Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/31

 I could devote to the purpose would be quite inadequate. But I was persuaded that of all countries in the world, India is pre-eminently the land of charity. The modes in which her charity exhibits itself might not be in accordance with the dictates of the political economy that is now in vogue in the West. But of the measure of that charity and of its disinterested character, there could be no question. I was persuaded that an appeal to my countrymen giving away their thousands at the beck of officials for the accomplishment of schemes of doubtful utility, could not fail to be responded to. Such an appeal was made, and with what success is already before the public. "I am particularly glad to see," again remarks the Professor quoted above, "that you do all that you are doing with the help of your own countrymen. That is the right way to go to work." For the success achieved small credit is due to me. The credit belongs almost wholly to my countrymen.

The "Datavya Bharat Karyalya" has, within the course of the last seven years, printed and gratuitously distributed two editions of the Mahabharata in Bengalee translation, each edition comprising nearly 3,000 copies. The fourth edition of the Mahabharata (the third of the series for gratuitous distribution) has been commenced and will take some time before it is completed. One edition of the Harivansa comprising 3,000 copies has been exhausted. The Ramayana also has been taken in hand and is nearly completed, the text of Valmiki publishing along with the translation. Roughly estimated, the "Bharat Karyalya" has distributed up to date nearly Nine thousand copies of the Mahabharata and the Harivansa taken together, and that number would swell to Eighteen thousand, when the fourth edition of the Mahabharata and the first edition of the Ramayana (both diglot) will be complete. A single copy of the Mahabharata consists of about 1,033 forms, octavo, demy; a single copy of the Harivansa, 112 forms; and a single copy of the Ramayana, 578 forms. The Arithmetical result, therefore, of the operations of the "Bharat Karyalya" has been that 1,37,83,500 separate printed forms have been already gratuitously distributed and in course of distribution.