Mahabharata Vol. 2 (Penguin Translated Texts)
Page 50
1 Yudhishthira.
2 Krishna.
3 A demon killed by Krishna.
4 Krishna.
5 Yudhishthira.
6 The Dasharhas were the Yadavas.
7 Yudhishthira’s.
8 Yudhishthira.
9 Yudhishthira.
10 Yudhishthira’s charioteer.
11 Bhima’s charioteer.
12 Sahadeva. Yudhishthira is speaking to Sahadeva.
13 The officiating priests are called ritvijas. There are four types of officiating priests—hotar (one who recites from the Rig Veda), udgatar (one who recites from the Sama Veda), adhvaryu (one who recites from the Yajur Veda) and brahman (one who recites from the Atharva Veda). This brahman is not to be confused with the supreme soul (brahman or paramatman).
14 Dvaipayana or Vedavyasa.
15 He was thus the udgatar. This Dhananjaya is a lineage of brahmanas and is not to be confused with Arjuna.
16 Yudhishthira.
17 Sahadeva.
18 Nakula.
19 Drona.
20 Drona has already been mentioned once.
21 Another name for Drupada.
22 Balarama.
23 Assistant priests.
24 Heaven.
25 Bhishma.
26 Drona.
27 Ashvatthama.
28 One of Duryodhana’s brothers.
29 Vidura’s name. The word means the son of a kshatriya father.
30 The text doesn’t specify one thousand of what. The sense is that irrespective of the type of gift, the threshold was at least one thousand.
31 The kings.
1 That is, the formal anointment or coronation at the end of the sacrifice.
2 Hari is Vishnu’s name and so is Pundarikaksha. Pundarika is a lotus, typically the white lotus, and aksha means eye. So Pundarikaksha means lotus-eyed.
3 The gods.
4 Shambhu is one who brings prosperity. It is usually used for Shiva, and sometimes Kartikeya and Ganesha too. But here, it is being used for Vishnu.
5 Shishupala is addressing Yudhishthira.
6 Bhishma, who was Ganga’s son.
7 Krishna is Vaasudeva, that is, Vasudeva’s son. Krishna has been written as Vasudeva, not Vaasudeva, to make the reading easier. In most instances, there is no danger of confusion, this being an exception. Krishna’s father, Vasudeva, is also present.
8 This is a reference to either Kamsa or Jarasandha. But Krishna did not directly kill Jarasandha.
9 Though not explicitly mentioned, these words are clearly being uttered by Vaishampayana.
10 In this context, meaning Bhishma.
11 Satvata is a name for Vishnu, and Krishna.
12 Alternatively, son-in-law, as indicative of someone who deserves to be honoured.
13 Those born from wombs and eggs, plants and those born from sweat (insects and worms).
14 Because he doesn’t have the intelligence.
15 Demon killed by Krishna.
16 Of kings.
17 Another name for Shishupala.
1 Indra’s name.
2 Krishna.
3 Vishnu and Krishna’s name.
4 Krishna.
5 This is a reference to Bhishma’s vow of celibacy. By the third state, Bhishma is being called an eunuch.
6 Ogress killed by Krishna.
7 That is, those who are childlike in intelligence.
8 Putana assumed the form of a vulture.
9 Demons killed by Krishna. Keshi was in the form of a horse (ashva) and Arishta was in the form of a bull (vrishabha).
10 One of Krishna’s feats as a baby. He was asleep under the cart.
11 Krishna held up the mountain to provide shelter from the pouring rain.
12 Vrishabha.
13 Putana.
14 A bird that lives off carrion. It picks out bits of meat from the mouths of predators.
15 This is a reference to Dvaipayana fathering Dhritarashtra and Pandu.
16 Bhishma has not served his ancestors, because he did not have a son.
17 Fish.
18 Another bird.
19 Krishna.
20 That is, refused the food.
21 The Ganga flows in heaven, earth and the nether regions.
22 The great god. In this context, Shiva.
23 Another name for Kartikeya.
24 Shishupala.
25 Bhima.
26 Shishupala.
27 Shishupala.
28 Balarama.
29 Shishupala’s father was married to a princess from the Yadava clan.
30 Damodara is one of Krishna’s names.
31 That is, sunk into the forehead and disappeared.
32 The word used is nandana, meaning son. But the word also means someone (or something) that brings delight and pleasure. Therefore, it can also be interpreted as Krishna, the one who brings pleasure to the Yadu lineage.
33 Bhishma is speaking to Bhima.
34 Since it is so meagre.
35 Drona’s son, that is, Ashvatthama.
36 Implying, censure and worship of those one doesn’t have complete information about.
37 Kamsa was the king of Bhoja and Bhoja is one of Kamsa’s names.
38 The Yadavas.
39 Horse sacrifice.
40 Another name for Akrura.
41 She was to have been married to Karusha.
42 Krishna’s wife.
43 Rukmini was the daughter of King Bhishmaka of Vidarbha. Her father had promised her in marriage to Shishupala. However, Rukmini loved Krishna and sent him a letter. At that, Krishna and Balarama arrived, defeated Rukmini’s brother Rukmi, and took Rukmini away.
44 They were undecided.
45 Yudhishthira.
46 Yudhishthira again.
47 Shishupala’s.
48 In general, a bow made of horn. Specifically, the name of Vishnu’s bow.
49 The text has the word avavritha. This is the ceremonial bathing at the end of any sacrifice, for purposes of purification.
50 Yudhishthira’s name.
51 Drupada.
52 Subhadra’s son was Abhimanyu.
53 As has been mentioned before, the word nandana also means beloved. So, this can also be translated as—O beloved of the Kuru lineage!
54 The text says Tarkshya, which is one of Garuda’s names.
55 Parjanya. Indra is the god of rain, so Parjanya is one of Indra’s names. The word parjanya can also mean clouds in general and that translation, without invoking the god of rain, is also possible.
56 Indra.
57 Shakuni was the son of Subala, king of Gandhara.
1 The word used is nandana, which can also be translated as beloved.
2 Nagasahrya is another name for Hastinapura.
3 Duryodhana.
4 Yudhishthira. At the end of the last chapter, it was mentioned that only Duryodhana and Shakuni remained. Since the Pandavas were still there, this means that these were the only two among the invited guests who remained.
5 Duryodhana took the land to be water.
6 In this context, Yudhishthira.
7 Gaja, naga and hasti, all mean elephant. Gajasahrya is another name for Hastinapura.
8 Shakuni’s sister was Gandhari, Duryodhana’s mother.
9 Arjuna’s horses were white.
10 Yudhishthira.
11 The expression in the text translates as the onset of shuchishukra and there is repetition. Shuchi means the months of Jyeshtha and Ashada and would have sufficed. Shukra means the month of Jyeshtha.
12 Yadavas, the foremost one being Krishna.
13 Yudhishthira.
14 Yudhishthira.
15 The sons of Dhritarashtra, the Kouravas.
16 Ashvatthama.
17 Karna, who was brought up by a suta or charioteer. The charioteer’s wife was Radha, explaining Karna’s name of Radheya.
18 Kripacharya, who was descended from the Goutama lineage.
19 Bhur
ishrava, the son of Somadatta.
20 The Pandavas.
21 Dyuta is the act of playing or gambling. Here, the text uses the word for a dice, that is, aksha.
22 Referring to Dhritarashtra.
23 Yudhishthira.
24 Duryodhana’s mother was Gandhari.
25 The word nandana is again used, so it can also be translated as beloved of the Kuru lineage.
26 Also known as kadala.
27 A vatadhana is a brahmana, who has been born of a brahmana mother and a father who is a brahmana but an outcast.
28 A kharva is simply a very large number, 1 followed by 10 zeroes, or 10 billion.
29 Water pots used by ascetics.
30 The word used in the text is madhu.
31 The pots.
32 A reference to the Pandava conquests.
33 That is, large numbers of brahmanas were continuously being fed.
34 Kubera.
35 Of the dice.
36 Yudhishthira.
37 Shakuni.
38 Vidura.
39 The pros and cons of the decision.
40 The advent of kali yuga was imminent.
41 The word sons is being used in a broad sense, as the Pandavas are also like Dhritarashtra’s sons.
42 He went to Bhishma, Ganga’s son.
43 Vyasa’s student is Vaishampayana. Vaishampayana had recounted the story to Janamejaya. But it was retold again in Naimisha forest by Lomaharshana’s son Ugrashrava. The suta here is Ugrashrava, retelling the story for the benefit of the sages.
44 The word used is mahakavi, or great kavi. Kavi is a wise one, the meaning of a poet is a secondary one.
45 Distant and divine lake.
46 Presumably Arjuna.
47 Yudhishthira’s.
48 This chapter, and the ones that follow, are repetitive. Duryodhana has already related this to Shakuni. He now recounts it to Dhritarashtra. One gets a clear sense that these chapters were later interpolations. They lack continuity and coherence.
49 A kind of antelope.
50 The word used is pilu.
51 The word used is shami.
52 The inguda nut.
53 Govasana brahmanas look after cattle and dasamiya brahmanas are fit to be servants. When relating the story to Shakuni, Duryodhana mentioned vatadhana brahmanas.
54 Kamandalu.
55 In Gujarat today.
56 A kind of antelope.
57 That is, those who live in dry areas.
58 The word used is ashma, meaning either iron or stone. The word also means sapphire, but that use is rarer.
59 A reddish insect, sometimes identified with a firefly.
60 The text uses the word indrayudha, meaning Indra’s weapon. The specific weapon in question is the bow and the rainbow is known as Indra’s bow.
61 The word used is sandhya, which can mean evening as well as dawn.
62 These were wild horses that had been seized, as opposed to domestically bred horses.
63 Yudhishthira.
64 Identified as Scythians.
65 Inhabitants of Odra, today’s Orissa.
66 Identified as Bactria.
67 Ranku is a kind of antelope.
68 Rishti.
69 Implying the west.
70 Identified as Romans.
71 Arbuda.
72 Iron arrows.
73 It is not clear who this king is. It could be Bhagadatta, but Bhagadatta went away without entering.
74 The text uses the expressions kichaka and venu. The latter is bamboo, while the former is hollow bamboo.
75 The ants dug up the gold from the earth. Pipilika is an ant. There is a reference in Herodotus to ants that dug up gold in the desert regions.
76 The Brahmaputra.
77 A specific type of sandalwood.
78 Identified as Persians.
79 A river.
80 The kings.
81 Yajnasena’s daughter, Droupadi.
82 Droupadi, the princess of Panchala, was married to the Pandavas.
83 Vedanta is the end (anta) of the Vedas and usually refers to the Upanishads. The term is also used for the six schools of philosophy that followed.
84 Yudhishthira.
85 The king of Kamboja.
86 Shishupala.
87 Shishupala again.
88 Since Jarasandha had already been killed, this is Sahadeva.
89 The king of Pamshu.
90 Virata.
91 Of the chariot.
92 From the Vrishni lineage.
93 Alternatively, Asita-Devala. These are two ancient sages, Asita and Devala, who are always referred to together.
94 The actual act of coronation or anointing by sprinkling sacred water.
95 Parashurama.
96 Yudhisthira.
97 Yudhishthira.
98 This is a reference to the conquest of the Pandavas.
99 These eight didn’t become unconscious.
100 Pradyumna killed a demon named Shambara. Pradyumna was the son of Krishna and Rukmini. However, there is no account of this Pradyumna having undertaken any great sacrifices. But Pradyumna is also a name for Kama, or the god of love, and he is also known as the killer of Shambara. The reference could therefore be to Kama.
101 The Pandavas.
102 The Kouravas.
103 This is an odd statement, since Dhritarashtra is not reported to have had any other wives. Dhritarashtra probably means that Gandhari is older than Kunti and Madri.
104 The other sons.
105 A demon killed by Shakra (Indra).
106 Ajamidha is Dhritarashtra’s name, in addition to being Yudhishthira’s name.
107 Yudhishthira.
108 Some chapters, including this one, are repetition. Vidura has already been consulted in Chapter 45.
109 On which the game is played.
110 The word used is nandana.
111 The word used for a straw-mat is a kata and there is probably an unintended pun, since kata is also a particular throw of the dice.
112 Assembly hall where the game will be played.
113 The servants.
114 A measure of distance equal to one-fourth of a yojana.
115 Yudhishthira.
116 Yudhishthira’s.
117 Vidura.
118 Dhritarashtra’s sons.
119 The word used is duradara. This means a gambler, which is probably what is intended. But the word also means the stakes used in gambling and the box in which dice are kept.
120 This can also be translated as cheats.
121 Alternatively, cheats.
122 Alternatively, cheats.
123 The sense is that Vidura is like a father and Vidura will have the welfare of the Pandavas in mind. Therefore, Yudhishthira will agree because of what Vidura says, not because of what Dhritarashtra wants.
124 Alternatively, shameless.
125 That is, robs the eye of sight.
126 Ashvatthama.
127 The fourth of the twenty-seven nakshatras, Aldebaran.
128 Dhritarasthra. The word father is to be interpreted in a broad sense.
129 Because he was blind.
130 This has been translated literally and the gesture is a sign of affection.
131 The word used is nandana.
132 Yudhishthira has already been welcomed.
133 Droupadi’s name.
134 They awoke.
135 The gamblers.
136 The sense is that Yudhishthira uses his wealth for the sake of brahmanas. Therefore, Shakuni should limit his winnings.
137 The gems were presumably pearls.
138 Gold is mentioned twice and two different words are used, hiranya and jatarupa. Since both words mean gold, the distinction between them isn’t clear. However, since hiranya also means a golden vessel, as distinct from gold, that might be the distinction. Alternatively, hiranya also means silver, or any other precious metal.
139 The word used is padmini, whi
ch can also mean that they have lotus marks on them. However, for elephants, padmini means the elephants are spotted. The word padmini also denotes a female elephant.
140 The word in the text actually means the shaft of a carriage or a plough, not any shaft.
141 That is, monsoon clouds.
142 The word used is kambukeyura. Keyura is an armlet or upper bracelet. Kambu means a conch shell or a bracelet. Therefore, ‘armlets made of conch shells’ is also an acceptable translation. However, armlets and bracelets seem more correct.
143 The number isn’t specified here, but clearly means one thousand or thousands.
144 The king of the gandharvas.
145 The one with the Gandiva as a bow. One of Arjuna’s names.
146 Vidura is addressing Dhritarashtra.
147 Shukracharya’s name. Shukracharya is the preceptor of the demons.
148 The collector of honey has climbed a tree and is liable to fall down.
149 Duryodhana.
150 There is a break in continuity in the critical edition. Some regional versions have an additional shloka, to the effect that it is normal royal practice to abandon an unworthy son.
151 Kamsa.
152 Duryodhana’s name.
153 That is, give up Duryodhana and resort to the Pandavas, and so on.
154 The name of a demon killed by Indra.
155 So that he could get all the gold at once.
156 Indra.
157 Shantanu’s father.
158 Without reproducing the Sanskrit, this is an impossible sentence (half of a shloka) to translate, because the meaning is obscure. In all probability, it is a reference to Yudhishthira, who is composed.
159 Probably a reference to Arjuna.
160 Yudhishthira’s name.