Read Mahabharata: Volume 4 Online
Authors: Bibek Debroy
160
The supreme being, Vishnu and Krishna’s name.
161
The word used is tata.
162
Satya
yuga, treta yuga and dvapara yuga.
163
Addressing Duryodhana.
164
New in the form of Krishna.
165
The word used is tata.
166
Vas
means to put on or wear,
vasu
means riches. However, all of these names have alternative derivations.
167
Vrishan
means a bull or a stallion.
168
The etymological derivation is unclear. ‘Ma’ of Madhava seems to be derived from mouna (silence), while ‘dha’ is derived from
dhyana
(meditation).
169
Vishnu killed a demon named Madhu.
Madhu
also means honey or sweetness.
170
Jana
means people. Janaa is also the name of a demoness killed by Krishna (Vishnu).
171
Sattva.
172
One with the eyes of a bull.
173
One without birth.
174
Dama.
175
Isha
is lord, while
hrishika
is happiness.
176
The one with the large arms.
177
Adho.
178
Nara
means men and
ayana
means path.
179
Purana.
180
Everything.
181
Truth.
182
The victorious one.
183
Without an end.
184
Go means cattle.
185
As a messenger.
186
Garuda was Kashyapa’s son and so was Arishtanemi. Therefore, Arishtanemi was a brother to Garuda. But Arishtanemi is also used to refer to Kashyapa. Consequently, Arishtanemi here means Arishtanemi’s son.
1
Krishna. Since the text uses the word Bhagavan, we have retained it, instead of using Krishna.
2
Meaning Dhritarashtra.
3
Strictly speaking, that refusal hasn’t happened yet.
4
The word used is tata, affectionately used for anyone who is younger or junior, though it means son. Krishna is younger to Yudhishthira in age.
5
It is not clear who this Shambara is. There was an asura named Shambara and there was also a King Shambara (king of hunters) who fought with King Divodasa.
6
Mixed across varnas, miscegenation.
7
Because the enmity remains.
8
A relatively rare name for Krishna.
9
The likes of Bhishma, Drona and Kripa.
10
Dhritarashtra.
11
The end of satya yuga.
12
The end of dvapara yuga.
13
Yudhishthira.
14
Rama is Balarama. Shouri is Krishna’s name.
15
Heaven and earth.
16
The sense being that cold and heat, hunger and thirst, can be countered through human endeavour.
17
There are three types—destiny countering human endeavour, human endeavour countering destiny and destiny and human endeavour acting together.
18
Yudhishthira.
19
War and peace.
20
This has been described in Section 47. This is a reference to that and a year cannot have passed since then. A year will have elapsed from the cattle expedition described in Section 39 (Volume 3), but that doesn’t fit the context.
21
Balarama.
22
Droupadi.
23
This is Yudhishthira’s message to Dhritarashtra, being conveyed through Sanjaya.
24
It is not clear how this refusal was communicated to the Pandavas.
25
The word used is tata.
26
In non-Critical versions, Pandavas is used here. Droupadi does mean the Pandavas. However, the Pandavas are also Kouravas, because Kuru was a common ancestor.
27
Krishnaa, Droupadi.
28
A muhurta is forty-eight minutes. Maitra also means friendship. Maitra muhurta usually begins ninty-six minutes after sunrise. Koumuda is the month of Kartika, in October–November. Revati is the twenty-seventh nakshatra.
29
Garuda.
30
Vishnu bears the srivatsa mark (or curl) on his chest. This is the place where Lakshmi resides.
31
Kunti.
32
The first Pandava is Arjuna, while the second one is Bhima.
33
Arjuna.
34
Krishna’s charioteer.
35
Jamadagni’s son is Parashurama. Both Parashurama and Krishna are incarnations of Vishnu.
36
The seven great rivers (
sapta sindhu
) is not a fixed list. Since flowing eastwards is mentioned, one probably means Sindhu, Sarasvati, Vipasha (Beas), Shatadru (Sutlej), Chandrabhaga or Asikni (Chenab), Vitasta (Jhelum) and Parushni (Ravi).
37
Texts pertaining to the care of horses.
38
To his camp.
39
Dhritarashtra is primarily addressing Bhishma.
40
Addressing Duryodhana.
41
Vidura.
42
China, which probably meant Tibet, rather than China.
43
With the image of the sun setting.
44
Of the Pandavas.
45
Krishna.
46
Kunti.
47
The word used is tata.
48
Kartavirya Arjuna.
49
Droupadi could have lived in comfort with her sons, instead of accompanying the Pandavas in their exile.
50
Krishnaa, Droupadi.
51
Duhshasana. Someone who is not an arya, and thus ignoble.
52
Vidura.
53
The text does not mention this explicitly. But this is Vaishampayana speaking again.
54
Krishnaa, Droupadi.
55
The Pandavas.
56
Kunti was born as Pritha and was the daughter of Shura, a Yadava. Shura was also Krishna’s grandfather. Shura promised his firstborn child to Kuntibhoja, who was childless, as a token of friendship. Pritha was thus reared as Kunti and was Krishna’s cousin sister.
57
Shraddha
s.
58
That of exacting vengeance.
59
Death.
60
Krishnaa, Droupadi.
61
A literal translation is that she was following the dharma of women.
62
Krishnaa, Droupadi.
63
Balarama.
64
Arjuna’s name.
65
Ajamidha was an ancestor of the Kouravas.
66
Krishnaa, Droupadi.
67
Indra’s.
68
Chandala has different nuances and a chandala is not necessarily a shudra. A chandala is also of mixed parentage, with a shudra father and a brahmana mother. More generally, chandalas are outcastes, while shudras are within the caste fold.
69
Because they were allied with Jarasandha and against the Yadavas.
70
Owed to a friend.
71
With water.
72
Dhritarashtra.
73
Gift given to a guest, also arghya.
74
A small yellow flower of the common flax.
75
The word used is tata.
76
On the right path.
77
The Pandavas.
78
Your own sons.
79
Krishnaa, Droupadi.
80
Parashurama.
81
Parashurama.
82
Arjuna is identified with Nara and Krishna with Narayana.
83
These are the names of divine weapons, but beyond this, it is difficult to identify them. Kakudika has an etymology in ‘hump’ and was probably used against animals, while Shuka was named after a parrot. Naka means heaven. Akshisamtarjana hurt the eye. Santana was a weapon that was shot continuously. Nartana made people dance. Ghora means terrible, while Ajyamodaka was probably connected to Yama.
84
Such as insects.
85
Indra.
86
These are Matali’s thoughts.
87
Nagas.
88
These are Matali’s words.
89
Varuna.
90
The word used is tata.
91
Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.
92
Gopati (the lord of the cows) is a term used for the sun, Indra, Krishna, Shiva and Varuna. As a son of Aditi, Varuna is also Aditya. All that is being said is that Pushkara is Varuna’s eldest son and there is a suggestion that he was adopted.
93
The text says Varuni’s abode and not Varuna’s abode. There is a pun. The gods are known as
sura
s and sura is also a term for liquor.
Varuni
is a specific kind of liquor.
94
By the gods.
95
Demons.
96
The demons won them by defeating the gods.
97
Fire was created from the water.
98
Varuna gave Arjuna Gandiva.
99
The etymology is difficult to understand. Gandiva means something that is made out of the horn of a rhinoceros, which was tough and strong.
100
Varuna has an umbrella.
101
The centre.
102
There are seven nether regions—
atala, vitala, sutala
,
rasatala, talatala, mahatala
and
patala.
103
The moon is named Soma. Soma is also the drink of the gods, often equated with amrita. Consequently, the moon is believed to hold amrita.
104
Hayashira means the head (
shira
) of a horse (
haya
). The subterranean fire is in the form of a mare’s head.
105
From
patana
, meaning falling down, or cause to fall down.
106
Airavata is Indra’s elephant and arose from the waters when the ocean was churned.
107
Shiva, meaning the lord (
pati
) of all beings (bhuta).
108
Supratika means an elephant with a beautiful trunk.
109
This is the egg from which everything was created.
110
Maya is the architect of the demons, while Vishvakarma is the architect of the gods.
111
Kubera.
112
There is probably a typo in the critical edition’s text here. It says
vedi
(altar), instead of
pada
(feet), as in the preceding shloka. As with Vishnu’s feet, it should probably read Brahma’s feet.
113
Vinata’s son is Garuda.
114
The sage Kashyapa was married to Vinata.
115
Vishnu bears the srivatsa mark (or curl) on his chest. This is the place where Lakshmi resides. Garuda is Vishnu’s mount.
116
Serpents are descended from another one of Kashyapa’s wives, Kadru. Therefore, serpents are related.
117
However, in most listings of the seven nether regions, Rasatala is in the middle and Patala is at the bottom.
118
The word used is
rasa
, which means juice, taste, flavour, essence. In the context of taste, the six rasas are pungent, sour, sweet, salty, bitter and acidic.
119
Brahma’s.
120
Ilavila, or Idavida, was married to the sage Vishrava and Kubera was their son. The north is Kubera’s direction.
121
Sudha is a beverage of the gods and in this context, is distinct from amrita. Svadha is an oblation offered to the ancestors.
122
A thousand hoods.
123
The sage Kashyapa was married to Surasa and the serpents are descended from that line.
124
Narada.
125
Vinata’s son is Garuda. Reduced to the five elements means killed.
126
The word used is tata.
127
Matali. Indra is the destroyer of Bala.
128
Narada is addressing Aryaka.
129
Lakshmi is Vishnu’s consort, Svaha is the consort of Agni, the fire god.
130
The word used is tata.
131
The boon of feeding on snakes.
132
Garuda opted to serve Vishnu. The story has been recounted in Section 1 (Volume 1).
133
The sage Kashyapa had several wives. Garuda was descended from Vinata and Indra was descended from Aditi. Both Vinata and Aditi were Daksha’s daughters.
134
The daityas are Diti’s sons. Diti was also one of Daksha’s daughters and was married to Kashyapa.
135
Vishnu is Indra’s younger brother.
136
Vishnu’s.
137
The word used is tata.
138
This is like a metaphor. Vishnu wields the chakra, likened to the wheel of a chariot.
139
Garuda.
140
Vishnu’s.
141
Garuda’s.
142
Vishnu is equated with Krishna. Bhima is the son of Vayu, Arjuna of Shakra, Yudhishthira of Dharma and Nakula and Sahadeva are the sons of the two Ashvins.
143
Duryodhana.
144
Krishna.
145
The implication seems to be that if a well-wisher offers good advice, he no longer remains a friend.
146
Vishvamitra was Gadhi’s son. Gadhi’s grandfather was Kusha. Thus, both Vishvamitra and Gadhi are addressed as Koushika, descended from Kusha, and Vishvamitra is sometimes also described as Koushika’s (Gadhi’s) son, in addition to being described as Koushika. Vishvamitra was born a kshatriya and performed austerities so that he could become a brahmana.
147
Rice boiled in milk and honey.
148
Dharma in the form of Vasishtha.
149
Vishvamitra.
150
In this context, dakshina is a fee paid by a student to his preceptor at the time of graduation. Dakshina is also the stipend paid to brahmana
s
at the time of sacrifices.
151
Galava.
152
Vishnu.
153
Meaning the sun and the moon.
154
Meaning Daksha’s daughters, who were all married to Kashyapa and gave birth to different species.
155
In addition to east, purva means first or foremost.
156
Brahma.