Read Mahabharata Vol. 3 (Penguin Translated Texts) Online
Authors: Bibek Debroy
275
Skanda’s name.
276
Brahma.
277
Lakshmi was personified in the form of Devasena. Lakshmi is also known as Shri.
278
Panchami
is the fifth lunar day.
279
Tithi is a lunar day and shashthi means the sixth. Shashthi is also one of Devasena’s names.
280
The text says
devasenapati
. This can mean either general of the gods, or Devasena’s husband. Both are equally correct.
281
Skanda.
282
The twenty-seven nakshatras were Daksha’s daughters and were married to Chandra, the moon. Krittika is the third, Rohini is the fourth, Dhanishtha is the twenty-third. Abhijit is not one of the twenty-seven, but has been added as a twenty-eighth, between the twenty-first and the twenty-second. The story in the text is clearly about the order of these nakshatras. Rohini was the first because Chandra loved her the most.
283
The time that the dislodged nakshatra was supposed to measure.
284
One can visualize the major stars of Pleiades arranged in the form of a cart.
285
Vinata is Garuda’s mother. However, Svaha assumed the form of a Garudi. So this Vinata means Svaha, rather than the Vinata who is Garuda’s mother.
286
Probably because their husbands had abandoned them.
287
It now becomes clear that these other mothers are the natural mothers of children.
288
A graha is something that seizes or grasps, that is, it is an evil spirit. It is also possible, in this context, to interpret a graha as a disease.
289
Literally, Skanda’s falling sick, or Skanda’s epilepsy.
290
The Kumaras.
291
The name of a tree used for medicinal purposes.
292
The number eighteen is not clearly explained. It could be Skandapasmara, Shakuni, Putana, Shitaputana, Revati, Mukhamandika, Surabhi, Sarama and Karanji (adding up to nine) and devagraha, pitrigraha,
siddhagraha, rakshasagraha, yakshagraha, pishachagraha, gandharvagraha
(adding up to seven) mentioned a little later, with perhaps Vinata and Kadru added. Alternatively, children are believed to suffer from nine different kinds of diseases or afflictions. Eighteen might mean these nine diseases and the nine mothers who preside over these diseases.
293
The mother.
294
Kadru is the mother of serpents. Arishta is the mother of gandharvas and Muni is the mother of apsaras, and Arishta and Muni are Kadru’s sisters. But here, Kadru seems to be the mother of gandharvas and apsaras.
295
Perhaps implying that the foetus does not move and is dead.
296
Literally, someone whose path is red.
297
Two beings. The first is masculine and Minjika, and the latter is feminine and Minjikaa. They are worshipped by those who wish to ensure the welfare of children.
298
Alternatively, as a proper name, the river Lohita or Brahmaputra.
299
Mountain, river, sun, earth and trees.
300
The arka tree is the sun-plant, a small tree with medicinal uses. In the
Skanda Purana
, the five ganas are named Dharma, Gyana, Vairagya, Aishvarya and Adharma.
301
Minjikaa.
302
Indra’s elephant.
303
Samtanaka is one of the five trees in Indra’s celestial pleasure garden. Parijata is another.
304
Kind of tree.
305
The China rose.
306
Shiva. Pashupati is another of Shiva’s names.
307
Bhadravata, to the east of Kailasa, is one of the three places where Shiva is said to reside.
308
Indra’s bow is the rainbow.
309
Kubera is the lord of riches. He is known as Naravahana because he rides a man. Pushpaka is Kubera’s chariot.
310
Jambhakas are demons or evil spirits. They are also Shiva’s companions.
311
In addition to Rudra being Shiva’s name, there were also minor gods (eleven in number) known as Rudras.
312
Death.
313
Kamandalu.
314
The words Bhrigu and Angiras are in the plural, suggesting those of these two lineages, rather than Bhrigu and Angiras individually.
315
Shiva.
316
The moon.
317
The text actually says Vrishaketana, but Vrishadhvaja and Vrishaketana have the same meaning.
318
Shiva.
319
Missiles that can kill one hundred at one go.
320
Rudra.
1
Droupadi is actually Krishnaa, though it has been written as Krishna.
2
The Pandavas had other wives too. Bhima was married to Hidimba. Arjuna was married to Subhadra, Ulupi and Chitrangada. Nakula was married to Karenumati and Sahadeva to Vijaya.
3
The singular is used in the text.
4
Kunti.
5
A snataka is a brahmana who has completed his period of celibate student life and is about to step into the householder stage.
6
Pradyumna’s mother is Krishna’s wife Rukmini.
7
Bhanu was the son of Krishna and Satyabhama.
8
Balarama.
9
That is, Krishnaa or Droupadi.
10
Shouri is Krishna’s name.
5
Karna.
6
Shakuni.
7
The four types of weapons are amukta (those not released, like swords), mukta (those released, like chakras), muktamukta (those that can be released or not released, like spears) and yantramukta (those released from a machine or implement, like arrows).
8
Arjuna, Gandiva and the celestial weapons.
9
Subala’s son, Shakuni.
10
Duryodhana.
15
The plural is used, meaning Duryodhana and his brothers.
16
Vidura.
17
Arjuna.
18
Kashaya
, red or ochre, is the colour of an ascetic’s robes.
19
That is, Arjuna.
20
Bhishma.
21
Stations where the cowherds assemble cattle.
22
The palms of their hands. A more contemporary rendering would be that they shook hands.
23
The son of Radha, Karna.
24
The Pandavas.
25
Droupadi.
29
From the lake. A gavyuti is a measure of distance, equal to two kroshas (four miles) or one krosha (two miles).
30
Gavaya.
31
Sadyaska is a kind of sacrifice, meaning either a new sacrifice, or a sacrifice that is completed in a single day.
32
Gandharvas can fly in the sky. Chitrasena is the king of the gandharvas.
33
Vaikartana is Karna’s name. Radheya is also Karna’s name.
34
Arrows with sharp heads in the form of horseshoes.
35
Small arrows.
36
Missiles or arrows.
37
Arrows with heads like the teeth of a calf.
38
Of the chariot.
39
A chariot was surrounded by a wooden fender that acted like armour. This was called
varutha.
40
Trivenu means three bamboo poles. One doesn’t know what part of the chariot this is, except that it is clearly a joint.
41
These, and the names that follow, are of Duryodhana’s brothers.
42
Duryodhana and his army.
43
The word used is tata.
44
Yudhishthira.
55
Of the gandharvas.
56
All of these are celestial weapons. It is impossible to be more specific than that. Sthunakarna literally means something that has a pillar for its ears. Soura, agneya and soumya are named after the sun, the fire and the moon respectively. Literally, indrajala means Indra’s net and stands for something magical.
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.
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.
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.