Read Mahabharata: Volume 8 Online
Authors: Bibek Debroy
91
A reference to Agastya.
92
A reference to Agastya again.
93
This shloka is difficult to translate and some liberties have been taken.
94
The body and the soul.
95
In the next life.
96
Remaining alive or dying.
97
Probably the two hind legs, the two rear thighs and the hind quarters.
98
Weak kings will not be able to follow dharma.
99
This is probably a reference to the confusion between dharma and adharma.
100
Selectively.
101
Maghavan is Indra. This probably means that Indra quoted Brihaspati to this effect.
102
The text does not clearly indicate where the Shukracharya quote ends.
103
A reference to Bhishma following his own dharma and fighting. His limbs were pierced by arrows and some adversaries escaped.
104
So that they could be sacrificed.
105
Some kshatriyas look towards the welfare of other people.
106
Probably weak kings, or bandits.
107
Seizes in the sense of levying disproportionate taxation, and not knowing the difference between proper taxation and improper taxation.
108
Parashurama.
109
Probably meaning a sack of barley.
110
Alternatively, a cage or a basket for birds.
111
A reference to the clouds in the sky.
112
The fowler.
113
Which would have drained the water off.
114
The fowler’s.
115
Lubdhaka means a hunter and also a greedy person. We have interpreted it as a proper name.
116
In the earlier chapter, the Critical edition excises some shlokas, where the she-bird had been caught by the fowler.
117
A reference to the rites of marriage.
118
Since these are pigeons, they can only offer limited hospitality. Alternatively, this might mean that pigeons are meant to be eaten.
119
The male pigeon.
120
Sacrifices to gods, sacrifices to ancestors, sacrifices to guests, sacrifices to dependents and sacrifices to one’s own self.
121
Because guests could not be fed.
122
A guest offers an opportunity to a householder to follow dharma and thus shows favours.
123
This is being addressed to the she-pigeon.
124
Literally, the great journey. A person leaves on mahaprasthana when he departs from home and wanders around, awaiting death.
125
Used for catching birds.
126
The plural is used. There were other captured pigeons too.
127
Not to be confused with the more famous Parikshit, Abhimanyu’s son, and his son, Janamejaya.
128
There is a typo in the Critical edition. It says happy. Clearly, it should read unhappy.
129
Yama.
130
Shunaka’s son, Indrota.
131
Before Janamejaya killed the brahmana.
132
A minor liberty has been taken with the text here. As it stands, a translation is difficult.
133
As examples of barbarians.
134
He is concerned with the present.
135
To perform a sacrifice.
136
The performance of the sacrifice.
137
The word used is tata.
138
That Janamejaya has voluntarily reduced himself to. He is neither weak, nor miserable (in riches).
139
Pehowa in Kurukshetra district.
140
Literally, death the next day.
141
Also known as Kalodaka, Mundkol lake in Kashmir.
142
Yayati.
143
Both unhappiness and happiness are transitory illusions.
144
A plough uproots enemies, thunder scorches them.
145
Of the lineage.
146
The number saved is equal to the number of foetuses killed.
147
This is a reference to the Aghamarshana
suktam
(after the sage Aghamarshana) from the Rig Veda. This is used for consecration ceremonies, ablutions and at times of bathing.
148
For the day. The vulture is lying.
149
Unlike humans, birds and animals are not sustained by their offspring in their old age.
150
Animals and birds.
151
In earlier lives.
152
To have a bath of purification before leaving.
153
This is specifically addressed to the dead son’s father.
154
Take the son away in case he revives.
155
In battles.
156
Ultimate liberation.
157
This is a story from Uttara Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana. A brahmana’s son had died because there was adharma in the kingdom, resulting from a shudra engaging in prohibited practices. Rama killed the shudra.
158
Shveta.
159
Yama.
160
The jackal is the resident of the cremation ground. The sense is that the jackal used these false words to persuade them to stay till it was night, hoping to feed on the carcass. Had the people left before it was night, the vulture would have fed on the carcass instead.
161
The vulture.
162
The relatives.
163
The vulture and the jackal.
164
Shiva.
165
The silk-cotton tree.
166
A furlong, 660 feet.
167
The word used is tata.
168
The wind is named
prabhanjana
, the one who shatters. This is the word used in the text.
169
Kubera.
170
Kind of tree.
171
Vatica robusta.
172
Pine.
173
Cedar or spruce.
174
Yama.
175
Brahma.
176
Respectively on the Kourava and Pandava side.
177
Of dharma.
178
The suggestion seems to be that the acceptance of Bhishma’s instructions depends on destiny.
179
The word used is tata.
180
In words of condemnation.
181
It is difficult to understand this. A self-controlled man should presumably always be content. Perhaps it means that a self-controlled man is never content with trifles.
182
The relatives must be former because the self-controlled person has renounced.
183
For death to arrive.
184
In the sense that he doesn’t leave a visible trail. He does not accumulate any karma.
185
Brahma.
186
Of being reborn.
187
Janamejaya.
188
The three Vedas.
189
When other men approach, wolves jump upon a man, tear him to pieces, and run away.
190
Anger.
191
Separation from the object of affection.
192
This pity is being used in a negative sense, pity towards one’s own state.
193
You conquered the sins. Hence, you triumphed over the sons of Dhritarashtra.
194
Is wealthy enough to perform a soma sacrifice.
195
And give it to the brahmana.
196
The king.
197
Though not explicitly stated, the person doing the taking is probably a brahmana. Because of poverty, he has not had six meals. That is, he has starved for three days.
198
The king must think of a means of sustenance for brahmanas.
199
The king.
200
Specifically, the sacrifice known as
vaishvanara.
201
Presumably about their transgressions.
202
There is a negative connotation associated with water from a well.
203
Forsaking the rights of being a brahmana.
204
He is like a shudra. Brahmanas are associated with the white colour, kshatriyas with red, vaishyas with yellow and shudras with black.
205
Though liquor occurs twice, the words used are different. Here, the word used is madya. In the earlier clause, the word used is sura.
206
This is a messy shloka and needs explanation. For those who have not fallen down, funeral oblations are offered straight into the fire. If they are offered diagonally or sideways, they may fall down on the ground, outside the fire, and wicked spirits may feed on them. The afore-mentioned three sinners are those who drink liquor, those who kill a brahmana and those who violate a preceptor’s bed. For these sinners, it does not matter.
207
Physically causing harm to a brahmana.
208
Varuni is a specific kind of liquor and sura is liquor in general.
209
A red-hot pillar, in the shape of a female figure, used for executing those guilty of adultery.
210
The text says
nairriti.
This is the south-west direction, the direction presided over by Nirriti, the evil goddess of chaos.
211
This goes back to the sinner who is guilty of killing a brahmana.
212
An atreyi woman is a woman whose period is just over. She is ready to conceive. Killing her is equivalent to killing a foetus.
213
Barbara.
214
There is a contradiction between the two years and the earlier one year. It is possible that the two years is meant for kshatriyas and the one year is meant for others who are not brahmanas.
215
A wise king.
216
This probably means that the sinner has not performed a rite of atonement within one year.
217
Other than in war.
218
A kind of fasting that follows the progress (
ayana
) of the moon (
chandra
). On the full moon night, one only eats fifteen mouthfuls of food. For the fifteen lunar days following the full moon, this is decreased by one mouthful per day. For the fifteen lunar days following the new moon, this is increased by one mouthful per day.
219
With an animal.
220
The word used in the text actually translates as showered.
221
Without the hide and without proclaiming the sin.
222
Unnatural intercourse with men.
223
The act of donations.
224
The text actually says great-grandfather.
225
Because of the blood.
226
The word used is tata.
227
Brahma.
228
This is Bhishma speaking, not Vaishampayana.
229
Since danda has been mentioned, the three ignored methods must be sama, dana and bheda.
230
The other subjects.
231
The name of a peak.
232
The
kalpasutra
s, which are a part of Vedanga and indicate the norms to be followed in rites and rituals.
233
The one with the blue throat, Shiva’s name.
234
Shiva’s name.
235
At the time of Daksha’s sacrifice.
236
This means Vaivasvata Manu.
237
Different norms of punishment.
238
The sword thus passed from the solar to the lunar dynasty. But it came back to the solar dynasty.
239
Pleiades. The sword was thus created when Krittika was in the ascendant.
240
Respectively, sword, the one that severs, another term for sword, the one that is sharp at the edges, the one that is difficult to assail, the one that has prosperity in its womb, victory and the protector of dharma.
241
Madri.
242
Prithu.
243
There is a typo and the Critical edition says
ardha.