Read Mahabharata Vol. 2 (Penguin Translated Texts) Online
Authors: Bibek Debroy
22
A vimana is a celestial chariot and those who are virtuous get to ride on vimanas.
23
Vishnu’s club.
24
The sense is that no hole to escape could be found between the two chariots.
25
The eight cardinal points, plus above and below.
26
Indra has one thousand eyes.
27
Indra. Indra slew a demon named Vritra.
28
Harivahana is Indra’s name, because Hari is the name of Indra’s horse. The word
hari
means tawny, so that was probably the horse’s colour.
29
Of chariots.
30
Indra slew a demon named Namuchi.
31
The word used is
bhalla
. The word is used for an arrow, as well as for a missile that is like a small spear.
32
Phalguna or Phalguni is Arjuna’s name. He was thus named because he was born when the nakshatra Phalguni was in the ascendant.
33
Suparna is Garuda’s mother.
34
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.
35
The gods number thirty or thirty-three.
36
The staff of death.
37
A shibika is a palanquin, the god of wealth or Kubera’s weapon.
38
Noose.
39
This seems to be a special kind of chakra, though Shiva’s weapon is actually a trident. However, the word Shiva is also used generically for any god.
40
Herbs.
41
Bow.
42
Club.
43
Spear.
44
Yama.
45
Battleaxe.
46
Mace.
47
Krishna and Arjuna.
Achyuta
means one who does not decay and is usually used for Krishna.
48
Paka was a demon killed by Indra.
49
Literally, those who move about (
chara
) in the night (
nisha
), but the term is also specifically used for goblins, jackals, owls and snakes.
50
Kinnaras are mythical and semi-divine species, with human bodies and heads of horses. They are the companions of Kubera.
51
Indra.
54
The term for this is
urdhvareta
, meaning those who hold up their semen.
55
Yama, the god of death.
56
In this context, this should be interpreted as a period earmarked for studying, rather than lifelong celibacy.
57
There are several hells (
naraka
). A son is named
putra
because he saves
(trana
) the father from the hell named put. This hell is also called
punnam
, which means, by the name of put.
58
The former human wife.
59
The way of the birds.
60
The sacrificial fire is of three types—
garhapatya
(in the household),
ahavaniya
(used in sacrifices) and
dakshina
(the one placed facing the south).
61
The number eight has two possible interpretations. The first is the ordinary fire and the other seven consisting of the sacrificial fire in seven different places—the wife’s position at the sacrifice, the
soma
altar, the general altar, the seat of the priest who maintains the sacrificial fire, the area reserved for the assisting priests, the place where the rituals are performed and the place where the worship is performed. The second and perhaps more convincing explanation is the ordinary aggregated fire and the seven flames or tongues a fire is supposed to have—
karali
(frightful),
dhumini
(full of smoke),
shveta
(white),
lohita
(red),
neelalohita
(bluish red),
suvarna
(golden) and
padmaraga
(red like a ruby).
62
Jataveda is one of Agni’s names and means that the Vedas are born from (
jata
) the fire.
63
Dhata means creator and is also a term used for Brahma and Vishnu.
64
The preceptor of the gods. In earlier times, Brihaspati was also a term used for Indra.
65
The word
yama
itself means two or a couple and can therefore also be an adjective used for the two Ashvins. However, if it is not an adjective, the two Yamas can only mean Yama and his sister Yami.
66
The god of wind or Vayu.
67
Hiranyareta, the one with the golden (
hiranya
) seed (
reta
) is a name used for the fire and for the sun.
68
Pavana is the name of the wind and means the purifier.
69
The word used in the text is Shukra. Shukra is the preceptor of the gods and is also the planet Venus. But it means the virile one and is also a term used for Agni.
70
The time for destruction.
71
Jatharagni
is the digestive fire, that is the gastric fluids, inside the stomach (
jathara
).
72
The god of the ocean or of water.
73
The tide goes away, bypassing houses on the shore. In that sense, the fire should bypass the Sharngakas.
74
The truth.
77
The saptarshis or seven (
sapta
) great sages (rishi) were born from Brahma’s mental powers and were Marichi, Atri, Angira, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu and Vasishtha. They are also the seven stars in the constellation Ursa Major. Arundhati was Vasishtha’s wife and is also a companion star to Vasishtha in Ursa Major. Arundhati was a devoted wife, except for one transgression, which is why Arundhati is invoked in marriage ceremonies. The star Arundhati is not as dazzling as the star Vasishtha, so it is often difficult to make it out in the night sky and there is also a belief that a person who is approaching death can no longer see Arundhati.
78
Agneya and vayavya are divine weapons, respectively associated with the gods of fire and the wind. The former causes flames, while the latter causes wind.
1
Architectural designs.
2
Maya.
3
Rice cooked with sweetened milk.
4
Cubits. Literally the word means a forearm; so the length or span of a forearm.
5
Kunti was his aunt on his father’s side. Krishna’s father was in Dvaraka.
6
Krishna, also used for Vishnu, meaning the lord of the senses.
7
Droupadi.
8
This can mean grain of any kind. But it is specifically used for threshed and winnowed rice that has not been dehusked.
9
A name for Garuda, as well as for his elder brother Aruna.
10
The name of Krishna and Vishnu’s bow, the word signifying that it was made of horn.
11
A brief instant of time.
12
Lunar day.
13
They were yoked to the chariot.
14
A whisk or fan made out of a yak’s tail and a sign of royalty.
15
About the time of return.
16
Name for Vishnu or Krishna, meaning the brave one. Also a name for Balarama.
17
The word used in the text is
bhanda
, which means a vessel, as well as treasure. If the word is translated as vessel, the jewels have been kept in a vessel. But the word transalted as treasure, seems more appropriate given the context.
18
Vrishaparva is the king of the danavas. Since he is faithful to his promises, he would not have appropriated the treasure.
19
Yuvanashva’s son. His name was Mandhatri and he was born from Yuvanashva’s belly.
20
Bhagiratha was King Sagara’s great grandson and needed to bring the celestial river Ganga down to earth, so that his 60,000 ancestors, Sagara’s sons, might be freed. Accordingly, he performed penances.
21
That is, the sacrificial stakes need not have been thus ornamented.
22
Meaning, Maya.
23
The word kimkara means servant. Literally, a kimkara is someone who asks what (
kim
) he should do (
kara).
24
Lapis lazuli.
25
This may not be what is meant. The text uses the word
dvija
, which means any oviparous animal and can refer to fish, snakes or birds. Most translators have interpreted the word as bird (aquatic). But fish seems more plausible.
26
This may also be a metaphor. The water on the lotus leaves may have been compared with dots of pearls.
27
They mistook it for land.
28
Ducks.
29
Geese.
32
The words used in the text are
rourava
and
ajina
.
Ruru
is a deer and rourava is its skin. Ajina can be used to mean the hide of a tiger, lion or elephant too, but is commonly used for the hide of a black antelope.
33
Pradyumna.
34
Yuyudhana is one of Satyaki’s names.
35
Time. The word also means a cymbal. So an alternative translation is, knowledgeable in the playing of cymbals.
36
Keeping time in music.
37
Yudhishthira.
38
Peace or alliance, war, marching or an expedition, halting or pausing, seeking shelter and duplicity.
39
The traditional four means are
sama
(conciliation or negotiation),
dana
(bribery),
danda
(punishment) and
bheda
(dissension). To these one adds
maya
(delusion or deceit),
upeksha
(neglect) and
indrajala
(magic) to obtain seven means.
40
The number fourteen isn’t clear. The most plausible explanation is the fourteen branches of knowledge—the four Vedas, the six Vedangas, the Dharmashastras, the Puranas, Mimamsa and Tarka.
41
The eight royal duties—acceptance or seizure, giving of gifts, use of servants, prohibition, speech, conduct, punishment and purification.
42
One who looks after the fort, the executioner, the one in charge of law, the messenger, the priest and the soothsayer.
43
There is a problem of translation here. The word used in the text is tirtha, which means several things, including a place of pilgrimage. Eighteen places of pilgrimage on the enemy’s side and fifteen on one’s own side don’t make a great deal of sense. However, the word tirtha, also means minister. It is not obvious why there should be eighteen ministers on the enemy’s side, and who they are, and why there should be fifteen on one’s own side.
44
The word used is
patita
, which can also be interpreted in the specific sense of having fallen from one’s caste.
45
Elephants, cavalry and infantry.
46
Respectively, the four techniques of conciliation, donations, chastisement and dissension, used to govern.
47
Elephants, cavalry, infantry and chariots.
48
Elephants, cavalry, infantry, chariots, charioteers, servants, allies and spies.
49
These pleasures are obviously intended for the later part of the day. They must presumably be known in the forenoon so that arrangements can be made.
50
Unfortunately, one can’t readily deduce the rate of interest, per cent. One pratika is the amount that can be bought with a coin known as
karshapana
, but the karshapana itself had different values.
51
The word used is
varta
, which in general, means the professions of agriculture, trade, animal husbandry and moneylending. However, the word varta is also used for agriculture in particular.
52
The five officers who are in charge of the city, the fort, the countryside, the treasury and punishing criminals.
53
The sense isn’t clear. It probably means knowing those (the spies) who are inside the enemy’s kingdom.
54
The day is divided into eight yamas, each yama consisting of three hours. The night consists of three yamas and is therefore also known as
yami
or
yamini.
55
The word used is
paschima
, which means last, as well as west.
56
The eight divisions of medicine—digestive, pediatrics, planetary influences, thorns, bites, secretions, sores, poison and their treatment.