Read Mahabharata: Volume 4 Online
Authors: Bibek Debroy
157
The word savitri means several things. It is a sacred mantra from the Rig Veda. It is also the ceremony of investiture with the sacred thread.
158
The reference is to liquid oblations (milk, clarified butter) and the fire originated in water.
159
Vishnu.
160
Sacrifice enjoined by the Vedas.
161
Dakshina means south and also means the stipend at sacrifices, or fees paid to a preceptor.
162
The
pitri
s are ancestors.
Paksha
has different meanings, one of which is a lunar fortnight. Pitripaksha is a dark lunar fortnight in August–September.
163
The
ushmapa
s, so named because they survive on hot (
ushna
) food. Though described in the text as gods, the ushmapas are actually a subcategory of the pitris (manes or ancestors).
164
A truti is a very small measure of time, equal to one-fourth of a kshana. Two trutis constitute a lava.
165
The south is the direction of death.
166
Raivata, or Revanta, is a son of the sun god and is identified with forests and hunting.
167
Savarni Manu, the son of the sun god. While there are many stories about Yavakrita, it is difficult to pin down his son.
168
Ravana could not be killed by the gods. Ravana was the son of the sage Pulastya.
169
The Vaitarani River separates earth from Yama’s world and etymologically, the name means something that is true salvation. Evil people have to wait to cross the river.
170
A reference to the southern transit (
dakshinayana
) of the sun.
171
The winter solstice begins with the nakshatra Dhanishtha.
172
This has been described in Section 1 (Volume 1).
173
The story has been told in Section 33 (Volume 3).
174
Galava will eventually die, but Suparna wishes to know if Galava wants to head in that direction now.
175
Pashchima
means west and
pashchat
means later.
176
The mountain over which the sun sets (
asta
).
177
Diti performed austerities so that she would have a son who could defeat Indra. Indra ingratiated himself with Diti and in one of her weak moments, penetrated her womb and sliced up the foetus. The Maruts were born from this.
178
Rahu.
179
Harimedha’s wife was Harini and Hari (Vishnu) was born as a son to them. Harimedha’s daughter was Dhvajavati. She was asked by the sun god to remain stationed in the western sky.
180
Beyond the winter solstice, the sun moves to uttarayana.
181
Uttara
means north, while
uttarana
is the act of delvering.
182
Uma.
183
Kubera.
184
Ascetic community.
185
Married to Vasishtha.
186
Svati (Arcturus) is the fifteenth of the nakshatras.
187
The pole star. Dhruva was Vishnu’s devotee and was elevated to that position.
188
Kubera.
189
Vishnu’s foot.
190
Uttara means both north and superior.
191
The word used is tata.
192
Garuda.
193
Aquatic animals that feed on whales (
timi
s).
194
The word used is tata.
195
Addressing Shandili.
196
There is probably a sense of virility, since hiranya means both gold and semen.
197
Dhana means wealth or riches and
dharana
is to support and sustain.
198
The twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth nakshatras, Purva Bhadrapada and Uttara Bhadrapada.
199
Aja Ekapada is a divinity, identified with Agni, the sun and the moon. Literally, Aja Ekapada can be translated as a one-footed goat. Aja Ekapada is also the god who presides over Purva Bhadrapada.
200
Ahi Budhnya is the god who presides over Uttara Bhadrapada. Ahi Budhnya means the serpent who lives in the deep.
201
Of the person who has been solicited.
202
Elephants, horses, chariots and infantry.
203
Nose, eyes, ears, nails, breasts and neck.
204
Other than the obvious waist, ankles, wrists and neck, it is difficult to pinpoint this number seven. It is not mentioned in any of the standard treatises.
205
Speech, intelligence and navel.
206
Soles of the feet, palms of the hand, tongue, lips and nails.
207
Chakravarti
, an universal monarch or sovereign, whose wheels (chakra) travel as far as the frontiers of the ocean.
208
Haryashva.
209
Not to be confused with the Pandava Bhimasena.
210
The sun god. The name of the female consort is given second.
211
Agni.
212
Kubera.
213
Ganga.
214
Brahma.
215
Jamadagni.
216
There is a minor inconsistency. The king has earlier been referred to as Oushinara, meaning Ushinara’s son. Here, he is being referred to as Ushinara.
217
The other kings.
218
This suggests that unlike the other two kings, Ushinara did possess more than two hundred such horses, but refused to part with them.
219
Ushinara.
220
Richika was asked by Gadhi. This has been recounted in Section 33(Volume 3).
221
The place of piligrimage (tirtha) of horses (
ashva
).
222
Gadhi.
223
Six hundred already having been accounted for. The river Vitasta (Beas).
224
Galava.
225
Vishvamitra.
226
The three kings and her father.
227
Yayati.
228
Puru and Yadu were two of Yayati’s sons. The Pouravas are descended from Puru and the Yadavas from Yadu.
229
In body.
230
Yayati.
231
Yayati’s fall from heaven has been described in Section 7 (Volume 1).
232
They were descended from Yayati. They were Madhavi’s four sons.
233
A trait of the gods is that they do not touch the ground with their feet.
234
Yayati.
235
Brahma.
236
Dharma, artha and kama.
237
The word used is tata.
238
The king of Anga, Karna.
239
The word used is tata.
240
Bhishma.
241
The word used is tata.
242
The word used is tata.
243
The word used is tata.
244
The word used is tata.
245
A pretty but bitter fruit, probably of the Trichosanthes variety.
246
The word used is tata.
247
Dharma, artha and kama.
248
The word used is tata.
249
The word used is tata.
250
The word used is tata.
251
The word used is tata.
252
The word used is tata.
253
The word used is tata.
254
The word used is tata.
255
The word used is tata.
256
The word used is tata.
257
Parashurama.
258
Yoga and kshema respectively.
259
Krishna and Arjuna.
260
The priest of the Pandavas.
261
Literally, the one who has given a lot of stipends, Yudhishthira.
262
Dhritarashtra.
263
Famous sage.
264
The word used is tata.
265
The deceitful one is Shakuni and the deceitful act is the gambling match.
266
Yudhishthira.
267
Kamsa. Ugrasena was the king of the Bhojas.
268
Primarily addressing Dhritarashtra.
269
Brahma.
270
The word used is tata.
271
Yoga and kshema respectively.
272
Of enemies.
273
That is, the remaining half of the kingdom and the tributes of those kings.
274
Karna.
275
Duryodhana.
276
Virochana’s son is Bali. Bali was eventually vanquished by Vishnu is his vamana (dwarf) incarnation.
277
Hridika’s son, that is, Kritavarma.
278
This has been described in Section 31 (Volume 2).
279
Demoness killed by Krishna.
280
Krishna killed a demon named Arishta, in the form of a bull. Dhenuka was a demon in the form of an ass. Chanura was a wrestler. Some of these were sent by Kamsa to kill Krishna. There is no demon named Ashvaraja (king of the horses). However, the demon Keshi was in the form of a horse and that is probably what is meant.
281
Demons killed by Vishnu.
282
Hayagriva means the neck (
griva
) of a horse (haya). Hayagriva is one of Vishnu’s forms and is also the name of a demon. Vishnu killed the demon Hayagriva in his form of Hayagriva.
283
There are four guardians of the world (lokapalas). Krishna presumably manifested himself in his four-armed form.
284
Balarama.
285
Krishna’s bow, made of horn.
286
The name of Krishna’s sword.
287
Kunti.
288
Krishna and Kunti respectively.
289
Duryodhana.
290
Brahma.
291
The son of King Mandhata, of the Ikshvaku dynasty. Vaishravana means Vishrava’s son, in this case, Kubera. Kubera offered Muchukunda the kingdom as a gift.
292
Kali yuga.
293
The critical edition excises a shloka here and that leads to a break in continuity. ‘By contributing to the commencement of kali, an evil king suffers from great sin’ and so on.
294
Oblations to the gods and the ancestors respectively.
295
That is for a vaishya, just as begging is for a brahmana.
296
Sama, dana, bheda and danda respectively.
297
The name is actually Vidura (Viduraa). However, some non-Critical versions say Vidula and ‘l’ and ‘r’ are often interchangeable in proper names. Though the name is Vidura, we have used Vidula, so that there is no confusion with the other Vidura.
298
This is Vidula speaking.
299
In the sense of small.
300
Medicinal tree,
Diospyros peregrina.
It is easily inflammable and the fruit yields a resin.
301
The uncertain path will bring fame, but the certain path will bring ill fame.
302
Remain alive without trying.
303
The image is of a wrestling bout.
304
Uchchara
, more generally, discharge.
305
The name of Vidula’s son.
306
Purusha means man and there is a pun on the word
pura
(city).
307
That is, if the son is killed.
308
Sanjaya is someone who brings about victory (jaya).
309
One cannot identify which Shambara this is.
310
Figuratively, from the father’s household to the husband’s household.
311
The gate only allows one person to pass.
312
Vidula’s son was the king of Souvira, while Sindhu was the enemy.
313
The enemy.
314
Jaya means victory.
315
The account.
316
Indra has one thousand eyes.
317
Krishnaa, Droupadi.
318
Droupadi was in her period.
319
Droupadi.
320
Droupadi.
321
They had gone with Krishna to meet Kunti.
322
There is no mention earlier of Karna having accompanied Krishna.
323
Arjuna’s inexhaustible quivers.
324
Yudhishthira’s.