2Duryodhana.
3Dhritarashtra.
4Sanjaya.
5The word used is tata.
6Specifically, a woman with beautiful hips.
7This incident has been recounted in Section 59 (Volume 4).
8Twice a ratha.
9Parashurama.
10Sanjaya.
11Vrisha is Karna’s name.
12There is a pun that can’t be captured in the English. Vasu means riches or prosperity and the earth is Vasundhara, the store of riches.
13Heading towards death.
14Meaning the Pandavas.
15Without specifically naming anyone, Karna is clearly casting aspersions on some on the Kourava side.
16Bhishma.
17Arjuna.
18The one with three eyes, Mahadeva. This encounter has been described in Section 31 (Volume 2).
19Indra has a thousand eyes.
20Rajapura was the capital of the Kamboja kingdom. On Duryodhana’s behalf, Karna led an expedition there.
21Girivraja (Rajagriha or Rajgir) was the capital of Magadha and is now in Bihar.
22The word used is tata.
23This may be an allusion to Karna being Kunti’s son.
24Respectively, Shukra (the preceptor of the demons) and Brihaspati (the preceptor of the gods, referred to as Angiras).
25In the singular, Rudra is used as a name for Shiva. In the plural, the Rudras are eleven in number. When the eleven Rudras are mentioned by name, Kapali is one of the names. However, Kapali is also one of Shiva’s names. There are eight Vasus and Agni is mentioned as the first one. Pavaka is a name for Agni. Kubera is the lord of the yakshas and the Maruts are wind gods who follow Indra (Vasava). In the context of the ancestors, Dharma means Yama. While the Adityas are gods in general, their number is sometimes said to be seven or twelve and Varuna (king of the waters) figures prominently. The sons of Diti are daityas or demons and their preceptor is Shukra (Ushanas).
26Pavaka is Agni and by Agni’s son, one means Kartikeya.
27The six vedangas are shiksha (articulation and pronunciation), chhanda (prosody), vyakarana (grammar), nirukta (etymology), jyotisha (astronomy) and kalpa (rituals).
28Shakata, meaning carriage or cart. The array was probably in the form of a wedge.
29Krouncha, curlew or osprey.
30Krishna.
31Kakuda, which means hump. The suggestion is that this standard was the centre of the army.
32Krishna, Arjuna, Gandiva and Sudarshana.
33Meaning the Kourava soldiers.
34The left side is inauspicious.
35Drona.
36Drona.
37Yajnasena is Drupada and by Drupada’s son, one means Dhrishtadyumna here. Prishata is also one of Drupada’s names and Dhrishtadyumna is Parshata.
38More accurately, a circle made out of firebrands.
39Drona was born from a pot.
40The word used is tata.
41Usually, five types of weapons are mentioned—mukta (those that are released from the hand, like a chakra), amukta (those that are never released, like a sword), muktamukta (those that can be released or not released, like a spear), yantramukta (those that are released from an implement, like an arrow) and mantramukta (magical weapons unleashed with incantations). These are categories of weapons. Alternatively, especially for magical and celestial weapons, there are the five techniques of employing, restraining, returning, pacifying and counteracting. However, Dhanurveda (the art of war) is usually described as having four parts. In the category-wise classification, this means that mantramukta weapons are not included.
42Bearing the chariot.
43Itihasa–Purana, the epics and the Purana literature, are referred to as the fifth Veda.
44Though not explicitly stated, this is Dhritarashtra speaking.
45That is, a female elephant. The imagery is of elephants fighting over a she-elephant.
46Duryodhana’s.
47Satyaki.
48Parashurama’s.
49Satyaki.
50The gate to the mountains may be a reference to Girivraja.
51Actually meaning the state of Duryodhana’s mind.
52The mother in question is Kunti. Kunti’s sister was Shrutakirti and she was married to the Kekaya king, Dhrishtaketu.
53This is a reference to Dhrishtadyumna.
54Ushinara’s son is Shibi. But son is being used in an extended sense here, meaning grandson. The person in question is Shaibya, Shibi’s son and Ushinara’s grandson.
55Ghatotkacha grew up in a single day.
56This is the demon Keshi, sent by Kamsa to kill Krishna. Keshi adopted the form of a horse. Having killed Keshi, Krishna came to be known as Keshava.
57Arishtasura, also sent by Kamsa to kill Krishna.
58That is, without using any weapons.
59The wife in question is Rukmini. There is a story about Durvasa visiting Krishna and Rukmini and their worshipping him with rice and milk. Durvasa asked Krishna to smear the remnants all over his body. Krishna did this, leaving out the feet. Durvasa granted Krishna the boon that he would not be killed through any part of the body that had been smeared with the remaining rice and milk.
60Satyabhama was the princess of Gandhara.
61Jarasandha was killed by Bhima, but Bhima was instigated by Krishna. The incident has been described in Section 22 (Volume 2).
62The king of Chedi is Shishupala. The incident has been described in Section 25 (Volume 2).
63This has been described in Section 31 (Volume 2).
64Nanda (Krishna’s foster-father) was abducted by Varuna’s servants and rescued by Krishna and Balarama.
65The sage Sandipani was Krishna’s teacher and Sandipani’s son was abducted by the demon Panchajana. Krishna killed Panchajana the conch shell Panchajanya was made out of Panchajana’s bones.
66Sudarshana chakra.
67Vinata’s son is Garuda and Amaravati is Indra’s capital.
68This is a reference to Krishna manifesting his own self. The incident has been described in Section 54 (Volume 4).
69Balarama. However, Balarama decided to remain neutral and went away on a pilgrimage.
70The word used is tata.
71Having been born as men, they resort to human means alone.
72Ajatashatru is Yudhishthira’s name and means someone who has no enemies.
73Yudhishthira.
74The word used is tata.
75Drona.
76Sahadeva’s.
77Bhima.
78Kripa.
79Kritavarma.
80Susharma.
81Shikhandi.
82Hiranyaksha was slain by Vishnu in his varaha (boar) incarnation and the battle between the two lasted for one thousand years.
83Kritavarma.
84Garuda.
85Krishna means Arjuna in this context.
86Jayadratha.
87The text mentions three specific techniques of fighting with the sword—sampata, abhipata and nipata. Loosely, these can be translated as whirling, striking and descending.
88Shalya.
89Yama.
90Obviously, he had picked up another club.
91On the Pandava side.
92Garuda.
93Yudhishthira’s.
94Drona.
95After having captured Yudhishthira.
96The two acts.
Section Sixty-Six: Samshaptaka Vadha Parva
1This is happening on the eve of the next day’s battle.
2Yudhishthira.
3Before Duryodhana.
4Prasthala is the capital of Trigarta.
5In the hereafter.
6A royal grant is given in the expectation of a quid pro quo. Stealing means violating the conditions of the grant.
7Those worlds.
8Literally translated, the text means the region inhabited by the ancestors. This is the southern direction.
9The word used is tata.
10Susharma.
11This is a reference to the incidents recounted in Section 49 (Volume 4), when both Duryodhana and Arjuna had solicited Krishna’s help. Arjuna had opted for the unarmed Krishna and Duryodhana for the cowherds known as Narayana soldiers. The Narayana soldiers are partly being equated with the samshaptakas.
12That is, many different forms of Krishna and Arjuna appeared.
13Vayavya is a divine weapon named after Vayu, the wind god.
14Such as at dawn.
15Implying that they were about to die.
16The text uses the word Suparna, which is the same as Garuda.
17Kripa.
18The Kalingas were divided into various segments.
19As with the Kalingas, there is repetition here too.
20That is, they were prepared to die.
21Bhagadatta.
22The third of the twenty-seven nakshatras, Pleiades.
23Bhagadatta.
24They are white.
25Dhrishtadyumna was destined to kill Drona.
26The word used is ekachara. The elephants were solitary, as if they had lost their herds. Ekachara also means a rhinoceros. Therefore, an alternative translation is also possible. The elephants wandered around, like rhinos.
27The enemy.
28They lost their standards and the signs of belonging to specific divisions.
29Virochana’s son was Bali.
30Drona.
31The river.
32The severed arms of warriors.
33Along the banks of the river.
34Because he did not stay to fight.
35This particular Panchala is not named.
36The Pandavas.
37The Kouravas surrounded the Pandavas.
38Before the gambling match, Duryodhana had tried poisoning and arson.
39Bhima will also use horses, elephants, men and chariots as implements of war.
40Meaning the Pandavas.
41The horses were dappled.
42Satyaki.
43Yudhishthira.
44Virata.
45Patala is a kind of rose or the trumpet-flower. The complexion is reddish pink.
46Uttara.
47Showered arrows.
48Prativindhya was Yudhishthira’s son, Sutasoma Bhima’s, Shrutakarma Arjuna’s, Shatanika Nakula’s and Shrutasena Sahadeva’s. All five were Droupadi’s sons.
49This Partha is Bhima. Dhoumya was priest to the Pandavas. He encouraged them to participate in Droupadi’s svayamvara and was also the priest when each of the five Pandavas were married to Droupadi. Having said this, there is no particular reason to single out Dhoumya for Sutasoma.
50Masha is wild bean and the colour of the flowers is whitish yellow.
51The text uses the word somasa. That is, Sutasoma was born in the midst of the Somasas. Some non-critical versions say Somakas. We have interpreted Somasas as those of the lunar lineage, since all the Bharatas were born in the lunar dynasty. Sutasoma literally means the son of Soma (the moon) and Udayendu means the rising moon. There is some problem with the text in this segment.
52Shrutakirti is the same as Shrutakarma. This should probably read Shrutasena.
53Depending on whether this is Shrutakarma or Shrutasena, the Partha in question is Arjuna or Sahadeva.
54Dhrishtadyumna would kill Drona.
55The text is such that this can be translated as Vaishravana (Vishrava’s son) Yama or Yama and Vaishravana (Kubera).
56Kuntibhoja was Kunti’s father and Purujit was Kuntibhoja’s son. By extension, Purujit is also being referred to as Kuntibhoja, since he was Kuntibhoja’s son. As Kunti’s brother, Purujit was Arjuna’s maternal uncle.
57Meaning Indra’s bow, that is, the rainbow.
58Not to be confused with the more famous Janamejaya who was Parikshit’s son and to whom, the story of the Mahabharata is being told.
59It is by no means obvious that this Panchala means Drupada. Drupada has already been mentioned and this could be anyone from Panchala.
60The medicinal herb Ailanthus excelsa.
61Some of the Kekayas were opposed to Duryodhana.
62The word used is tata.
63Vidura.
64In the sense of a metaphor.
65Bhima.
66This entire chapter has inconsistencies and doesn’t quite belong.
67The deed was cruel because Drona was a brahmana and killing a brahmana was cruel.
68Meaning Satyaki.
69This is inconsistent. All of Duryodhana’s brothers were killed by Bhima. And Subahu has already been killed by Bhima in Section 64.
70The demon Bali was eventually vanquished by Vishnu in his dwarf (vamana) incarnation. Prior to that, Bali defeated the gods. However, there is no particular story connecting Agni with Bali.
71There is a problem with this. Bhimaratha is Duryodhana’s brother and was killed by Bhima in Section 64. Shalva was killed much later, by Satyaki. Chitrasena is also Duryodhana’s brother.
72References to Ashvatthama.
73Durmukha’s.
74Meaning Satyaki.
75The king of Chedi.
76Descriptions of Somadatta’s son, Bhurishrava.
77However, Manimana will later be killed by Drona.
78The implication is that Bhurishrava’s charioteer was also slain.
79There were several demons named Shambara. One of them was killed by Indra.
80The Pandavas.
81Bhima.
82Because they were wounded, the elephants were streaked with blood.
83Duryodhana’s.
84Meaning, the lord of Anga.
85In ancient times, mountains are believed to have possessed wings.
86Back to Bhagadatta.
87The wind is the friend of the fire.
88In fighting with elephants. Effectively meaning that there is no one superior to Bhagadatta.
89Bhagadatta was Indra’s friend.
90These were the followers of Krishna who participated on the Kourava side in the war.
91Arjuna.
92Garuda.
93The elephant.
94The rules of fair combat required one to fight from the front, not the sides or the rear.
95Krishna is one of Arjuna’s names.
96Bhagadatta.
97Indra is Paka’s destroyer and Arjuna was Indra’s son.
98Implying that Bhagadatta would not look upon the world for long.
99Any divine weapon possessed the characteristic that with the appropriate mantra, any object could be invested with the power of the weapon. Thus, the vaishnava weapon was invoked on the goad.
100While vaijayanti literally means a garland that portends of victory, it is also the name of Vishnu’s garland or necklace.
101The demon Naraka was the earth’s son.
102Naraka was killed by Krishna, when he began to oppress women. Naraka ruled in Pragjyotisha and Bhagadatta was Naraka’s son.
103Bhagadatta was actually Indra’s friend.
104The Indian laburnum.
105Vrishaka.
106The text should be translated as two months, not several months. An alternative translation of two months of summer, excluding the monsoon, is also possible.
107Nalikas. However, these can be any hollowed weapon.
108The word used is srimara. While this is a kind of small deer, in general it also means an animal that frequents marshy places and has been identified as nilgai.
109The word used is rakshasas. But in this context, the more general flesh-eater is more appropriate.
110This was part of Shakuni’s maya too.
111Jyotisha has several meanings. It can also be translated as light.
112Alternatively, my right.
113Dhrishtadyumna.
114Nila was the king of Mahishmati and there was an ancient enmity between him and Ashvatthama.
115Nila pierced Ashvatthama.
116The image is of a bird flying away with a prey in its talons.
117Nila.
118That is, on beds made out of arrows.
119Because of the blood.
120Dhrishtadyumna.
121The word used in the text is dhumaketu. While this means comet, it can also be translated as something that has smoke as its banner, that is, a fire.
122Shatrunjaya and Vipatha are sometimes stated to have been Karna’s sons, though they are described as brothers here.
123Garuda.
Mahabharata: Vol. 5 Page 68