Read Mahabharata: Volume 8 Online
Authors: Bibek Debroy
82
Arjuna defeated the eleven Kourava akshouhinis.
83
Identified with Greeks, Ionians.
84
Krishnaa, Droupadi. Jayadratha’s abduction of Droupadi has been described in Section 42 (Volume 3).
85
Jayadratha’s wife, Duryodhana’s sister.
86
When Abhimanyu penetrated the formation, Jayadratha guarded the entry and prevented the Pandavas (Arjuna was away) from entering. This has been described in Section 67 (Volume 6).
87
The word used is tata.
88
Shalya had promised to sap Karna’s energy in the battle.
89
The word used is
sukshma
, which is difficult to translate in a single word, because it has multiple meanings. While ‘fine’ is acceptable, there is also a sense of subtle, sheer, short and insignificant.
90
Devapi was Shantanu’s elder brother.
91
Skanda was born in a clump of reeds.
92
Bhishma remained celibate, so that Shantanu could marry Satyavati.
93
Passed down from one generation to another.
94
Bhishma could choose the time of his death.
95
This could be a reference to Bhishma’s remaining celibate, so that Shantanu could marry. However, it is probably a reference to Bhishma’s marrying Vichitravirya to Ambika and Ambalika.
96
Bhishma’s original name.
97
Leaving aside divine weapons, these four categories are
mukta
(those that are released from the hand, like a chakra),
amukta
(those that are never released, like a sword),
muktamukta
(those that can be released or not released, like a spear) and
yantramukta
(those that are released from an implement, like an arrow).
98
Parashurama.
99
It is not clear what this is a reference to. Given the context, it probably means the defeat of Drupada by the Pandavas (in the enmity between Drona and Drupada), or Arjuna’s saving Drona from a crocodile. Both incidents have been described in Section 7 (Volume 1).
100
Dhrishtadyumna.
101
Drona’s wife.
102
Sama (
saman
) is a metrical hymn, not necessarily belonging to the Sama Veda. The number three probably means that hymns from the Rig Veda, the Sama Veda and the Yajur Veda were chanted.
103
Drona’s disciples.
104
Yuyudhana is Satyaki and Somadatta’s son is Bhurishrava.
105
There is a problem of consistency. Somadatta, Bhurishrava’s father, seems to be alive. But in the shlokas that immediately follow, he seems to be dead. Satyaki’s killing of Bhurishrava has been described in Section 69 (Volume 6). In some non-Critical versions, following this, Satyaki also killed Somadatta.
106
Shala, Bhurishrava’s younger brother, was killed by Shatanika in Section 69 (Volume 6).
107
Arjuna severed Bhurishrava’s arm while he was distracted in the sense of fighting with another, that is, Satyaki. This has been described in Section 69 (Volume 6).
108
Bhurishrava.
109
Earlier, the wives were in the plural. Here, it is in the singular.
110
Bhurishrava.
111
The co-wives are sorrowing both about Bhurishrava and about the principal wife.
112
Shakuni was Gandhari’s brother and this is maternal uncle by extension.
113
A reference to the gambling match.
114
Sudakshina.
115
Krishna means Arjuna here. Arjuna’s son is Abhimanyu, Brihadbala having been killed by Abhimanyu in Section 67 (Volume 6).
116
Dhrishtaketu was the son of Shishupala. Thus, he was the king of Chedi. However, Shishupala’s mother was Shrutadeva. She was from a Yadava (Dasharha) lineage and Dhrishtaketu was descended from the Dasharhas on this side.
117
A reference to Krishna’s mission of peace, described in Section 54 (Volume 4).
118
Krishna.
1
Ayuta
is ten thousand. The text says ten ayuta ayuta, that is one billion.
2
The total is thus 1,660,020,000. This cannot readily be converted into eighteen akshouhinis. One akshouhini had 21,870 chariots, 21,870 elephants, 65,610 horses and 109,350 foot soldiers. But the number of soldiers per chariot, per elephant or per horse is not known.
3
Guhyakas are semi-divine species, companions of Kubera. This is a less desirable end.
4
Uttarakuru, as a real
dvipa
(continent) is to the north of Jambudvipa and to the north of Mount Meru. However, Uttarakuru is also described as a region that is not on earth, but as a region attained after death.
5
A siddha is someone who has obtained success, in the sense of having obtained higher knowledge.
6
The visit to the tirthas has been described in Section 33 (Volume 3).
7
The family priest of the Kouravas.
8
The family priest of the Pandavas.
9
Yudhishthira’s charioteer.
10
Vidura.
11
Duryodhana’s son.
12
This is a strange mention, because Kshemadhanva has only been mentioned in passing in Section 63 (Volume 5) and has no role to play in the actual war.
13
Achala and Vrishaka were Shakuni’s brothers.
14
The rakshasa Alayudha.
1
The son of Radha.
2
The natural earrings and armour Karna was born with.
3
Meaning Arjuna.
1
This was a period of purification.
2
Snatakas are those who have completed their studies (the brahmacharya stage) and are about to enter the householder stage (
garhasthya
).
3
Yudhishthira.
4
This was a time of mourning.
5
Subhadra, Abhimanyu’s mother, descended from the Varshneya lineage.
6
This has been described in Section 55 (Volume 4).
7
Arjuna.
8
Though not explicitly stated, this is Narada speaking.
9
Drona.
10
Dhanurveda.
11
Parashurama.
12
Gotra can loosely be translated as family lineage.
13
Agnihotra is a sacrifice where oblations are offered to the fire. A homadhenu is a cow that yields milk for the oblations.
14
Arjuna.
15
The brahmana.
16
Parashurama.
17
Parashurama.
18
Fear of waking up Parashurama.
19
Alarka is a mythical animal that looks like a boar and has eight legs.
20
Meaning satya yuga.
21
The word used is tata.
22
Meaning, Bhrigu. Bhrigu’s son was Chyavana, Chyavana’s son was Ourva, Ourva’s son was Richika, Richika’s son was Jamadagni and Jamadagni’s son was Parashurama.
23
A suta was born from a kshatriya father and a brahmana mother.
24
Karna.
25
Parashurama.
26
Barbarians, those who do not speak Sanskrit.
27
In a svayamvara, the princess passed by all the kings, choosing the one she wanted. By going past Duryodhana, she rejected him.
28
Duryodhana.
29
Jarasandha was born in two parts and was united and brought together by a
rakshasi
named Jara, thus obtaining his name. The story has been recounted in Section 22 (Volume 2).
30
Indra persuaded Karna to part with the natural armour and earrings. This has been described in Section 43 (Volume 3).
31
Recounted in Section 59 (Volume 4).
32
This has also been described in Section 55 (Volume 4).
33
The word flesh is being used in a figurative sense.
34
Yama’s.
35
Duryodhana.
36
This has been described in Section 27 (Volume 2).
37
Dhritarashtra and Gandhari.
38
The one from the Vrishni lineage is Krishna. This is a reference to the incidents in Section 54 (Volume 4).
39
This is probably a reference to Shakuni.
40
Dhritarashtra.
41
Sentiments like unhappiness and happiness, like and dislike, friend and foe.
42
That is, cause the cycle of death and rebirth.
43
Arjuna.
44
Yayati’s father, an ancestor.
45
One that dries up during the summer.
46
There is probably an implicit image of tame elephants being used to ensnare wild ones.
47
The gods and the demons are descended from the same father, the sage Kashyapa.
48
The Rig Veda, the Sama Veda and the Yajur Veda.
49
Dilipa was a famous king from the solar dynasty and was the father of Raghu. Nriga was the son of Ikshvaku and also belonged to the solar dynasty. Nahusha was the father of Yayati and belonged to the lunar dynasty. Ambarisha was from the solar dynasty and so was Mandhata.
50
Shiva’s name.
51
Dasaratha means ten chariots. It is possible that this originally read
dasharatra
, meaning a sacrifice that lasted for ten nights.
52
The stage of life when one retires to the forest.
53
A reference to fruits.
54
Those born from wombs, those born from eggs, those that are trees and plants and those born from sweat (insects and worms).
55
Like happiness and unhappiness, pleasure and pain.
56
The shloka is cryptic and needs explanation. If food is not available in the first house, he will go to a second house, then to a third house and so on, up to seven such houses. He will beg for food at these houses.
57
The idea is not to beg from too many houses.
58
That is, be as free as the wind.
59
The cause and effect refers to deeds in earlier lives affecting this life and deeds in this life affecting future lives.
60
The relatives do not bear the consequences of wicked deeds, even if those wicked deeds are done for the relatives.
61
In this cycle of birth, death and rebirth.
62
The state of
sannyasa
or renunciation.
63
A reflection of past deeds.
64
That is, they were young.
65
It is easy to miss the sense. Leftover food is food left over after gods, ancestors and guests have had their share. That can be done even if one is a householder. Indra is making the point that one can be a householder and still follow dharma.
66
By suppressing the good inner inclinations with bad ones.
67
The word used is tata.
68
This is extremely cryptic and brief. What is probably meant is the following. Those who die during
shuklapaksha
attain the world of the sun. Those who die during krishnapaksha attain the world of the moon. Those who are completely free attain the world of the stars after death.
69
The state of the householder.
70
Those who follow such a path do not attain the worlds of the gods, the ancestors or Brahma.
71
The word used is
nastika
. Though this is often translated as atheist, it actually means non-believer.
72
This is Arjuna speaking again.
73
This is a description of Nakula.
74
Yupa
is a sacrificial altar and Vishakhayupa is a place towards the north where the gods set up their sacrificial altar.
75
The rites prescribed in the Vedas.
76
The status of a householder.
77
This higher plane is being spoken of disparagingly, rather than approvingly. That higher plane is a reference to life beyond death. In the process, the person abandons his own self because he abandons his own body and deprives it of sustenance.
78
Of the three qualities (
guna
),
tamas
is the worst and represents darkness and ignorance.