Mahabharata: Volume 7

by Debroy, Bibek

  108 Shakuni.

  109 Before Drona arrived, Kripa taught the Kouravas and the Pandavas the art of fighting.

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  110 In Section 72 (Volume 6), Ashvatthama used the divine narayana astra, which was countered through Krishna’s advice.

  111 Probably meaning Arjuna.

  112 A vyuha is an arrangement of troops in battle formation and there were different types of vyuhas.

  113 Duryodhana.

  114 Meaning Duryodhana’s, not Karna’s.

  115 The word used is tata.

  116 That is, Drona was made the commander.

  117 The performer of one hundred sacrifices, Indra’s name.

  118 The sprinkling of water is part of the act of consecration.

  119 Clearly, other vessels.

  120 Udumbara, the sacred fig tree.

  121 The tarakamaya battle was a famous and ancient battle fought between the gods and the demons.

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  122 Duryodhana.

  123 Unidentified weapon that could kill one hundred people at one go.

  124 The word used is tata.

  125 Mythical animal that can be translated as crocodile or shark.

  126 Gopalas are cowherds. The narayana and gopala soldiers were offered by Krishna to Duryodhana.

  127 This means on the rear right leg. Sushena was one of Duryodhana’s brothers. However, he has already been killed by Bhima in Section 69 (Volume 6) and this is also true of Chitrasena. Therefore, Chitrasena and Chitra mentioned here were probably not Duryodhana’s brothers.

  128 Among the Kouravas.

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  129 Vimanas.

  130 Mount Udaya is believed to be the mountain from behind which, the sun rises. The sun is believed to set behind Mount Asta. The mountain is being compared to the elephant and the palace to Bhima.

  131 Bhima’s.

  132 Kshemadhurti has already been killed. But this is a different Kshemadhurti, the king of Kuluta.

  133 This shloka is not very clear and is difficult to translate. But one can guess the meaning. The sun has seven horses, hence the seven suns. And Bhima has been struck by seven spears.

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  134 Not to be confused with Vinda and Anuvinda from Avanti. Those two were killed by Arjuna in Section 69 (Volume 6).

  135 Prativindhya was Droupadi’s son through Yudhishthira, Sutasoma through Bhima, Shrutakarma (or Shrutakirti) through Arjuna, Shatanika through Nakula and Shrutasena through Sahadeva.

  136 This should probably read Shrutasena.

  137 While Shouri is usually used for Krishna, Shouri means Shura’s descendant and Shura was a common ancestor. The Yadavas are also referred to as Satvatas.

  138 There were several demons named Shambara. Since they were killed in different battles, we don’t know which of the various Shambaras is meant.

  139 Vinda.

  140 The text uses the word shakti, which means spear. Since these were tufted and sharpened on stone, arrows are indicated instead.

  141 Tree with red blossoms.

  142 Jambha was a demon killed by Indra. But there was also another demon named Jambha who was killed by Krishna or Vishnu.

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  143 So we now know that this was a different Chitrasena and Chitra was his brother.

  144 In non-Critical versions, there are shlokas that say that Chitrasena became unconscious.

  145 Shrutakarma’s.

  146 The text says Chitravarma. Either Chitravarma was another name for Chitrasena, or there is a typo.

  147 Yama.

  148 The text uses the word putra (son) and not poutra (grandson). In an extended sense, Prativindhya was Dhritrarashtra’s grandson and assuming that putra is not a typo, the word son can also be interpreted in a broad sense. This shloka is stated such that it is not clear who is doing the hurling of the spear at whom. Given the context, Chitra must have hurled the spear towards Prativindhya. But it is also possible that Chitra from Abhisara was confused with the Chitra who was Dhritarashtra’s son, in which case, ‘son’ makes sense and Prativindhya did the hurling of the spear.

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  149 The siddhas are a semi-divine species, inhabiting the area between the sun and the earth and 88,000 in number.

  150 The text uses the word kala. The moon has sixteen kalas or phases and sixteen kalas constitute the whole.

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  151 However, in Section 66 (Volume 5), Arjuna had effectively destroyed the samshaptakas.

  152 Arjuna.

  153 Trivenu. Literally, trivenu means something with three poles. A trivenu was a triangular piece made out of bamboo, used to provide strength to a chariot. The base was towards the chariot. The other two poles were extended in the direction of the horses and were fastened to the central yoke.

  154 Divine sage.

  155 Celestial singers.

  156 Shiva.

  157 Nara and Narayana are ancient sages. Nara is identified with Arjuna and Narayana with Krishna.

  158 Krishna is also one of Arjuna’s names.

  159 Since Drona and Ashvatthama obtained a livelihood from Duryodhana.

  160 The one without decay, Krishna’s name.

  161 Measure of distance equal to two miles.

  162 The image is that of an ocean.

  163 Arjuna.

  164 This translation doesn’t capture the entire nuance. The words used are pankteya (desirable or admissible), vis-à-vis apankteya (undesirable or inadmissible). Pankti means line or row. Pankteyas are those with whom one sits down in the same row to eat. Apankteyas are those with whom one does not eat together. One will serve pankteyas first.

  165 Brihaspati is the son of the sage Angirasa and is the preceptor of the gods. Shukra is the preceptor of the demons and Brihaspati and Shukra are therefore rivals. Brihaspati is Jupiter and Shukra is Venus.

  166 One of the translations of nakshatra is constellation. It can also be translated as a star.

  167 Yama’s.

  168 Samshaptakas did not retreat. The word ‘wishes’ needs an explanation, since, without the pun, its inclusion seems strange. Ratha is a chariot. Manoratha is a chariot of the mind, that is, a wish or a desire.

  169 Kubera.

  170 Ashvatthama.

  171 Ashvatthama.

  172 There is no obvious connection between Arjuna and the sage Angirasa. However, Angirasa is also described as the first man. Hence, this probably means no more than that Arjuna was the best among men.

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  173 Dandadhara was a king from Magadha and he and his brother, Danda, fought on the side of the Kouravas. The Magadhas were divided in the war. Sahadeva, Jarasandha’s son, fought on the side of the Pandavas. Jayatsena is also described as a son of Jarasandha. While he is usually described as having fought on the side of the Kouravas, there are also places where he is described as belonging to the Pandava side.

  174 The text uses the word vikacha, which has several meanings, including brilliant. The word also means a kind of comet. Finally, the word can mean a hairless or headless person. Using the headless angle, this part of the text has sometimes been interpreted as a reference to Ketu, who does not possess a head. In that event, this is one of the rare instances where Ketu is mentioned, Rahu having been frequently mentioned.

  175 Vikacha again.

  176 Literally, black iron, interpreted as steel.

  177 Girivraja (or Rajagriha or Rajgir) was the capital of Magadha.

  178 Indra’s younger brother, referred to as Upendra, is Vishnu or Krishna.

  179 The elephant was white.

  180 Equal to the two elephants that had been brought down.

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  181 Mars.

  182 A specific type of malignant snake called dandashuka.

  183 Ugrayudha’s.

  184 The other warriors.

  185 Parshni has different meanings. When four horses are attached to a
chariot, it means one of the outside horses. It can also mean one of the two charioteers who drive the outside horses, as opposed to the main charioteer (sarathi), or someone who guards the axles.

  186 If chakra has to be translated, it can only be translated as disc or discus. The chakra is Vishnu and Krishna’s weapon.

  187 The hands having been severed. The heads have also been severed.

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  188 Chariots, horses, elephants and infantry.

  189 Ashvatthama.

  190 The sense is of untimely showers destroying crops.

  191 Tryambaka, the three-eyed one, is one of Shiva’s names and Shiva killed a demon named Andhaka.

  192 Pandya. Malayadhvaja was clearly his name and he was the king of Pandya. He is also described a little later as the lord of Malaya or the lord of the mountains, since Malaya is a mountain.

  193 To make it clearer, Ashvatthama shot nine arrows. Five were cut down by Pandya, but the remaining four killed his horses.

  194 Three hours.

  195 Divine weapon named after Vayu, the wind god.

  196 Pandya.

  197 He being one of the peaks and the elephant, or its head, being the other.

  198 By the spear.

  199 Ashvatthama.

  200 Tarkshya is Garuda’s name.

  201 Vishakha is the sixteenth of the twenty-seven nakshatras, but is being used here as a general term for a nakshatra. That is, he was as resplendent as the moon between two nakshatras.

  202 Bali was a king of the demons who conquered the three worlds and dislodged Indra. In his vamana (dwarf) incarnation, Vishnu vanquished Bali and obtained heaven back for Indra.

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  203 Shiva’s boon has been described in Section 31 (Volume 2).

  204 Yudhishthira.

  205 Of elephants.

  206 That is, they were killed with the first arrow.

  207 Dhrishtadyumna.

  208 A reference to Yama.

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  209 Barbarians, those who do not speak Sanskrit.

  210 The king of Vanga’s.

  211 The king of Vanga.

  212 The king of Anga.

  213 One has to deduce what this means. The person killed was actually the prince of Anga, though referred to as the king of Anga. The king of Anga was the preceptor of all those from Anga. The Critical edition uses the expression acharyaputra, meaning the preceptor’s son. Some non-Critical versions directly say, the son of Anga.

  214 Of the elephants.

  215 The Kourava soldiers.

  216 The Kourava soldiers.

  217 By excising a shloka, the Critical edition has a break in continuity here. In the missing shloka, Duhshasana hurled the sword towards Sahadeva.

  218 Mental fever.

  219 The word used is tata and it means son. But it is also used to address anyone who is younger or junior.

  220 Karna.

  221 That is, creatures like birds could not descend from the sky.

  222 Karna gave word to Kunti that he would not kill any of the Pandavas, with the exception of Arjuna. That promise has been described in Section 55 (Volume 4). The placing of the bowstring around the neck is a sign of subjugation.

  223 Shakra’s bow is the rainbow.

  224 Karna.

  225 Dragged around by the horses.

  226 Karna, born from Kunti, was the son of the sun god, Surya.

  227 The sun.

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  228 Yuyutsu was Dhritarashtra’s son through a vaishya woman. He fought the war on the side of the Pandavas. Uluka was Shakuni’s son.

  229 Arrow with a razor-sharp tip.

  230 Uluka.

  231 Yuyutsu.

  232 This doesn’t quite fit. The standard listing of Duryodhana’s brothers doesn’t include Shrutakarma. The closest one gets is Rudrakarma. Shrutakarma or Shrutakirti is Arjuna’s son, through Droupadi. Shatanika is Nakula’s son.

  233 Vivitsu was one of Duryodhana’s brothers.

  234 Prativindhya was Yudhishthira’s son.

  235 Bhima’s son through Droupadi.

  236 Sutasoma.

  237 Shakuni.

  238 There were different types of motions prescribed for fighting with a sword, variously described as twenty-one, twenty-four and thirty-two.

  239 Garuda.

  240 Shakuni.

  241 Shakuni’s.

  242 Sharabha has many meanings—young elephant, camel. It is also a mythical animal with eight legs, believed to be stronger than a lion. In this context, one probably means the mythical animal.

  243 Dhrishtadyumna.

  244 Kripa was the preceptor of the Pandavas and the Kouravas before Drona turned up.

  245 The word used is tata.

  246 Kritavarma, Hridika’s son.

  247 Shikhandi’s.

  248 Kritavarma’s.

  249 Kritavarma.

  250 Shikhandi.

  251 Shikhandi.

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  252 Arjuna.

  253 Garuda.

  254 Arjuna.

  255 Krishna.

  256 Divine missile named after Indra.

  257 Duryodhana.

  258 Yudhishthira.

  259 The elephant riders discerned that the flinging away of ornaments was a sign of victory and pierced the foot soldiers.

  260 Because they were fighting with another person, they were ignorant that they were being attacked by a third party.

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  261 Duryodhana.

  262 Duryodhana.

  263 Yudhishthira.

  264 The two kings being Yudhishthira and Duryodhana respectively.

  265 If Yudhishthira was killed, the feud would end.

  266 Duryodhana.

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  267 Yama is the lord of the ancestors.

  268 Satyaki.

  269 Karna.

  270 Karna.

  271 Karna’s name.

  272 Karna.

  273 This is a roundabout away of referring to the Pandavas, Drupada’s son presumably meaning Dhrishtadyumna.

  274 Shiva.

  275 The Kourava soldiers.

  276 With four horses, there is a total of seven targets.

  277 Parshata means Dhrishtadyumna.

  278 The mountain behind which the sun sets.

  279 That is, the Kouravas withdrew.

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  280 In the burning of the Khandava forest, described in Section 19 (Volume 2).

  281 A reference to the conquest of the earth, described in Section 23 (Volume 2).

  282 This has been described in Section 35 (Volume 3).

  283 Sharva and Bhava are Shiva’s names. This is a reference to the incidents of Section 31 (Volume 2).

  284 The protection of the Bharatas is a reference to the gandharva incident of Section 39 (Volume 3).

  285 The Kouravas.

  286 Duryodhana.

  287 Vishnu’s name, meaning one who is beyond the senses.

  288 Though not explicitly stated, this is being said by Karna.

  289 Brihaspati and Shukra (Ushanas) are respectively the preceptors of the gods and the demons.

  290 Kartavirya Arjuna.

  291 The word used is tata.

  292 Shakuni.

  293 Indra (Shakra) gave Karna a spear that would kill only one person. In Section 70 (Volume 6), it was used up to kill Ghatotkacha.

  294 The architect of the gods.

  295 Karna studied weapons under Parashurama (Bhargava).

  296 Parashurama.

  297 Parashurama.

  298 Krishna’s.

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  299 The enemy was divided into nine shares, with each of these nine warriors taking care of his share.

  300 Because Krishna is with Arjuna, Arjuna has become stronger.

  301 While Aruna is also a name for the sun, more specifically, Aruna is the sun’s charioteer.

  302 Pr
atiloma means against the natural order and applies to progeny where the mother is superior in varna to the father. Anuloma applies to progeny where the father is superior in varna to the mother.

  303 Receive gifts.

  304 Unless shudras are being equated with sutas, it is possible that there is a typo here and the text should read, ‘they are not the servants of sutas’.

  305 By sprinkling with sacred water.

  306 Artayani was Shalya’s name. Artayana means someone who is the refuge of one who is distressed and Artayani means a descendant of Artayana.

  307 There is a pun that a translation cannot capture. The word shalya means stake.

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  308 There are different stories about the Tarakamaya battle. In this version, it is named after the demon Taraka.

  309 Subsequently referred to as Tarakaksha.

  310 Brahma.

  311 Brahma.

  312 Maya was the architect of the demons.

  313 A yojana is a measure of length, between 8 and 9 miles.

  314 Prajapati is Brahma’s name.

  315 Tripura means three cities.

  316 The suras are gods. Those who are not suras are the asuras.

  317 The destruction of the demons.

  318 These are Shiva’s names. Sthanu means the one who is immoveable or motionless. Ishana means the splendid lord. Jishnu means the victorious one.

  319 Shiva’s name, meaning the excellent one.

  320 The gods.

  321 While sankhya is a school of philosophy, it can loosely be translated as knowledge of the soul.

  322 The three-eyed one, Shiva.

  323 Here, Prajapati means Daksha. Shiva destroyed Daksha’s sacrifice.

  324 The Critical edition excises an intervening shloka. In that, Shiva agreed to accept half the energy and strength of the gods.

  325 The great god.

  326 This is Duryodhana continuing his account.