Mahabharata: Volume 8
Page 1
Translated by Bibek Debroy
THE MAHABHARATA
Volume 8 (Sections 78 to 86)
Contents
Dedication
Praise for Previous Volumes
About the Translator
Family tree
Map of Bharatavarsha
Introduction
SECTION SEVENTY-EIGHT
SOUPTIKA PARVA
Ashvatthama sees an owl kill sleeping crows and decides that the Pandavas and Panchalas should be killed in the night, while they are asleep
SECTION SEVENTY-NINE
AISHIKA PARVA
Ashvatthama and Arjuna invoke their brahmashira weapons, which threaten to destroy the worlds; Arjuna withdraws his and Ashvatthama’s is diverted towards the wombs of the Pandava women
SECTION EIGHTY
VISHOKA PARVA
Vidura attempts to dispel Dhritarashtra’s sorrow
SECTION EIGHTY-ONE
STRI PARVA
Pandavas meet Dhritarashtra and Gandhari; Dhritarashtra wants to crush Bhima to death, but is offered an iron image instead by Krishna; Vedavyasa dissuades Gandhari from cursing the Pandavas; Gandhari’s glance distorts Yudhishthira’s nails
SECTION EIGHTY-TWO
SHRADDHA PARVA
The dead warriors are cremated and their funeral rites performed
SECTION EIGHTY-THREE
JALA-PRADANIKA PARVA
The observation of water-rites and the offering of water to the dead warriors takes place; Kunti tells the Pandavas that Karna was their elder brother
SECTION EIGHTY-FOUR
RAJA DHARMA PARVA
Yudhishthira sorrows over Karna and Narada recounts the story of Karna being cursed and his exploits; Yudhishthira wishes to leave for the forest, but is dissuaded and is asked to learn about dharma from Bhishma; Yudhishthira is crowned
SECTION EIGHTY-FIVE
APAD DHARMA PARVA
Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira about the nature of dharma to be followed during a misfortune or a calamity
SECTION EIGHTY-SIX
MOKSHA DHARMA PARVA
Bhisma talks about moksha, which means liberation, as opposed to the pursuit of dharma, artha and kama
Footnotes
Chapter 1284(1)
Chapter 1285(2)
Chapter 1286(3)
Chapter 1287(4)
Chapter 1288(5)
Chapter 1289(6)
Chapter 1290(7)
Chapter 1291(8)
Chapter 1292(9)
Chapter 1293(10)
Chapter 1294(11)
Chapter 1295(12)
Chapter 1296(13)
Chapter 1297(14)
Chapter 1298(15)
Chapter 1299(16)
Chapter 1300(17)
Chapter 1301(18)
Chapter 1302(1)
Chapter 1303(2)
Chapter 1304(3)
Chapter 1305(4)
Chapter 1306(5)
Chapter 1307(6)
Chapter 1308(7)
Chapter 1309(8)
Chapter 1310(9)
Chapter 1311(10)
Chapter 1312(11)
Chapter 1313(12)
Chapter 1314(13)
Chapter 1315(14)
Chapter 1316(15)
Chapter 1317(16)
Chapter 1318(17)
Chapter 1319(18)
Chapter 1320(19)
Chapter 1321(20)
Chapter 1322(21)
Chapter 1323(22)
Chapter 1324(23)
Chapter 1325(24)
Chapter 1326(25)
Chapter 1327(26)
Chapter 1328(27)
Chapter 1329(1)
Chapter 1330(2)
Chapter 1331(3)
Chapter 1332(4)
Chapter 1333(5)
Chapter 1334(6)
Chapter 1335(7)
Chapter 1336(8)
Chapter 1337(9)
Chapter 1338(10)
Chapter 1339(11)
Chapter 1340(12)
Chapter 1341(13)
Chapter 1342(14)
Chapter 1343(15)
Chapter 1344(16)
Chapter 1345(17)
Chapter 1346(18)
Chapter 1347(19)
Chapter 1348(20)
Chapter 1349(21)
Chapter 1350(22)
Chapter 1351(23)
Chapter 1352(24)
Chapter 1353(25)
Chapter 1354(26)
Chapter 1355(27)
Chapter 1356(28)
Chapter 1357(29)
Chapter 1358(30)
Chapter 1359(31)
Chapter 1360(32)
Chapter 1362(34)
Chapter 1363(35)
Chapter 1364(36)
Chapter 1365(37)
Chapter 1366(38)
Chapter 1367(39)
Chapter 1368(40)
Chapter 1369(41)
Chapter 1370(42)
Chapter 1371(43)
Chapter 1372(44)
Chapter 1373(45)
Chapter 1374(46)
Chapter 1375(47)
Chapter 1376(48)
Chapter 1377(49)
Chapter 1378(50)
Chapter 1379(51)
Chapter 1380(52)
Chapter 1381(53)
Chapter 1382(54)
Chapter 1383(55)
Chapter 1384(56)
Chapter 1385(57)
Chapter 1386(58)
Chapter 1387(59)
Chapter 1388(60)
Chapter 1389(61)
Chapter 1390(62)
Chapter 1391(63)
Chapter 1392(64)
Chapter 1393(65)
Chapter 1394(66)
Chapter 1395(67)
Chapter 1396(68)
Chapter 1397(69)
Chapter 1398(70)
Chapter 1399(71)
Chapter 1400(72)
Chapter 1401(73)
Chapter 1402(74)
Chapter 1403(75)
Chapter 1404(76)
Chapter 1405(77)
Chapter 1406(78)
Chapter 1407(79)
Chapter 1408(80)
Chapter 1409(81)
Chapter 1410(82)
Chapter 1411(83)
Chapter 1412(84)
Chapter 1413(85)
Chapter 1414(86)
Chapter 1415(87)
Chapter 1416(88)
Chapter 1417(89)
Chapter 1418(90)
Chapter 1419(91)
Chapter 1420(92)
Chapter 1421(93)
Chapter 1422(94)
Chapter 1424(96)
Chapter 1425(97)
Chapter 1426(98)
Chapter 1427(99)
Chapter 1428(100)
Chapter 1429(101)
Chapter 1430(102)
Chapter 1431(103)
Chapter 1432(104)
Chapter 1433(105)
Chapter 1434(106)
Chapter 1435(107)
Chapter 1436(108)
Chapter 1437(109)
Chapter 1438(110)
Chapter 1439(111)
Chapter 1440(112)
Chapter 1441(113)
Chapter 1442(114)
Chapter 1443(115)
Chapter 1444(116)
Chapter 1445(117)
Chapter 1446(118)
Chapter 1447(119)
Chapter 1448(120)
Chapter 1449(121)
Chapter 1450(122)
Chapter 1451(123)
Chapter 1452(124)
Chapter 1453(125)
Chapter 1454(126)
Chapter 1455(127)
Chapter 1456(128)
Chapter 145
7(129)
Chapter 1458(130)
Chapter 1459(131)
Chapter 1460(132)
Chapter 1461(133)
Chapter 1462(134)
Chapter 1463(135)
Chapter 1464(136)
Chapter 1465(137)
Chapter 1466(138)
Chapter 1467(139)
Chapter 1468(140)
Chapter 1469(141)
Chapter 1470(142)
Chapter 1471(143)
Chapter 1474(146)
Chapter 1475(147)
Chapter 1476(148)
Chapter 1477(149)
Chapter 1478(150)
Chapter 1479(151)
Chapter 1480(152)
Chapter 1481(153)
Chapter 1482(154)
Chapter 1483(155)
Chapter 1485(157)
Chapter 1487(159)
Chapter 1488(160)
Chapter 1489(161)
Chapter 1490(162)
Chapter 1491(163)
Chapter 1492(164)
Chapter 1493(165)
Chapter 1495(167)
Chapter 1496(168)
Chapter 1497(169)
Chapter 1498(170)
Chapter 1499(171)
Chapter 1500(172)
Chapter 1501(173)
Chapter 1502(174)
Chapter 1503(175)
Chapter 1505(177)
Chapter 1506(178)
Chapter 1507(179)
Chapter 1508(180)
Chapter 1509(181)
Chapter 1510(182)
Chapter 1511(183)
Chapter 1512(184)
Chapter 1513(185)
Chapter 1514(186)
Chapter 1515(187)
Chapter 1516(188)
Chapter 1517(189)
Chapter 1518(190)
Chapter 1519(191)
Chapter 1520(192)
Chapter 1521(193)
Chapter 1522(194)
Chapter 1523(195)
Chapter 1524(196)
Chapter 1525(197)
Chapter 1526(198)
Chapter 1527(199)
Acknowledgements
Follow Penguin
Copyright Page
For Suparna
PRAISE FOR PREVIOUS VOLUMES
‘The modernization of language is visible, it’s easier on the mind, through expressions that are somewhat familiar. The detailing of the story is intact, the varying tempo maintained, with no deviations from the original. The short introduction reflects a brilliant mind. For those who passionately love the Mahabharata and want to explore it to its depths, Debroy’s translation offers great promise in the first volume.’
—Hindustan Times
‘[Debroy] has really carved out a niche for himself in crafting and presenting a translation of the Mahabharata … The book takes us on a great journey with admirable ease.’
—The Indian Express
‘The first thing that appeals to one is the simplicity with which Debroy has been able to express himself and infuse the right kind of meanings … Considering that Sanskrit is not the simplest of languages to translate a text from, Debroy exhibits his deep understanding and appreciation of the medium.’
—The Hindu
‘Overwhelmingly impressive … Bibek is a truly eclectic scholar.’
—Business Line
‘Debroy’s lucid and nuanced retelling of the original makes the masterpiece even more enjoyably accessible.’
—Open
‘The quality of translation is excellent. The lucid language makes it a pleasure to read the various stories, digressions and parables.’
—The Tribune
‘Extremely well-organized, and has a substantial and helpful Introduction, plot summaries and notes. The volume is a beautiful example of a well thought-out layout which makes for much easier reading.’
—The Book Review
‘The dispassionate vision [Debroy] brings to this endeavour will surely earn him merit in the three worlds.’
—Mail Today
‘This [second] volume, as voluminous as the first one, is expectedly as scholarly … Like the earlier volume, the whole book is an easy read.’
—The Hindu
‘Debroy’s is not the only English translation available in the market, but where he scores and others fail is that his is the closest rendering of the original text in modern English without unduly complicating the readers’ understanding of the epic.’
—Business Standard
‘The brilliance of Ved Vysya comes through [in Volume 3], ably translated by Bibek Debroy.’
—Hindustan Times
About the Translator
Bibek Debroy is an economist and is Research Professor (Centre of Policy Research) and a columnist with Economic Times. He has worked in universities, research institutes, industry and for the government. He has published books, papers and popular articles in economics. But he has also published in Indology and translated (into English) the Vedas, the Puranas, the Upanishads and the Gita (Penguin India, 2005). His book Sarama and her Children: The Dog in Indian Myth (Penguin India, 2008) splices his interest in Hinduism with his love for dogs. He is currently translating the remaining volumes of the unabridged Mahabharata.
Ardha bhāryā manu yasya bhāryā śrehatama sakhā
Bhāryā mulam trivargasya bhāryā mitram mariyata
Mahabharata (1/68/40)
Nāsti bhāryāsamo bandhurnāsti bhāryasamā gati
Nāsti bhāryāsamo loke sahāyo dharmasādhana
Mahabharata (12/142/10)
Family Tree
Bharata/Puru
Introduction
The Hindu tradition has an amazingly large corpus of religious texts, spanning Vedas, Vedanta (brahmanas,1 aranyakas,2 Upanishads,), Vedangas,3 smritis, Puranas, dharmashastras and itihasa. For most of these texts, especially if one excludes classical Sanskrit literature, we don’t quite know when they were composed and by whom, not that one is looking for single authors. Some of the minor Puranas (Upa Purana) are of later vintage. For instance, the Bhavishya Purana (which is often listed as a major Purana or Maha Purana) mentions Queen Victoria.
In the listing of the corpus above figures itihasa, translated into English as history. History doesn’t entirely capture the nuance of itihasa, which is better translated as ‘this is indeed what happened’. Itihasa isn’t myth or fiction. It is a chronicle of what happened; it is fact. Or so runs the belief. And itihasa consists of India’s two major epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The former is believed to have been composed as poetry and the latter as prose. This isn’t quite correct. The Ramayana has segments in prose and the Mahabharata has segments in poetry. Itihasa doesn’t quite belong to the category of religious texts in a way that the Vedas and Vedanta are religious. However, the dividing line between what is religious and what is not is fuzzy. After all, itihasa is also about attaining the objectives of dharma,4 artha,5 kama6 and moksha7 and the Mahabharata includes Hinduism’s most important spiritual text—the Bhagavad Gita.
The epics are not part of the shruti tradition. That tradition is like revelation, without any composer. The epics are part of the smriti tradition. At the time they were composed, there was no question of texts being written down. They were recited, heard, memorized and passed down through the generations. But the smriti tradition had composers. The Ramayana was composed by Valmiki, regarded as the first poet or kavi. The word kavi has a secondary meaning as poet or rhymer. The primary meaning of kavi is someone who is wise. And in that sense, the composer of the Mahabharata was no less wise. This was Vedavyasa or Vyasadeva. He was so named because he classified (vyasa) the Vedas. Vedavyasa or Vyasadeva isn’t a proper name. It is a title. Once in a while, in accordance with the needs of the era, the Vedas need to be classified. Each such person obtains the title and there have been twenty-eight Vyasadevas so far.
At one level, the question about who composed the Mahabharata is pointless. According to popul
ar belief and according to what the Mahabharata itself states, it was composed by Krishna Dvaipayana Vedavyasa (Vyasadeva). But the text was not composed and cast in stone at a single point in time. Multiple authors kept adding layers and embellishing it. Sections just kept getting added and it is no one’s suggestion that Krishna Dvaipayana Vedavyasa composed the text of the Mahabharata as it stands today.
Consequently, the Mahabharata is far more unstructured than the Ramayana. The major sections of the Ramayana are known as kandas and one meaning of the word kanda is the stem or trunk of a tree, suggesting solidity. The major sections of the Mahabharata are known as parvas and while one meaning of the word parva is limb or member or joint, in its nuance there is greater fluidity in the word parva than in kanda.
The Vyasadeva we are concerned with had a proper name of Krishna Dvaipayana. He was born on an island (dvipa). That explains the Dvaipayana part of the name. He was dark. That explains the Krishna part of the name. (It wasn’t only the incarnation of Vishnu who had the name of Krishna.) Krishna Dvaipayana Vedavyasa was also related to the protagonists of the Mahabharata story. To go back to the origins, the Ramayana is about the solar dynasty, while the Mahabharata is about the lunar dynasty. As is to be expected, the lunar dynasty begins with Soma (the moon) and goes down through Pururava (who married the famous apsara Urvashi), Nahusha and Yayati. Yayati became old, but wasn’t ready to give up the pleasures of life. He asked his sons to temporarily loan him their youth. All but one refused. The ones who refused were cursed that they would never be kings, and this includes the Yadavas (descended from Yadu). The one who agreed was Puru and the lunar dynasty continued through him. Puru’s son Duhshanta was made famous by Kalidasa in the Duhshanta–Shakuntala story and their son was Bharata, contributing to the name of Bharatavarsha. Bharata’s grandson was Kuru. We often tend to think of the Kouravas as the evil protagonists in the Mahabharata story and the Pandavas as the good protagonists. Since Kuru was a common ancestor, the appellation Kourava applies equally to Yudhishthira and his brothers and Duryodhana and his brothers. Kuru’s grandson was Shantanu. Through Satyavati, Shantanu fathered Chitrangada and Vichitravirya. However, the sage Parashara had already fathered Krishna Dvaipayana through Satyavati. And Shantanu had already fathered Bhishma through Ganga. Dhritarasthra and Pandu were fathered on Vichitravirya’s wives by Krishna Dvaipayana.
The story of the epic is also about these antecedents and consequents. The core Mahabharata story is known to every Indian and is normally understood as a dispute between the Kouravas (descended from Dhritarashtra) and the Pandavas (descended from Pandu). However, this is a distilled version, which really begins with Shantanu. The non-distilled version takes us to the roots of the genealogical tree and at several points along this tree we confront a problem with impotence/sterility/death, resulting in offspring through a surrogate father. Such sons were accepted in that day and age. Nor was this a lunar dynasty problem alone. In the Ramayana, Dasharatha of the solar dynasty also had an infertility problem, corrected through a sacrifice. To return to the genealogical tree, the Pandavas won the Kurukshetra war. However, their five sons through Droupadi were killed. So was Bhima’s son Ghatotkacha, fathered on Hidimba. As was Arjuna’s son Abhimanyu, fathered on Subhadra. Abhimanyu’s son Parikshit inherited the throne in Hastinapura, but was killed by a serpent. Parikshit’s son was Janamejaya.