The Mahabharata (24 page)

dharma
—established order, rule, duty, virtue, moral merit, right justice, law (in an eternal sense)

gandharva
—a supernatural being

Gandiva
—Arjuna's bow

guru
—teacher

karma
—Fate; also consequences that follow from one's actions in this as well as previous lives

Kaurava
—the clan to which the chief characters belong

kshatriya
—a member of the warrior caste

Kuru
—another name for the clan to which the chief characters belong

mantra
—syllables with magic potency

parva
—part

Puranas
—source books of mythology, said to be older than the Vedas

rajasuya
—grand sacrificial ceremony performed by victorious kings

rakshasa
—a demon

rishi
—a saintly man

sama vedas
—scriptures

shastra
—scriptures

suta
—a chariot driver

swayamwara
—the occasion when a girl makes her choice among suitors

tapas
—concentrated meditation over a prolonged time for spiritual growth, spiritual powers; penance

Upanishads
—Sanskrit spiritual treatises

vana
—forest

vanaprastha
—a forest hermit

Vedas
—scriptures

yaksha
—a demi-god

yuga
—any of the four ages in the duration of the world, each of which lasts for 3,000 celestial years (one celestial year equals 3,600 years of human time) and possesses special characteristics of good and evil

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King Parikshit, who became the ruler of Hastinapura after the Pandavas, was cursed to die of a snakebite for playing mischief on a hermit, who was in deep meditation. On the fulfilment of this curse, Parikshit's son, Janamejaya performed a sacrifice, in revenge, which caused the extinction of all the snakes on earth. At this sacrifice Vysampayana narrates the story of
The Mahabharata
as he had heard it from Vyasa himself.

Incidentally, we may note that with the introduction of Parikshit as a successor to the Pandavas, Vyasa composed a fresh narrative called
The Bhagavata
, which has almost the stature of an epic.

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In the present-day geographical context, this is in the state of Uttar Pradesh, about 100 kilometers northeast of Delhi.

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A class of deities, eight in number, attendants of Indra.

*
Salwa rejected Amba. When she came back to Bhishma and offered to marry him, he refused her owing to his vow and sent her back to Salwa, who rejected her again. So back and forth she was shuttled. Amba became desperate and, holding Bhishma responsible for all her humiliations and sufferings, she vowed, after a final appeal to him, to kill him. Her transformation into a male warrior named Sikandi, who was responsible for Bhishma's end, is explained elsewhere.

**
“Kurus” and “Kauravas” sometimes seem to be interchangeable terms in the original text, but “Kauravas” specifically indicates Duryodhana and his brothers, while “Kurus” indicates both the Kauravas and the Pandavas.

*
Another name for Arjuna.

*
Sage Narada moved with ease in the several worlds of gods and men, taking an interest in all their affairs, involving himself and enjoying the involvement. Often he carried information and secrets from one quarter to another, stirring up challenge, controversy, and conflict. Though he enjoyed the agitations and troubles, ultimately, being a seer, he resolved them for their own benefit. Most episodes in the legends, such as Harischandra and Viswamitra, arise from the complications created by Narada's talk.

*
Another name for Arjuna.

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Another name for Sakuni.

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A derogatory term in this context.

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Draupadi.

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Viratas.

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According to a benediction enjoyed by Yudhistira, if his blood spilled on the ground, it would mean death to whoever caused it.

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Abhimanyu was born to Subhadra, the sister of Krishna whom Arjuna had married earlier and had left behind at Dwaraka.

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The names of kings who had come as guests, with their followers, runs to several hundred lines in the original text.

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An akshauni was a fighting unit comprising chariots, elephants, horses, and infantry, running to several thousands in numbers.

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Krishna's clan.

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Vrikodhara
means “the unflinching.”

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The five sons of the Pandavas were growing up in Krishna's custody at Dwaraka.

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Another name for Krishna.

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Another name for Duryodhana.

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This part of the epic is known as
The Bhagavad-Gita
, an eighteen-chapter classic of Hindu philosophy.

*
I have omitted many of the daily details of the battle, passed over routine movements, and touched upon only the more important personalities, their strategies, and the results of their actions, as vignettes of the war. Otherwise the reader is likely to feel confused and weary because of the sheer quantity of material found in the original.

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His birth itself, as one may remember (page 31), was for restoring his father's honour. An old score was to be settled. The dishonour, defeat, and lifelong animosity between Drupada and Drona was coming to a head at this moment.

*
Ghatotkacha, one must remember (page 27), was Bhima's son by Hidimba, a demoness who had loved him during his sojourn in the forests. He always arrived whenever Bhima needed his help.

**
The discus is used here as a weapon. Propelled by a mantra, it seeks out the enemy target and destroys by sawing off the person's head.

*
Sikandi (page 5) was actually Amba, a princess once rejected by Bhishma, who had assumed a male incarnation in order to fulfil her vow to kill him.

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Krishna's tribe.

*
Uttarayana is the time in the middle of January when the sun changes its direction from south to north.

*
This part of
The Mahabharata
is known as
The Shanti Parva
(the section that calms), and contains the essentials of human conduct and outlook, as expounded by the dying Bhishma.