Mahabharata Vol. 2 (Penguin Translated Texts) (63 page)
Read Mahabharata Vol. 2 (Penguin Translated Texts) Online
Authors: Bibek Debroy
93
That is, beneath their running feet.
94
The word used is nandana.
95
Daruka is Krishna’s charioteer. Daruki is Daruka’s son and is Pradyumna’s charioteer.
96
Souti is a suta’s son. A suta is a charioteer and also a bard or raconteur.
97
The word used is nandana.
98
Pradyumna.
103
The word used is nandana.
104
The word used is nandana.
105
Pradyumna.
106
Repulsing Shalva’s weapons.
107
Shalva.
108
Kubera.
109
The word used is nandana.
113
More literally, the navel of the ocean.
114
Krishna’s bow, made of horn.
115
The word used is
nataparva
.
Parva
is the feathered shaft of the arrow and
nata
means bent or curved down.
116
The word prajna means intelligence or wisdom.
117
The word used is nandana.
118
Shura’s son is Vasudeva, Krishna’s father.
119
The word used is nandana.
120
Indra.
121
Krishna’s father Vasudeva.
122
This story has been recounted in Section 1, Volume 1.
123
The word used is
shakuna
, alternatively
shakuni
. Specifically, this is a vulture, kite or eagle. But the word can also be used for any bird in general.
124
There was no need to see the object, which was invisible.
125
Pragjyotisha is far to the east and Shalva has no association with Pragjyotisha. However, Pragjyotisha was associated with asuras. Or perhaps the idea is that Soubha travelled to the east, not necessarily all the way to Pragjyotisha.
126
There is a sudden jump and lack in consistency and continuity over whether Krishna used the agneya weapon or the chakra. The agneya weapon is left abruptly.
127
Sudarshana is the name of Krishna’s chakra.
128
Maheshvara is Shiva. Shiva destroyed Tripura, which was inhabited by demons.
129
Hastinapura, the city of the elephant.
130
Yudhishthira.
131
Yudhishthira was his senior in age.
132
The king is Yudhishthira. This is a sign of affection shown towards someone younger. Both Yudhishthira and Bhima were senior to Krishna in age.
133
Subhadra and Abhimanyu left with him. Subhadra was Krishna’s sister and Abhimanyu was the son of Arjuna and Subhadra.
134
Name for the Yadavas in general. In this case, Krishna.
135
Prishata is Drupada’s name.
136
Shuktimati was the capital of Chedi. Dhrishtaketu’s sister Karenumati was married to Nakula.
137
Krishna is the lord of the Dasharhas.
138
Droupadi.
139
Dhoumya.
140
Literally, Bhutapati means the lord (
pati
) of beings (
bhuta
) and is one of Shiva’s names. The Pandavas looked like Shiva because they were dressed in skins and had matted hair.
141
They were already in the forest. So they left for another forest.
142
That is, the brahmanas.
143
This is odd. The text says
pitan
, which means yellow. Arrows can be yellow if they are made of brass, but that seems unlikely. Perhaps the text should have said
diptan
, meaning blazing or radiant. That fits better.
144
Yudhishthira’s charioteer.
145
Droupadi.
146
Yudhishthira.
147
The citizens are saying this.
151
Autumn as a synonym for year.
152
Vedavyasa.
153
Narada.
154
The ashoka tree.
155
Nipas and kadambas are the same trees, similar to the ashoka.
156
Tree similar to the shala.
157
Name of a tree.
158
Name of a tree.
159
Datyuhas and chakoras are similar birds, the former is the gallinule and the latter is the Greek partridge. Chakoras are believed to feed on moonbeams.
160
The Sarasvati river. Bhogavati is also the name of the Ganga in the nether worlds.
161
Yudhishthira.
162
Shakra is Indra. Heaven is a loose translation. The text says
trivishtapa
, meaning Indra’s world.
163
A charana is a singer or bard. But the word also means a pilgrim, more appropriate in this context.
164
Entered the forest.
165
Indra is the one with a thousand eyes. Indra defeated a demon named Maya and killed another demon named Namuchi.
166
Dasharatha’s son, Rama.
167
The word used is
alarka
, which means a mad or angry dog.
170
Prahlada’s son was Virochana and Virochana’s son was Bali. Vishnu appeared before Bali in his vamana (dwarf) incarnation in the form of a brahmana. But that apart, we don’t get to know details of the story about how Bali allied with brahmanas and later oppressed them.
171
That is, a kshatriya.
172
The text says an elephant without an
ankusha
or goad.
177
The word used is
chira
, which also means bark.
178
The many-armed Arjuna is Kartaviryarjuna, king of the Haihayas. He had a thousand arms because of a boon obtained from Dattatreya. He was Ravana’s contemporary and was eventually killed by Parashurama.
179
Bali is asking this. The word used is tata, which means father, but not only in the narrow sense. It can be used for any superior, including a grandfather.
180
The word used is tata again. This means not only son in the narrow sense, but anyone younger in a broad sense.
181
That is, punish.
182
Duryodhana.
183
Bhishma.
184
Drona.
185
Ashvatthama.
186
Duryodhana.
187
Dhata and Vidhata are often synonyms, standing for the creator. To the extent they are being listed separately, Vidhata is more the creator and Dhata is more the preserver.
188
Signifying honoured ones.
189
Exclamations made when offering oblations to the gods.
190
Exclamations made when offering oblations to the ancestors.
191
The word used is
louha
and it can also be translated as copper.
192
An offering made to the vishvadevas, or gods in general, before meals.
193
Ishvara.
194
Ishana is being used here for the supreme god. Both Shiva and Vishnu are referred to as Ishana.
195
Duryodhana.
196
That is, wise.
197
Marichi was Brahma’s son and Kashyapa was Marichi’s son.
198
The word used is
nihara
, which also means dew. But mist seems more appropriate.
199
Those without life.
200
The idea of ascent doesn’t become very clear. It probably refers to ascent to a higher form of life after rebirth.
206
This reference to the brahmana is irrelevant and is required only because Droupadi is a woman and therefore, should not normally be so knowledgeable.
207
The preceptor of the gods.
208
Yudhishthira.
212
Dharma and kama.
213
This means the time of the day, dharma in the morning, artha during the day and kama in the evening.
214
Kama in the first part of one’s life, artha in the subsequent stage and dharma at the end.
215
The word used is nandana. So it can also be translated as beloved of the Kuru lineage.
216
Born as a kshatriya.
217
Dhata.
218
Shalyaka
, one with a spear. A hunter with a spear offers bait and obtains his food.
219
The asuras, specifically the daityas, are the offspring of Diti. The gods, specifically the adityas, are the offspring of Aditi. Both Diti and Aditi were married to Kashyapa.
220
Duryodhana.
221
The word used is nandana. So it can also be translated as beloved of the Kuru lineage.
222
Hastinapura.
223
Indra killed Vritra.
224
The Panchalas.
225
Shakuni was from Gandhara, a mountainous region.
226
Ayuja
is odd and
yuja
is even. These are numbers thrown up by the dice.
227
The word
tata
means son, but can be used for anyone who is a junior.
228
The word tata means father, but can also be used for anyone who is a senior. Duryodhana was younger to Yudhishthira.
229
The land of the five rivers, the region of the Punjab.
230
To express delight at the discomfiture of the Pandavas.
231
The word used is
kala
. This means small fragment or fraction. But specifically, it also means a sixteenth part.
232
The word used is
patatrina
, which etymologically, means the one with wings. Specifically, patatrina means a bird or an arrow, but the latter fits the text better.
233
Collyrium is a black pigment applied to the eye with a stick or pencil. The word
sucha
is used. This means needle, but it also means a pointed shoot or blade of kusa grass. Since collyrium is applied to the eye, blade of grass seems to be a better translation than needle.
234
Time.
235
A king.
236
Kunti.
237
Droupadi. Prativindhya is Droupadi’s son.
241
Vis-à-vis the Kouravas and the Pandavas.
242
Because they are in the employment of the Kouravas.
243
Karna.
244
Vyasa is Parashara’s son.
245
Kubera.
246
Yama.
247
The reference is to Nara, with whom Arjuna is often equated.
248
Lokapala literally means lord or protector (
pala
) of the world (
loka
). There are eight Lokapalas in charge of the eight directions and they are Indra, Agni, Yama, Nairita, Varuna, Marut (or Vayu), Kubera and Isha.
249
Pure arrows, probably means sharp arrows. But it could also mean non-poisonous arrows.
250
Dhanu
means bow and veda means knowledge. But dhanurveda means the science of war. There are two reasons why dhanurveda has four parts, the first being the fourfold division of the army into elephants, infantry, chariots and horses. The second concerns four types of weapons—
mukta
,
amukta
,
muktamukta
and
yantramukta
. Mukta weapons like a chakra were released from the hand. Amukta weapons like swords were never released from the hand. Muktamukta weapons like spears could either be released or held in the hand. And yantramukta weapons like arrows were released from an implement (
yantra
).
251
Ashvatthama.