New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-28
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
EDWIN ARsoLp,s NEW VOLUME.

ton Roberts hres.
The MAhabharata and the kamaya1a are' III 'n0
words Of Mr. Arnold two colossal TWO nnPai"i,
Ieled epic poenis III the sacred language OF lhola
Until Sir William Jones announced the iaeI' thoii
-, e,-istence was unknown to the Western
world and even now the merest fragments OF tielh
have been translated. Yet, says Mr.. Arnold 'neSo
most remarkable poems contain almost all the DIS
tory of ancient India so far as it can be recovered
,ooetber with such nexhaustible details Oh It's Poht
col sociol and religious life that the antique luuu
world really stands epitomzed IN theni' Inc vi"
Testament is not more interviewer WIN the 'o"i'H
race. nor the New Testament with the ci'Iliza''oI
az CLristepdon nor the Koran with the records ana
destinies Of Islam, than are these TWO SaisAi"
poems with that unchanging and teeming popu'"-
tion which Her Majesty, Queen victoria r'ileS 10
Emnress of Hindustan" peculiar sanctity attacheS
30 tboo To know them is to be not only happy,
lint virtuous wealthy and wise. They comprise
melange analogous in many respects to that when
constitutes the Talmud. Legends, dognas, phloso-
phv. morality poetry history, are by Turns pre-
sented while there is abundant evidence that the
MahAbharata especially has been handed "omn
from an antiquity so remote that all Efforts W IN
the origin of the poem must be futile.
In The nresent volume Mr. Arnold has given such
+ronslotions as he has from time TO time made ou'
of this prodigious epic which is sevenfod greater
bulk than the Had aud Odyssey taken 'osc'n,i
These idyls are all beautiful, all deepiy ma
with the sweet and gentle philosophy when
90 hove dominated the Hindu mind even from the
I;as. tiu,os and which. while taking in turn new
tendencies from Brahinanism, Buddhism ana mn.
aiern has retained throughout a central core Oh
,;vifvinp faith too strong and persistent 10 yleu
20 anv external changes. And MIR. Arnold mas
clothed these charming and tender episodes III u
verse whose smooth aud graceful flow accords most
bannilv with his subects,and Oriental imagery
is so skfully handled to bring the Western COM
nrebension en- rapport with the Aslatic thought
We are inclined to hold that there are poems IN TINS
volume which will appeal to the popular magma.
ton almost as strongly as did the " Light OF ASIA
~ tboso are not the longest or the most prcten-
tious.
The idyll of Nala and Damayanti has been trans
lated before bv Dean Milman, but that transla-
tion was moro valuable as an and to the STUDENT
than as work of art The story is very interesting
Nala. n prince and Damayanti, princess fall IN
love meeting is about to be held of all the neigh
boring princes for the purpose OF choosing husou
for Damayanti, and the fame OF her beauty reach-
ipoto heaven the four great god" determined also
% be nresent ON the occasion They select Nala as
their messenger to Damayanti, and solicit hhh TO
Mead their cause He does so, though under protest.
and Damayanti, when he says TO her:
1.-THE gods desire thee, the immortal four
Indra. varuna Ya4a Ag Ill C =, s inv ,ordo
=" Hnmbly reverence these mighty gods;
But thee | choose, and thee take for Iofoi
And this vOwW
Tho Gods upop finding that her affections are al
roadv fixed withdraw in favor of Nala, after cauS-
ing a pretty bit of perpleXity by all assuming Naa
exact appearance at the meeting so that Dahl-
yapti is for time unable to say which Of the ve Is
her lover The evil spirit Kali, however has hoped
To win the beautiful princess and, furious at being
hatfield vows to enter into and possess Nala' au'l
to rum HIM In this he at length succeeds through
ritual omission on the part of the victim. lie
then inspires Nala with passion for gambling, and
causes him to lose all his possessions including his
kingdom. 70 his brother PushkaTe Then he and
Damavauti stripped to the last rag almost, wander
forth but the evil spirit has not yet done his work
He causes Nala to abandon his bride IN the forest
and many are the adventures which the hapess par
encounter before Naa is delivered from his tormeh-
tor. and rcgans his faithful love and his Kingdom
This poem abounds with beautiful passages, though
few of them are well adapted to quotation. The
character of DaInayanti is most sweet and pure.
She reminds us of some of shakespeares women.
Chastity. fidelity gentleness charity, patience and
inability of soul are all illustrated in her, and for
all the trials and temptations to which she is ex-
posed her good qualities shine more brightly.
The noblest poems in the volume are those
entitled 1.-THE Great Journey" and The Entry
into Heaven" Tie argument may be briefly stated
King Yudhsthira Oh tidings OF the wreck OF wish
mis- race. was minded to be done with earthly
things" and proposes to his brothers, AIuna Bhima
Nakula and Sahadev, that they should all 90 forth
to find Death, instead of waiting for him. SO these
together with the sweet princess Draupad and a
faithful hound, set forth the great journey to
the Sacred Mount Meru. And presently as they
near the sacred Mount, one after the other OF
the brothers drops and dies failing as Iudhisthra
explains in each case, because Of some sin OF vice
expiated. At length the King alone, save for his
faithful hound. sets foot upon the Mount.
After the deathly sands the Mount! and, 10!
sakra sbone forth,-the God,.hlng the earth
And heavens with thunder Of his chaIiot-whcels.
Ascend he said, with me. Pritha's great scn!
But Yudhisthira answered sore at heart
For those Lis knsfolk, fallen on the way:
Give that my brothers come with ne, who fell!
she too the der ,r ana Bpd ad ae
Grant her to with u.s. DOst thou grant thisl'
1.-THE god replied In heaven thou shalt see
Thy knsmen and the Qucen-thcse viii attain
Tbou Chief of men! their mortal covering stripped
TIese have their places; but to thee the gods
AllOt unknown grace: thou shalt go up,
Living and in thy form to the immortal homes
But the King answered; o thou Wisest One,
s d5c more w gas T rms hound hath ale with me-
Followed me, loved me- must leave him nowi"
The god answers that dogs are impure; thai
their presence defles the sacrifice; that the joys o
heaven are not for beasts.
Vet Yudbistb!ra answered " Oh most High.
o Thousand-eyed and wisest! Can 1t be
That one exalted should seem ptlessi
Nay, let me lose snch glory Tor its sake
cannot leave one living thing loved"
Indra tells him sternly that the dog sis unclean
and into Swarga such shall enter not" But Yudhis
thira win not yield, or abandon his poor friend
He says:
There be four sins sakra gIfevous sins
Tho iirst Is making supplauts despair,
The second is 10 slay nursing WIFE,
The third * spelling BTahmans' goods by force,
Tho fourth Il injuffng an ancient friend.
These foar deem not direF than the crime,