Mahabharata: Vol. 5 (80 page)

¹⁶⁶
The word used is tata.

¹⁶⁷
There were ten charioteers on the Kourava side and ten on the Pandava side.

¹⁶⁸
Shalya was Madri’s brother.

¹⁶⁹
Against Bhima.

¹⁷⁰
Four types of arrows are mentioned here—
kshura
s (with tips like razors),
kshurapra
s (arrows with sharp edges), bhallas (arrows with broad heads) and anjalikas (with heads shaped like crescents).

¹⁷¹
Indra’s elephant.

¹⁷²
Shiva’s name is Pinaki and the name of his trident or bow is Pinaka.

¹⁷³
Shiva.

¹⁷⁴
Bhima.

¹⁷⁵
The text uses the word shaikyayasa. This should be translated as steel. However, it is also possible to break up the word into shaikya and ayasa and thus translate it as sharp iron.

¹⁷⁶
The exception being Alambusa, or more likely, Bhurishrava.

¹⁷⁷
The word Kourava is being used because Bhurishrava was on the Kourava side.

¹⁷⁸
Bhima’s charioteer.

¹⁷⁹
Duryodhana.

¹⁸⁰
Duryodhana.

¹⁸¹
Not to be confused with Pandava Bhima.

¹⁸²
Only seven sons are directly mentioned as having been killed. However, all fourteen were killed by Bhima.

¹⁸³
Bhima was struck and lost his senses.

¹⁸⁴
There are eight elephants who guard the eight directions—Airavata, Pundarika, Vamana, Kumuda, Anjana, Pushpadanta, Sarvabhouma and Supratika. Airavata is also regarded as the king of elephants and is Indra’s mount. Mahapadma is another name for either Pundarika or Kumuda.

¹⁸⁵
Bhagadatta’s elephant.

¹⁸⁶
Referring to Bhagadatta.

¹⁸⁷
The word used is tata.

¹⁸⁸
Kimpaka is a pretty but bitter fruit, probably of the Trichosanthes variety.

¹⁸⁹
Kritavarma was the son of Hridika.

¹⁹⁰
The word used is tata.

¹⁹¹
Sharnga is the name of Krishna’s bow, made out of horn.

¹⁹²
Brahma.

¹⁹³
Brahma.

¹⁹⁴
Balarama.

¹⁹⁵
Pradyumna is the son of Krishna and Rukmini. Aniruddha is Pradyumna’s son and Krishna’s grandson.

¹⁹⁶
Aniruddha as part of Vishnu and not as Pradyumna’s son.

¹⁹⁷
The word used is tata.

¹⁹⁸
Tat means that. Aum Tat Sat is an expression used in the context of the brahman. Aum stands for the brahman. Tat means that. Sat means the absolute truth. Hence, Aum Tat Sat means the brahman is the absolute truth. One should also mention the expression Tat Tvam Asi, an expression that features in the Upanishads. Tvam means ‘you’ and Asi means ‘are’. Therefore, Tat Tvam Asi means that you are the brahman.

¹⁹⁹
Vishnu bears the srivatsa mark (or curl) on his chest. This is the place where Lakshmi resides.

²⁰⁰
Vishnu’s jewel that emerged from the churning of the ocean.

²⁰¹
The word used is tata.

²⁰²
However, at the time when this is being said, the present kali yuga has not yet started.

²⁰³
Dawn and dusk.

²⁰⁴
The earth rests on the serpent Shesha.

²⁰⁵
Madhusudana means the destroyer of Madhu.

²⁰⁶
These are respective references to Vishnu’s
varaha
(boar),
narasimha
(man-lion) and
vamana
(dwarf) incarnations.

²⁰⁷
Hrishikesha means the lord of the senses.

²⁰⁸
A makara is a mythical aquatic animal and makara can loosely be translated as shark or crocodile.

²⁰⁹
Hawk.

²¹⁰
Nakula and Sahadeva.

²¹¹
The name of Krishna’s conch shell.

²¹²
Referring to Arjuna’s standard.

²¹³
In the Mahabharata, Shaivya was the king of Govasana. In the Puranas, Govasana is given as the name of a king, and his daughter, Youdheyi, was married to Yudhishthira.

²¹⁴
A gopa is a herdsman or cowherd. Govasana can be translated as a region where cattle reside.

²¹⁵
There is an inconsistency, because the Kalingas have already been destroyed by Bhima and the king of Kalinga has been killed.

²¹⁶
The king of elephants is Airavata.

²¹⁷
Uluka was Shakuni’s son.

²¹⁸
Of the Kouravas.

²¹⁹
Satyaki is being referred to as Varshneya.

²²⁰
Yuyudhana is Satyaki’s name.

²²¹
The word used is aryas.

²²²
Ashvatthama.

²²³
Bhishma.

²²⁴
Arjuna and Krishna.

²²⁵
Subhadra belonged to the Yadava lineage and is being referred to as Satvati. Lakshmana was Duryodhana’s son.

²²⁶
Kripa.

²²⁷
Bhurishrava.

²²⁸
Indra’s weapon is the rainbow.

²²⁹
Bhurishrava had a sacrificial stake on his standard.

²³⁰
Bhurishrava was the son of Somadatta and Somadatta was descended from Pratipa, who was also the ancestor of the Pandavas and the Kouravas.

²³¹
Satyaki.

²³²
The
krouncha
bird.

²³³
Susharma was the king of Trigarta and the capital of Trigarta was Prasthala.

²³⁴
The imagery seems to be that of a beautiful woman whose pride has been hurt.

²³⁵
The word used is tata.

²³⁶
For war.

²³⁷
Not to be confused with the famous Karna, who was not fighting at this stage.

²³⁸
He had been fighting with Drona.

²³⁹
That is, the Kourava army.

²⁴⁰
Dhrishtadyumna.

²⁴¹
A divine weapon that causes loss of consciousness.

²⁴²
The enmity between Drona and Drupada doesn’t quite explain why Drupada should flee. Drupada probably remembered that Dhrishtadyumna had been born so that Drona might be killed.

²⁴³
Prajna means wisdom or intelligence. Mohana and pramohana have the same meaning.

²⁴⁴
The five Kekaya princes, five of Droupadi’s sons, Dhrishtaketu and Abhimanyu—these were the twelve.

²⁴⁵
The mouth of a needle.

²⁴⁶
Dhrishtadyumna had studied under Drona.

²⁴⁷
Duryodhana.

²⁴⁸
Yama’s.

²⁴⁹
Small arrow.

²⁵⁰
Arjuna is being referred to as Krishna here.

²⁵¹
A reference to Krishna’s mission of peace.

²⁵²
Duryodhana’s.

²⁵³
The names of Droupadi’s sons were Prativindhya (through Yudhishthira), Sutasoma (through Bhima), Shrutakarma (through Arjuna), Shatanika (through Nakula) and Shrutasena (through Sahadeva).

²⁵⁴
Shrutakarma.

²⁵⁵
Shrutakirti is another name for Shrutakarma.

²⁵⁶
Referring to Jayatsena.

²⁵⁷
The text is such that it can also be translated as ‘slain’, but smitten is indicated. There are two reasons why slain can’t be right. First, Dushkarna wasn’t killed and surfaces again in Drona Parva. Second, Duryodhana and all his brothers were killed by Bhima.

²⁵⁸
The first yuga means satya or krita yuga.

²⁵⁹
A herb with wonderful healing properties. Literally, something that removes pain.

²⁶⁰
Duryodhana.

²⁶¹
Mandala means circular.

²⁶²
Iravat or Iravan was the son of Arjuna and the naga princess Ulupi.

²⁶³
Kritavarma.

²⁶⁴
Abhimanyu.

²⁶⁵
Ghatotkacha and Bhagadatta respectively.

²⁶⁶
Equivalently, Shrutayush.

²⁶⁷
Divine missile named after Indra.

²⁶⁸
The king of Trigarta.

²⁶⁹
White planet probably means Venus, but it can also signify the moon.

²⁷⁰
Shankha was Virata’s son.

²⁷¹
Meaning Satyaki.

²⁷²
Satyaki studied the art of war from Arjuna.

²⁷³
Indra.

²⁷⁴
Dhrishtadyumna was the overall commander of the Pandava army.

²⁷⁵
Vrishaka and Achala were the sons of the king of Gandhara (Subala) and were thus brothers to Shakuni and brothers-in-law to Dhritarashtra.

²⁷⁶
Succeeding sentences show that this means Anuvinda’s horses.

²⁷⁷
Famous battle that took place between the gods and the demons. This is sometimes described to have been over Tara (Brihaspati’s wife) and sometimes described to have been over Taraka (a demon).

²⁷⁸
Bhagadatta.

²⁷⁹
Namuchi was a demon killed by Indra.

²⁸⁰
Bhagadatta.

²⁸¹
He was proud, because they were his sister’s sons.

²⁸²
Shalya.

²⁸³
Nakula.

²⁸⁴
Indra’s younger brother, Vishnu.

²⁸⁵
Parshnis.

²⁸⁶
Chekitana.

²⁸⁷
Bhurishrava.

²⁸⁸
These can be loosely translated as wind, bile and phlegm. In Ayurveda, these are the three
dosha
s or humours in the body and they are always striving against each other.

²⁸⁹
Bhima had taken an oath that he would kill Duryodhana and his brothers.

²⁹⁰
There is an inconsistency between the number of thirty-two and sixty.

²⁹¹
The Pandava warriors.

²⁹²
It had been agreed that Yudhishthira would kill Shalya.

²⁹³
That of the Pandavas.

²⁹⁴
Shalya’s weapons.

²⁹⁵
Aratta is a distant kingdom. It is difficult to pinpoint its precise location, though it figures prominently in Sumerian literature.

²⁹⁶
Later sentences identify this son as Chitrasena.

²⁹⁷
Of avoiding the club.

²⁹⁸
Yudhishthira.

²⁹⁹
Earlier, Shikhandi had been the lady Amba.

³⁰⁰
It was afternoon and the sun was in the western sky.

³⁰¹
Mountain behind which the sun sets.

³⁰²
From the wounds.

³⁰³
Meaning that it had cusps or horns.

³⁰⁴
The word used is
shatahrada.
Literally, this means something with a hundred rays of light.

³⁰⁵
The land of the dead.

³⁰⁶
Meaning the soldiers on the Kourava side.

³⁰⁷
The text says Pandita. But Pandita is the same as Panditaka.

³⁰⁸
The promise that he would kill Duryodhana and his brothers.

³⁰⁹
Vidura.

³¹⁰
The word used is tata.

³¹¹
The word used is tata.

³¹²
Kritavarma.

³¹³
Garuda.

³¹⁴
Bestowed on Arjuna. Her father Kouravya was the king of the nagas and was descended from Airavata. Thus, Kouravya can also be referred to as Airavata. The story has been recounted in Section 16 (Volume 2).

³¹⁵
Meaning another person’s wife.

³¹⁶
This is left dangling It is probably a reference to the naga Takshaka, who bore an animosity towards Arjuna because of the destruction of nagas in Khandava.

³¹⁷
The names of Shakuni’s six brothers. Their father was Subala.

³¹⁸
Referring to Iravat’s army.

³¹⁹
Vrishaka was the only one of Subala’s sons who survived.

³²⁰
Rishyashringa was a famous sage.

³²¹
Bhima had killed a rakshasa named Baka.

³²²
The word used is tata.

³²³
Bhogavati is the capital of the nagas and Bhogavat can mean any of the serpents residing there. But it is probably a reference to Ananta.

³²⁴
Garuda.

³²⁵
Satyaki.

³²⁶
Ghatotkacha.

³²⁷
Ghatotkacha.

³²⁸
The lower lip.

³²⁹
Indra killed a demon named Bala.

³³⁰
Although described as the lord of Vanga, this is Bhagadatta.

³³¹
Bhishma is addressing others too.

³³²
It is not clear which of the two from Avanti is meant.