Translators' Note

In addition to consulting the nIlakaNTha commentary, in preparing the English translation, we have consulted the following translations of harivamsha.
  1. A prose English translation of Harivamsa
    M. N. Dutt
    Printed and Published by H. C. Dass, Elysium press, Calcutta, 1897.
  2. Harivamsa Purana
    Translator: Bhumipati Dasa, Editor: Purnaprana Dasa
    With Sanskrit mUlam and English Translation.
    Published by Rasbiharilal and sons, (2005-).
  3. Harivamsa Purana
    The book has Sanskrit verses along with Hindi commentary by Vidyavaridhi Jwalaprasad Misra of Moradabad (U.P.)
    Published by Khemraj Srikrishnadas, Mumbai and first published in 1897. Latest edition in 2002.
  4. shrImanmaharShi vedavyAsapraNIta mahAbhAratakhilabhAga harivaMsha (shrIharivaMshapurANAm)
    hindi tIkAsahit
    tIkAkAr - paNDit rAmanArAyaNadatta shAstri pANDeya 'rAm'
    Gita Press, Gorakhpur. Latest edition in 2006.
  5. Malayalam translation in verse, by koTu~N~NallUr ku~n~nikkuTTan tanpurAn
    First published in 1906. Fifth edition, DCBooks, Kottayam, 2007.
  6. Malayalam translation in prose by vidvAn K. prakAsham. First published in 1968. Fourth edition, Vidyarthimitram, November 2002.
Translating sacred works like harivamsha from Sanskrit to English is always a risky and incomplete business. In addition to presenting the text in Sanskrit along with the translation, for the benefit of the readers knowledgeable in Sanskrit, the complete nIlakaNTha commentary is appended to the translation at the end of each chapter. We are well aware of the instructions of the birds (shAnti) and sanatkumAra (udyoga) respectively from the mahAbhArata:
ashraddA paraM pApaM shraddA pApapramocinI
pramAdaM vai mR^ityumahaM bravImi
Nevertheless, inspite of our very rudimentary knowledge of both Sanskrit and English, we have embarked on this with the sole purpose of enhancing our own study and understanding of harivamsha, the khila to mahAbhArata. We are indebted to Shri Desiraju Hanumanta Rao for motivating us to undertake this attempt.

A. Purushothaman and A. Harindranath