Read Mahabharata: Volume 8 Online
Authors: Bibek Debroy
898
The king or the leader.
899
Kind of musical instrument.
900
Alternatively, young camels.
901
The sacrificial fire.
902
Chariots, cavalry, elephants and infantry.
903
A reference to the herd mentality.
904
Enemy soldiers.
905
The one who has been killed. The king is speaking to the ones who are around.
906
The ones on his side who have done the killing.
907
Brihaspati.
908
The defeat.
909
The victor’s army.
910
This is now a reference to the conquering king.
911
Such as an incipient rebellion.
912
Of the enemy.
913
Probably a reference to poisonous substances.
914
As a sign of truce, clothing, especially headdresses, was often exchanged.
915
Excesses of mildness and chastisement.
916
Have consultations with only one person.
917
Against an enemy who can be seen, the four kinds of forces in the army should be employed. In this context, since the enemy is invisible or far away, brahmadanda can be interpreted as a dependence on destiny. Alternatively, it can be interpreted as resort to rites, sacrifices and mantras.
918
Silencing the enemy through conciliation.
919
The king.
920
One has added machines or implements of war to the standard four divisions. The sixth is either the treasury or the supplies.
921
In a situation where the enemy is weaker.
922
Mixing poison in waterbodies.
923
The enemy.
924
Presumably the conquered leaders.
925
The text uses the word
ratishastra
, texts of love. This is probably a typo and should be
atishastra
, referring to those who are extremely learned in the sacred texts.
926
A complaint about the food.
927
Though the kingdom has gone, Kshemadarshi still hopes to get it back.
928
In the sense that they are temporary.
929
Some abandon the pursuit of riches to start off with. Others abandon the pursuit after realizing that these are transient.
930
The text uses the word
kapalin
, which means a mendicant who carries a skull around and begs for a living.
931
The enemy means King Janaka of Videha.
932
The fruit of the wood-apple tree.
933
These are examples of the kinds of things that should be said.
934
The vices are adharma and the sacrifices are dharma, but both deplete the treasury.
935
A sacrifice that conquers the universe. It is a sacrifice in which one gives away all one’s possessions.
936
The word used is tata.
937
Lack of valour and lack of intelligence.
938
The word used is tata.
939
Respectively,
padya, arghya
and
madhuparka
, offered to a guest.
940
Of the kingdom.
941
The word gana has multiple meanings. In this context, it clearly means a small assembly or body. Beyond this, the context makes it difficult to pin it down. It could either mean an aristocracy around the king, or it could mean smaller countries that were like federations, ruled by an aristocracy, without a king.
942
Different components of the gana.
943
Clans.
944
The members of the gana.
945
With the mother, the father and the preceptor, the number is three. It is not evident which of the four ashramas is being excluded, probably sannyasa.
946
The garhapatya fire is the one that burns in the household, the dakshina fire is the one that burns in the southern direction and the ahavaniya fire is the sacrificial fire into which oblations are poured.
947
Preceptor. A preceptor who is an upadhyaya is superior to a preceptor who is an acharya. Etymologically, an acharya teaches only good conduct, while an upadhyaya’s teachings are more spiritual.
948
There is no conflict, because Bhishma is referring to general views, as well as to his own.
949
This is not a reference to an ordinary individual killing the parents. It is more a reference to the king imposing punishment on the king’s parents.
950
A reference to a preceptor.
951
The Balaka story has been recounted in Section 73 (Volume 7). The hunter Balaka killed a blind beast that was causing injury. The Koushika story has also been recounted in Section 73 (Volume 7). An ascetic named Koushika spoke the truth and caused great harm. There were robbers who pursued some people, desiring their riches, and Koushika told the robbers where those people were hidden.
952
From the etymological root for holding up,
dhri
.
953
A reference to the Koushika story.
954
This shloka breaks the continuity in the argument about not speaking the truth. The argument resumes after this shloka.
955
Examples of deceit.
956
We have deliberately not translated the word madhu. The text uses a general word for liquor,
madya
, and madhu is mentioned in addition. Madhu could be honey, fermented or otherwise. It could also be a specific kind of liquor, such as
madhvi.
957
Krishna was a cousin by birth. He was also linked through matrimonial alliances.
958
Arjuna’s.
959
Vaikuntha is Vishnu’s name, as well as the name of his abode.
960
The jackal.
961
Enter the group of wicked advisers.
962
The jackal’s.
963
The jackal.
964
The jackal.
965
Praya, practised when one has had enough of life and wishes to fast to death.
966
These shlokas are cryptic and some liberty has been taken.
967
Brahma.
968
The camel.
969
The demons reside in the ocean.
970
Smaller plants.
971
The one who is abusing him.
972
A waterhen.
973
A reflection on parentage, bastard. In general, a shameless person.
974
Literally, the text says five fingers.
975
Vidura.
976
The story of these two sages has been recounted earlier.
977
This is inaccurate, but there is nothing else one can do. The word used is
padmi
(
padmini
for female elephants). These are elephants with the marks of lotuses on their bodies.
978
The dog that had become an elephant.
979
The lion.
980
Mystical exclamation before a mantra.
981
Dharma, artha and kama.
982
The moon.
983
This must be a reference to the organs of sense and action, often referred to as gates.
984
Outside the court.
985
There is an implicit image of a peacock passing through waterfalls and avoiding rain and hail.
986
The implicit image of a peacock again.
987
The peacock image again.
988
The enemy’s.
989
The peacock’s plumage complements the flowers in the forest. The imagery is a bit stretched, but the king must act in this way.
990
The image is of a peacock seeking out shade in the mountains.
991
Like a peacock digging up the ground where there are snares.
992
The peacock kills poisonous snakes.
993
The king.
994
The Critical edition uses the word
baala
, instead of
bala
, and there is a typo.
995
The insects again bring up the imagery of the peacock.
996
The sense probably is that even if the king is angered, he will quickly cool down.
997
That is, they are not directly employed in the court.
998
Protecting the cows.
999
A bee.
1000
One’s own strength increases, while that of the enemy declines.
1001
Good deeds performed in earlier lives. Therefore, they may be prosperous.
1002
By implication, as advisers or ministers.
1003
Since qualities are mentioned twice, the first may be qualities in battle, while the second is qualities in general.
1004
In the sense of impediments.
1005
This is probably a reference to adjucating a dispute between two people who have formerly been friends. The meaning isn’t very clear.
1006
The word used is
ishvara
and subsequent sections suggest that Brahma is meant.
1007
Before and after an act of chastisement.
1008
While vyavahara means conduct or behaviour, it also means a lawsuit and judicial procedure.
1009
Brahma’s words were the earliest, because they came before Manu’s.
1010
Dharma, artha and kama.
1011
A lion.
1012
Sword.
1013
A sabre or crooked sword.
1014
Fierce in progress.
1015
Irresistible.
1016
The womb of prosperity.
1017
Victory.
1018
The ruler.
1019
The guardian who remains awake.
1020
Sacred text or command.
1021
This is repeated.
1022
The one who returns to the earliest words.
1023
The protector of dharma.
1024
The one without decay.
1025
God, alternatively, the shining one.
1026
The one who follows truth.
1027
The one who is always present.
1028
The one who seizes.
1029
The one without attachment.
1030
The son of Rudra.
1031
The eldest Manu.
1032
The performer of what is auspicious.
1033
Good policy personified.
1034
The mother of the universe.
1035
The oblations offered at sacrifices are given to Indra.
1036
Essence, strength.
1037
Prosperity, power.
1038
The soul in all beings.
1039
Living being.
1040
The king.
1041
The kingdom is being compared to the physical body. The seven ingredients are the king, his allies, advisers, the country, the fortified cities, the treasury and the army. To these seven ingredients, the rod of chastisement is being added to account for eight limbs.
1042
Brahma.
1043
A hierarchy of judgement and judicial process is indicated. The primary one is what is laid down in the Vedas, the secondary flows from other sacred texts and the tertiary is from the exercise of the king’s powers.
1044
The king’s.
1045
The Rama in question is Parashurama. There was another Munjavata near Kurukshetra (mentioned in Section 33, Volume 2), but this Munjavata is being equated with Munjaprishtha. It is not at all clear whose matted locks were being seized, and for what purpose. Munja is a kind of grass and Munjaprishtha means a slope where this grass is found.
1046
As a person who was sacrificing, Brahma had to assume a tranquil form, but the rod was fierce.
1047
A reference to sexual intercourse.