Mahabharata: Volume 8

by Debroy, Bibek

  170 Indra was the son of the sage Kashyapa.

  171 The wicked relatives are the demons, also descended from Kashyapa. Indra is believed to have attacked the demons 810 times.

  Chapter 1351(23)

  172 Arjuna’s name.

  173 Bibhatsu is also one of Arjuna’s names.

  174 The world after death.

  175 Accounts of Daksha’s creation are not consistent. In one version, Prachetasa was a son born through Brahma’s mental powers and Daksha was the son of Prachetasa.

  Chapter 1352(24)

  176 Likhita.

  Chapter 1353(25)

  177 The word used is tata.

  178 The text uses the word panya, which is a commodity that is bought or sold. This might be punya, as it is in some non-Critical versions. In that case—the kingdom must be made pure.

  179 That is, an accomplished king.

  180 Hayagriva, Vajigriva and Ashvagriva mean the same thing. Griva is neck and haya, vaji and ashva mean horse.

  Chapter 1354(26)

  181 This is Vyasa speaking.

  182 This is certainly a reference to sexual desire.

  183 The song is being indirectly reported and is therefore not within quotes.

  184 The sense is that these relationships are driven by selfish motives and therefore, not permanent.

  185 A king.

  Chapter 1355(27)

  186 Karna.

  187 Bhishma’s.

  188 Arjuna’s.

  189 This duel between Bhishma (Kouravya) and Parashurama (Bhargava) has been described in Section 60 (Volume 6).

  190 Described in Section 60 (Volume 6). The son of the river is Bhishma and the maidens are Amba, Ambika and Ambalika.

  191 In the text here, Ugrayudha is a proper name. However, there was no warrior by this name. As an adjective, Ugrayudha may mean a warrior who was fierce in the use of weapons. But that adjective could apply to any warrior.

  192 Yudhishthira is addressing Vedavyasa.

  193 Yudhishthira lied to Drona that Ashvatthama had been killed. This has been described in Section 71 (Volume 7).

  194 Yudhishthira wishes to cleanse himself so that he does not carry forward the sin and be born as a destroyer of the lineage in a future birth. An alternative interpretation is also possible. He does not wish to be reborn as an inferior species, which would also imply a destruction of the lineage.

  Chapter 1356(28)

  195 The normal lifespan expected for a man.

  196 The king must find an antidote for these suffering subjects.

  197 A little bit of liberty has been taken in translating this shloka.

  198 Freedom from old age and death.

  199 Through the succession of births.

  200 Dharma, artha and kama.

  201 Alternatively, crocodiles.

  202 The science of health and medicine.

  203 We have translated this as soul. But this doesn’t mean the atman. It means the linga-sharira, the subtle body made out of subtle elements, as opposed to the gross body.

  204 The king.

  205 This is probably a reference to the son being regarded as the father reborn. Alternatively, it can be a division between brahmacharya and garhasthya.

  Chapter 1357(29)

  206 Arjuna.

  207 Yudhishthira’s.

  208 Krishna’s.

  209 This is Krishna speaking to Yudhishthira.

  210 This is Narada speaking now.

  211 Marutta’s.

  212 Brihaspati’s younger brother.

  213 Chaityas or holy shrines. These were not necessarily temples.

  214 The gifts made by Marutta surpassed the collective gifts made by gods, men and gandharvas.

  215 Indra.

  216 Vasumati is the earth’s name and means someone (something) that possesses riches. When Suhotra ruled, the earth was prosperous.

  217 The seven sacrifices at which soma was offered were agnishtoma, atyagnishtoma, ukthya, shodashi, vajapeya, atiratra and aptoryama.

  218 That is, he conquered the entire earth and became its emperor.

  219 Within Narada’s statement, this doesn’t belong, since we haven’t been told that King Srinjaya belonged to the Bharata lineage.

  220 When Duhshanta had deserted Shakuntala, the sage Kanva had given shelter to Shakuntala and Bharata.

  221 Bhagiratha.

  222 Urvashi means someone who is seated on the thigh (lap). In an attempt to rescue his ancestors, who had been reduced to ashes by the sage Kapila, Bhagiratha performed austerities in the Himalayas and persuaded Ganga to descend from heaven.

  223 Ganga flows in heaven, the earth and the nether regions.

  224 Chief of the gandharvas.

  225 The kingdom was safe.

  226 Yuvanashva had no son and some sages gave him some consecrated clarified water, meant for his wife. Thirsty, Yuvanashva drank this by mistake and conceived.

  227 Etymologically, mandhata can be broken up as—he will suck me.

  228 The rohita fish is a kind of carp, Cyprinus rohita (rohu). A yojana is a measure of distance, usually between 8 and 9 miles.

  229 Stick from the wood of a shami tree, a tree similar to the acacia.

  230 Yayati had five sons—Yadu, Turvasu, Druhyu, Anu and Puru. Puru was the youngest. When Yayati became old, and was still addicted to worldly pleasures, he asked his sons to temporarily accept his old age and give him their young age. Since all except Puru refused, they were disinherited and Puru succeeded Yayati.

  231 After dying, they went the way of their ancestors.

  232 Exclamation made when the ancestors are offered oblations.

  233 This is the boon Rantideva asked for.

  234 The Chambal. Charma means hide or skin and Charmanvati is something that has hides or skins.

  235 This is a reflection of the number of guests who were entertained.

  236 The moon.

  237 That is, Sagara was a universal emperor.

  238 Searching for the horse used at the horse sacrifice, which was stolen by Indra, Sagara’s sons dug up the earth. The ocean is known as saagara, named after Sagara.

  239 Vena was a wicked king and the earth suffered. The sages killed Vena and created Prithu from Vena’s dead body. The word Prithu is derived from a root that means extending or spreading. Prithu was so named because he would extend the earth and the earth (prithivi) is named after Prithu.

  240 Literally, a kshatriya is someone who saves from injury (kshata). Prithu was thus a kshatriya.

  241 Raja means king. Here, raja is etymologically being derived from the word raga (affection) or the allied raja (affection).

  242 Of a tree.

  243 This might mean that Prithu fixed the boundaries between the ocean and the land.

  244 A nala is a measure of distance, equal to six feet.

  245 The sage Parvata.

  246 Another name for Svarnashthivi. We have interpreted Hiranyanabha as a proper noun rather than as an adjective, meaning one with a golden navel.

  Chapter 1358(30)

  247 Both kanchana and svarna mean gold, so Svarnashthivi is the same as Kanchanashthivi. Both words mean someone with golden excreta. Suvarnashthivi has the same meaning.

  248 Narada was the maternal uncle and Parvata was his sister’s son.

  Chapter 1359(31)

  249 That is, alive.

  250 That is, his excreta were golden.

  251 Narada and Parvata.

  252 At the prospect that the child might overthrow him.

  253 The Ganga (Bhagirathi) was a mountainous stream there.

  254 The king had more than one wife.

  255 This is Narada speaking.

  256 The stories of the kings, described in Chapter 1356(29).

  257 That is, he died.

  Chapter 1360(32)

  258 Kshatriyas must protect everyone in the pursuit of dharma and punish those who are against dharma.

  259 The Kouravas.

  260 The one
s who committed the sin warranting punishment.

  261 There is no hereafter and no birth after death. Therefore, one might as well perform the good deed of ruling the kingdom. The three possibilities of deeds being done by the Lord, man or past deeds are being disposed of.

  262 This is a different line of argument. If everything is based on past deeds, there are no good and bad deeds. Hence, if a classification of good and bad deeds is required, the only one who can do that is the king.

  263 Prayaschitta.

  264 If there have been evil deeds, it is better to atone for them in this life, instead of carrying forward the fruits to the next life.

  Chapter 1362(34)

  265 The destruction in the war.

  266 The ones who have been killed.

  267 The gods and the demons were descended from the sage Kashyapa, but had different mothers.

  268 The brahmanas who helped the demons. Literally, shala means jackal and vrika means wolf.

  269 Indra’s name is Shatakratu, shata meaning one hundred and kratu meaning sacrifice.

  270 The kingdoms of the kings who have been slain.

  Chapter 1363(35)

  271 The word didhishu has different meanings—a widow who has remarried, a woman who has married twice, or an elder sister who marries before the younger sister.

  272 Probably meaning a traitor.

  273 A good reason being a sacrifice.

  274 That is, one who sells knowledge.

  275 These are sins that require atonement.

  276 The text uses the word rasa. This has multiple meanings, such as salt, juice and spices. Other than liquor, it is not obvious why the selling of any of these other items should be regarded as a sin.

  277 Birds and animals, that is, killing them unnecessarily.

  278 Presumably by a physician.

  279 Shvetaketu was Uddalaka’s son and their stories figure in the Upanishads, particularly Chandogya Upanishad. However, this bit about Shvetaketu being born to Uddalaka through a disciple is not mentioned elsewhere.

  280 Implicitly, a wife who is adulterous.

  281 That is, it should really be used in sacrifices to the gods.

  282 To create pastureland.

  Chapter 1364(36)

  283 This chapter is about atonement and there are several places where the shlokas are cryptic and not clear. Some liberties have therefore been taken with the text and there is some subjectivity.

  284 A skull and khattanga (bedpost) being held as rod or staff are the signs of mendicancy. The broken bed is symbolic of the giving up of the bed and the comforts of a household.

  285 The translation doesn’t capture the nature of the hardship (krichchha) diet. In this kind of practice, one only eats in the morning for three days, only in the evening for the next three days, nothing that is not obtained through begging in the next three days and fasts for three more days. This cycle of twelve days continues and one is purified in six years. If this cycle is modified by replacing a seven-day span in odd-numbered months and an eight-day span in even-numbered months, one is purified in three years.

  286 The great journey (mahaprasthana) is death. The suggestion is of killing oneself.

  287 By giving the preceptor an agreeable gift.

  288 The elder brother.

  289 Of the younger brother.

  290 The brahmana texts associated with the Vedas.

  291 Another name for the gayatri mantra.

  292 The atman.

  293 Good and bad deeds.

  294 A great sin is pataka or mahapataka, while a minor sin is upapataka. While it is agreed that there are five great or major sins, the listing of those sins varies. But something like killing a brahmana or having intercourse with a preceptor’s wife would figure in all such lists.

  Chapter 1365(37)

  295 This is Manu speaking.

  296 Death and rebirth, immortality meaning freedom from this cycle.

  297 Class or ethnic group.

  298 Guild or association.

  299 Settlement.

  300 The focus is thus on individual dharma, as opposed to dharma of groups or collectives.

  301 Fruit like a plum, Cordia myxa.

  302 The brahminy duck.

  303 Two different kinds of vultures are mentioned, bhasa and gridhra.

  304 Payasa.

  305 Krisara.

  306 Without a sacrifice in mind.

  307 Acacia.

  308 This is Vyasa speaking again.

  Chapter 1366(38)

  309 That is, spoke to Yudhishthira.

  310 Ganga’s.

  311 Studied policy under Brihaspati.

  312 Shukracharya, the preceptor of the demons.

  313 The grandfather is Brahma and his eldest son (born through his mental powers) was Sanatkumara. We have translated adhyatma as transcendental.

  314 Parashurama.

  315 Krishna.

  316 Literally, the one whom the entire world has heard of. That is, Krishna.

  317 A sage.

  318 The moon.

  319 The names of Krishna’s horses.

  320 Dhritarashtra.

  321 Hastinapura.

  Chapter 1367(39)

  322 Goutami means Ahalya, the sage Goutama’s wife. There was a drought and there was no food. Because of a boon, Ahalya had plenty of food and tended to the suffering maharshis.

  323 Krishnaa, Droupadi.

  324 Clearly referring to some kind of temple inside the palace.

  325 The family priest of the Pandavas.

  326 Dhritarashtra.

  327 The use of the word Bharati causes a problem of interpretation. In a straightforward way, Bharati is nothing but speech personified, especially Sanskrit speech. Meaning is artha, a line or quarter of a shloka is pada and syllable is an akshara. But does Bharati mean a reference to the goddess Sarasvati, especially since swans have been mentioned? This is possible, but not necessarily true.

  328 There was a passing reference to Charvaka in Section 77 (Volume 7). There was a famous Charvaka, the founder of a materialist and atheist school of philosophy. This is not the famous Charvaka. The word charvaka means someone who is beautiful in speech.

  329 A specific type of mendicant, not to be confused with the samkhya school of philosophy.

  330 A rod with three staffs tied together is the mark of a mendicant.

  331 They saw through Charvaka’s disguise.

  332 Though Duryodhana is dead, trying to ensure Duryodhana’s welfare by maligning Yudhishthira.

  333 The word used in the text is humkara. This means to utter the sound hum.

  334 The word used is tata. This means father, but is affectionately used towards anyone who is older or senior. Yudhishthira was older than Krishna.

  335 Badarikashrama.

  336 Since this is within Brahma’s quote, it doesn’t belong.

  337 Towards Duryodhana.

  Chapter 1368(40)

  338 The priest of the Kouravas.

  339 Yudhishthira.

  340 There is a minor inconsistency. This priest can only be Dhoumya and he is seated.

  341 Names of trees.

  342 The sacred fig tree.

  343 Krishna’s.

  344 Literally, a seat that is fortunate or auspicious in all directions. This can also be interpreted as a seat that is symmetric in all directions, such as circular, or even in the form of a square.

  345 Dhoumya.

  Chapter 1369(41)

  346 This might mean either Yudhishthira or Dhritarashtra, probably the former.

  347 Usually, but not universally, understood as discipline, duties of government servants, ensuring law and order, the conduct of courtiers, the removal of obstructions and dealing with other kingdoms. Alternatively, peace, war, marching, halting, creating dissension and defence of the kingdom.

  348 Dhritarashtra.

  349 Dhritarashtra’s.

  Chapter 1370(42)

  350 These are funeral rites being performed on
e month after death, they are shraddha ceremonies.

  351 Ghatotkacha.

  Chapter 1371(43)

  352 Probably suggesting that the period of mourning is over.

  353 Yadavas.

  354 Obviously, such a numbering is not given in the text. We have given it to suggest the idea that it must have been the intention to mention 100 of Krishna’s names. In the listing we have given, it falls short at ninety-five. But that’s also because it is not always clear what should be included. For example, should lord of the Satvatas also be included in the numbered list? How about Pundarikaksha? The translations of the names have not been given in the obvious instances.

  355 Creator of the universe.

  356 Soul of the universe.

  357 The origin of the universe.

  358 This causes problems of interpretation. The Puranas speak of Vishnu having been born in Aditi’s womb on seven occasions. However, the text here clearly says nights, not occasions. Vishnu is one of the Adityas and is Aditi’s son. As vamana (dwarf) incarnation, Vishnu was specifically Aditi’s son. In addition, Devaki, Krishna’s mother, was an incarnation of Aditi. In all probability, this refers to the seven sons of Devaki, the first six having been killed by Kamsa.

  359 Four of Vishnu’s incarnations in satya yuga, three in treta yuga and two in dvapara yuga.

  360 Someone who is heard of as being pure.

  361 Lord of the senses.

  362 Someone to whom offerings of clarified butter are made.

  363 One with three eyes.

  364 The lord.

  365 Boar, referring to the incarnation.

  366 The large sun.

  367 With the sign of the bull on the banner.

  368 With the mark of Tarkshya (Garuda) on the banner.

  369 One who can withstand armies.

  370 One who is pervaded by rays.