Mahabharata: Volume 8 (84 page)
Read Mahabharata: Volume 8 Online
Authors: Bibek Debroy
35
Vedavyasa.
36
Narada and Vedavyasa.
37
To withdraw a weapon, once released. Knowledge of a divine weapon meant not just knowledge about its release, but also knowledge about its withdrawal.
38
The word used is tata.
39
Here, brahmastra seems to be equated with brahmashira. However, brahmastras were used in the Kurukshetra war. This is the only instance of brahmashira being used. The two weapons were presumably different.
40
Yudhishthira.
41
That is, the Pandava women.
42
The brahmashira weapon was thus diverted towards the wombs.
43
The daughter is Uttara, married to Abhimanyu.
44
This is derived from the word
parikshina
, which means something that has been destroyed or lost.
45
That is, born as one.
46
Vedavyasa was immortal and so was Ashvatthama.
47
Purushottama is Krishna’s name.
48
Krishnaa.
49
Described in Section 54 (Volume 4).
50
Vishnu killed a demon named Madhu.
51
Krishnaa.
52
Shiva.
53
Brahma.
54
Prajapati means lord of beings and the Prajapatis were also creators of beings. The number of Prajapatis varies, from one text to another.
55
Those born from wombs, eggs, sweat (worms/insects) and plants/trees/herbs.
56
Brahma.
57
The linga.
58
Mount Munjavat probably had a lot of
munja
grass.
59
This probably means, when
satya yuga
or
krita yuga
was over.
60
Literally, the one attired in skins. Shiva’s name.
61
The five great elements are ether/sky, air, fire, water and earth.
62
The one with matted hair, Shiva’s name.
63
The sacred exclamation of
vashat.
64
This is probably a reference to the four kinds of chants and priests involved in any sacrifice, associated with each of the four Vedas.
65
The three-eyed one, Shiva’s name.
66
The one with the blue throat, Shiva’s name.
67
Shiva’s name.
68
Shiva.
69
Ashvatthama.
1
Yudhishthira.
2
Kripa, Kritavarma and Ashvatthama.
3
Ashvatthama was cursed. His imposing a curse refers to his act of destroying the foetus in Uttara’s womb.
4
Dhritarashtra.
5
The sun.
6
Parashurama.
7
The Critical edition does not tell us who Srinjaya was, what the sages told him, and when Dhritarashtra heard it. The story has been excised from this part of the Critical edition and is about a king named Srinjaya, whose son was killed by thieves. Narada consoled him by telling him the histories of sixteen kings who had to die. But Narada’s account appears later.
8
Karna.
9
Duryodhana’s brother.
10
The text uses the word
shalya
, which means thorn or stake. Shalya was also the king of Madra and it is also possible to interpret the shloka in the sense of Shalya, as a proper noun. However, there is no suggestion that Shalya ever offered advice to Dhritarashtra and that it was rejected, though Shalya eventually fought on the side of the Kouravas. We have therefore taken the word shalya to be a common noun.
11
The image is that of a man who climbs a tree for honey and falls down.
12
Death.
13
That is, they were not retreating.
14
Before they were born.
15
In successive births.
16
That is, death.
17
In this context, dharma, artha and happiness, not dharma, artha and kama.
18
The meaning of this shloka is not very clear.
19
Because there is no wood in a plantain tree.
20
The atman.
21
The potter’s wheel.
22
The text uses the word
kalala
. An embryo goes through stages of development, progressively, kalala,
arbuda
,
peshi
and so on. So kalala is the first stage in am embryo’s development.
23
Having been born.
24
These are demons that afflict infants, newly born children.
25
This is a difficult shloka to translate. The meaning is not evident and some liberties have been taken in the translation.
26
Brahma.
27
From those beasts.
28
Carnivorous beasts, serpents, the elephant and the terrible woman being the other four.
29
There is a contravention because in that difficult situation, the brahmana cannot pursue the usual dictates of dharma.
30
Hence black and white.
31
In successive births.
32
The cycle of rebirth.
33
The time that joins day and night, the morning and the evening twilight.
34
Past deeds.
35
That is, is not reborn.
36
In the sense of repentance after an event.
37
End his life. Dhritarashtra is addressing Krishna Dvaipayana Vedavyasa. Dhritarashtra was Vedavyasa’s son.
38
This is a literal translation, the sense being that Vedavyasa will tell Dhritarashtra once he has regained his composure.
39
In Section 6 (Volume 1), Earth went to Brahma, requesting that she should be saved from the depredations of the asuras on earth.
40
The word kali has different meanings, including connotations of
kali yuga.
Here, it is best understood as the personification of strife, dissension, discord.
41
The rajasuya sacrifice has been described in Section 24 (Volume 2). In Section 25 (Volume 2), Narada remembers these events, but does not actually recount them.
42
This is Vedavyasa quoting Narada.
43
And not give it up.
1
Dhritarashtra.
2
The chariot.
3
Dhritarashtra.
4
There is some abruptness and break in continuity in the text here.
5
Vidura.
6
Measure of distance between 3 and 4 kilometres, 4 kroshas are equal to 1
yojana.
7
These sentences suggest that the events of Section 79 (Volume 7) never happened and there is some inconsistency.
8
Another name for Hastinapura.
9
Krishna.
10
Satyaki.
11
Dhritarashtra’s son through a vaishya woman. Yuyutsu had sided with the Pandavas.
12
Yudhishthira.
13
In the sense of Pandu being the younger father.
14
The other Pandavas.
15
Yudhishthira.
16
Krishna.
17
Dhritarashtra. Dhritarashtra wished to crush Bhima with his embrace.
18
The coral tree.
19
Sanjaya.
20
No further details are given about the ‘son’. If son is to be interpreted strictly, Krishna must have asked Yuyutsu to construct the image.
21
Dhritarashtra.
22
Duryodhana.
23
Droupadi.
24
Bhima.
25
Bhima.
26
Gandhari was blindfolded.
27
Vedavyasa.
28
Arjuna.
29
Bhima realized that Duryodhana was superior in skills.
30
At the time of the gambling match, described in Section 27 (Volume 2).
31
Vrishasena was Karna’s son. This wasn’t quite the way it happened. These incidents are from Section 73 (Volume 7), Karna Parva. Vrishasena killed Nakula’s horses after Bhima had drunk Duhshasana’s blood. The incidents occur in different chapters; Vrishasena killed Nakula’s horses in the subsequent chapter.
32
Yama.
33
Bhima swore to drink Duhshasana’s blood, described in Section 27 (Volume 2).
34
There is a nuance that a translation cannot capture, the word in question being
santana
. This means son or daughter. But it also means continuous flow, which is the reason an offspring is called santana, ensuring the continuous line of succession.
35
Because Dhritarashtra was blind, Gandhari always wore a blindfold.
36
All the Pandavas.
37
Kunti.
38
Abhimanyu.
39
Droupadi.
40
Droupadi.
41
A reference to Krishna’s mission of peace, described in Section 54 (Volume 4).
42
Vedavyasa.
43
Gandhari.
44
It is not clear who this king is. It can only be Satyaki, though Satyaki is rarely described as a king.
45
Dhritarashtra.
46
Gandhari.
47
The sense is that the five elements (earth, air, fire, water, sky) are not destroyed. So the Kurus and the Panchalas would not be destroyed either.
48
The clubs are being compared to women lying down alongside their beloved husbands.
49
The text uses the word
apararatri
, meaning the second half of the night.
50
That is, kings.
51
The sense being that he did not retreat.
52
Since Krishna is being addressed, this is a clear typo.
53
That is, Duryodhana’s wife. Lakshmana was Duryodhana’s son.
54
Lakshmana.
55
Duryodhana.
56
Duryodhana and Lakshmana.
57
This Dharmaraja does not mean Yudhishthira. It means Yama.
58
Avarodhana
, the inner or women’s quarters of a palace, where the royal ladies resided.
59
Bhima.
60
The incidents described in Section 27 (Volume 2).
61
Duhshasana.
62
This probably means Duryodhana, but could also mean Duhshasana.
63
Bhima.
64
The moon.
65
In heaven.
66
This is a reference to Abhimanyu.
67
Meaning Arjuna’s.
68
Uttara.
69
The text uses the word
kambu
, which can be translated as a neck with three lines, or as a neck that is like a conch shell.
70
Uttara.
71
Ashvatthama.
72
Referring to Arjuna.
73
Abhimanyu and Uttara were married six months before the war.
74
Meaning Virata.
75
Virata’s son, Uttara, not the daughter, Uttaraa.
76
This does not fit. Sudakshina from Kamboja was killed by Arjuna in Section 69 (Volume 6). However, he was not a child.
77
Karna’s preceptor, Parashurama, cursed him.
78
Sushena was Karna’s son.
79
This doesn’t quite fit. The famous ones from Avanti were Vinda and Anuvinda. However, they were killed by Arjuna, not Bhima. There was no famous warrior from Avanti who was killed by Bhima.
80
The chastiser of Paka is Indra and Indra’s son is Arjuna. Vriddhakshatra’s son is Jayadratha.
81
This is a reference to Arjuna’s vow, made when Abhimanyu was killed.
