Read Mahabharata: Volume 8 Online
Authors: Bibek Debroy
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.