Mahabharata Vol. 3 (Penguin Translated Texts) (85 page)

¹⁶⁴
The following words are the hunter speaking.

¹⁶⁵
That is, is born as inferior species.

¹⁶⁶
The three qualities (guna) are sattva, rajas and tamas.

¹⁶⁷
The five elements, the five senses and the seven properties.

¹⁶⁸
To the list of seventeen, one adds the five organs of action—organ of generation, organ of excretion, hands, feet and tongue. This makes it twenty-two and one adds pride (ego) and the soul.

¹⁶⁹
The five organs of sense and the mind.

¹⁷⁰
Between contrary sentiments.

¹⁷¹
The text says, one who behaves like an arya.

¹⁷²
Prana is the breath of life or the life force. Prana draws breath into the body, apana exhales it. Vyana distributes it through the body and samana assimilates it. Udana gives rise to sound.

¹⁷³
There seems to be some repetition in the text.

¹⁷⁴
This is a reference to the five senses, the five organs of action and the mind.

¹⁷⁵
The human soul, as opposed to the divine and universal soul, brahman or paramatman.

¹⁷⁶
Kshetra is the field, that is, the body. Kshetrajna is one who knows the body, that is, the soul, both human and universal.

¹⁷⁷
There are actually fourteen worlds (lokas), seven above and seven below. This is a reference to the seven above—
bhurloka, kharloka, svarloka, maharloka, janarloka, taparloka
and
satyaloka (brahmaloka).

¹⁷⁸
Koushika.

¹⁷⁹
Parashurama.

¹⁸⁰
The word used is tata.

¹⁸¹
Yayati’s story appears in several sections, Section 33 is an instance. The daughter in question is Madhavi, whose sons saved Yayati from the sage Galava.

¹⁸²
The word used is tata.

¹⁸³
The word used is tata.

¹⁸⁴
Kartikeya.

¹⁸⁵
The Pleiades, the third of the twenty-seven nakshatras.

¹⁸⁶
Agni is the bearer of oblations.

¹⁸⁷
Prajapatya
is the act of giving away one’s possessions before becoming an ascetic.

¹⁸⁸
Jataveda is Agni’s epithet, meaning someone who is the source of the Vedas.

¹⁸⁹
Brahma had sons through his mental powers and the third of these was Angiras. Apava is Vasishtha’s name. Angiras had several wives, one of whom was named Subha. However, none of these was Vasishtha’s daughter. It is possible that the critical edition has got this wrong. For instance, instead of Apava’s daughter, some other versions say that Angiras had a wife named Subha and this fits better.

¹⁹⁰
Raga
means love, passion, affection.

¹⁹¹
Sinivali is the day preceding the new moon and the moon’s crescent is so thin that it can hardly be seen. Kapardin is Shiva’s daughter. It is not clear who is Shiva’s daughter. Nothing fits well enough.

¹⁹²
Kuhu is the day of the new moon, when the moon is invisible. Because the moon is invisible, it cannot be divided into parts.

¹⁹³
Shamyu.

¹⁹⁴
Bharata had a son named Bharata.

¹⁹⁵
To avoid confusion, Viraa and Vira respectively.

¹⁹⁶
In this context, a hymn to the fire.

¹⁹⁷
Nishchyavana
literally means something that does not fall.

¹⁹⁸
Vipapa
literally means free from sin.

¹⁹⁹
Nishkriti
literally means freedom.

²⁰⁰
Literally, something that goes up.

²⁰¹
Manyu
means wrath or resentment.

²⁰²
Kama has several meanings and one of these is an object of desire. Kama is the fire of passion or desire.

²⁰³
Amogha
means productive, infallible.

²⁰⁴
Uktha is a laudatory hymn, usually used for the Sama Veda. The ukthas were divided into three categories. Sakamashva is a specific hymn from the Sama Veda. It has its roots in
sakam
(together with) and ashva (horse), since one went to heaven together with the horse.

²⁰⁵
Vyahritis are sacred and mystical words. They are usually mentioned as three—
bhuh, bhuvah
and
svah. Mahah
is added as the fourth, the fifth varying according to context.

²⁰⁶
Panchajanya is the name of Krishna’s conch shell. But here, it means ‘five people’.

²⁰⁷
Brihat and rathantara are tones or melodies for chanting Sama Veda hymns. It is not obvious why these should be described as stealers of energy or vigour.

²⁰⁸
Udatta
is a high-pitched accent and
anudatta
is a low-pitched one.

²⁰⁹
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).

²¹⁰
Panchajanya.

²¹¹
The word
bharana
means to sustain. Pushtimati seems to be another name for Bharata. The word
pushti
means nourishment or development.

²¹²
The word
shiva
means lucky, auspicious, propitious.

²¹³
Austerities personified. This is probably another name for Panchajanya.

²¹⁴
While Urjaskara and Havyavahana are clear, it is not obvious who the other three in the listing of five are. Probably, Ushma, Shambu and Avasathya.

²¹⁵
The lord of the cows is the sun. When the sun sets, it is night and the time for demons.

²¹⁶
Balada, Manyumat, Vishnu and Agrayana.

²¹⁷
The god of rain, Indra.

²¹⁸
Another of Manu’s sons.

²¹⁹
The trails of smoke.

²²⁰
The sage Kapila propounded sankhya yoga.

²²¹
Tapas.

²²²
The text actually says
grihapati
. Garhapatya is the fire that burns in the household and is the son of Saha Apa and Mudita.

²²³
The Niyata or Kratu fire is the fire that burns the dead. Here, it is being equated with Bharata.

²²⁴
Agni.

²²⁵
Angiras.

²²⁶
The story of Agni’s fleeing and curse on the fish isn’t explained in the Mahabharata. But it occurs elsewhere and there are various reasons why Agni fled—to perform austerities, and because Agni is a polluter, since Agni devours everything, including the dead.

²²⁷
Presumably, crystal, emeralds and black iron.

²²⁸
Atharva.

²²⁹
The five rivers are Shatadru, Vipasha, Iravati, Chandrabhaga and Vitasta.

²³⁰
Adbhuta
means extraordinary and wonderful. But here, Adbhuta is being used as a proper name for the primeval fire.

²³¹
Type of soma sacrifice.

²³²
Indra. Literally, the sacker of cities.

²³³
The name of a demon.

²³⁴
Indra.

²³⁵
Indra killed a demon named Paka.

²³⁶
Indra’s name. Literally, the performer of one hundred sacrifices.

²³⁷
Literally,
devasena
means the army of the gods, while
daityasena
means the army of the daityas.

²³⁸
In this context, Dakshayani means Daksha’s daughter. Daksha’s daughter was Aditi and she married Kashyapa. The Adityas or gods, including Indra, were born from this union. Several of Daksha’s daughters were married to Kashyapa and Kashyapa was Devasena’s father. However, it is not obvious which of Daksha’s daughters, one of Aditi’s sisters, was Devasena’s mother.

²³⁹
Indra.

²⁴⁰
Mountain from which the sun rises.

²⁴¹
The ocean.

²⁴²
Parva means part or division and this probably means the twenty-four hours.

²⁴³
The rishis.

²⁴⁴
The rishis.

²⁴⁵
Chandralekha.

²⁴⁶
Strictly speaking, Shivaa.

²⁴⁷
The other wives.

²⁴⁸
The other wives.

²⁴⁹
Garudi is the feminine of the Garuda bird. Garuda is also known as Suparna and Suparni is the feminine.

²⁵⁰
Vasishtha’s wife.

²⁵¹
Skanda is another name for Kartikeya or Kumara. Guha is another of his names, as is Mahasena.
Skanna
means fallen or fallen down, and Skanda is derived from that.

²⁵²
Shiva is the slayer of Tripura.

²⁵³
The word used is
tamrachuda
. This means cock. But since
tamra
also means coppery red, the cock may have had this hue.

²⁵⁴
There are thirteen
samskara
s or sacraments. The list varies a bit. But one list is
vivaha
(marriage),
garbhalambhana
(conception),
pumshavana
(engendering a male child),
simantonnayana
(parting the hair, performed in the fourth month of pregnancy),
jatakarma
(birth rites),
namakarana
(naming),
chudakarma
(tonsure),
annaprashana
(first solid food),
keshanta
(first shaving of the head),
upanayana
(sacred thread),
vidyarambha
(commencement of studies),
samavartana
(graduation) and
antyeshti
(funeral rites).

²⁵⁵
These divine mothers are sometimes described as companions of Shiva, sometimes as companions of Skanda. Their number is usually given as seven or eight, and more rarely, sixteen.

²⁵⁶
The mothers.

²⁵⁷
Agni.

²⁵⁸
These sentences are a bit obscure. Agni is often associated with a goat, specifically, a ram. So is Skanda. Both Agni and Skanda are referred to as Naigameya and in this form, Skanda cures children of ailments. The mother who is the daughter of the ocean of blood is Krura.

²⁵⁹
Victory over Skanda.

²⁶⁰
Airavata is Indra’s elephant.

²⁶¹
Vishakha is also one of Skanda’s names. The word
vish
means to enter, and Vishakha is derived from that.

²⁶²
Kumara’s epithet.

²⁶³
Meaning infant or child.

²⁶⁴
There is an anomaly in the numbers. The number of mothers (
matrika
s) is sometimes given as seven, sometimes as eight. Seven is also associated with the six stars of the Pleiades (
krittika
). One sentence in the text mentions seven mothers, but the next sentence suggests eight. Krittika (krittikas in the plural) is the third of the twenty-seven nakshatras. Reared by the Krittikas, Skanda was named Kartikeya. The six wives of the rishis became the Krittikas.

²⁶⁵
Skanda.

²⁶⁶
This is a reference to Svaha having adopted the forms of the wives of the rishis on six separate nights.

²⁶⁷
The word used is tata.

²⁶⁸
Indra.

²⁶⁹
Held over Skanda’s head.

²⁷⁰
Shiva.

²⁷¹
Shiva’s consort, Uma.

²⁷²
Shiva. Literally, the one with a bull on his banner. Rudra is also Shiva’s name.

²⁷³
More correctly, placed there by Svaha in the form of the six wives.

²⁷⁴
The rooster or the cock is Skanda’s emblem. The peacock became his mount later.