Transcriber's note:
1. The spelling, accents, and diacritical marks of Sanskrit words is not consistent through the book. The original spelling, accents, and diacritical marks are retained.
2. The in-line notes refer to lines in the poems. These have been converted to footnotes for easy reference. The information regarding the line referred to is however retained.
NALA AND DAMAYANTI
AND OTHER POEMS
TRANSLATED FROM THE SANSCRIT INTO ENGLISH VERSE, WITH MYTHOLOGICALAND CRITICAL NOTES.
BY THE
REV. HENRY HART MILMAN, M. A.
PREBENDARY OF WESTMINSTER; MINISTER OF ST. MARGARET'S; AND LATE PROFESSOROF POETRY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD.
OXFORD: D. A. TALBOYS.
M DCCC XXXV
TO MY MOTHER,
TO WHOM THESE TRANSLATIONS HAVE AFFORDED
MUCH PLEASURE,
AND TO WHOM, AT HER ADVANCED AGE,
TO HAVE AFFORDED PLEASURE
IS THE MOST GRATIFYING REWARD OF LITERARY
LABOUR,
THIS VOLUME IS INSCRIBED,
BY HER AFFECTIONATE SON.
CONTENTS:
| Page | |
| NALA AND DAMAYANTI | 1 |
| NOTES | 117 |
| THE DEATH OF YAJNADATTA | 89 |
| NOTES | 141 |
| THE BRAHMIN'S LAMENT | 101 |
| NOTES | 143 |
| THE DELUGE | 110 |
| THE DESCENT OF THE GANGES | 145 |
PREFACE.
Those friends who have taken an interest in my literary productionsmay feel some surprise at my appearance in the character of atranslator of Sanscrit poetry. To those, and indeed to all who maytake up the present volume, I owe some explanation of my pretensionsas a faithful interpreter of my original text. Those pretensions arevery humble; and I can unfeignedly say, that if the field had beenlikely to be occupied by others, who might unite poetical powers witha profound knowledge of the sacred language of India, I should havewithdrawn at once from the competition. But, in fact, in this countrythe students of oriental literature, endowed with a taste and feelingfor poetry, are so few in number, that any attempt to make known thepeculiar character of those remarkable works, the old mythologicalepics of India, may be received with indulgen