Mahabharata: Volume 4
Page 64
195 Addressing Shandili.
196 There is probably a sense of virility, since hiranya means both gold and semen.
197 Dhana means wealth or riches and dharana is to support and sustain.
198 The twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth nakshatras, Purva Bhadrapada and Uttara Bhadrapada.
199 Aja Ekapada is a divinity, identified with Agni, the sun and the moon. Literally, Aja Ekapada can be translated as a one-footed goat. Aja Ekapada is also the god who presides over Purva Bhadrapada.
200 Ahi Budhnya is the god who presides over Uttara Bhadrapada. Ahi Budhnya means the serpent who lives in the deep.
201 Of the person who has been solicited.
202 Elephants, horses, chariots and infantry.
203 Nose, eyes, ears, nails, breasts and neck.
204 Other than the obvious waist, ankles, wrists and neck, it is difficult to pinpoint this number seven. It is not mentioned in any of the standard treatises.
205 Speech, intelligence and navel.
206 Soles of the feet, palms of the hand, tongue, lips and nails.
207 Chakravarti, an universal monarch or sovereign, whose wheels (chakra) travel as far as the frontiers of the ocean.
208 Haryashva.
209 Not to be confused with the Pandava Bhimasena.
210 The sun god. The name of the female consort is given second.
211 Agni.
212 Kubera.
213 Ganga.
214 Brahma.
215 Jamadagni.
216 There is a minor inconsistency. The king has earlier been referred to as Oushinara, meaning Ushinara’s son. Here, he is being referred to as Ushinara.
217 The other kings.
218 This suggests that unlike the other two kings, Ushinara did possess more than two hundred such horses, but refused to part with them.
219 Ushinara.
220 Richika was asked by Gadhi. This has been recounted in Section 33(Volume 3).
221 The place of piligrimage (tirtha) of horses (ashva).
222 Gadhi.
223 Six hundred already having been accounted for. The river Vitasta (Beas).
224 Galava.
225 Vishvamitra.
226 The three kings and her father.
227 Yayati.
228 Puru and Yadu were two of Yayati’s sons. The Pouravas are descended from Puru and the Yadavas from Yadu.
229 In body.
230 Yayati.
231 Yayati’s fall from heaven has been described in Section 7 (Volume 1).
232 They were descended from Yayati. They were Madhavi’s four sons.
233 A trait of the gods is that they do not touch the ground with their feet.
234 Yayati.
235 Brahma.
236 Dharma, artha and kama.
237 The word used is tata.
238 The king of Anga, Karna.
239 The word used is tata.
240 Bhishma.
241 The word used is tata.
242 The word used is tata.
243 The word used is tata.
244 The word used is tata.
245 A pretty but bitter fruit, probably of the Trichosanthes variety.
246 The word used is tata.
247 Dharma, artha and kama.
248 The word used is tata.
249 The word used is tata.
250 The word used is tata.
251 The word used is tata.
252 The word used is tata.
253 The word used is tata.
254 The word used is tata.
255 The word used is tata.
256 The word used is tata.
257 Parashurama.
258 Yoga and kshema respectively.
259 Krishna and Arjuna.
260 The priest of the Pandavas.
261 Literally, the one who has given a lot of stipends, Yudhishthira.
262 Dhritarashtra.
263 Famous sage.
264 The word used is tata.
265 The deceitful one is Shakuni and the deceitful act is the gambling match.
266 Yudhishthira.
267 Kamsa. Ugrasena was the king of the Bhojas.
268 Primarily addressing Dhritarashtra.
269 Brahma.
270 The word used is tata.
271 Yoga and kshema respectively.
272 Of enemies.
273 That is, the remaining half of the kingdom and the tributes of those kings.
274 Karna.
275 Duryodhana.
276 Virochana’s son is Bali. Bali was eventually vanquished by Vishnu is his vamana (dwarf) incarnation.
277 Hridika’s son, that is, Kritavarma.
278 This has been described in Section 31 (Volume 2).
279 Demoness killed by Krishna.
280 Krishna killed a demon named Arishta, in the form of a bull. Dhenuka was a demon in the form of an ass. Chanura was a wrestler. Some of these were sent by Kamsa to kill Krishna. There is no demon named Ashvaraja (king of the horses). However, the demon Keshi was in the form of a horse and that is probably what is meant.
281 Demons killed by Vishnu.
282 Hayagriva means the neck (griva) of a horse (haya). Hayagriva is one of Vishnu’s forms and is also the name of a demon. Vishnu killed the demon Hayagriva in his form of Hayagriva.
283 There are four guardians of the world (lokapalas). Krishna presumably manifested himself in his four-armed form.
284 Balarama.
285 Krishna’s bow, made of horn.
286 The name of Krishna’s sword.
287 Kunti.
288 Krishna and Kunti respectively.
289 Duryodhana.
290 Brahma.
291 The son of King Mandhata, of the Ikshvaku dynasty. Vaishravana means Vishrava’s son, in this case, Kubera. Kubera offered Muchukunda the kingdom as a gift.
292 Kali yuga.
293 The critical edition excises a shloka here and that leads to a break in continuity. ‘By contributing to the commencement of kali, an evil king suffers from great sin’ and so on.
294 Oblations to the gods and the ancestors respectively.
295 That is for a vaishya, just as begging is for a brahmana.
296 Sama, dana, bheda and danda respectively.
297 The name is actually Vidura (Viduraa). However, some non-Critical versions say Vidula and ‘l’ and ‘r’ are often interchangeable in proper names. Though the name is Vidura, we have used Vidula, so that there is no confusion with the other Vidura.
298 This is Vidula speaking.
299 In the sense of small.
300 Medicinal tree, Diospyros peregrina. It is easily inflammable and the fruit yields a resin.
301 The uncertain path will bring fame, but the certain path will bring ill fame.
302 Remain alive without trying.
303 The image is of a wrestling bout.
304 Uchchara, more generally, discharge.
305 The name of Vidula’s son.
306 Purusha means man and there is a pun on the word pura (city).
307 That is, if the son is killed.
308 Sanjaya is someone who brings about victory (jaya).
309 One cannot identify which Shambara this is.
310 Figuratively, from the father’s household to the husband’s household.
311 The gate only allows one person to pass.
312 Vidula’s son was the king of Souvira, while Sindhu was the enemy.
313 The enemy.
314 Jaya means victory.
315 The account.
316 Indra has one thousand eyes.
317 Krishnaa, Droupadi.
318 Droupadi was in her period.
319 Droupadi.
320 Droupadi.
321 They had gone with Krishna to meet Kunti.
322 There is no mention earlier of Karna having accompanied Krishna.
323 Arjuna’s inexhaustible quivers.
324 Yudhishthira’s.
325 The sin
gular is used, which means that it is Bhishma speaking.
326 Duryodhana.
327 Bhishma and Drona.
328 Yudhishthira.
329 Arjuna had an ape on his standard.
330 Makara is a mythical aquatic animal, translated here as shark. Nakra and graha can mean either crocodile or alligator. Both expressions occur in the text and we have translated nakra as alligator and graha as crocodile.
331 Yudhishthira.
332 Figuratively speaking.
333 Kubera is Ilavila’s son.
334 Meaning Bhishma and Drona.
1 However, this is supposed to be a secret known only to Kunti.
2 The word used is tata.
3 Abhimanyu.
4 As king.
5 After the five Pandavas.
6 Dhoumya.
7 Above Karna’s head, as a sign of kingship.
8 Vasushena is Karna’s name.
9 Adhiratha’s wife.
10 Yudhishthira.
11 Literally, Indra’s bow, meaning rainbow.
12 By Yudhishthira.
13 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).
14 With the exception of sthunakarna, the others are divine weapons. Sthunakarna means thick-eared or thick-shafted.
15 Gravastotra is an invocation when the soma juice is extracted. Gravastotra is also a priest who chants this invocation. Subhadra’s son is Abhimanyu.
16 Priest who prepares the presentations at a Sama Veda sacrifice.
17 Subrahmanya is Kartikeya’s name and the reference means an invocation to Kartikeya.
18 Priests in charge of sacrificing animals.
19 For straining the soma juice.
20 Sadasyas.
21 Priest who assists the adhvaryu.
22 The performer of the sacrifice has to be accompanied by his wife.
23 A sacrifice that is performed overnight.
24 The word used in the text is vaitana. This has several meanings, but oblations (usually burnt) into the fire is most appropriate.
25 Punashchiti is a type of sacrifice associated with the Yajur Veda. In this context, the term can also be interpreted as the second part of the sacrifice.
26 Bhima.
27 Dhrishtadyumna and Shikhandi respectively.
28 In the natural course, without the glory of dying in battle.
29 Alternatively, ‘The brahmanas will speak about the battle of Mahabharata.’
30 Amavasya.
31 The text actually says Madhunishudana, which means the same thing as Madhusudana.
32 Saturn or Shani. Shanaischara means something that travels (chara) slowly (shanai).
33 Rohini. Prajapati is the lord of Rohini.
34 Mangala or Mars.
35 Anuradha is the seventeenth nakshatra and Jyeshtha is the eighteenth. Because Mars is retrograde, it is moving from the eighteenth to the seventeenth. The lord of Anuradha is Mitra, signifying friendship. Mitra means a friend and is also the name of a god.
36 Chitra (Spica) is the fourteenth nakshatra. The planet in question must be Mars, because Mars is the lord of Chitra.
37 This bird is not easily identified. Shakuna means bird and pushpa means flower.
38 A jivamjivaka is a mythical bird with two heads. Alternatively, it has the head of a human and the body of a bird.
39 Kind of jungle crow.
40 Duryodhana’s.
41 Rice cooked in milk.
42 In the dream.
43 Signifying blood.
44 The south, the direction of Yama and death.
45 The word used is tata.
46 An unsatisfactory explanation to justify Sanjaya’s knowledge of the secret conversation.
47 Satyaki.
48 Karna.
49 Vaishampayana’s account continues.
50 Which he had taken off for the meditations.
51 Tapana and Virochana are names of the sun god.
52 Kunti does not mean that she is literally one-eyed. The one-eyed is probably a reference to her being partial towards her son, Karna.
53 Balarama.
54 There are six Vedangas—shiksha (articulation and pronunciation), chhanda (prosody), vyakarana (grammar), nirukta (etymology), jyotisha (astronomy) and kalpa (rituals). The number five is used because there are five Parthas.
55 Another name for Hastinapura.
56 The Pandavas.
57 Bhishma and Drona.
58 The word used is tata.
59 The word used is tata.
60 Satyavati. Satyavati was dark and was known as Kali (dark) or Gandhakali.
61 Not be a father. This was a pledge extracted by Satyavati’s father, before Satyavati married Shantanu.
62 The Rama in question is Parashurama and the story will be told in Section 60.
63 That is, banished Vichitravirya. The details of this are never known.
64 Ganga’s son, Bhishma.
65 Shantanu’s father.
66 Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura.
67 The word used is tata.
68 The word used is tata.
69 Dhritarashtra.
70 Dhritarashtra.
71 The word used is tata.
72 The word used is tata.
73 Arjuna.
74 Meaning Bhishma.
75 Because there were no sons.
76 Gandhari.
77 Bhishma. Bhishma is Ganga’s son, thus the son of the river.
78 Bhishma.
79 The lunar dynasty of the Kurus is descended from Soma (the moon).
80 Shukracharya, the preceptor of the demons. Vrishaparva was the king of the demons.
81 Yadu.
82 The story has been recounted in Section 7 (Volume 1).
83 Another name for Hastinapura.
84 Puru and Yayati respectively.
85 Devapi.
86 Pratipa.
87 Dhritarashtra was blind.
88 Duryodhana.
89 Meaning that Pushya (the eighth nakshatra) was in the ascendant.
90 Dhritarashtra.
91 Sama (conciliation), dana (gifts) and bheda (dissension) being the other three, danda is chastisement or punishment.
1 This doesn’t mean Drona. Drona is actually Bhaaradvaja, Bharadvaja’s son. Drupada, together with Drona, studied under Bharadvaja, the father.
2 Here, Angiras means Drona. Drona was Bharadvaja’s son and Bharadvaja was descended from Angiras, Angiras was Bharadvaja’s grandfather. Drona and Drupada used to be friends, before they separated.
3 The rishi in question is Yaja. The story of Dhrishtadyumna’s birth has been recounted in Section 11 (Volume 1).
4 Parashurama. The story will be told in Section 60.
5 Meaning Bhishma.
6 Bhishma.
7 Parashurama.
8 The word used is tata.
9 This can also be translated, and interpreted, in a different way. The universe with substance is the present one and the universe without substance is a universe from the past, or one in the future.
10 The word used is tata.
11 Dhata and vidhata respectively.
12 The word used is adhivasa, which can also mean consecration in general.
13 Drupada.
14 The name of Krishna’s conch shell.
15 The final camp or cantonment in Kurukshetra.
16 Resin and charcoal are flammable ingredients used in war.
17 Krishna.
18 The allies of the Pandavas.
19 Arjuna.
20 Kali yuga, symbolic of disaster.
21 Presumably spare ones.
22 Varuthas. These were attached to chariots to guard against collisions. These must have been spare ones too.
23 As distinct from quivers, upasanga may have been a different kind of quiver.
&n
bsp; 24 As distinct from quivers, nishanga may have been a different kind of quiver.
25 Pothika. This is a loose translation. Pothika is anything that is used for knocking down.
26 Something used to grasp (graha) the enemy by the hair (kacha) and fling away (vikshepa).
27 Vastis.
28 Prasas.
29 Ankusha, goad for driving an elephant.
30 Unit of the army.
31 Senapati is used in the sense of an overall general. However, sena is also a small unit of the army and senapati has now been used in that limited commander sense, far short of an overall general.
32 Jayadratha.
1 Shukracharya.
2 Garuda.
3 Kartikeya.
4 Bhutas.
5 Agni.
6 Kartikeya is the son of the fire.
7 Ganga’s son, Bhishma.
8 Duryodhana.
9 The Pandavas had seven akshouhinis.
10 Satyaki.
11 Dhrishtadyumna.
12 Balarama’s.
13 Balarama.
14 Pradyumna.
15 Balarama.
16 Bhishmaka was the king of Vidarbha and was the father of Rukmi and Rukmini. Bhishmaka wished to marry Rukmini to Shishupala. But Krishna abducted her and married her.
17 This king of the kimpurushas was named Drona or Druma and Rukmi learnt the art of war (dhanurveda) from him. The four parts of dhanurveda can mean four types of weapons, as well as the four techniques of releasing weapons. The import of this chapter is that Vidarbha remained neutral in the war.
18 Krishna’s bow.
19 The chastiser of Paka is Indra and Arjuna is his son.
20 Narakasura was the son of the earth goddess (Bhumi) and ruled in Pragjyotisha. He abducted sixteen thousand women and stole Aditi’s earrings. His general was Mura or Muru. Krishna defeated and slew them.
21 Elephants, cavalry, infantry and chariots.
22 The capital of Vidarbha, identified with Kaundinyapura in Amravati division.
23 Located to the west of Kundina.
24 The word used is tata.
25 Kubera.
26 That is, proud of his bravery, Duryodhana refused Rukmi’s help.
1 Duryodhana’s message is to Yudhishthira.
2 These words are addressed to Yudhishthira again.
3 Uluka.
4 Indra.
5 The four Vedas and Dhanurveda.
6 Bhishma and Drona.
7 Krishnaa, that is, Droupadi.
8 Kripa.
9 Mythical creature that lives on whales.
10 Bhima.
11 Arjuna.
12 Arjuna is addressing Duryodhana, using Uluka as a messenger.
13 Bhishma.