Mahabharata as an Epic J*oem* 59
variety of the scenes which the poet conceives and the
vigour with which they are described are really wonder-
ful. The recitation of the Mahabharata, especially the
war portion of it, like that of the Illiad, always roused
the martial spirits of the hearers, and it is well-known
that Shivaji drew his hercic inspiration from a hearing
of this poem.
In the description of natural scenes, the Mahabharata
is not as successful as the Ramayana. There are very
few descriptions of this kind in the whole poem. In the
Vanaparva, however, we have a description of the Hima-
layas which strikes us as coming from the pen of one
who has seen or lived on the snow-clad northern barrier
of India. The description of an avalanche in which the
Pandavas and Draupadi were caught is so graphic and
real, that we feel as if we are reading the newspaper
report of snow-storms which even in these days occa-
sionally overtake a Mail Tonga, sometimes with fatal
results. In the description of the Gandha Madana hill,
however, though very picturesque and full, we discover
some touches added by Sauti as we find the Tal or
the Palm trees mentioned among the trees adorning
the hill, which seems to be drawn more from imagination
than reality.
In describing persons the Mahabharata is chaste and
powerful. Female beauty is nowhere described in a
sensual manner as is so habitual with later Sanskrit
poets. The description of Draupadi which Yudhishthira
gives when he stakes her at the game of dice is in the
best fashion of Vyasa. " Draupadi, " says he, "neither
tall nor short, neither lean nor stout, with eyes as