Mahabharata - Mahābhārata (English spelling)

It is a great Sanskrit epic poem from ancient India, and means "a great historical poem that tells the story of the wars of the Bharatas." It consists of 18 volumes of 100,000 verses, and an appendix, "Hari-Bhansha" (the genealogy of Hari), with 16,000 verses. According to legend, it was written by the sage Vyasa in three years, but as it was passed down from ancient times before Christ, it was organized, revised, and augmented, and is thought to have taken on its current form around the 4th century.

The story centers on the discord between two royal families, the Kuru and Pandu clans belonging to the Bharata people, which culminated in a great battle lasting 18 days, leading to the victory of the Pandu side. However, this main topic only takes up about one-fifth of the entire work. The story is interspersed with countless episodes relating to myths, legends, religion, philosophy, morality, law, and social systems, many of which have remained popular ever since. There are also many literary works based on these stories. Among the most famous are "The Story of Savitri," which has long been admired by Indian women as a model for women for her chastity and is still celebrated every year at festivals where the poem is recited and prayed for a happy marriage; "The Story of King Nara," which is said to be the most beautiful romance in the entire book and tells of a strange fate; and "Bhagavad Gita," a religious and philosophical scripture that is a fervent faith in the philosophy of the distant past, expounds the essence of practical morality, and is a well-integrated and comprehensive summary of the fundamentals of Indian thought. These stories have provided much material for later thought and literature, and have had a great influence on the spiritual lives of the Indian people.

The appendix, "Hari-Bansha," describes Krishna, who plays an important role in the great historical poem, as Hari, or an incarnation of the god Vishnu, and describes his lineage and great deeds. As Indian culture spread, the story of the Mahabharata was transmitted to Java, Malaysia, Thailand, and other countries, where it was reflected in literature and art, and episodes from the Mahabharata were transmitted to Japan via China. The story of Rishyashringa was adapted into Buddhism as the "Nari-Nika-Jataka" in the "Jataka" (stories of the original life), but it was also incorporated into Chinese translations of Buddhist scriptures and transmitted to Japan, where it appears as the story of the one-horned hermit in the "Tales of Times Now and Then," the Noh play "Ikkaku," and even in the kabuki play "Narukami."

[Tanaka Otoya]

"Maeda Shikiko's translation of "World Literature Series 4: Indian Collection: Mahabharata (Excerpts)" (1959, Chikuma Shobo)" ▽ "Mahabharata, 3 volumes, edited and translated by C. Rajagopalachari, translated by Nara Tsuyoshi and Tanaka Tama (Daisanbunmeisha, Regulus Bunko)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

古代インドのサンスクリット大叙事詩で、「バラタ人の戦争を物語る大史詩」の意。18編10万頌(しょう)の詩句と付録『ハリ・バンシャ』（ハリの系譜）1編1万6000頌からなる。伝説によると、ビヤーサ仙が3年間で書いたというが、紀元前のはるか昔から語り伝えられている間に整理され、修正増補されて、4世紀ごろ現存の形をとったと考えられる。

　物語はバラタ人に属するクル一族とパーンドゥ一族の2王族の不和から18日間の大戦闘の結果、パーンドゥ側の勝利となる顛末(てんまつ)を主題としているが、本題は全編の約5分の1を占めるにすぎず、その間に神話、伝説、宗教、哲学、道徳、法制、社会制度などに関する無数の挿話を含み、これらのなかには後世まで世人の愛唱するものが多い。またこれらの物語を題材とした文学作品も非常に多く、なかでも有名なのはサービトリーの貞節が女性の模範として長く後世までインド婦人の称賛の的とされ、現在も毎年祭礼を行ってこの詩を唱え、幸福な結婚を祈願している『サービトリー物語』、全編中もっとも美しいロマンスといわれ、数奇な運命を物語る『ナラ王物語』、幽遠の哲理に配するに熱烈な信仰をもってし、実践道徳の要諦(ようてい)を説いてインド思想の根本をよく折衷、総括した宗教哲学的聖典としてヒンドゥー教徒が座右の聖典とする『バガバッド・ギーター』などで、後世の思想、文学に多くの資料を提供し、インド国民の精神生活に多くの影響を与えた。

　また付録の『ハリ・バンシャ』は、大史詩で重要な役割を演ずるクリシュナを、ハリすなわちビシュヌ神の権化としてその系譜や偉業などを述べたものである。『マハーバーラタ』の物語は、インド文化の普及に伴い、ジャワ、マレー、タイなどに伝えられて文学、芸術に反映し、またそのなかの挿話は中国を経て日本にも伝わっている。『リシュヤシュリンガ』の物語は、『ジャータカ』（本生話(ほんしょうわ)）のなかの『ナリニカージャータカ』として仏教化されているが、漢訳仏典に取り入れられ、日本にも伝わり、一角仙人の物語として『今昔(こんじゃく)物語』や謡曲の『一角』、さらに歌舞伎(かぶき)の『鳴神(なるかみ)』にまで及んでいる。

［田中於莵弥］

『前田式子訳『世界文学大系4　インド集　マハー・バーラタ（抄）』（1959・筑摩書房）』▽『C・ラージャゴーパーラチャリ編訳、奈良毅・田中玉訳『マハーバーラタ』全3巻（第三文明社・レグルス文庫）』

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