Read Mahabharata Vol. 3 (Penguin Translated Texts) Online
Authors: Bibek Debroy
413
Indra has one thousand eyes.
414
While Parameshthi is usually Brahma’s ephithet, it is also an epithet for Vishnu and Shiva, and even for Agni and Garuda.
415
Having killed the brahmana Vritra, Indra disappeared and Nahusha temporarily obtained the title of Indra, the lord of the gods. There are different reasons for his fall from grace and one of these is Agastya’s curse.
416
The sun.
417
There doesn’t seem to be any difference between kinnaras and kimpurushas.
418
Kimshuka is the name of a tree with red blossoms and is also the name of the flower.
419
All of these are Shiva’s names. Pinaki is the wielder of the pinaka, Shulapani is the one with a
shula
(trident) in his hand and Tryaksha (or Tryambaka) is the one with three eyes. Shiva destroyed the demon fortress named Tripura. Hara and Rudra are also Shiva’s names.
420
Makara
is a mythical creature and can also be translated as a shark.
421
Patala
. There are actually seven nether regions—
atala, vitala, sutala, rasatala, talatala, mahatala
and patala. Thus patala is the lowest of the seven nether regions.
422
Mahadeva.
423
Asamanja was Shaibya’s son.
424
Anshuman is actually a grandson. But the word
tata
(son) is not only used for a son, but is affectionately used for anyone who is an inferior or subordinate.
425
There is a clear error in the text of the critical edition. The word used is
khura
. Khura has several meanings, hoof, razor, perfume, the foot of a bedstead—but none of them make any sense. Some other versions say
gala
(neck or throat) and that would be fine, since the children could be grabbed by the neck.
426
The word used is
naraka
(hell) and this is not quite the same as the nether regions.
427
Anshuman.
428
Literally fathers, but meaning uncles.
429
The three-coursed one is Ganga, because the Ganga flows in heaven, on earth and in the nether regions.
430
Shiva.
431
Sagara.
432
Anshuman’s.
435
Shrike or thrush.
436
Gallinules.
437
Woodpeckers.
438
Chakora birds. However, chakoras are also mentioned separately.
439
Eight elephants guard the eight cardinal directions.
440
Semi-divine species.
441
Ganga.
442
Nilakantha is Mahadeva’s name. His name is Nilakantha, because his throat (
kantha
) became blue (
nila
) after swallowing the poison that emerged from the churning of the ocean.
443
Mahadeva.
444
Mahadeva.
449
Both durva and kusha are sacred sacrificial grasses and the two are sometimes used synonymously. However, kusha seems softer and more sacred than durva.
450
Indra.
451
Indra killed two demons named Bala and Vritra.
452
Because it had rained.
453
Savita is the sun-god. Savitri’s story will be recounted in Section 42. Savitri is not exactly Savita’s daughter, but was born as a boon from the sun-god.
454
Paka is a demon killed by Indra.
455
Rishya is a type of antelope and
shringa
means horn.
458
Marking-nuts.
459
Myrobalans.
460
Some unidentified fruit, probably harsh to the taste.
461
Inguda
is a medicinal tree.
462
Probably some kind of berry.
463
The fruit of a kind of fig tree.
464
Shala
trees.
465
Tree with beautiful flowers.
473
These are Lomapada’s instructions to his warriors.
474
Champa was the capital of Anga. Anga is the eastern part of Bihar, and east of Munger, there are two villages by the name of Champa.
475
Shanta went to the hermitage with Rishyashringa.
476
Indra.
477
Yudhishthira’s name is Ajamidha.
478
There are different stories about Mudgala. He was both a king and a sage. In some accounts, Mudgala’s wife was Indrasena. In other accounts, Indrasena was his daughter-in-law. Indrasena was Narayana’s daughter. Thus, Nadayani could also read Narayani, as in some non-Critical texts.
479
There are stories about Rudra (Shiva) not being offered a share in the sacrifices and about how this was altered later.
485
Richika.
486
These are different types of fig trees.
487
In a different version of the story, the two women were given two separate bowls of charu that they were supposed to eat and they mixed these up.
488
The knowledge of weapons is
dhanurveda
. More specifically, dhanurveda is the knowledge of archery. Weapons are of four types—
mukta, amukta, muktamukta
and
yantramukta
. Mukta weapons are released, such as a
chakra.
Amukta weapons are not released, such as a sword. Muktamukta weapons can either be released or not released, such as a spear. Yantramukta weapons are released from an implement or machine, such as a missile.
491
A vyama is a measure of length. When the arms are extended, it is the distance from the tips of the fingers of one hand to the tips of the fingers of the other. A vyama is thus roughly equal to 2 yards.
492
The brahmanas.
Khanda
means a piece.
493
Earlier, the earth was given to the officiating priests.
494
Janamejaya was Parikshit’s son.
495
It is not clear which feat this refers to. Arjuna’s conquests did not take him to the south. This must therefore be a reference to Lomasha’s account of Arjuna’s exploits in heaven.
496
Yudhishthira.
497
Droupadi.
498
Parashurama. The word son is being used in a loose sense. Parashurama is Jamadagni’s son and Richika’s grandson.
499
Meaning Yama.
500
Meaning Kubera.
501
The sun-god.
502
Bhaga also means the sun and the moon. In this context, it means Shiva.
503
The sun. Literally, the one who creates the day.
504
Varuna.
505
Brahma.
506
Pushan has several meanings—the sun, Indra and Shiva. However, all three have already been separately mentioned.
507
Balarama.
508
Yudhishthira.
509
Shini’s grandson is Satyaki.
510
Arjuna.
511
The Yadavas.
512
Vanamali means one who wears a garland of wild flowers and is usually Krishna’s epithet. But here, it is being used for Balarama.
513
Jasmine.
514
Krishna.
515
Dhritarashtra.
516
Dhritarashtra.
517
The Pandavas. The word son is being used in a loose sense.
518
Vichitravirya was Dhritarashtra’s father.
519
Bhima’s conquest of the east has been described in Section 23 (Volume 2).
520
Sahadeva’s conquest of the south has been described in Section 23 (Volume 2). Dantakura was the capital of Kalinga and there may be a typo here. Kalinga is not in the south and there is no mention of Dantakura in Section 23 (Volume 2).
521
Referring to Nakula. Nakula’s conquest of the west has been described in Section 23 (Volume 2).
522
Droupadi.
523
The text refers to Dharma tangentially. The three objectives of worldly existence (
trivarga
) are dharma, artha and kama and foremost among them is dharma. Instead of saying Dharma, the text says the foremost of trivarga.
524
Dhritarashtra’s son, Duryodhana.
525
Sharnga is the name of Krishna’s bow.
526
Arjuna. Arjuna also taught Satyaki the art of war.
527
Duryodhana’s.
528
Rohini was Balarama’s mother.
529
Pradyumna is Krishna’s son and this ‘your’ is being used in a general sense.
530
Since Pradyumna has already been mentioned, this means Samba. Samba was Krishna’s son, through Jambavati.
531
It was Pradyumna, not Samba, who was kidnapped by the demon Shambara. Pradyumna was kidnapped when still a child and eventually killed Shambara. This shloka probably belongs earlier, when Pradyumna’s valour is being described.
532
Samba, not Pradyumna, seems to have killed Ashvachakra in battle. It is not clear who Ashvachakra was.
533
Pradyumna’s son and Krishna’s grandson.
534
Yudhishthira had sworn an oath that he would be banished and could not become king until that period was over.
535
Karna.
536
Krishna is usually referred to as Madhava. The Yadavas are known as Madhava because one of their lines was descended from Madhu. Thus Satyaki, and not just Krishna, is also Madhava.
537
Yudhishthira.
538
The Kekaya brothers were divided in the Kurukshetra War, with some on the side of the Pandavas and the others on the side of the Kouravas. By the lord or king of Kekaya one means Vrihatkshatra, the eldest of the Kekaya brothers who fought on the side of the Pandavas. By the lord or king of Chedi one means Dhrishtaketu, Shishupala’s son, who was instated on the throne after Shishupala’s death.
539
Krishna.