by Bibek Debroy
931 Hari’s.
932 Midusha is one of Shiva’s names.
933 Bhavani.
934 Meaning Surabhi, the cow which yields all the objects of desire.
935 Kailasa.
936 Diggajas are elephants in charge of the directions. The number is sometimes given as four and sometimes as eight. The names are not always uniform. In addition to the eight male elephants, eight female elephants are also sometimes mentioned as companions.
937 Soudamani can be translated in different ways, a cloud, a mountain, a city.
938 Milk, curds, clarified butter, dung and urine.
939 Brahma.
940 Lakshmi thinking to herself. In interpretations, specific examples are given of each rejected type.
941 They do not want a consort.
942 Good conduct and lifespan.
943 The gandharvas.
944 The goddess of liquor.
945 The amrita.
946 Wanton or unchaste woman.
947 Loose woman.
948 This form of Vishnu is known as Mohini. Mohini instructed them about these preliminaries.
949 Cows were fed.
950 Gods and asuras.
951 The gods were seated further away. Mohini first went to the asuras.
952 The word used is soma, meaning amrita.
953 Brahma.
954 Duality.
955 Bhasa.
956 Gavaya is a kind of ox, aruna probably means an eagle.
957 Indra.
958 Indra.
959 Bali.
960 The fire of universal destruction.
961 Garuda.
962 Bali.
963 The subjects, not just the asuras, did not want Bali to be killed.
964 Mountains were believed to have once possessed wings.
965 Jambha honoured Matali and struck him.
966 Indra’s.
967 Indra.
968 Indra’s name.
969 Tvashta.
970 The asuras.
971 Bringing back to life.
972 The one with the bull on his banner, Shiva.
973 This world and the next.
974 Sometimes, sixteen powers are enumerated. The nine are vimala (purity), utkarshani (eminence), jnana (knowledge), kriya (accomplishment), yoga (communion), prahvi (modesty), satya (truthfulness), ishana (sovereignty) and anugraha (mercy).
975 The one who lives for two parardhas, Brahma.
976 Rajas and tamas predominate in them.
977 The weight of the necklaces, the breasts and the hips.
978 They were red.
979 Vishnu’s.
980 Shiva.
981 Manvantara.
982 One is Nabhaga, the other is Naabhaaga.
983 Chapter 6 (6).
984 Parashurama.
985 Saptarshis.
986 Indra.
987 The Indra is Vaidhriti and Vaidhritaa is Aryaka’s wife.
988 Saptarshis.
989 Bali.
990 Shukracharya and others.
991 Prahlada.
992 The fire.
993 The Ganga that flows in heaven.
994 Shyama, therefore, alternatively, young.
995 Apsaras.
996 Brihaspati.
997 Atithis.
998 Dharma, artha and kama.
999 Brahma.
1000 February–March.
1001 A flow of water in a river.
1002 This is addressed to the earth.
1003 Interpreted as an image.
1004 These have diverse interpretations. Here are examples. The two heads are prayaniya (the initial rites of the sacrifice) and upaniya (the concluding rites of the sacrifice). The three feet are the three savannas, rites associated with extracting soma juice in the morning, midday and evening. The four horns are the four Vedas. The seven arms are the seven metres. The three kinds of knowledge are about the past, the present and the future.
1005 Oum namo bhagavate Vasudevaya.
1006 A fine rice.
1007 The one with the twelve aksharas.
1008 A dish made out sweetened milk and rice.
1009 Vishnu.
1010 Pratipada means the first quarter from the start, so this is the first quarter of shukla paksha. This thus means the beginning of shukla paksha.
1011 Milk, curd, ghee, sugar and honey.
1012 All sacrifices. That is, it is as good as performing all the sacrifices.
1013 Though not stated, there was a lotus in the fourth hand.
1014 A fire results from the friction of two pieces of wood.
1015 Brahma.
1016 Prishni was a queen who was reborn as Devaki. As Devaki, she was Krishna’s mother.
1017 Meaning makara.
1018 That is, the gods.
1019 The day is known as shravana-dvadashi, the term used in the text. Shravana-dvadashi occurs in the month of Bhadrapada. Shravana refers to the nakshatra and not to the month of Shravana.
1020 Victory.
1021 Kashyapa.
1022 Made out of munja grass.
1023 Brahma.
1024 This is naturally construed as a string of rudraksha beads.
1025 Kubera.
1026 Bharuch in Gujarat.
1027 Bali.
1028 Prahlada.
1029 Vishnu.
1030 Vishnu being anxious in his mind has led to interpretations. He pretended to be anxious. He was anxious because he actually wanted to protect his devotee, Hiranyakashipu. Vishnu wasn’t really anxious, but vamana told Bali this to instil confidence in him.
1031 He must be dead.
1032 Prithu.
1033 The touching of water is required before any auspicious act.
1034 The sense seems to be that Bali did not say ‘Oum’ before uttering his pledge.
1035 These shlokas have many kinds of complicated interpretations. We have translated them in the simplest possible way. This seems to make sense, without the complications.
1036 Shibi was a generous king. There is a famous story about Indra, in the form of a hawk, pursuing Agni, in the form of a dove, all this being done to test Shibi. Shibi saved the dove by offering his own flesh in return.
1037 Meaning Bali.
1038 The two words are ritam and satyam. Satyam is truth, while ritam can be interpreted in different ways, divine truth or divine law being one.
1039 Brahma.
1040 Makaras.
1041 Koustubha.
1042 There are actually fourteen worlds (lokas), seven above and seven below. The seven above are—bhurloka, kharloka, svarloka, maharloka, janarloka, taparloka and satyaloka (brahmaloka).
1043 Brahma’s world.
1044 Ayurveda, Dhanurveda and so on.
1045 Science of logic.
1046 History.
1047 Shuchishrava is Vishnu’s name.
1048 Ganga.
1049 To the form of a vamana.
1050 For a sacrifice.
1051 Shukracharya’s.
1052 Sama, dana, danda, bheda.
1053 The text is such that it might also mean the day on which soma juice is drunk.
1054 That is, asuras.
1055 Prahlada.
1056 Brahma.
1057 Vishnu.
1058 There is no contradiction. Brahma was about to speak, but allowed Vindhyavali to speak first.
1059 Even Bali did, by assuming that he owned the three worlds.
1060 Shiva.
1061 This seems to refer to Prahlada and not to Bali.
1062 Interpreted as the Manus.
1063 This is taken to be a reference to Rig Veda 1.154.1.
1064 Shaphari. The feminine is used, so it was a female fish.
1065 Identified as a tributary of the Bhagai or Vaigai in Madurai.
1066 Following the process, they progressively went through larger and larger bodies of water.
1067 Vasuki.
1068 An ignorant preceptor
.
1069 Shraddhaa, Shradhadeva’s wife.
1070 The hotri is the chief priest and is accomplished in the Rig Veda. The adhvaryu is the assistant priest and is accomplished in the Yajur Veda.
1071 The hotri’s transgression is left implicit. Since he was thinking of Shraddha’s request, his concentration wavered. The sacrifice was being performed for sons. Instead, a daughter was born.
1072 Vasishtha, grandfather’s grandfather in the sense that Shuka was born from Vyasa, Vyasa from Parasara, Parashara from Shakti and Shakti from Vasishtha.
1073 Ravi is another name for Vivasvat, the sun god.
1074 A region famous for its horses.
1075 Sudyumna, who had now become a woman.
1076 Literally, the southern path. In course of time, this was the southern part of the trade route that led from Bihar, through Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, to the ports in Gujarat. We can also simply take this as the southern regions.
1077 Identified as Jhusi, near Prayaga, though Pratishthana had been identified with other places too. Pururava was the son when Sudyumna was a woman. The sons born when Sudyumna was a man became kings over the southern regions.
1078 That is, Shraddhadeva.
1079 Literally, posture of a hero. A seated position used by ascetics.
1080 The tiger.
1081 Vasishtha.
1082 The paramatman.
1083 Literally, the northern road. The northern part of Jambudvipa.
1084 Chakravarti, literally, a king whose wheel (chakra) travels everywhere on earth.
1085 Kubera.
1086 Kubera.
1087 Trinabindu’s.
1088 Vishala’s.
1089 Those were the sage Chyavana’s eyes. While he was meditating, a termite hill had formed around him. Chyavana was descended from Bhrigu’s lineage.
1090 Chyavana’s.
1091 The two Ashvins, their names are Nasatya and Dasra.
1092 The text uses the word punyajana, which means yakshas.
1093 The father was Nabhaga and the son was Naabhaaga.
1094 In the text, these sentences have the subject/subjects missing. We have added them, so that the meaning is clear.
1095 A sukta is a hymn. These are the two suktas to the Vishvadevas in Rig Veda 10.61 and 10.62.
1096 Such as temples and shrines.
1097 Hari.
1098 This is subject to interpretations. Dhanva can be interpreted as a desert region, instead of a proper name. We have taken this to mean that the flow of the Sarasvati reversed direction there. Alternatively, the sacrifice could have faced the upward direction of the river, rather than the natural downward direction.
1099 The forms of the others were similar to those of the gods. The gods do not blink.
1100 Fasting on the twelfth lunar day. More correctly, the vow lasts from the night of the tenth day to the morning of the twelfth day. This is the period of fasting. However, having eaten on the morning of the twelfth day, one fasts again on the night of the twelfth day. Thus, one fasts for three nights, tenth, eleventh and twelfth.
1101 Kalindi is Yamuna and Madhuvana is the area around Mathura.
1102 The bathing of the image.
1103 Such as vessels for milking.
1104 That is, break the fast.
1105 Durvasa.
1106 Ambarisha had only half a muhurta left to break the fast and he had to wait for Durvasa to return.
1107 A famous sage born from Vishnu’s speech, known as Sarasvata. He is also identified as Vedavyasa.
1108 Also interpreted as prosperity in this world and in the next.
1109 Salokya is the ability to reside with the lord, sarupya is to be like the lord in form, samipya is proximity to the lord and sayujya is identification with the lord.
1110 Ambarisha.
1111 Dhumaketu.
1112 The sense is that I can do nothing more to praise you other than bow down to you.
1113 A reference to Ambarisha touching Durvasa’s feet.
1114 This may cause confusion. This refers to the earlier incident, when Durvasa had gone to have his ablutions.
1115 That is, all this was due to his devotion to Hari.
1116 Angiras had sons through Rathitara’s wife. They were kshetraja sons, kshetra meaning the field or wife. They should have been kshatriyas, but were brahmanas.
1117 Though ashtaka means eighth, this is performed on the seventh, eighth and ninth lunar days.
1118 That is, meat obtained through hunting.
1119 The preceptor, Vasishtha.
1120 Ikshvaku got to know from Vasishtha.
1121 The person who ate a hare (shasha).
1122 To help the gods, Shashada’s condition was that Indra should be his mount. Before Vishnu interceded, Indra had refused. Thus, he got the name Indravaha, the one borne by Indra. Since he was seated on the bull’s hump (kakuda), he acquired the name of Kakutstha, the one located on the hump. Puranjaya means the conqueror of a city.
1123 A sage.
1124 Not to be confused with the earlier Yuvanashva.
1125 The sages asked this question.
1126 Literally, the terror of bandits. He was known as Mandhata, from ‘mam dhata’, meaning, ‘be suckled by me’.
1127 Not to be confused with the earlier Ambarisha.
1128 Svayamvara is a ceremony where the maiden herself (svayam) chooses her husband (vara) from assembled suitors.
1129 Using his powers, he became young and handsome.
1130 Soubhari.
1131 Fifty wives, each wife had one hundred sons.
1132 This can be interpreted in different ways, the fires of desire, or the fires a householder possesses.
1133 Ambarisha, Youvanashva and Harita.
1134 Mandhata’s son.
1135 Not to be confused with Mandhata, who also had a name of Trasadasyu.
1136 Interpretations take this to mean that Satyavrata was cursed by his father. Since the word used is guru, it can also mean preceptor. In this case, the preceptor was Vasishtha. Satyavrata wanted to go to heaven in his own physical body. When Vasishtha refused to help, Satyavrata enlisted the support of Shakti, Vasishtha’s son, whereupon Vasishtha cursed him. This is the standard story. Of course, the Vasishtha curse has no mention of being a chandala. That occurs, if guru is taken to mean father. This story is in Harivamsha. When Satyavrata forcibly married a maiden who had already been married to someone else, his father cursed him that he would become a chandala/shvapaka.
1137 Astronomically, Trishanku is identified as the Southern Cross.
1138 This means Koushika, Vishvamitra. Through Vishvamitra’s powers, Trishanku went to heaven in his own physical body. When the gods made him fall down from heaven, Vishvamitra again used his powers to make Trishanku hang on there, with his face downwards.
1139 Vishvamitra adopted the form of a crane and Vasishtha that of a heron, they having cursed each other that they would become birds. The clash resulted from Vishvamitra’s persecution of Harishchandra.
1140 Varuna.
1141 Infant teeth.
1142 Mahodara, distended stomach.
1143 Ajigarta was a brahmana from Bhrigu’s lineage. He had three sons. He did not wish to part with his eldest son and his wife did not wish to part with his youngest son. Thus, the second son, the one in the middle, was chosen.
1144 In Chapter 9(16).
1145 Harishchandra.
1146 As should be obvious, these shlokas have complicated metaphysical interpretations.
1147 Ignorance.
1148 The capital of the Anga kingdom, now Champanagar in Bhagalpur.
1149 Died.
1150 A sage.
1151 He was named Sagara because he was born along with (sa) poison (gara).
1152 Thus, the ocean is Saagara.
1153 Ourva.
1154 Sagara had two wives, Sumati and Keshini.
1155 Between friend and foe, between one’s own self and that of othe
rs.
1156 In a former birth.
1157 He brought the dead children back to life.
1158 Kapila.
1159 This is sometimes translated as Ahumitra. Since the name of Mitrasaha is given later, we have taken Ahumitra in the sense of someone who is referred to as Mitra.
1160 Soudasa means Sudasa’s son. Thus, Soudasa is the same as Ahumitra or Kalmashapada.
1161 Soudasa wished to curse Vasishtha because Vasishtha had cursed an innocent person.
1162 Kalmasha means speckled black and white. Therefore, Kalmashapada or blackened feet.
1163 The word used is didhishu, meaning second husband. The lady had married a second time.
1164 Literally, when you are about to discharge your semen.
1165 Soudasa’s name.
1166 Vasishtha.
1167 Resulting from a stone (ashman).
1168 All kshatriyas were destroyed by Parashurama. At that time, women saved Mulaka from destruction. Narikavacha means someone whose armour consisted of women. When all the kshatriyas were destroyed, a new line of kshatriyas was born through Mulaka.
1169 Not to be confused with Rama’s father.
1170 In the plural.
1171 This should be taken as Sugriva, though Hanuman is also possible.
1172 Lakshmana.
1173 Demons.
1174 Shiva.
1175 Parashurama.
1176 Meaning, three times seven, twenty-one.
1177 Shurpanakha.
1178 Of the deer.
1179 Just as Rudra/Shiva killed Daksha.
1180 Jatayu.
1181 Originating in tamas.
1182 Ravana was the sage Vishrava’s son.
1183 The word is vitanka. This means aviary or dovecote, as well as a lofty point or pinnacle. It is not obvious to us why most interpretations take this in the sense of aviary. Given the context, pinnacle seems better.
1184 Indrajit.
1185 Hanuman.
1186 Jambavat.
1187 Indra’s charioteer.
1188 Ravana.
1189 Kshurapras (kshuras) are arrows with sharp edges.
1190 Ravana’s wife.
1191 Shimshapa is the ashoka tree.
1192 Shatadhriti is a name for both Brahma and Indra and could mean either.
1193 Bharata.
1194 Guilds.
1195 North Kosala.
1196 Sita.
1197 Vasishtha.
1198 After sacrifices, he donated four parts of his kingdom to the four officiating priests.
1199 Vasishtha.
1200 Auspicious ornaments a married woman, who is not a widow, should wear.
1201 The brahmanas.