Mahabharata: Volume 8 (92 page)

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.