Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/721

 Chandra Roy, Secretary to the Bharat Karyalya, who has devoted his life and fortune to the task of bringing the great religious works of India within the reach of his countrymen. The Pundit has already published, at a nominal price, and entirely at his own cost, a Bengali edition of the epic of Vyasa, of 2000 copies. Under his guidance, during the past seven years, the Bharat Karyalya, has issued 9000 copies of the Mahabharata and Harivansa, taken together; and that number will be increased to 18,000 when the fourth edition of the Mahabharata and the first of the Ramayana (both in Bengali and Sanskrit), now being published, shall be complete. "The arithmetical result of the operations of the Bharat Karyalya has been that 1,37,83,500 separate printed forms have already been gratuitously distributed, or are in course of distribution." The idea of the present enterprise is to place the "splendid inheritance" of India before the eyes of foreign nations who are capable of appreciating it. There are many Natives and Europeans of culture who will view the scheme in the highly favourable light in which it presents itself to men so unlike as the Marquis of Hartington and Professor Max Muller, both of whom have given it their warm support. The translation will cost the Bharat Karyalya some Rs. 100,000, and this is a large sum for even so influential and wealthy a body to expend on such an object. But so brilliant an instance of intellectual charity is certain to attract outside support, and, at the same time, it ought to have the effect of swelling the member-roll of the Society. The Pundit Protap Chandra Roy, by his enlightened energy and his devotion to the cause of cheap literature, has earned for himself the title of the Chambers of India.The S. Gazette.

We beg to acknowledge with thanks the receipt of the first part of the English Translation of the Mohabharata, published and distributed gratis by Babu Protap Chandra Roy of Calcutta. The noble and the almost Herculian task to which Baboo Protap Chundra Roy has devoted his life and means deserves the hearty sympathy and co-operation not only of all the Indians, but of all persons interested in ancient literature. Protab babu has rendered a signal service to this country by distributing gratis more than six thousand copies of his Bengalee translation of the Mahabhrart, and it is expected that the English translation of the same, a task undertaken at the recommendation of some of the greatest men in England, will meet with warm reception at the hands of all the oriental scholars of Europe. The translation of the Rig Veda and few other Sanskrit texts have served to dispel much of the errors that prevailed in Europe regarding the past history of India; but a more intimate knowledge of the Sanskrit knowledge is necessary before they can be expected to realise extent of the intellectual advancement of the ancient Hindoos, and the immense progress they make towards civilization. We cannot therefore praise Protap Babu too highly for presenting to the world an