Read Mahabharata Vol. 1 (Penguin Translated Texts) Online
Authors: Bibek Debroy
Mahabharata Vol. 1 (Penguin Translated Texts) (64 page)
22
The implication of this statement is that Hidimba would not survive if she did not get Bhima.
23
Sacred lake near Mount Kailasha.
24
Ghata.
25
This probably means that Hidimba made the kind of agreement that Ghatotkacha did, that she would return whenever they needed her.
26
Indra. Indra gave Karna a weapon that was later used to kill Ghatotkacha and could therefore not be used against Arjuna, since the weapon could only be used once.
27
The Pandavas.
28
They hastened when their disguise was threatened and travelled slowly when there was no danger.
29
Texts about morals and ethics.
30
Vedavyasa.
31
The Pandavas.
32
The sons of Pritha, that is, the Pandavas.
33
Vyasa.
34
Royal sacrifice.
35
Horse-sacrifice.
36
The eldest, Yudhishthira.
1
Kunti.
2
Kunti.
3
The distress, caused by the terror of a rakshasa.
4
The name of a famous cow, in particular the cow which grants all that one desires (
kamadhenu
).
5
The Brahmana’s wife.
6
The wife, the son or the daughter.
7
There is a hell (
naraka
) named
punnama
. Those who do not have offspring are destined to go there. It is because a child (son) saves the ancestors from going to punnama that the name putra is given.
8
To the rakshasa.
9
The ancestors. That is, by surviving.
10
In this context, relatives means the immediate family.
11
This is an argument to explain why the Brahmana did not go and live somewhere else.
12
Wishing to learn the secret of the power.
13
Kunti.
14
In the sense of restoring life.
15
Bhima. Anila is the wind-god.
16
The other Pandavas had gone out, in search of alms. From the subsequent conversation, Yudhishthira had not gone out either. It was only Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva who were absent.
17
Bhima’s.
18
Bhima.
19
Bhima.
22
The rakshasa.
1
Ceremony where the bride chooses her own groom. He told them that the
svayamvara
was being planned.
2
Yajnasena is one of Drupada’s names.
3
Droupadi.
4
The Pandavas.
5
The visiting Brahmana.
6
Dhrishtadyumna.
7
Drona and Drupada.
8
A brahmachari. Because he had been a brahmachari, he had immense powers.
9
Drona
. A
drona
was used to carry water and can also be translated as a vessel, rather than cup.
10
The son of Prishata, hence Drupada.
11
Parashurama.
12
That is, going away to the forest after giving away all his wealth.
13
Parashurama.
14
Drona.
15
Another name for Hastinapura.
16
Chhatravati is another name for Ahichhatra, which was the capital of the kingdom of Panchala.
17
Drupada.
18
As will become evident later, Drupada’s wife accompanied him on his travels.
19
That is, his sons.
20
The word snataka has many nuances. Here it means a Brahmana who has completed his first course of study.
21
Drupada.
22
Arbuda, which means 100 million.
23
Jamadagni’s son is Parashurama.
24
This inconsistency in the number of cows offered to Yaja exists in the text.
25
Drupada.
26
A qualification is needed for this translation. The word used is
mithuna
, and what seems to be suggested is an act of intercourse between the queen and Yaja. One can also translate this sentence as, ‘The time for the twins has arrived’, meaning the births of Droupadi and Dhrishtadyumna, but this doesn’t seem to be very natural as a translation.
27
Krosha, a little over 2 miles.
28
Dhrishtata
means courage and confidence, and
dyumna
means splendour, glory or lustre.
29
Drona.
33
Arjuna.
34
The sound of their footsteps.
35
Muhurta.
36
Of the night.
37
Kunapa
. This can also mean those who smell like corpses and is therefore also used as a contemptuous term for those who are alive.
38
Shatakratu is a performer of 100 sacrifices and is one of Indra’s names.
39
There was no danger from this revelation of identity, since it wouldn’t have reached the Kouravas.
40
One with an adorned chariot;
ratha
is chariot.
41
One whose chariot has been burnt.
42
Chakshu
means eye. That is the reason the knowledge is called
chakshushi
.
43
The word used in the text is
yaviyasa
, which means Shudra.
44
The word
vadava
means a mare.
45
This is now a reference to the horses the gandharva is giving.
46
Bibhatsu is one of Arjuna’s names.
47
An explanation is needed about the giving of a weapon. This act of giving doesn’t involve the physical act of giving something and has more to do with teaching the mantras required to release and withdraw a weapon. Therefore, giving a weapon away did not mean that the giver ceased to possess it. What was being given was the knowledge.
55
Another name for Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.
56
The word used is
rambha,
which means a plantain tree. Thus, one with thighs like a plantain tree. However, Rambha is also the name of a beautiful
apsara
and one can also translate this as one with thighs like those of Rambha.
57
A name for the sun.
58
This can mean different things. It can mean a rainbow, described as Indra’s bow (Shakra is another name for Indra), when the time is right for a rainbow. Alternatively, it can mean a flag erected when the time is right for Indra’s festival.
61
A name for the sun.
62
A name for the sun.
63
A name for the sun.
64
A name for the sun.
65
Gopati means lord of cows and is another name for the sun.
66
Samvarana.
71
Vashishtha’s.
72
Vishvamitra and his sons are known as the Kushikas. Kushika was Vishvamitra’s grandfather. According to some accounts, Kushika was Vishvamitra’s father.
73
The six different tastes are
katu
(pungent),
amla
(sour),
madhur
(sweet),
lavana
(salty),
tikta
(bitter) and
kashaya
(astringent).
74
Vishvamitra.
75
In this shloka, the cow’s name is given as Nandi. However, Nandini is more common and subsequent shlokas say Nandini.
76
Vishvamitra.
77
Vashishtha.
78
The vow of being forgiving.
79
Often used as a term for the Persians.
80
Mountain-dwelling barbarians.
81
Often identified with Scythians.
82
Often identified with Greeks.
83
Mountainous tribes who lived through hunting.
84
Inhabitants from the south.
85
Identified with the inhabitants of Sri Lanka.
86
Barbarians.
87
Inhabitants of a country to the north.
88
Barbarians, non-Aryans, those who did not speak Sanskrit.
89
Vishvamitra.
90
Nectar, ambrosia, the beverage of the gods.
91
In the sense that the king should have yielded the way to a Brahmana.
92
Officiating priest to King Kalmashapada.
93
Vishvamitra.
94
Shakti.
95
Kalmashapada.
96
Mitrasaha
can also be translated as ‘with his friends’. However, no friends have been mentioned. So Mitrasaha is more likely to be one of Kalmashapada’s names.
97
Pasha
means noose or bond and Vipasha is something that frees one from a bond. Vipasha is identified with the river Beas.
98
Himavati can be the specific name for a river. Alternatively, it can also be a general term for any river descending from the Himalayas.
99
Shatadru is a river with a hundred streams and is identified as the river Sutlej.
100
This is a reference to the six Vedangas.