Mahabharata Vol. 3 (Penguin Translated Texts)
Page 68
57 Chitrasena.
58 Weapon that is aimed at the source of a sound, without the target being seen.
59 Sections 32 (Volume 2) and 35 have said that Arjuna learnt singing and dancing from Chitrasena in heaven and that Chitrasena became his friend.
60 Presumably, Chitrasena was fighting feebly because he knew that it was his friend Arjuna.
61 As will be evident in a short while, this is a reference to Indra.
62 Droupadi.
63 Duryodhana’s.
64 This is Yudhishthira speaking.
65 The word used is tata.
66 Amrita.
67 The word used is tata.
68 Infantry, horses, elephants and chariots.
69 Karna, Radha’s son.
70 These words were spoken by Duryodhana’s advisers and soldiers.
71 The gandharvas.
72 Another name for Hastinapura. Varana means elephant.
73 Ashvatthama.
74 Indra.
75 Duhshasana.
76 Duryodhana’s.
77 Thus imbibing their wisdom.
78 Darbha or kusha is a sacred grass.
79 Because of Duryodhana’s decision. Duryodhana was born on earth to accomplish the tasks of the demons. If he died through fasting, that purpose would not be accomplished.
80 Kritya is a she-demon or a malevolent goddess.
81 Strictly speaking, rasatala. There are seven nether regions—atala, vitala, sutala, rasatala, talatala, mahatala and patala.
82 Shiva.
83 The text uses both astra and shastra. These are both weapons and the words are often used synonymously. However, an astra is a weapon that is hurled or released, while a shastra is held in the hand.
84 Since Maheshvara is mentioned, the goddess probably means Parvati.
85 The text uses both astra and shastra.
86 Shastras.
87 Naraka is a demon who had been killed by Krishna.
88 Indra.
89 Samshaptakas are warriors who have taken an oath in battle, either to kill the enemy or fall in battle.
90 The qualities of passion and darkness respectively.
91 Arjuna.
92 Duryodhana.
93 The word used is tata.
94 Karna.
95 Duryodhana is speaking.
96 The messenger addressed Yudhishthira.
97 Shastra and astra respectively.
98 Vidura’s name. The word means the son of a shudra mother and a kshatriya father.
99 Arjuna.
100 Duryodhana.
101 The name of Kubera’s pleasure garden.
102 One of Arjuna’s names.
1 The deer that had not been killed so far.
2 Yudhishthira’s charioteer.
1 It is not obvious who is meant.
2 Collecting grains of rice that would be left around markets.
3 Literally, a sacrifice that satisfies one’s wishes.
4 Durvasa.
5 Because there were no leftovers, the food could not increase.
6 Mudgala.
7 Durvasa.
8 Mudgala.
9 The messenger of the gods.
10 Since Mudgala has walked seven steps with the messenger of the gods, he can presume the messenger to be a friend.
11 Mudgala is being addressed thus because the Moudgalya lineage originated with him.
12 The Vishvadevas.
13 The text says yaamaas, in the plural. Yaamaas are precepts of social discipline that are an integral part of yoga, in combination with niyama. This must be a personification of that.
14 A dhama is a sacred place of pilgrimage and in the plural, these must be personifications of those.
15 The name of Indra’s pleasure garden.
16 The Ribhus are Vedic gods, identified with the rays of the sun. They are often Indra’s companions. There are three gods—Ribhu, Vaja and Vibhvan, collectively known as the Ribhus. In later myths, Ribhu became Brahma’s son.
17 The Ribhus.
18Kalpa, one of Brahma’s days, a very long period of time.
19 The critical text uses the word loka. Some other versions say deva. Deva is more appropriate, since there are thirty-three gods.
20 Ayuta, also meaning ten thousand.
21 A lower order in rebirth.
22 The word used is tata, used affectionately towards any senior.
23 Nirvana, a word with many different nuances. While it means extinction or extinguishing, it stands for absolute extinction or annihilation and the final emancipation and bliss that comes from union with the supreme soul.
1 Jayadratha was already married to Duhshala, Duryodhana’s sister.
2 Dhata and Vidhata are different manifestations of the creator. Vibhu means Brahma, Vishnu or Shiva. Savita is the sun-god.
3 Jayadratha is described as the king of Sindhu, Souvira and Shibi. Souvira and Shibi were kingdoms adjacent to Sindhu and had probably been conquered by Jayadratha.
4 Jayadratha.
5 Kotikashya is the king of Shibi.
6 And not spend any more time in conversation.
7 Yudhishthira.
8 Jaya is Arjuna’s name.
9 This isn’t made explicit. Six others could have entered the cottage with Jayadratha, but this doesn’t sound plausible, especially since we don’t know who these other six were. It could be that the cottage normally held six—the five Pandavas and Droupadi. In that sense, Jayadratha was the seventh in the cottage.
10 Sharabha has different meanings. In this context, it probably means a young elephant.
11 Kind of deer.
12 Arjuna’s name.
13 Different dynasties and lineages are listed in different places. They don’t quite add up to seventeen, the number is actually more. So it isn’t clear which are the seventeen Jayadratha is referring to.
14 Valour, power, poise, dexterity, generosity and kingship.
15 Krishna and Arjuna. Though rarely used, Krishna is also a name for Arjuna.
16 Arjuna’s name. Literally, the one with a diadem on his head.
17 Krishna.
18 Garuda.
19 From the region of the Sindhu.
20 Yudhishthira.
21 Where the hermitage was.
22 The chariots.
23 The maid’s suggestion is fairly obvious. Jayadratha may rape Droupadi, or force her to submit against her wishes.
24 Alternatively, lily.
25Mridanga.
26 Makara is a mythical aquatic animal, which can be translated as crocodile or shark.
27 Freed of their lives.
28 Arjuna.
29 Yudhishthira.
30 Yudhishthira.
31 Yudhishthira.
32Vipatha, a kind of large arrow.
33 Kotikashya.
34 An unrivalled warrior, whose valour is unlimited, greater than a maharatha.
35 From his chariot.
36 Probably Sahadeva, since Nakula’s chariot had been destroyed.
37 Arjuna.
38 Jayadratha.
39 Arjuna.
40 Yudhishthira.
41 Leaving five tufts is the standard practice at the time of tonsuring.
42 Jayadratha.
43 Arjuna’s. Both Bhima and Arjuna are Pritha’s sons, or Parthas.
44 Yudhishthira.
45 Jayadratha.
46 Shiva. Vrishadhvaja is also Shiva’s name. And Shiva is also the three-eyed one.
47 Janaka’s daughter, Sita.
48 Vishvakarma, the architect of the gods.
49 Brahma.
50 There is some divergence with standard accounts. In standard accounts, the sage Vishrava is the son of the sage Pulasyta. Vishrava had two sons from two different wives—Kubera and Ravana. Both of them are thus known as Vaishravana. Kubera is the lord of riches and also has a son named Nalakubara. He is also friendly with Ishana (Shiva). In all accounts, Kubera originally ruled over Lanka. Kubera
is also a lokapala (guardian of the world).
51 The text uses the word rajaraja. Raja is king, but the word raja also means yaksha. So Rajaraja is the king of the yakshas. Kubera is known as Naravahana because he has a man (nara) as his mount (vahana).
52 Dashagriva is Ravana’s name, meaning ten-headed, or more accurately, ten-necked.
53 This is probably a reference to the five sacred fires—dakshina, garhapatya, ahavaniya, sabhya and avasathya.
54 Ravana, the one with ten faces.
55 This means that Ravana had successively offered more than one head into the fire.
56Bhutas or ghosts.
57 Kubera.
58 Meaning Kubera.
59 Kubera.
60 The word rava means to scream or roar.
61 Agni’s name.
62 Brahma.
63 Sita. The daughter of the king of Mithila, that is, Janaka.
64 The word rama means pleasing, delightful, gratifying.
65Yuvaraja. Literally, the young king.
66 Rama’s.
67 Spelt as Kousalya, rather than Koushalya, here.
68 Kaikeyi.
69 Raghava is Rama’s name, because one of his ancestors was Raghu.
70 Janaka’s kingdom was Videha and its capital was Mithila. So Sita is known as Vaidehi and Maithili.
71 Bharata and Shatrughna were away at the time, visiting their maternal uncles.
72 In Satna district of Madhya Pradesh. The Chitrakuta region spills over into Uttar Pradesh too.
73 Bharata did not return to Ayodhya, awaiting Rama’s return. He chose a place named Nandigrama, a short distance away from Ayodhya. He had brought back Rama’s sandals and placed these on the throne, as a symbol of kingship.
74 Khara’s younger brother.
75 They were severed by Lakshmana.
76 Ravana.
77 Coastal town in Karnataka, with a famous Shiva temple.
78 Respectively, Maricha and Ravana. Maricha is doing the initial speaking.
79 Rama’s name, because Kakutstha was one of his ancestors and Raghu was Kakutstha’s son.
80 Funeral rites, since Maricha knew that he was certain to die.
81Tridanda, the mark of a mendicant who has renounced the world. Three poles are tied together as one and held in the right hand.
82 The nakshatra Mrigashira, or deer’s head in the sky, straddling Taurus and Gemini. Also known as Margashirsha. The twenty-seven nakshatras are sometimes described as Brahma’s daughters and Brahma lusted after Rohini, chasing her in the form of a deer or antelope. Shiva (Rudra) pursued the deer and cut off one of its heads. This became Mrighashira.
83 A rakshasa.
84Madhvika.
85 Dasharatha’s.
86 From Ravana’s body.
87 Sumitra’s son, Lakshmana.
88Kabandha means a headless trunk and Kabandha is the name of a rakshasa.
89 Lakshmana.
90 Lakshmana.
91 The name of a tree.
92 Kamalas and utpalas respectively.
93 Vali’s wife.
94 The moon is the lord of the stars.
95 Tara was earlier married to Sugriva.
96 So that Rama could distinguish Sugriva from Vali.
97 Indra’s pleasure garden.
98Karabha, alternatively, young elephant.
99 Rama.
100 The south is the direction of death, and of ghosts and demons.
101 The god of love.
102 Tree (vriksha) that grants everything one desires (kalpa).
103 Religious fig tree.
104 The god of love has the flower as a banner.
105 One crore is ten million.
106 The lords (pala) or guardians of the worlds (loka) are usually four in number—Indra, Agni, Varuna and Yama.
107 Ravana’s wife.
108 Rajaraja.
109 Makara is a mythical aquatic creature and the god of love has the makara as his banner.
110 The word used is shashalakshana, marked by the sign of the rabbit, that is, the moon.
111 Kumuda, utpala and padma respectively.
112 The text uses the word gopuccha, meaning one with a cow’s tail. This is a specific type of monkey.
113 Hanuman.
114 Sugriva.
115 From the cave.
116 Garuda is Vinata’s son.
117 A female demon named Surasa who tried to obstruct Hanuman’s leap.
118 Hanuman would not have known about this incident otherwise.
119 The enemy will find it easier to attack if the force is divided.
120 Varuna, the lord of the waters.
121 Ikshvaku was the son of Manu and Manu was the son of the sun-god. As sons of Aditi, the sun-god and Varuna are brothers.
122 The ocean.
123 The architect of the gods.
124 Kind of tree and its wood.
125 The text has the word karnatta yantra. This is difficult to translate. Yantra is a machine and can also be a watchtower. Karnatta should mean in the shape of an ear, but an ear-shaped watchtower sounds odd. However, karnatta yantra also means a catapult.
126 Weapons capable of killing one hundred at a time.
127Madhuchhishta. Presumably, there was poison in the beeswax.
128 Angada.
129 Jambavan.
130 Rama.
131 Karabha, alternatively, young elephant.
132 A vyuha is a battle formation. This one is named after Ushanas or Shukracharya, the preceptor of the demons.
133 The preceptor of the gods.
134 Lakshmana.
135 Kumbhakarna.
136 Here, the text uses the word nairrita (meaning demon), rather than rakshasa.
137 Indra. Indrajit was originally named Meghanada and came to be called Indrajit because he vanquished Indra in battle. Indrajit could remain invisible while fighting and also possessed many celestial weapons.
138 Prajna means intelligence or wisdom.
139 Vishalya means freedom from trouble or anxiety and more specifically, something that removes a stake or a thorn.
140 The word used is Rajaraja.
141 Indrajit had not performed his daily rites and was therefore weak.
142 It isn’t clear from the Mahabharata what kind of a weapon a bhushundi was. It was a weapon that was hurled and could have been a simple rock. However, in descriptions of the Kurukshetra War, it seems to have been more sophisticated than a simple rock.
143 Brahma.
144 The five elements.
145 Nalakubara.
146 Indra’s wife, Shachi, was the daughter of Puloma.
147 Matali, Indra’s charioteer.
148 Makaras.
149 Vishvakarma constructed Pushpaka vimana for Kubera. Ravana possessed it, when he drove Kubera out of Lanka.
150 Yuvaraja.
151 The road he had followed when exiled.
152 Hanuman.
153 Bharata.
154 Rama.
155 Another name for the nakshatra Shravana.
156 Kubera.
157 The text uses the word jaruthyan. This means three times the normal dakshina, or three different types of dakshina.
158 By implication, by travelling along this path. Vritra and Namuchi were demons killed by Indra. Dirghajihva was also a demoness killed by Indra.
159 The gayatri or savitri mantra, dedicated to Savita, the sun-god, and personified in feminine form. In this personified feminine form, Savitri is also Brahma’s consort.
160 The sacrificial fire.
161 Brahma.
162 Suggesting that the king should not object because he had only received the boon of one daughter.
163 Ashvapati’s wife was from Malava.
164 The moon.
165 The mantra.
166 The goddess Lakshmi.
167Satya means truth. Satyavan means someone who follows the truth.
168Chitra means painting and ashva m
eans horse.
169 Rantideva was a king of the lunar dynasty, known for his generosity.
170 This story has been told in Section 33.
171 Yayati figures in several sections, such as Section 33.
172Ritvijas, officiating priests at sacrifices.
173 Dyumatsena and Ashvapati respectively.
174 Gift given to a guest.
175 Ashvapati.
176 That is, neither is permanent.
177 The word used is arha and it is possible to interpret this as a dowry.
178 Red or ochre garments are worn by ascetics.
179 That is, the cause of success.
180 On the last day.
181 The word used is yuga. A relatively rare meaning of yuga is four, the relevant meaning here. One probably means that the sun had arisen four hastas (hands) or cubits.
182 The mother-in-law.
183 Small measure of time, but also forty-eight minutes.
184 Instant, measure of time equal to four-fifths of a second.
185 The south is the direction of death.
186 In a marriage, husband and wife take seven steps around the fire together.