Mahabharata: Volume 4 (72 page)

¹⁵⁷
The word savitri means several things. It is a sacred mantra from the Rig Veda. It is also the ceremony of investiture with the sacred thread.

¹⁵⁸
The reference is to liquid oblations (milk, clarified butter) and the fire originated in water.

¹⁵⁹
Vishnu.

¹⁶⁰
Sacrifice enjoined by the Vedas.

¹⁶¹
Dakshina means south and also means the stipend at sacrifices, or fees paid to a preceptor.

¹⁶²
The
pitri
s are ancestors.
Paksha
has different meanings, one of which is a lunar fortnight. Pitripaksha is a dark lunar fortnight in August–September.

¹⁶³
The
ushmapa
s, so named because they survive on hot (
ushna
) food. Though described in the text as gods, the ushmapas are actually a subcategory of the pitris (manes or ancestors).

¹⁶⁴
A truti is a very small measure of time, equal to one-fourth of a kshana. Two trutis constitute a lava.

¹⁶⁵
The south is the direction of death.

¹⁶⁶
Raivata, or Revanta, is a son of the sun god and is identified with forests and hunting.

¹⁶⁷
Savarni Manu, the son of the sun god. While there are many stories about Yavakrita, it is difficult to pin down his son.

¹⁶⁸
Ravana could not be killed by the gods. Ravana was the son of the sage Pulastya.

¹⁶⁹
The Vaitarani River separates earth from Yama’s world and etymologically, the name means something that is true salvation. Evil people have to wait to cross the river.

¹⁷⁰
A reference to the southern transit (
dakshinayana
) of the sun.

¹⁷¹
The winter solstice begins with the nakshatra Dhanishtha.

¹⁷²
This has been described in Section 1 (Volume 1).

¹⁷³
The story has been told in Section 33 (Volume 3).

¹⁷⁴
Galava will eventually die, but Suparna wishes to know if Galava wants to head in that direction now.

¹⁷⁵
Pashchima
means west and
pashchat
means later.

¹⁷⁶
The mountain over which the sun sets (
asta
).

¹⁷⁷
Diti performed austerities so that she would have a son who could defeat Indra. Indra ingratiated himself with Diti and in one of her weak moments, penetrated her womb and sliced up the foetus. The Maruts were born from this.

¹⁷⁸
Rahu.

¹⁷⁹
Harimedha’s wife was Harini and Hari (Vishnu) was born as a son to them. Harimedha’s daughter was Dhvajavati. She was asked by the sun god to remain stationed in the western sky.

¹⁸⁰
Beyond the winter solstice, the sun moves to uttarayana.

¹⁸¹
Uttara
means north, while
uttarana
is the act of delvering.

¹⁸²
Uma.

¹⁸³
Kubera.

¹⁸⁴
Ascetic community.

¹⁸⁵
Married to Vasishtha.

¹⁸⁶
Svati (Arcturus) is the fifteenth of the nakshatras.

¹⁸⁷
The pole star. Dhruva was Vishnu’s devotee and was elevated to that position.

¹⁸⁸
Kubera.

¹⁸⁹
Vishnu’s foot.

¹⁹⁰
Uttara means both north and superior.

¹⁹¹
The word used is tata.

¹⁹²
Garuda.

¹⁹³
Aquatic animals that feed on whales (
timi
s).

¹⁹⁴
The word used is tata.

¹⁹⁵
Addressing Shandili.

¹⁹⁶
There is probably a sense of virility, since hiranya means both gold and semen.

¹⁹⁷
Dhana means wealth or riches and
dharana
is to support and sustain.

¹⁹⁸
The twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth nakshatras, Purva Bhadrapada and Uttara Bhadrapada.

¹⁹⁹
Aja Ekapada is a divinity, identified with Agni, the sun and the moon. Literally, Aja Ekapada can be translated as a one-footed goat. Aja Ekapada is also the god who presides over Purva Bhadrapada.

²⁰⁰
Ahi Budhnya is the god who presides over Uttara Bhadrapada. Ahi Budhnya means the serpent who lives in the deep.

²⁰¹
Of the person who has been solicited.

²⁰²
Elephants, horses, chariots and infantry.

²⁰³
Nose, eyes, ears, nails, breasts and neck.

²⁰⁴
Other than the obvious waist, ankles, wrists and neck, it is difficult to pinpoint this number seven. It is not mentioned in any of the standard treatises.

²⁰⁵
Speech, intelligence and navel.

²⁰⁶
Soles of the feet, palms of the hand, tongue, lips and nails.

²⁰⁷
Chakravarti
, an universal monarch or sovereign, whose wheels (chakra) travel as far as the frontiers of the ocean.

²⁰⁸
Haryashva.

²⁰⁹
Not to be confused with the Pandava Bhimasena.

²¹⁰
The sun god. The name of the female consort is given second.

²¹¹
Agni.

²¹²
Kubera.

²¹³
Ganga.

²¹⁴
Brahma.

²¹⁵
Jamadagni.

²¹⁶
There is a minor inconsistency. The king has earlier been referred to as Oushinara, meaning Ushinara’s son. Here, he is being referred to as Ushinara.

²¹⁷
The other kings.

²¹⁸
This suggests that unlike the other two kings, Ushinara did possess more than two hundred such horses, but refused to part with them.

²¹⁹
Ushinara.

²²⁰
Richika was asked by Gadhi. This has been recounted in Section 33(Volume 3).

²²¹
The place of piligrimage (tirtha) of horses (
ashva
).

²²²
Gadhi.

²²³
Six hundred already having been accounted for. The river Vitasta (Beas).

²²⁴
Galava.

²²⁵
Vishvamitra.

²²⁶
The three kings and her father.

²²⁷
Yayati.

²²⁸
Puru and Yadu were two of Yayati’s sons. The Pouravas are descended from Puru and the Yadavas from Yadu.

²²⁹
In body.

²³⁰
Yayati.

²³¹
Yayati’s fall from heaven has been described in Section 7 (Volume 1).

²³²
They were descended from Yayati. They were Madhavi’s four sons.

²³³
A trait of the gods is that they do not touch the ground with their feet.

²³⁴
Yayati.

²³⁵
Brahma.

²³⁶
Dharma, artha and kama.

²³⁷
The word used is tata.

²³⁸
The king of Anga, Karna.

²³⁹
The word used is tata.

²⁴⁰
Bhishma.

²⁴¹
The word used is tata.

²⁴²
The word used is tata.

²⁴³
The word used is tata.

²⁴⁴
The word used is tata.

²⁴⁵
A pretty but bitter fruit, probably of the Trichosanthes variety.

²⁴⁶
The word used is tata.

²⁴⁷
Dharma, artha and kama.

²⁴⁸
The word used is tata.

²⁴⁹
The word used is tata.

²⁵⁰
The word used is tata.

²⁵¹
The word used is tata.

²⁵²
The word used is tata.

²⁵³
The word used is tata.

²⁵⁴
The word used is tata.

²⁵⁵
The word used is tata.

²⁵⁶
The word used is tata.

²⁵⁷
Parashurama.

²⁵⁸
Yoga and kshema respectively.

²⁵⁹
Krishna and Arjuna.

²⁶⁰
The priest of the Pandavas.

²⁶¹
Literally, the one who has given a lot of stipends, Yudhishthira.

²⁶²
Dhritarashtra.

²⁶³
Famous sage.

²⁶⁴
The word used is tata.

²⁶⁵
The deceitful one is Shakuni and the deceitful act is the gambling match.

²⁶⁶
Yudhishthira.

²⁶⁷
Kamsa. Ugrasena was the king of the Bhojas.

²⁶⁸
Primarily addressing Dhritarashtra.

²⁶⁹
Brahma.

²⁷⁰
The word used is tata.

²⁷¹
Yoga and kshema respectively.

²⁷²
Of enemies.

²⁷³
That is, the remaining half of the kingdom and the tributes of those kings.

²⁷⁴
Karna.

²⁷⁵
Duryodhana.

²⁷⁶
Virochana’s son is Bali. Bali was eventually vanquished by Vishnu is his vamana (dwarf) incarnation.

²⁷⁷
Hridika’s son, that is, Kritavarma.

²⁷⁸
This has been described in Section 31 (Volume 2).

²⁷⁹
Demoness killed by Krishna.

²⁸⁰
Krishna killed a demon named Arishta, in the form of a bull. Dhenuka was a demon in the form of an ass. Chanura was a wrestler. Some of these were sent by Kamsa to kill Krishna. There is no demon named Ashvaraja (king of the horses). However, the demon Keshi was in the form of a horse and that is probably what is meant.

²⁸¹
Demons killed by Vishnu.

²⁸²
Hayagriva means the neck (
griva
) of a horse (haya). Hayagriva is one of Vishnu’s forms and is also the name of a demon. Vishnu killed the demon Hayagriva in his form of Hayagriva.

²⁸³
There are four guardians of the world (lokapalas). Krishna presumably manifested himself in his four-armed form.

²⁸⁴
Balarama.

²⁸⁵
Krishna’s bow, made of horn.

²⁸⁶
The name of Krishna’s sword.

²⁸⁷
Kunti.

²⁸⁸
Krishna and Kunti respectively.

²⁸⁹
Duryodhana.

²⁹⁰
Brahma.

²⁹¹
The son of King Mandhata, of the Ikshvaku dynasty. Vaishravana means Vishrava’s son, in this case, Kubera. Kubera offered Muchukunda the kingdom as a gift.

²⁹²
Kali yuga.

²⁹³
The critical edition excises a shloka here and that leads to a break in continuity. ‘By contributing to the commencement of kali, an evil king suffers from great sin’ and so on.

²⁹⁴
Oblations to the gods and the ancestors respectively.

²⁹⁵
That is for a vaishya, just as begging is for a brahmana.

²⁹⁶
Sama, dana, bheda and danda respectively.

²⁹⁷
The name is actually Vidura (Viduraa). However, some non-Critical versions say Vidula and ‘l’ and ‘r’ are often interchangeable in proper names. Though the name is Vidura, we have used Vidula, so that there is no confusion with the other Vidura.

²⁹⁸
This is Vidula speaking.

²⁹⁹
In the sense of small.

³⁰⁰
Medicinal tree,
Diospyros peregrina.
It is easily inflammable and the fruit yields a resin.

³⁰¹
The uncertain path will bring fame, but the certain path will bring ill fame.

³⁰²
Remain alive without trying.

³⁰³
The image is of a wrestling bout.

³⁰⁴
Uchchara
, more generally, discharge.

³⁰⁵
The name of Vidula’s son.

³⁰⁶
Purusha means man and there is a pun on the word
pura
(city).

³⁰⁷
That is, if the son is killed.

³⁰⁸
Sanjaya is someone who brings about victory (jaya).

³⁰⁹
One cannot identify which Shambara this is.

³¹⁰
Figuratively, from the father’s household to the husband’s household.

³¹¹
The gate only allows one person to pass.

³¹²
Vidula’s son was the king of Souvira, while Sindhu was the enemy.

³¹³
The enemy.

³¹⁴
Jaya means victory.

³¹⁵
The account.

³¹⁶
Indra has one thousand eyes.

³¹⁷
Krishnaa, Droupadi.

³¹⁸
Droupadi was in her period.

³¹⁹
Droupadi.

³²⁰
Droupadi.

³²¹
They had gone with Krishna to meet Kunti.

³²²
There is no mention earlier of Karna having accompanied Krishna.

³²³
Arjuna’s inexhaustible quivers.

³²⁴
Yudhishthira’s.