Mahabharata: Volume 8 (88 page)

³³³
The word used in the text is
humkara
. This means to utter the sound
hum
.

³³⁴
The word used is tata. This means father, but is affectionately used towards anyone who is older or senior. Yudhishthira was older than Krishna.

³³⁵
Badarikashrama.

³³⁶
Since this is within Brahma’s quote, it doesn’t belong.

³³⁷
Towards Duryodhana.

³³⁸
The priest of the Kouravas.

³³⁹
Yudhishthira.

³⁴⁰
There is a minor inconsistency. This priest can only be Dhoumya and he is seated.

³⁴¹
Names of trees.

³⁴²
The sacred fig tree.

³⁴³
Krishna’s.

³⁴⁴
Literally, a seat that is fortunate or auspicious in all directions. This can also be interpreted as a seat that is symmetric in all directions, such as circular, or even in the form of a square.

³⁴⁵
Dhoumya.

³⁴⁶
This might mean either Yudhishthira or Dhritarashtra, probably the former.

³⁴⁷
Usually, but not universally, understood as discipline, duties of government servants, ensuring law and order, the conduct of courtiers, the removal of obstructions and dealing with other kingdoms. Alternatively, peace, war, marching, halting, creating dissension and defence of the kingdom.

³⁴⁸
Dhritarashtra.

³⁴⁹
Dhritarashtra’s.

³⁵⁰
These are funeral rites being performed one month after death, they are shraddha ceremonies.

³⁵¹
Ghatotkacha.

³⁵²
Probably suggesting that the period of mourning is over.

³⁵³
Yadavas.

³⁵⁴
Obviously, such a numbering is not given in the text. We have given it to suggest the idea that it must have been the intention to mention 100 of Krishna’s names. In the listing we have given, it falls short at ninety-five. But that’s also because it is not always clear what should be included. For example, should lord of the Satvatas also be included in the numbered list? How about Pundarikaksha? The translations of the names have not been given in the obvious instances.

³⁵⁵
Creator of the universe.

³⁵⁶
Soul of the universe.

³⁵⁷
The origin of the universe.

³⁵⁸
This causes problems of interpretation. The Puranas speak of Vishnu having been born in Aditi’s womb on seven occasions. However, the text here clearly says nights, not occasions. Vishnu is one of the Adityas and is Aditi’s son. As
vamana
(dwarf) incarnation, Vishnu was specifically Aditi’s son. In addition, Devaki, Krishna’s mother, was an incarnation of Aditi. In all probability, this refers to the seven sons of Devaki, the first six having been killed by Kamsa.

³⁵⁹
Four of Vishnu’s incarnations in satya yuga, three in
treta yuga
and two in
dvapara yuga.

³⁶⁰
Someone who is heard of as being pure.

³⁶¹
Lord of the senses.

³⁶²
Someone to whom offerings of clarified butter are made.

³⁶³
One with three eyes.

³⁶⁴
The lord.

³⁶⁵
Boar, referring to the incarnation.

³⁶⁶
The large sun.

³⁶⁷
With the sign of the bull on the banner.

³⁶⁸
With the mark of Tarkshya (Garuda) on the banner.

³⁶⁹
One who can withstand armies.

³⁷⁰
One who is pervaded by rays.

³⁷¹
One who has long strides, a reference to the vamana incarnation.

³⁷²
One who resides in speech.

³⁷³
The hidden winner.

³⁷⁴
The invader of enemies.

³⁷⁵
The one who makes the path.

³⁷⁶
The waves that rule the ocean.

³⁷⁷
The one with three humps.

³⁷⁸
The one with three abodes.

³⁷⁹
The one who is known to be undecaying in three ways.

³⁸⁰
Emperor.

³⁸¹
Large.

³⁸²
Ruler of one’s own self.

³⁸³
Lord of the gods.

³⁸⁴
The earth.

³⁸⁵
The supreme lord.

³⁸⁶
The one with a dark path.

³⁸⁷
The one who is worshipped well.

³⁸⁸
The one who heals healers.

³⁸⁹
The flying one.

³⁹⁰
The one with victorious armies.

³⁹¹
One with a tonsure.

³⁹²
The brown one.

³⁹³
One who touches the sky.

³⁹⁴
One who brings riches back.

³⁹⁵
The extremely brown one.

³⁹⁶
The harsh one.

³⁹⁷
One whose axle radiates light.

³⁹⁸
One who is the subtlety in everything.

³⁹⁹
The store of waters.

⁴⁰⁰
The refuge.

⁴⁰¹
The bow.

⁴⁰²
The origin.

⁴⁰³
Destruction.

⁴⁰⁴
The one who holds the
sharnga
bow, chakra and sword in his hand.

⁴⁰⁵
Yudhishthira.

⁴⁰⁶
Yudhishthira.

⁴⁰⁷
Sahadeva.

⁴⁰⁸
Kubera.

⁴⁰⁹
There was no reason for Dhoumya to have had a house in Hastinapura.

⁴¹⁰
Krishna.

⁴¹¹
A snataka is one who has completed the brahmacharya stage of studying and is about to enter the householder stage.

⁴¹²
Those who used
tarka
(logic) and debated. Clearly, this means heterodox schools that questioned the basis of traditional dharma.

⁴¹³
Mountain from which the sun rises.

⁴¹⁴
A reference to Vishnu’s vamana (dwarf) incarnation.

⁴¹⁵
There are three normal states—being awake, sleeping (with dreams) and deep sleep (without dreams and without distractions). There is a fourth stage beyond this, known as
turiya
. This transcends consciousness and one experiences union with the brahman.

⁴¹⁶
This is a reference to the five winds (
vayu
) of
pranayama—udana, prana, samana, apana
and
vyana
.

⁴¹⁷
We have used intelligence for
buddhi.

⁴¹⁸
The atman, the text using the word
kshetrajna.

⁴¹⁹
In the sense of destroyer.

⁴²⁰
Amba, Ambika and Ambalika. Described in Section 60 (Volume 5).

⁴²¹
Parashurama.

⁴²²
The word used is tata.

⁴²³
Parashurama.

⁴²⁴
One associated with each of the Vedas.

⁴²⁵
Yudhishthira.

⁴²⁶
Towards
uttarayana.

⁴²⁷
Garuda.

⁴²⁸
The one with a lotus in his navel.

⁴²⁹
The swan (
hamsa)
is superior to all beings in flight and is often used as a description of the supreme being.

⁴³⁰
The vakas are mantras. The anuvakas are chapters of the Vedas. The nishads are musical renderings of the mantras.

⁴³¹
This can be interpreted in different ways. Each being has the four components of
jivatman
,
paramatman
, mind and consciousness. In the world, the manifestations of the supreme being are worshipped as Vasudeva, Samkarshana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. The four names of the supreme being are Vishnu, Hari, Nara and Narayana.

⁴³²
The twelve Adityas or gods.

⁴³³
In the form of soma offerings.

⁴³⁴
Verses that are recited.

⁴³⁵
Clarified butter, milk, grain, cakes and soma (or water).

⁴³⁶
The seven main Vedic metres.

⁴³⁷
Rig, Yajur and Sama.

⁴³⁸
Forms of sama hymns.

⁴³⁹
Of soma.

⁴⁴⁰
Akshara has several meanings. It is the syllable
om
, representative of the brahman, and means something that is immutable. It also means word, speech, syllable or letter of the alphabet.

⁴⁴¹
Padas, alternatively, lines.

⁴⁴²
Rules of grammar for combining words.

⁴⁴³
Literally, kshetrajna means the one who knows the kshetra, kshetra meaning field. Kshetra is usually interpreted as the body and more rarely, as intelligence. Kshetrajna is thus the knower of the field, that is, the atman.

⁴⁴⁴
This is a reference to the samkhya school of philosophy. The sixteen qualities are the five organs of sense, the five organs of action, the mind and the five elements.

⁴⁴⁵
The four is probably a reference to the four forms of Hari, Krishna, Vishnu and Narayana.

⁴⁴⁶
Period of six months.

⁴⁴⁷
Vaisheshika means specific or distinctive. But this is also a reference to the vaisheshika school of philosophy.

⁴⁴⁸
The five senses or the five elements.

⁴⁴⁹
This is a description of Brahma.

⁴⁵⁰
This is a description of Shiva.

⁴⁵¹
The five elements.

⁴⁵²
Heaven, the earth and the nether regions.

⁴⁵³
A blue flower,
Linum usitatissimum.

⁴⁵⁴
Krishna had not been there physically and Bhishma had prayed to him in his mind. Before Krishna went there physically, the knowledge was also delivered mentally.

⁴⁵⁵
The past, the present and the future.

⁴⁵⁶
Krishna.

⁴⁵⁷
Krishna killed a demon named Keshi.

⁴⁵⁸
Parashurama.

⁴⁵⁹
Garuda.

⁴⁶⁰
Gada was Krishna’s younger brother.

⁴⁶¹
Bharatavarsha.

⁴⁶²
Indra.

⁴⁶³
Indra’s.

⁴⁶⁴
The text uses the word
kavi,
which means wise, and refers to Richika as the son of Kavi. There was a sage named Kavi. However, Richika was the son of Ourva. Therefore, kavi is being used as an adjective and not as a proper noun.

⁴⁶⁵
This means Richika. The entire lineage was descended from the sage Bhrigu.

⁴⁶⁶
Mixture of milk and rice used as a sacrificial offering.

⁴⁶⁷
Satyavati’s.

⁴⁶⁸
This suggests that Satyavati’s mother had done this consciously.

⁴⁶⁹
Dvipa
s.

⁴⁷⁰
Literally, the one with the wonderful and shining light. A name for the fire god, Agni.

⁴⁷¹
Kartavirya Arjuna possessed one thousand hands.

⁴⁷²
This means the sage Vasishtha, who is sometimes described as the son of Mitra and Varuna.

⁴⁷³
Vasishtha.

⁴⁷⁴
Parashurama.

⁴⁷⁵
The calf was in the inner quarters of Kartavirya Arjuna’s palace.

⁴⁷⁶
Parashurama.

⁴⁷⁷
Yayati fell down from heaven. This has been described in Section 54 (Volume 4). The point is that some kshatriyas were still alive.

⁴⁷⁸
Parashurama resided in Mount Mahendra.

⁴⁷⁹
The earth.

⁴⁸⁰
Kashyapa was the officiating priest at the sacrifice.

⁴⁸¹
Rasatala is a general term for the nether regions. More specifically, there are seven worlds in the nether regions. Their names vary from one list to another. But rasatala happens to be one of the seven.

⁴⁸²
Uru
and
urvi
both mean thigh. Urvi also means the wide one and is one of the earth’s names.

⁴⁸³
Riksha
also means a bear.

⁴⁸⁴
Sarvakarma means someone who performs all the tasks.

⁴⁸⁵
Gopati means lord of the cows.

⁴⁸⁶
Vatsa
means calf.

⁴⁸⁷
Gridhrakuta is a peak and golangulas are cow-tailed monkeys.

⁴⁸⁸
By performing their funeral rites.

⁴⁸⁹
All of them were travelling, to see Bhishma.

⁴⁹⁰
The word used is tata.