrifice of the high-souled Marutta.'[3] Yudhishthira asked, 'How in
that sacrifice celebrated by Marutta was so much gold amassed? And, O
foremost of speakers, when did he reign?' Vyasa said 'If, O Pritha's son,
thou art anxious to hear concerning that king sprung from the Karandhama
race, then listen to me as I tell thee when that highly powerful monarch
possessed of immense wealth reigned.'"

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

Daniel Defoe - "Military Memoirs of Capt. George Carleton"

W. D. Lighthall - "Hochelagans and Mohawks"

Josiah Blake Tidwell - "The Bible Period by Period"

Edward Arnold - "Mr. Edward Arnold's New and Popular Books, December, 1901"

Audio slideshow: Robert Shaw discusses his production of Sylvia Plath's only play
Articles published by guardian.co.uk Books

Stephen King fan publishes Shining's Jack Torrance's novel
Three Women was first heard as a radio drama and then published as a poem. Robert Shaw explains his desire to stage the piece as it was intended

Video: Costa prize winners

A Stephen King fan has published an 80-page version of the book which novelist Jack Torrance obsessively writes during King's The Shining, where his descent into madness is revealed when his wife discovers that his work consists of just one phrase, endlessly repeated.

Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson in terrifying form in Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film, is a frustrated writer who goes with his wife and son to spend the winter in the isolated Overlook Hotel in an attempt to get the novel he has always wanted to write started. But the hotel's grisly past and unquiet ghosts have their way with him, and his wife Wendy eventually finds that the manuscript he has been working on actually only contains the phrase "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy", typed over and over again.

Now New York artist Phil Buehler, who describes himself as "a big fan of Stanley Kubrick and Stephen King", has self-published a book credited to Torrance, repeating the phrase throughout but formatting each page differently, using the words to create different shapes from zigzags to spirals.

"The idea has probably been marinating for years, because I loved the movie and the Stephen King book," said Buehler. "I'd just finished my own obsessive art project [and] it was an idea I had over the Christmas holidays."

He said he decided to stick to type and formatting that could have been created on a typewriter, with the first ten pages duplicating shots of Torrance's work from the film. "I thought 'if he continues to get crazier, what would those pages look like?'" he said. "I hit writer's block about 60 pages in, and I had to get to 80 - that went on for about a week." His fiancée, who had neither read the book nor seen the film, became a little concerned about his actions. "I finally showed her the movie, and she realised I wasn't really losing it," said Buehler.

He's included a spoof review from the blog OverThinkingIt.com on the book's back jacket, which compares it to "the best of Beckett" in its "lack of forward momentum", and considers the struggles of the author, "heroically pitting himself against the Sisyphusean sentence". "It's that metatextual struggle of Man vs. Typewriter that gives this book its spellbinding power," the review says. "Some will dismiss it as simplistic; that's like dismissing a Pollack canvas as mere splatters of paint."

So far, Buehler says that around 1,000 people have viewed the book, for sale on Blurb.com for $8.95 in paperback, or $22.95 in hardback, and he's sold "a few" copies, with sales now starting to pick up steam. "A few people have asked me to sign it - they're looking it as a piece of art rather than a funny thing to give to a Kubrick fan," he said. "If you're not a Kubrick or King fan, you might not even get it."

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