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INTRODUCTION.
former wished to keep tlie latter out of the share of the kingdom claimed by them; and so, after many attempts at an amicable arrangement had proved fruitless, it was determined to decide the differences between the two parties by the arbitrament of arms. Each party accordingly collected its adherents, and the hostile armies met on the holy field of Kurukshetra,' mentioned in the opening lines of our poem. At this juncture, Krishna Dvaipayana, alias Vyasa, a relative of both parties and endowed with more than human powers, presents himself before Dhritarashtra, the father of the Kauravas, who is stated to be altogether blind. l'yása asks Dhritarashtra whether it is his wish to look with his own eyes on the course of the battle; and on Dbritarashtra's expressing his reluctance, Vyasa deputes one Sangaya to relate to Dhritarashtra all the events of the battle, giving to Sañgaya, by means of his own superhoman powers, all necessary aids for performing the duty. Then the battle begins, and after a ten days' struggle, the first great general of the Kauravas. namely Bhishma, falls'. At this point Sangaya comes up to Dhritarashtra, and announces to him the sad result, which is of course a great blow to his party. Dhritarashtra then makes numerous coquiries of Sañgaya regarding the course of the conflict, all of which Sangaya duly answers. And among his arliest answers is the account of the conversation between Krishna and Arguna at the commencement of the battle, which constitutes the Bhagavadgita. After relating to Doritarashtra that wonderful and holy dialogue,' and after giving an account of what occurred in the intervals of the conversation, Sañgaya proceeds to narrate the actual events of the battle.
With this rough outline of the framework of the story before us, we are now in a position to consider the opposing arguments on the point above noted. Mr. Talboys Wheeler writes on that point as follows :: But there remains onc
"The whole wory is given in brief by the late Professor Goldstücker in the Watalastas Kericw, April 1868, p. 393 sq. See now his Literary Remains, II, I24 K4 • History of lacin, vol. I, p. 293.
B 2
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