Mahabharata Vol. 3 (Penguin Translated Texts) (88 page)
Read Mahabharata Vol. 3 (Penguin Translated Texts) Online
Authors: Bibek Debroy
92
Kamalas and utpalas respectively.
100
The south is the direction of death, and of ghosts and demons.
101
The god of love.
102
Tree (
vriksha
) that grants everything one desires (
kalpa
).
103
Religious fig tree.
104
The god of love has the flower as a banner.
105
One crore is ten million.
106
The lords (pala) or guardians of the worlds (loka) are usually four in number—Indra, Agni, Varuna and Yama.
107
Ravana’s wife.
108
Rajaraja.
109
Makara is a mythical aquatic creature and the god of love has the makara as his banner.
110
The word used is
shashalakshana
, marked by the sign of the rabbit, that is, the moon.
111
Kumuda, utpala and padma respectively.
112
The text uses the word
gopuccha
, meaning one with a cow’s tail. This is a specific type of monkey.
117
A female demon named Surasa who tried to obstruct Hanuman’s leap.
118
Hanuman would not have known about this incident otherwise.
119
The enemy will find it easier to attack if the force is divided.
120
Varuna, the lord of the waters.
121
Ikshvaku was the son of Manu and Manu was the son of the sun-god. As sons of Aditi, the sun-god and Varuna are brothers.
122
The ocean.
123
The architect of the gods.
124
Kind of tree and its wood.
125
The text has the word
karnatta yantra
. This is difficult to translate. Yantra is a machine and can also be a watchtower. Karnatta should mean in the shape of an ear, but an ear-shaped watchtower sounds odd. However, karnatta yantra also means a catapult.
126
Weapons capable of killing one hundred at a time.
127
Madhuchhishta.
Presumably, there was poison in the beeswax.
132
A
vyuha
is a battle formation. This one is named after Ushanas or Shukracharya, the preceptor of the demons.
133
The preceptor of the gods.
136
Here, the text uses the word nairrita (meaning demon), rather than rakshasa.
137
Indra. Indrajit was originally named Meghanada and came to be called Indrajit because he vanquished Indra in battle. Indrajit could remain invisible while fighting and also possessed many celestial weapons.
138
Prajna means intelligence or wisdom.
139
Vishalya means freedom from trouble or anxiety and more specifically, something that removes a stake or a thorn.
142
It isn’t clear from the Mahabharata what kind of a weapon a bhushundi was. It was a weapon that was hurled and could have been a simple rock. However, in descriptions of the Kurukshetra War, it seems to have been more sophisticated than a simple rock.
143
Brahma.
147
Matali, Indra’s charioteer.
148
Makaras.
149
Vishvakarma constructed Pushpaka vimana for Kubera. Ravana possessed it, when he drove Kubera out of Lanka.
150
Yuvaraja.
151
The road he had followed when exiled.
152
Hanuman.
153
Bharata.
154
Rama.
155
Another name for the nakshatra Shravana.
156
Kubera.
157
The text uses the word
jaruthyan
. This means three times the normal dakshina, or three different types of dakshina.
158
By implication, by travelling along this path. Vritra and Namuchi were demons killed by Indra. Dirghajihva was also a demoness killed by Indra.
159
The gayatri or savitri mantra, dedicated to Savita, the sun-god, and personified in feminine form. In this personified feminine form, Savitri is also Brahma’s consort.
160
The sacrificial fire.
161
Brahma.
162
Suggesting that the king should not object because he had only received the boon of one daughter.
163
Ashvapati’s wife was from Malava.
164
The moon.
167
Satya
means truth. Satyavan means someone who follows the truth.
168
Chitra
means painting and ashva means horse.
169
Rantideva was a king of the lunar dynasty, known for his generosity.
170
This story has been told in Section 33.
171
Yayati figures in several sections, such as Section 33.
172
Ritvija
s, officiating priests at sacrifices.
173
Dyumatsena and Ashvapati respectively.
174
Gift given to a guest.
175
Ashvapati.
176
That is, neither is permanent.
177
The word used is
arha
and it is possible to interpret this as a dowry.
180
On the last day.
181
The word used is yuga. A relatively rare meaning of yuga is four, the relevant meaning here. One probably means that the sun had arisen four
hasta
s (hands) or cubits.
182
The mother-in-law.
183
Small measure of time, but also forty-eight minutes.
184
Instant, measure of time equal to four-fifths of a second.
185
The south is the direction of death.
186
In a marriage, husband and wife take seven steps around the fire together.
189
In the case of the other boons, Yama had qualified it by saying that Savitri could not ask for Satyavan’s life. In this case, that caveat wasn’t mentioned.
190
The vessel used for collecting fruit.
193
The goddess Savitri.
1
Heaven, where Arjuna had gone to obtain divine weapons.
2
Yudhishthira.
3
Vibhavasu is the sun-god’s name and Karna was his son.
4
Indra killed a demon named Paka.
5
Karna was naturally born with these.
8
Svarbhanu is a name for Rahu, who causes eclipses.
9
Because he was brought up by Radha, Radheya is Karna’s name.
10
Vishakha is the twenty-first of the twenty-seven nakshatras. It has four main stars and the name itself means one that is fork-shaped, with branches, usually interpreted as possessing two forks or branches. That is because the two forks are identified with Indra and Agni.
13
Shakti.
14
Because Surya had appeared to him in a dream. Having awoken, Karna now told Surya about the dream.
15
Vrisha is Karna’s name.
16
Kuntibhoja was Kunti or Pritha’s father. The brahmana in question was the sage Durvasa.
17
The story of Agastya’s destruction of Vatapi has been told in Section 33. The Talajangha connection is less direct. The Talajanghas were destroyed by Sagara and the brahmana Aurva gave Sagara the weapon for the destruction.
18
Shura was Kuntibhoja’s friend and Kuntibhoja had no offspring. So Shura gave Pritha to Kuntibhoja as an adopted daughter.
19
Shura.
20
The Chyavana–Sukanya story has been recounted in Section 33.
21
The Atharva Veda.
22
Durvasa.
23
The root
kan
means satisfied or pleased. While kanya can rightly be translated as maiden or young girl, it specifically also means a virgin or a girl who is ten years old.
24
In the sense of being free to unite.
25
Earrings and armour.
26
Kashyapa’s wife, the mother of the gods, who are therefore known as Adityas.
27
The word used is
nabhi
, which translates as navel. However, nabhi also means the central point.
28
Meaning Kuntibhoja.
29
The moon.
30
To make it waterproof.
31
Another name for the river Ganga.
32
Vasu
means wealth or riches, as well as gold.
33
Varana means elephant and Varanasahrya is another name for Hastinapura.
34
Rama is Parashurama. Five types of weapons are mukta (those that are released from the hand, like a chakra), amukta (those that are never released, like a sword), muktamukta (those that can be released or not released, like a spear), yantramukta (those that are released from an implement, like an arrow) and mantramukta (magical weapons unleashed with incantations). Of these, the text is referring to the first four.
