Mahabharata: Volume 7 (67 page)
Read Mahabharata: Volume 7 Online
Authors: Bibek Debroy
619
Yudhishthira inhaled the fragrance of Arjuna’s head.
620
Jaya is one of Arjuna’s names, as is Vijaya.
621
Krishna’s charioteer.
622
Arjuna.
623
We have deliberately not translated shatapatra. Literally, it means a bird with one hundred feathers and can stand for a parrot, a woodpecker or a crane. Since this circumambulation took place in a clockwise direction (
pradakshina
), this was an auspicious sign.
624
The text says
pumnamam
and it is difficult to pin this bird down. Literally, this should be translated as a bird name
pum
. However, this isn’t an easily identifiable bird and pum also means male. Perhaps that itself was an auspicious sign.
625
These carnivorous birds fed on dead bodies.
626
This is slightly inaccurate. Gandiva was created by the brahman, though Brahma owned it for one thousand years.
627
With reference to fighting.
628
Aratni is a measure of distance, the length of an elbow, that is, a cubit. It is thus eighteen inches long.
629
Of the battle.
630
The word used is tata.
631
Bhishma.
632
Bhurishrava.
633
Jayadratha.
634
Being used as a synonym for Kurukshetra.
635
However, this incident has not been mentioned earlier, when that day’s fighting was being described.
636
Duryodhana.
637
The word used is tata.
638
There are ten directions. The arrows followed the tenth direction and didn’t deviate to the other nine. This is an indirect way of saying that the arrows found their mark.
639
The word horse figures twice in the text.
640
Vishnu.
641
On the fourteenth day, the fighting continued throughout the night. This has been described in Section 70 (Volume 6).
642
Yudhishthira.
643
Vishnu.
644
The Kouravas.
645
Madri was the mother of Nakula and Sahadeva and Arjuna’s mother by extension.
646
This is a reference to the episode of the house of lac, described in Section 8 (Volume 1).
647
When Krishna came as a messenger, described in Section 54 (Volume 4).
648
Abhimanyu was killed in Section 67 (Volume 6).
649
Krishnaa, Droupadi.
650
The Panchalas.
651
Of the Pandavas.
652
Duryodhana.
653
The arrows.
654
In Section 27 (Volume 2), on the occasion of the gambling match.
655
Duryodhana.
656
This great-minded is to be interpreted in the sense of insolent, that is, this is what Duryodhana thought of himself.
657
Shambara was the name of a demon killed by Indra.
658
The image is of a river.
659
Sushena and Uttamouja. This shloka should have come earlier.
660
Dhrishtadyumna, Yajnasena was one of Drupada’s names.
661
Uttamouja’s.
662
The enemy also had gold-tufted arrows.
663
Bhima.
664
That is, Yama.
665
Vishoka was Bhima’s charioteer.
666
Yudhishthira.
667
A pradara is a special kind of arrow.
668
In the event that Bhima dies.
669
Arjuna was known as Kiriti because he wore a diadem.
670
Devadatta was the name of Arjuna’s conch shell.
671
Jambha was a demon killed by Indra.
672
Bala was a demon killed by Indra (lord of the Maruts).
673
To the nether regions. The river Vaitarani flows in the nether regions and one has to cross it to reach Yama’s world.
674
This doesn’t add up to a count of sixteen. That’s because the Critical edition excises some shlokas. In these, the missing arrows are used to strike Bhima.
675
Shakuni.
676
Shakuni’s.
679
Marks from the use of weapons.
680
At the time of the burning of the Khandava forest, described in Section 19 (Volume 2).
681
The fire god.
682
Described in Section 32 (Volume 2).
683
Described in Section 31 (Volume 2).
684
Krishna’s.
685
Jishnu means the victorious one and is not only one of Arjuna’s names, but also Krishna’s. Krishna’s father was Vasudeva.
686
Kritavarma.
687
Ashvatthama.
688
Shukra is associated with the month of Jyaishtha and Shuchi is another name for the month of Vaishakha. Hence, this means that the sun is midway between these hot summer months.
689
On Arjuna’s standard.
690
Ashvatthama.
691
Arjuna and Krishna.
692
Arjuna.
693
The text says suras. But this is clearly a typo and should read asuras.
694
The image is of hunters hunting a wild elephant with burning torches in their hands.
695
Since Duryodhana and all his brothers were killed by Bhima, there is an inconsistency here and they couldn’t have been Dhritarashtra’s sons.
696
Those ninety rathas had taken a vow to die rather than retreat.
697
Meaning Arjuna.
698
The yavanas and the mlecchas are being equated here.
699
Only three, presumably because the chariots had been destroyed.
700
The club.
701
Duryodhana.
702
Meaning the Pandavas here. Kuru was a common ancestor, so the Pandavas could also be referred to as the Kurus.
703
However, we have earlier been told that Uttamouja killed Sushena.
704
Ugradhanva’s.
705
Satyaki. We don’t know how Satyaki’s horses were killed.
706
Karna.
707
The Panchalas.
708
Dhrishtadyumna.
709
Janamejaya is the son of Somaka and the son of Prishata (Drupada) is Dhrishtadyumna.
710
Because these warriors were from Panchala.
711
Vrishasena.
712
Kritavarma.
713
The five warriors from Panchala.
714
Duhshasana.
715
That is, they are fighting over the same she-elephant.
716
The club.
717
Bhima.
718
At the time of the gambling match, described in Section 27 (Volume 2).
719
The Kouravas tried to poison Bhima in Pramanakoti. This has been described in Section 7 (Volume 1).
720
At the time of the gambling match, Bhima took a pledge that he would kill Duhshasana in the battle and drink his blood.
721
Indra has one thousand eyes.
722
Jambha was a demon killed by Vishnu and Indra.
723
Vrishasena.
724
Nakula.
725
Vrishasena.
726
Kritavarma.
727
Five of Drupada’s sons, Satyaki and five of Droupadi’s sons.
728
The elephants.
729
That is, the son of the king of Kuninda.
730
Kripa’s.
731
Shakuni.
732
Duryodhana.
733
Indra is Shachi’s consort.
734
The text of the Critical edition confuses between Shuka and Kratha. In other editions, in this description, Kratha figures consistently.
735
The prince of Kuninda.
736
Suparna is Garuda and the storm is raised through his wings. The text uses the word naga, which can only be translated as tree. This is probably a typo and should read
naaga
or serpent. Given Garuda, that fits better.
737
This entire section is replete with typos and this must be another one of those. Why should the son of Kuninda attack Nakula’s son? It can only be rationalized, other than a typo, by presuming that some of the Kunindas also fought on the side of the Kouravas.
738
Karna’s son, Vrishasena.
739
Nakula. The Critical edition excises a shloka where we are told that Vrishasena deprived Nakula of his horses.
740
Namuchi was a demon killed by Indra.
741
Meaning Vrishasena. Son is being used in the extended sense of a grandson.
742
Virochana’s son was the demon Bali.
743
Karavirya Arjuna.
744
Bhava is Shiva.
745
Presumably because Karna was the son of the sun god.
746
Presumably because Arjuna was the son of Pritha (Kunti) and earth is known as
prithvi
. Kunti personified the earth.
747
Accounts (the two epics and the Puranas) are regarded as the fifth Veda.
748
Kadru was married to the sage Kashyapa and was the mother of all the serpents. Since Arjuna burnt down the serpents in Khandava, the serpents should have been on Karna’s side. However, as a succeeding shloka explains, the serpents were divided.
749
Surabhi was married to the sage Kashyapa and was the mother of cattle. Vaishali is a reference to the princess Vaishali, daughter of King Vishala. Her story is recounted in the Puranas. She gave birth to the famous King Marut, who was an emperor who ruled over the entire earth. The reference to Vaishali’s offspring is not obvious. Serpents mentioned again require an explanation. The earlier reference to serpents was to serpents in general. Here, the reference is to specific serpents who live in Bhogavati, the capital city of nagas.
750
The Vishvadevas.
751
In general, the Adityas are the sons of Aditi and Kashyapa, that is, the gods. There is no reason for the gods to be on Karna’s side, especially because some of them (Vasus, Maruts, Sadhyas, Rudras, Vishvadevas, Agni, Indra, Soma (the moon god) and Pavana (the wind god) have just been mentioned to be on Arjuna’s side. However, in a narrower sense, the twelve Adityas are the manifestations of the sun for the twelve months. It is these who were on Karna’s side, Karna being the son of the sun god.
752
Kubera.
753
Prava is a typo. It should be Pradha. Kashyapa married Pradha and the gandharvas were the offspring. Kashyapa married Muni and the apsaras were the offspring.
754
Svadha is the exclamation made when oblations are offered to the ancestors.
755
Prajapati is a name for Brahma, as well as for guardians of the world. Since Brahma has been separately mentioned, the Prajapatis here are the guardians of the world.
756
Shiva.
757
This Prajapati means Brahma.
758
Indra.
759
Vijaya is Arjuna. The other one seems to be a reference to Krishna. It is difficult to make sense of these shlokas, especially because the Critical edition excises some shlokas where Indra sides with Arjuna and Surya with Karna. But the gist is that Indra wants Arjuna to win.
760
Shiva.
761
Nara being identified with Arjuna and Narayana with Krishna.
762
Karna.
763
The standards.
764
Krishnaa, Droupadi.
765
Krishnaa’s, that is, Droupadi’s.
766
Towards each other’s soldiers.
767
The soldiers on either side.
768
Drona.
769
Ashvatthama and Kripa were immortal. There are seven immortals. In addition to Ashvatthama and Kripa, these are Bali, Parashurama, Vibhishana, Vyasa and Hanumana.
770
Yudhishthira.
771
Arjuna.
772
Indra.
773
One of the guardians of the world (Prajapati), sometimes identified with Daksha.
774
Kubera.
775
Duryodhana.
