Transcriber’s Notes 1. New original cover art included with this eBook is granted to the public domain. 2. Certain hyphenation and spelling variations are retained as in original which is sourced by bibliographic references. 3. Footnotes were moved to the end of the book. 4. Illustrations were moved from middle to end of the paragraph. 5. The text version is coded for italics and the like mark-ups i.e., (a) italics are indicated thus _italic_; (b) small-caps are indicated thus +CAPS+; (c) Gothic or black letter script letters are indicaed by =Gothic= (d) Images are indicated as [Illustration: (with narration...)] SIR JOHN LUBBOCK’S HUNDRED BOOKS THE RAMAYANA AND THE MAHABHARATA _Reprinted by permission of George Bell and Sons from “Bohn’s Standard Library” for “Sir John Lubbock’s Hundred Books.”_ =Sir John Lubbock’s Hundred Books= THE GREAT INDIAN EPICS THE STORIES OF THE RAMAYANA AND THE MAHABHARATA BY JOHN CAMPBELL OMAN PROFESSOR OF NATURAL SCIENCE IN THE GOVERNMENT COLLEGE LAHORE AUTHOR OF “INDIAN LIFE RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL” ETC. WITH NOTES APPENDICES AND ILLUSTRATIONS _NEW EDITION REVISED_ =London and New York= GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS LIMITED CHISWICK PRESS:--CHARLES WHITTINGHAM AND CO. TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE, LONDON. PREFACE The Indian Epics are precious relics of the spring-time of Eastern thought, revealing a new and singularly fascinating world, which differs very remarkably from that depicted in the epic poetry of Western lands. But although these epics are extremely interesting, and although they are accessible in English translations, more or less complete, they are such voluminous works that their mere bulk is enough to repel the ordinary English reader, and even the student, in these days of feverish occupation.