Read Mahabharata: Volume 7 Online
Authors: Bibek Debroy
776
Contending for the same she-elephant.
777
Bali.
778
Dambhodbhava was a king who attacked the sages Nara and Narayana, the incident having been described in Section 54 (Volume 4). The name Dambhodbhava signifies someone who is inordinately insolent and proud. In some versions of the Mahabharata, Dambhodbhava is equated with Karna. Dambhodbhava was reborn as Karna.
779
Arjuna fought with Shiva, who was in the disguise of a hunter, and pleased him. This has been described in Section 31 (Volume 2).
780
Yudhishthira.
781
A Kourava warrior.
782
Much is left implicit. Takshaka’s son was Ashvasena, who vowed revenge on Arjuna because Arjuna had burnt down the serpents in Khandava. The five serpents went to the nether regions, where the capital city of the nagas, Bhogavati, is located. They bathed in the waters there and returned to Karna.
783
Karna.
784
Of Karna.
785
Parashurama. Atharvan can simply be interpreted as wise. Alternatively, the Atharvan lineage was often mentioned in conjunction with the Bhrigu lineage, from which, Parashurama was descended.
786
This was the serpent Ashvasena, desiring to take revenge on Arjuna.
787
This means the serpent Airavata, from whom, Ashvasena was descended.
788
There is a typo here that is difficult to unravel. The crown was given by Purandara (Indra) to Arjuna. It had been constructed by Brahma, the earth’s creator. Therefore, the text should probably read earth’s creator and not earth’s son. However, this is more than a simple typo.
789
Described in Section 32 (Volume 2).
790
Shiva, Varuna and Kubera respectively.
791
Respectively the weapons of Shiva, Yama and Indra.
792
Karna.
793
The Critical edition excises some shlokas. In those, Ashvasena returns and asks Karna to shoot the arrow again. More specifically, the first time, Karna shot the arrow without looking at Ashvasena and that was the reason it failed. Ashvasena asks him to shoot the arrow a second time, after taking a look at him. However, Karna refuses to use the same arrow a second time.
794
The fire god.
795
Disguised as a brahmana, Karna had studied under Parashurama. When this was discovered, Parashurama cursed Karna that his chariot would be swallowed up by the earth and the weapons wouldn’t manifest themselves.
796
Some non-critical versions say left wheel.
797
Of shooting the weapon.
798
Krishnaa, Droupadi.
799
To the gambling match.
800
The sun.
801
Ratni
is a measure of distance and is equal to one cubit.
802
Karna.
803
A lotus.
804
Shalya.
805
Actually, the text says
kaddanga
. This is a kind of liquor made from molasses. This doesn’t fit at all. So we have assumed that this is a typo and should actually read
khadga.
806
Duryodhana’s.
807
Towards their camp.
808
Meaning that the woman was a courtesan.
809
Karna was devoted to the sun god.
810
The word used is Lakshmi. So it can also be translated as lustre or prosperity.
811
This must be a typo. Yama has no recorded son. It should probably read Soma, rather than Yama, as it does in some non-critical versions. Soma’s (the moon) son is Budha (Mercury). So Mercury arose. Yama can also be interpreted as ‘twin’. But one doesn’t know what to make of the son of twins. Finally, Yama is a name for Pluto. But no Pluto was known then and Pluto’s son makes no sense.
812
Brihaspati is Jupiter and Rohini is the fourth of the twenty-seven nakshatras, known in English as Aldebaran.
813
Demons.
814
Krishna killed a demon named Keshi.
815
Krishna/Vishnu has a bird (Garuda) on his banner.
816
Krishna and Arjuna’s conch shell respectively.
817
Vishnu.
1
Ashvatthama, Kripa and Kritavarma.
2
Hastinapura.
3
The ‘three’ is a typo, probably because Ashvatthama, Kripa and Kritavarma have been mentioned earlier. It should read
stri
(women) and not
tri
(three). That is, men and women were running around, not three men.
4
Dhritarashtra was blind.
5
Uluka was Shakuni’s son.
6
Vidura.
7
Vidura was also born in the same lineage, though through a servant-maid.
8
In his lamentations, Dhritarashtra is addressing Duryodhana.
9
Vinda and Anuvinda.
10
Susharma.
11
A rakshasa who fought on the side of the Kouravas.
12
A lion.
13
The text uses both the words astra and shastra. Both means weapons. Broadly, an astra is hurled, while a shastra is held in the hand.
14
This is a typo. Since Dhritarashtra is speaking, there is no king he can be addressing.
15
Sanjaya was the son of Gavalgana.
16
Krishna and Satyaki.
17
Ashvatthama. Ashvatthama was Drona’s son and Drona was Bharadvaja’s son.
18
Arjuna.
19
The slaying of Jayadratha has been described in Section 69 (Volume 6).
20
Metaphorically.
21
This is a reference to Bhima’s pledge of killing Duryodhana and his brothers.
22
The word used is tata.
23
Brihasapati is the preceptor of the gods.
24
Yudhishthira.
25
Dhritarashtra.
26
On the assumption that Duryodhana will not listen to the advice.
27
Yudhishthira.
28
Described in Section 54 (Volume 4).
29
Krishnaa, Droupadi.
30
Abhimanyu.
31
Krishnaa, Droupadi.
32
Vasudeva’s sister is Subhadra and she serves Krishnaa, Droupadi. The reference to pride and honour is because Droupadi and Subhadra were Arjuna’s co-wives.
33
The word used is tata. It means father, but is used for anyone senior or older.
34
Duryodhana.
35
Ashvatthama.
36
Shiva’s.
37
Aruna’s younger brother is Garuda. Aruna and Garuda were Vinata’s sons, through the sage Kashyapa.
38
Shukra, the preceptor of the demons.
39
Dhanurveda (the science of fighting) had different classifications. The four parts could mean chariots, cavalry, elephants and infantry. But it probably means four types of weapons—amukta (held in the hand while fighting), mukta (hurled from the hand), muktamukta (weapons that can either be held in the hand or hurled) and yantramukta (hurled through an implement). The ten divisions (anga) are more difficult to pin down. While each kind of weapon had different modes of fighting and different positions, described for example in the
Agni Purana
, there is no ready identification with the number ten.
40
The four Vedas are Rig
,
Sama
,
Yajur and Atharva. Itishasa (the epics and the Puranas), that is, accounts, are regarded as the fifth Veda. The six vedangas are
shiksha
(articulation and pronunciation),
chhanda
(prosody),
vyakarana
(grammar),
nirukta
(etymology),
jyotisha
(astronomy) and
kalpa
(rituals).
41
Drona was born in a pot from the sage Bharadvaja’s semen. Kripa and Kripi were also born in weeds, not a womb, through the sage Sharadvat’s semen. Drona married Kripi and their son was Ashvatthama. Drona obtained Asvatthama after worshipping Tryambaka or the three-eyed one, Shiva.
42
Shalya’s sister was Madri, Nakula and Sahadeva’s mother.
43
Kartikeya, the general of the gods. Skanda is also Kartikeya’s name.
44
Though not explicitly stated, this is Sanjaya speaking again.
45
This could mean either Rama or Parashurama.
46
Shalya was a maternal uncle by extension.
47
Pavaki means Pavaka’s son, Pavaka being Agni. Pavaki is another name for Kartikeya. There are different stories about Kartikeya’s birth. In some, he is directly born from Agni. In others, he is born from Shiva, but the semen is conveyed by Agni. In either case, Kartikeya can be described as Agni’s son.
48
Shalya.
49
Satyaki.
50
Namuchi was a demon killed by Indra.
51
The text uses the word
goshpada
. This literally means the mark of a cow’s foot in the soil and the small puddle of water that fills up such a mark, that is, a trifle.
52
After crossing a river or an ocean.
53
A great sin is
pataka
or
mahapataka
, while a minor sin is
upapataka
. While it is agreed that there are five great or major sins, the listing of those sins varies. But something like killing a brahmana or having intercourse with a preceptor’s wife would figure in all such lists.
54
The singular is used and it is not clear which of the two armies is being referred to.
55
The word used is
sarvatobhadra
. Used as an adjective, this does mean auspicious in every way. But the word can also be interpreted as a noun. In that case, a
sarvatabhadra
vyuha would be one symmetrical in every direction, implying either a circle, or perhaps a square.
56
Kripa.
57
Shakuni is being described as the gambler. His son is Uluka.
58
As described, the divisions amount to more than three. The threefold division probably means troops headed by Bhima, Arjuna and Yudhishthira.
59
The Kouravas started the war with roughly 1.5 times the size of the Pandava army. The relative destruction of rathas and elephants was more or less proportionate on both sides. However, for cavalry and infantry, there was relatively greater destruction among the Pandavas.
60
The elephants were crazy.
61
This is a reference to the speed of the flying horses. They seemed to drink up the earth and were as fast as swans.
62
Marks left from a session of love.
63
Chariots, elephants, infantry and cavalry.
64
Bhima and Arjuna.
65
On the Kourava side.
66
Karna’s son.
67
There is an inconsistency, because both Sushena and Satyasena have been killed in Section 73.
68
Nakula.
69
Rathashakti.
70
Father by extension.
71
The Kourava soldiers.
72
Yudhishthira.
73
That is, they were to the left of the army, an inauspicious omen, because the left is inauspicious.
74
Indra.
75
Shalya.
76
The text says
patatri
, bird. This may be a typo.
77
Ashvatthama.
78
Shalya.
79
The lord of the yakshas is Kubera and his capital is Alaka, in Kailasa. Kubera is Maheshavara’s (Shiva’s) friend. Bhima fought with the yakshas. The incident has been described in Section 35 (Volume 3). Bhima went in search of a flower, because Droupadi wanted it.
80
The club.