by Bibek Debroy
281 Brahmadatta.
282 For the forest.
283 The Critical Edition says Vaibhraja. Though Vaibhraja (Vibhraja’s son) also makes sense, we have corrected it to Vibhraja, as that seems more likely.
284 Shachi is Indra’s (Shatakratu’s) wife.
285 She thought Brahmadatta had laughed at her.
286 Narayana appeared before Brahmadatta during the night, presumably in a dream.
287 To the city.
288 Brahmadatta.
289 Samkhya is one of the six schools of darshana (philosophy), identified with Kapila. The text known as Panchala is probably the same as the one taught by the samkhya teacher Panchashikha.
290 Soma’s lineage.
291 Meaning unsurpassed.
292 The ten goddesses of the ten directions.
293 Soma.
294 Those born from eggs, those born from wombs, those born from sweat (worms and insects) and trees and plants.
295 Padma is an indeterminate, but very high number.
296 Indu is another name for Soma, the moon god.
297 The Somas are also a class of ancestors.
298 Hiranyagarbha is Brahma’s name. Since Brahma cannot have been both priests, in this case, Hiranyagarbha probably means Surya, the sun god.
299 Brihaspati and the other sages.
300 Ushanas is Shukra and he took Soma’s side. Shukra is the preceptor of the demons and Brihaspati of the gods, so there was always rivalry between Shukra and Brihaspati.
301 The name of Shiva’s bow, made of horn.
302 The text says released it at the gods, which is a clear typo.
303 Though daityas and danavas are used as synonymous terms, daityas are the sons of Diti and danavas are the sons of Danu. They are thus cousins. The word asura is also used as a synonym and this means the antithesis of suras or gods.
304 In astrology, Soma and Budha are regarded as enemies. This probably means that Budha causes a disturbance to Soma.
305 The princess is Ila, Vairaja Manu’s daughter. Pururava was the son of Budha and Ila. Pururava married Urvashi.
306 Soma was cursed by Daksha, because he loved Rohini more than the other co-wives.
307 Urvashi was a celestial apsara and Pururava was a mere man.
308 Kubera’s capital.
309 Another name for Badarikashrama.
310 Svarbhanu is Rahu. Prabha was Rahu’s daughter and Raji’s mother, Ayu being the father.
311 There is an inconsistency in the Critical Edition, which doesn’t exist in non-Critical versions. The daityas and danavas have requested Raji, but he is responding to the gods. In other versions, both sides request him.
312 Badari.
313 Raji’s sons’.
314 Shukracharya.
315 Yayati.
316 Indra.
317 Those descended from Puru.
318 Parikshit’s son means Janamejaya.
319 Implying that he became an outcast.
320 Therefore, the Janamejaya who was cursed must have been different from the Janamejaya who was Parikshit’s son.
321 Vasu’s (also known as Uparichara Vasu) son. Jarasandha was Brihadratha’s son.
322 Yayati was still addicted to pleasures.
323 The name of an apsara.
324 A putrika is a daughter who is brought up as a son, in the sense that the daughter’s son becomes a heir.
325 Prabhakara.
326 Because they were the sons of putrikas.
327 Obviously a different Janamejaya.
328 The mother is Nrigaa and the son is Nriga.
329 The mother is Navaa and the son is Nava.
330 In an earlier life, this Bali was the Bali of the vamana (dwarf) incarnation.
331 Named after Bali.
332 The sage Rishyashringa performed a sacrifice so that Chaturanga might be born.
333 Champaa.
334 A sage.
335 The sage Vibhandaka was Rishyashringa’s father. The mount in question is Airavata, Indra’s elephant. For Haryanga, Vibhandaka brought Airavata to earth.
336 There is some inconsistency. Tamsurodha seems to have been a single name earlier. Now it seems that Tamsu had a son named Surodha and Surodha had a son named Dharmanetra.
337 This is a reference to Adi Parva of the Mahabharata, but the story of the curse is not recounted there. Bharata had three wives. But these sons were not fit to be emperors and were cursed by their mothers. A son was born through a sacrifice, accepted by Bharata as a son, and ruled after him.
338 Brihaspati.
339 Performed by Bharata.
340 Vitatha means failure.
341 One of Shiva’s attendants. There are various versions of this curse, all involving Divodasa.
342 Presumably Vatsa’s son.
343 Bhadrashrenya belonged to the Haihaya dynasty. Divodasa initially killed Bhadrashrenya’s one hundred sons, but spared the young Durdama.
344 Durdama, when he grew up.
345 Divodasa’s.
346 Another name for Pratardana.
347 Pratardana’s grandson.
348 Agastya’s wife.
349 There are several versions of the story, most centring around jealousy between Ganga and Kaveri.
350 This seems to be a reference to Vishvamitra becoming a brahmana from the original status of a kshatriya.
351 Pancha means five. Bahyashva felt that five sons were enough to protect the region and no more were necessary.
352 The Critical Editon excises a shloka that tells us that Indrasena was the eldest of the Moudgalyas.
353 Janamejaya does not need to be told this and some non-Critical versions do not have these shlokas.
354 Devapi became a hermit. Although Bahlika was older than Shantanu, Bahlika preferred to rule over his own kingdom, rather than rule in Hastinapura.
355 Satyavati’s name.
356 Vichitravirya died without having sons. His wives were Ambika and Ambalika and Vichitravirya’s field means these wives. Krishna Dvaipayana had intercourse with Ambika, Ambalika and a servant maid. Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura were respectively born.
357 Abhimanyu, known as Soubhadra after his mother, Subhadra.
358 Samvarta passed Sammata on to Duhshanta’s father. But following the putrika tradition, Duhshanta was regarded as Marutta’s son.
359 Hence Marutta didn’t have any sons.
360 Yuvanashva’s son is Mandhata and he killed Angarasetu. Angarasetu is also referred to as Angara.
361 This Arjuna is not to be confused with the Pandava Arjuna.
362 Datta means the sage Dattatreya.
363 When he was not fighting, there were only two arms.
364 Not to be confused with the celestial sage.
365 The text does not indicate where the chant ends. This seems to be a likely place.
366 Agni was hungry. As alms, Kartavirya offered the seven continents to Agni and Agni burnt them down. Vasishtha’s hermitage wasn’t spared either. Apava is Vasishtha’s name.
367 Parashurama.
368 A metaphor for the five objectives mentioned later.
369 Vrishni and Andhaka were actually the sons of Yudhajit, but the text has ‘sons’ in the plural.
370 Indra. Indra killed a demon named Paka.
371 The king of Kashi.
372 The one with the tawny horses, Indra’s name.
373 Meaning, giver of a cow.
374 The names of Akrura’s brothers.
375 Ugrasenaa.
376 Krishna’s father. Anaka means a drum (or thunder cloud), dundubhi also means a drum.
377 By Kuntibhoja.
378 An unmatched warrior, superior to a maharatha.
379 Identical to Devashrava.
380 Vishnu.
381 This doesn’t belong. Rukmini married Krishna and their son was Pradyumna. But Krishna hasn’t been born yet.
382 Balarama.
383 Shura’s descendant, meaning Krishna.
385 This requires explanation. Gargya was the priest of the Yadavas and was Shishirayana’s brother-in-law. Doubting Gargya’s virility and taking him to be a eunuch, Shishirayana placed a hand on Gargya’s testicles.
386 Shiva. Gargya was devoted to Shiva.
387 This requires explanation again. Having given birth to the child, the apsara vanished and Gargya handed the child over to a king of the yavanas. The yavanas are Ionians or Greeks.
388 An akshouhini is an army and consists of 21,870 chariots, 21,870 elephants, 65,610 horses and 109,350 infantry men.
389 Jarasandha attacked Mathura eighteen times and made the Yadavas flee to Dvaraka. In some accounts, Kalayavana was Jarasandha’s general.
390 Shiva, Kalayavana having been born through Shiva’s favours.
391 Died in battle.
392 Madhu means sweet.
393 Purutvan’s.
394 Devavridha.
395 To distinguish with the sons, Shantidevaa, Sudevaa and Devarakshitaa.
396 Kamsaa.
397 Brother and sister possessed the same name.
398 In the list of Bhajamana’s sons, this name has not been mentioned earlier.
399 There is repetition with what has been stated earlier and some inconsistencies.
400 Inconsistencies again.
401 Krishna decided that he was more suitable to possess it.
402 There were friends who followed Krishna.
403 The name of the king of the bears.
404 The name of Vishnu and Krishna’s bow, made of horn.
405 Krishna.
406 Krishna’s father. Krishna is Vaasudeva.
407 Krishna’s name, the one without decay.
408 It is not clear which Madhu this is. From the names of the sons, it seems that Madhu is a name being used for Vrishni and there is repetition.
409 This concerns an incident from the Mahabharata. Duryodhana plotted to burn down the Pandavas in a house of lac in Varanavata. The Pandavas were presumed dead and Krishna went to Varanavata for the funeral rites.
410 Kunti (Pritha) was Krishna’s aunt.
411 Balarama.
412 Shatadhanva.
413 A yojana is a measure of distance, between 8 and 9 miles.
414 The person is Akrura. The idea is that the possession of Syamantaka enabled him to collect these materials.
415 Balarama.
416 Balarama.
417 Because Akrura had left Dvaraka, with his fortunate Syamantaka.
418 Indra.
419 A marshy area, Kutch in Gujarat.
420 Krishna.
421 The sun.
422 The former is Vaasudeva (the son), while the latter is Vasudeva (the father).
423 The three worlds are heaven, earth and the nether regions. The three paths are presumably dharma, artha and kama.
424 This is Vishnu’s boar (varaha) incarnation. The earth was dragged down into the waters by the demon Hiranyaksha and Vishnu rescued the submerged earth.
425 Indra’s name.
426 Vishnu’s man–lion (narasimha) incarnation.
427 Madhu and Kaitabha had stolen the Vedas and taken them to the nether regions. Vishnu assumed the form of a horsehead and rescued the Vedas. But the horsehead form remained in the ocean.
428 Brahma’s.
429 The encounter over Tara.
430 Demon killed by Vishnu.
431 The gods, the Adityas, are the descendants of Kashyapa and Aditi.
432 A reference to Vishnu’s dwarf (vamana) incarnation and the incident concerning Bali, the king of the daityas.
433 Garhapatya is the fire that burns in households. Anvaharya has various meanings, the simplest being the monthly sacrificial rites offered to the ancestors on the day of the new moon.
434 The eastern fire at a sacrifice.
435 Havya is oblations offered to the gods, kavya is oblations offered to the ancestors, the third spoke is these two categories being earmarked as respective recipients.
436 Kshana is a measurement of time, with differing interpretations. A second or an instant is accurate enough. Muhurta is forty-eight minutes. Nimesha is the twinkling of an eye, a minute. Kala is a small measure of time, but that measure is not consistently defined. In terms of astronomy, kala is one-sixtieth of a degree, that is, a minute. A kashtha is one-thirtieth of a kala.
437 Shudras are not mentioned.
438 Probably the Rig Veda, Sama Veda and Yajur Veda.
439 Ahavaniya, garhapatya and dakshinatya (the fire that burns in a southern direction).
440 Past, present and future.
441 This probably means nitya karma (daily rites), naimittika karma (occasional rites) and kamya karma (rites performed for a specific objective).
442 Superior, average and inferior.
443 Sattva, rajas and tamas.
444 The four Vedas.
445 Brahmacharya, garhasthya, vanaprastha and sannyasa.
446 The juices are in food.
447 Kapha and pitta respectively.
448 Prana is the breath of life or the life force. Prana draws breath into the body, apana exhales it. Vyana distributes it through the body and samana assimilates it. Udana gives rise to sound.
449 On earth.
450 Multiple synonymous words are used for the same object.
451 The fire.
452 Vishnu bears the srivatsa mark (or curl) on his chest. This is the place where Lakshmi resides.
453 Vaasudeva, Krishna.
454 The supreme lord. It is not clear whom the text means by this.
455 The three-eyed one, Shiva.
456 Of emancipation.
457 From pushkara, meaning lotus.
458 A sacrifice has to be performed with the wife.
459 Having been taken down to the nether regions by the demon Hiranyaksha.
460 Actually, Vaaraaha, after varaha (boar).
461 A lion.
462 The text uses both astra and shastra. These are both weapons and the words are often used synonymously. However, an astra is a weapon that is hurled or released, while a shastra is held in the hand.
463 The granter of riches and the protector of riches are both usually Kubera. However, here, the two are mentioned separately.
464 A kinnara or kimpurusha belongs to a semi-divine species, companions of Kubera.
465 The word used is tata.
466 Nature.
467 Narasimha.
468 The dwarf incarnation.
469 Bali was generous. Vishnu asked for as much of land as could be covered in three of his steps. When Bali agreed, Vishnu covered the three worlds in his three steps and Bali had to be banished to the nether regions.
470 Ashvashira is mentioned twice.
471 Ketumat is mentioned twice.
472 Samhlada is mentioned twice.
473 A shataghni was a weapon that could kill one hundred at the same time and could have been a giant catapult.
474 A makara is a mythical aquatic animal, but can be interpreted as a crocodile or a shark.
475 Parashurama.
476 Kartavirya Arjuna.
477 Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna.
478 Rama.
479 Shiva’s.
480 Who had been abducted by Ravana.
481 Rama.
482 That is, the young did not die before the old.
483 Though the text does not explicitly indicate this, the chant seems to end here.
484 Maathura.
485 Alternatively, Shalva.
486 Banasura.
487 Kalayavana.
488 Meaning Naraka.
489 Aditi’s sons were the Adityas. As an Aditya, Vishnu was Indra’s younger brother.
490 The word used is tata.
491 The seven Maruts.
492 The conch shell is named Panchajanya, the chakra is named Sudarshana and the mace is named Koumadaki. The last hand was free, in a sign
of benediction, signifying assurance and freedom from fear.
493 The chariot.
494 These three roads are devayana (the path of the gods), pitriyana (the path of the ancestors) and the path of emancipation.
495 A nalva is a measure of distance, usually taken to be 400 cubits. Maya’s chariot was therefore 1,200 cubits long.
496 A krosha is a measure of distance, equal to one-fourth of a yojana. With a yojana taken as eight miles, a krosha is two miles.
497 The text doesn’t specific many thousands of what, probably cubits.
498 Kishora means young.
499 Lamba means long.
500 Rahu.
501 Airavata, Indra’s elephant.
502 Though Indra rode on the elephant, his chariot was kept ready.
503 Garuda.
504 Kubera.
505 Literally, one who is borne by men, a name used for Kubera.
506 Kubera.
507 The twelve months.
508 The seven Maruts.
509 A vidyadhara is a supernatural and semi-divine being.
510 Garuda.
511 Amrita was obtained from the churning of the ocean and Mount Mandara was used as the churning rod.
512 When Garuda tried to seize the amrita, Indra struck him with the vajra.
513 The wings looked like clouds. Indra’s bow is the rainbow.
514 The wielder of the club, Vishnu.
515 Yama.
516 Kubera.
517 Jishnu means the victorious one, Sahishnu is the one who is patient and Bhrajishnu is the one who is radiant.
518 Brihaspati, the preceptor of the gods.
519 Shukracharya, the preceptor of the demons.
520 It is believed that mountains had once possessed wings.
521 The gods.
522 They weren’t fighting and had sought refuge with the moon.
523 For those who resort to vanaprastha or sannyasa.
524 Teaching, performing sacrifices and receiving gifts.
525 Those who use their teeth as mortars, that is, they eat raw grain that has not been ground.