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Meitei Mahabharata
Manipuri Mahabharata
The yagna performed by the sages to kill Takshak, the slayer of King Parikshit.
Information
Religion	Manipuri Vaishnavism
Language	Meitei language (officially called Manipuri)
Period	18th century AD

The Mahabharata is one of the epics of Sanskrit literature that is translated as well as literarily adapted into Meitei language (officially called Manipuri), thereby creating a space for Hindu literature within the granary of Meitei literature (Manipuri literature).

As Meitei language uses both Meitei script as well as Eastern Nagari script (Bengali script), the literary works are written in either of the two scripts.

History

Parikshit

in 1724, Meitei King Pamheiba, also known as Gharib Nawaz, having converted from Sanamahism to Hinduism by Guru Gopaldas, composed his version of the Parikshit, a Meitei-language version of an episode he found appealing from the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The work was actually a translation of a Bengali literary work, the History of Bengali Language and Literature by Gangadas Sen. Later, the Meitei version was retouched by Angom Gopi.

Virat Santhuplon

The Book of Virata (Meitei: Virat Santhuplon) is a translation of the Bengali Virata Parva, by Ramkrishna Das. The translation work was done by the Meitei prince Nabananda in 1780. The prince was formally made heir apparent when his father Ching-Thang Khomba ascended the throne of Manipur in 1763. Prince Nabananda spent around two months in the woods for carrying out a royal task of cutting down large trees for working on his translation.

Unlike other Meitei literary works on Hinduism, this text is free from the usual mixing of words of Indo Aryan languages.

Modern works

Kalachand Shastri

Between 1956 and 1989, Kalachand Singh Shastri translated 37 volumes of the Mahabharata into Meitei language, for which he was bestowed the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award for translation.

Other translators

See also

• Andhra Mahabharatam - the Telugu language version of the Mahabharata
• List of Tirukkural translations by language
• Mahabharata#Translations, versions and derivative works
• Versions of the Ramayana
• Moirang Shayon

References

1. Singh, Ch Manihar (1996). A History of Manipuri Literature. India: Sahitya Akademi. p. 135. ISBN 978-81-260-0086-9.
2. "Translation in Manipur". e-pao.net. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
3. "Manipuri Literature in History 5". www.e-pao.net. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
4. ^ Singh, Ch Manihar (1996). A History of Manipuri Literature. India: Sahitya Akademi. p. 138. ISBN 978-81-260-0086-9.
5. "Manipuri Literature in History 5". www.e-pao.net. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
6. "'Kalachand is a rare personality': 23rd jun16 ~ E-Pao! Headlines". e-pao.net. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
7. Singh, Ayekpam Syamsunder (1964). Shamlappa Mahabharat.
8. Haridas Singh, Ningthoujam Ed. (1976). Manipurda Linariba Warigi Mahabharat Aadiparbagi Prirbadh.
9. Haridas Singh, Ningthoujam Ed. (1984). Manipurda Linariba Wareegee Mahabharat Sabhapraba Tritiyardh.
10. Haridas Singh, Ningthoujam Ed. (1989). Manipurda Linariba Wareegee Mahabharat Banpraba Amasung Biratappraba.
11. Dhananjay Singh, Ahaibam Ed. (2010). Manipurda Leenariba Wareegee Mahabharat Bhisma Parva.

• Hinduism
• India
• Languages
• Literature
• Religion

• Classical literature
• Hindu literature
• Mahabharata
• Meitei literature
• Works based on the Mahabharata