Read Mahabharata: Volume 4 Online
Authors: Bibek Debroy
1
Yama. This entire section is somewhat obscure and difficult to translate.
2
Are born again and again.
3
Yama.
4
To heaven.
5
Rush towards the desire and fall into hell.
6
Has no desire.
7
Of desire.
8
Dharma and adharma.
9
Because a true brahmana does not have to exert himself through sacrifices.
10
The vow of silence.
11
Prosperity characterizes this world and runs counter to the objective of the next world.
12
This doesn’t quite fit. Perhaps one means lack of compassion.
13
Alternatively, speaking well of themselves.
14
The list of six continues.
15
The four Vedas are Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. Sometimes, the Atharva Veda is not included and there is a list of three.
Itihasa
(Ramayana, Mahabharata) and the Puranas are regarded as the fifth Veda.
16
The brahman or the paramatman.
17
Meaning righteous.
18
Ancient sage from whom the Atharva Veda is traced.
19
The brahman or the paramatman.
20
The brahman or the paramatman.
21
Muni means sage or hermit, with a root in
mouna
or silence.
22
Munja is a kind of rush or grass, used to make girdles for brahmanas.
23
The preceptor is also like a father and initiation into studies is like a second birth.
24
The brahman or the paramatman. There is no gender in the text.
25
Barhata
(brihati
) is a kind of metre. Rathantara is a metre that particularly occurs in the Sama Veda.
26
The sun and the moon.
27
This shloka is especially difficult to understand and translate.
28
This is a reference to the horses and chariot of the sun.
29
This is another shloka which is difficult to understand and translate. The twelve probably refers to the twelve months and the river is symbolic of life.
30
The image probably is that one only enjoys half the fruit of actions and has to be reborn.
31
The tree is symbolic of the brahman. The featherless birds are individual souls or atman. Originally, they are part of the brahman. But having obtained feathers or individual characteristics, they are born as different beings.
32
The brahman is complete. The universe is also complete and is created from the brahman. But even after the universe has been created from the brahman, the complete brahman remains.
33
Prana is the breath of life in general. It is also divided into five separate actions of prana (exhalation), apana (downward inhalation),
vyana
(diffusion through the body),
udana
(upward inhalation) and
samana
(the breath of digestion). When inhaled apana air fills up the space left by exhaled prana air, that is called
puraka
and is one of the three components of pranayama.
34
There is a problem with the critical edition’s text here, with the word
ritvijam
being a clear typo.
35
There would be no difference between death and immortality. Man is being compared to a swan and man has four legs or parts (waking, dreaming, sleeping,
turiya
). Turiya is the fourth state, when one perceives union between the human soul atman and the brahman. Ordinary people only perceive the first three parts and one of the legs is therefore hidden and not used. Wise ones perceive the fourth leg too and see no difference between death and immortality.
36
The individual souls must all return to the brahman.
37
Because they do not possess wisdom and do not realize there is no difference between existence and non-existence.
38
For such a wise man.
39
The Vedas are being compared to the well.
40
Brahma.
41
The word used is
pushkara
, meaning a blue lotus. The lotus symbolizes the heart of a being. Alternatively, pushkara also means a cage and one might mean the cages that bodies represent.
1
Dhritarashtra.
2
Sanjaya.
3
Sanjaya.
4
The word used is tata.
5
This might mean either Dhritarashtra or Duryodhana, probably the former.
6
The other Pandavas.
7
This is Arjuna speaking and his words are being repeated by Sanjaya. Ajamidha was an earlier ancestor and Yudhishthira and Dhritarashtra are often referred to as Ajamidha. Arjuna means that if the kingdom is returned, those earlier crimes will be pardoned.
8
Nakula and Sahadeva.
9
Satyaki.
10
This is directly addressed to Duryodhana.
11
Yudhishthira.
12
Yudhishthira.
13
Droupadi’s five sons.
14
Most of the Kekayas fought on the side of the Kouravas.
15
Shakuni. In Section 28 (Volume 2), Sahadeva had vowed to kill Shakuni.
16
Abhimanyu. Abhimanyu was the son of Arjuna and Subhadra.
17
The Prabhadrakas were part of the Panchala army. However, some of them were from Panchala, others were from Kamboja, but worked for the Panchala army. A few Prabhadrakas also fought on the Kourava side.
18
Uttara.
19
Bhishma.
20
Drona taught Dhrishtadyumna.
21
Dhrishtadyumna.
22
The Panchalas.
23
Meaning Satyaki.
24
There is a minor inconsistency. The ‘him’ is Duryodhana and Arjuna is asking Sanjaya to tell Duryodhana. However, the entire segment is in the form of Arjuna’s message to Duryodhana and is within quotes, so to speak.
25
The creator.
26
Panchajanya is the name of Krishna’s conch shell, while Devadatta is the name of Arjuna’s conch shell.
27
The word used is dasyus.
28
It is difficult to pinpoint this incident. In Section 32 (Volume 2), Indra arrived before Arjuna in the form of a brahmana. However, the choice between Indra and Krishna did not arise. In Section 19 (Volume 2), Agni also arrived in the form of a brahmana, and in that incident, Krishna/Arjuna confronted Indra. The sense is that a passive (at the rear) Krishna is superior to an active (at the forefront) Indra. Sugriva is the name of one of Krishna’s horses, Sainya being the other.
29
Rukmini was the daughter of King Bhishmaka of Vidarbha (Bhoja). Her father wished her to marry Shishupala. But she loved Krishna and Krishna abducted her. Pradyumna was the son of Krishna and Rukmini.
30
Rukmini’s son, Pradyumna.
31
The name is also written as Sudarshana. This Nagnajit was a king of Gandhara and had imprisoned Sudarshana and other kings. Krishna liberated them. There is yet another Nagnajit, who was king of Koshala. Krishna married his daughter Satya.
32
Krishna defeated the king of Pandya.
33
King Poundraka was the king of Karusha and fancied himself to be superior to Krishna. He also called himself Vasudeva. The king of Kashi (Varanasi) became Poundraka’s ally and Krishna defeated and killed them both. The son of the king of Kashi was Sudakshina and he swore revenge, praying to Shiva. In the subsequent conflict, Krishna burnt down Varanasi.
34
Ekalavya allied himself with Jarasandha and was killed by Krishna when the Yadavas fought against Jarasandha. There were several demons named Jambha and Vishnu killed one of these.
35
Kamsa was Ugrasena’s son.
36
This story has been recounted in Section 31 (Volume 2).
37
Shalva.
38
Naraka was the son of the earth goddess and Vishnu in his
varaha
(boar) incarnation. He established the city of Pragjyotisha in Assam (Kamarupa). After Naraka stole Aditi’s earrings, Krishna killed him and his general, Mura. Hence, Krishna is known as Murari, Mura’s enemy. Pragjyotisha seems to be used both for the city and the kingdom. When it is used as a name for the kingdom, the capital is Nirmochana.
39
Naraka.
40
Krishna.
41
Kripa.
42
Mrigachakra seems to have been the circle of the nakshatras rather than the signs (rashi) of the zodiac.
43
Though the Srinjayas, that is the Panchalas, are the allies of the Pandavas.
44
Yudhishthira.
45
The word used is
shaikya
. This means a metal that has been moulded or cast, though not necessarily steel.
46
Probably peacocks.
47
Suparna
s.
48
Names of divine weapons.
49
Arjuna is addressing Sanjaya now.
50
The side of the enemies.
51
Shukracharya.
52
This has been described in Section 35 (Volume 3). However, there is no mention of Jambha there. Jambha was a demon killed by Vishnu.
53
This has been described in Section 19 (Volume 2).
54
Arjuna.
55
The word used is tata.
56
Krishna is also one of Arjuna’s names.
57
The word used is tata.
58
Parashurama. Karna studied under Parashurama, pretending to be a brahmana, and was cursed by Parashurama when the deception was found out.
59
A kala, sixteen kalas constitute a whole.
60
The Pandavas.
61
Karna.
62
This has been recounted in Section 47.
63
This has been recounted in Section 39 (Volume 3).
64
Drona.
65
This has been described in Section 9 (Volume 1).
66
This has been described in Section 42 (Volume 3).
67
This has been described in Section 8 (Volume 1).
68
Meaning Droupadi. This has been described in Section 33 (Volume 3).
69
Arjuna.
70
Purandara is Indra’s name. This has been described in Section 19 (Volume 2).
71
This has been described in Section 31 (Volume 2). Girisha (lord of the mountain) is Shiva’s name.
72
Bhishmaka’s son and Rukmini’s brother.
73
This story will be told in Section 60.
74
Satyaki.
75
The word used is tata.
76
The word used is tata.
77
Shaikya.
78
The distance between an outstretched thumb and forefinger.
79
Because the Pandavas weren’t born in Hastinapura and came there only after Pandu died.
80
The word used is tata.
81
The word used is tata.
82
The word used is tata.
83
Shaikya.
84
Kishku
, the length of the forearm.
85
Jarasandha’s.
86
The word used is tata.
87
The image is of the wheel of time.
88
The word used is tata.
89
Yudhishthira.
90
Drona and Karna.
91
The word used is tata.
92
Krishna is one of Arjuna’s names too.
93
The word used is tata.
94
Arjuna instructed Satyaki in the use of weapons.
95
The word used is tata.
96
Yudhishthira.
97
The name of Krishna’s chakra.
98
Arjuna’s standard. Arjuna has white horses.
99
Yudhishthira.
100
Duryodhana.
101
The word used is tata. There is a minor inconsistency, because this entire segment is in quotes and Dhritarashtra wasn’t present on the occasion. Duryodhana is recounting the conversation.
102
Bhishma’s name.
103
Balarama.
104
Yama’s.
105
Bhima.
106
Bhishma.
107
Ashvatthama’s father is Drona. His mother is Kripi and his maternal uncle is Kripa. None of them had normal births, Drona being born in a wooden vessel and Kripa and Kripi being born in a clump of reeds.
108
Parashurama.
109
Shachi is Indra’s wife. As recounted in Section 43 (Volume 3), there was no mention of Shachi.
110
They were so named because they had taken the oath.
111
Bhouvana or Bhoumana is Vishvakarma, the architect of the gods. Tvashta or Tvashtra is also Vishvakarma, but is mentioned here separately.
112
The rainbow.
113
The king of the gandharvas.
114
Yudhishthira.
115
Ajamidha was a common ancestor and Ajamidha is usually used for Yudhishthira and Dhritarashtra.
116
Presumably with armour.
117
That is, Yudhishthira. The king of Madra is Shalya.
118
The Kekayas were divided in their allegiance in the war. These five brothers fought on the side of the Pandavas, there were other Kekayas who fought on the side of the Kouravas.
119
Those who have taken an oath to win or die.
120
However, earlier, Duryodhana’s sons have been assigned to Bhima.
121
Sanjaya is addressing Dhritarashtra. The son of Subala is Shakuni, who is Gandhari’s brother.
122
An unrivalled warrior, whose valour is unlimited, greater than a maharatha.
123
Bhishma.
124
The ocean. The word used is makara. This is a mythical aquatic animal and can loosely be translated as shark or crocodile.
125
Yama, the god of death.
126
Satyaki.
127
Krishnaa, Droupadi.
128
Satyabhama.
129
Sanjaya honoured the footstool, but did not wish to sit on it.
130
Duryodhana.
131
As a sign of respect.
132
Yudhishthira.
133
Govinda is Krishna’s name. Krishnaa (Droupadi) had mentally appealed to Krishna when the Pandavas faced difficulties at the time of gambling with the dice. But Krishna could not help, because he was far away.
134
Indra. Indra is the god of rain. Indra also killed a demon named Paka.
135
Kartavirya Arjuna, famous king of the Haihayas. He was killed by Parashurama.
136
Upendra is Vishnu and Krishna’s name and owes its origin to Vishnu becoming Indra’s younger brother in the course of the vamana (dwarf) incarnation.
137
Parashurama.
138
Agni was satisfied by Arjuna in Khandava and the other five gods are fathers of the five Pandavas.
139
Indra, the king of rain.
140
Bhishma.
141
Dhritarashtra.
142
Duryodhana.
143
The text doesn’t use the word brahmastra. What it says is literally translated as—the weapon with Brahma at the forefront. However, this does mean brahmastra. Divine weapons were summoned and invoked with the use of mantras and appeared in personified form. Thus, the curse was that Karna would not be able to remember the use of the brahmastra. He was cursed because he studied under Parashurama (Rama) under the false pretence of being a brahmana.
144
Bhishma.
145
The serpent Ashvasena survived the conflagration in Khandava. To wreak vengeance on Arjuna, he hid himself in the tip of an arrow that Karna would use in battle.
146
The demon Bana was the son of Bali. Bana’s daughter was Usha, who was in love with Krishna’s grandson Aniruddha. To bring the couple together, Krishna killed Bana. Bhoumya is the demon Naraka’s name.
147
Karna will not fight until Bhishma has fallen.
148
Karna’s promise.
149
The word used is tata.
150
This is being addressed to Dhritarashtra now.
151
Arjuna.
152
That is, without being killed.
153
Krishna’s name, the one with eyes like a lotus.
154
Arjuna’s.
155
Jayadratha.
156
The land of the dead.
157
Vishnu has four arms.
158
Krishna Dvaipayana Vedavyasa.
159
Through his mental powers.