Read Mahabharata: Volume 7 Online
Authors: Bibek Debroy
191
Asita-Devala is sometimes described as a single sage and sometimes as two different sages. This is true of this section too. While the singular is generally used, in some shlokas, there is the dual too.
192
Jaigishavya.
193
Before Asita-Devala reached there.
194
Asita-Devala.
195
Different kinds of sacrifices. Agnihotra sacrifices are performed with fire, darsha sacrifices on the day of the new moon and pournamasa sacrifices on the day of the full moon.
196
Performed once every four months.
197
Ashvamedha is a horse sacrifice, in which, a horse is sacrificed. In a naramedha sacrifice, a human being is sacrificed.
198
Sacrifice in Indra’s honour.
199
Sacrifices that go on for twelve days.
200
Vishnu’s world.
201
Release, liberation, salvation, emancipation.
202
Jaigishavya.
203
Asita-Devala.
204
Sannyasa cannot be satisfactorily rendered in English. Literally, it means resorting to the path of virtue. Loosely, it is the path of an ascetic who renounces the world. But it also means casting aside one’s body.
205
In case Asita-Devala gives up his pursuit of moksha and continues to feed the beings by plucking fruit, roots, flowers and herbs.
206
Presumably because the austerities have been inappropriately used.
207
Narada.
208
Famous battle fought between the gods and the demons.
209
In case those powers were used to dislodge Indra.
210
Indra could not tempt him away from his austerities.
211
Dadhicha.
212
Dadhicha.
213
From his bones.
214
Indra.
215
Indra killed Vritra with the vajra. Because of the crime of killing a brahmana, Indra hid for twelve years and a drought ensued.
216
They formally became his disciples.
217
As a token of becoming a disciple.
218
Kshetra
means field, Kurukshetra is Kuru’s field.
219
King famous for his generosity.
220
There were believed to be four yakshas on the four corners of Kurukshetra. Tarantuka was on the north-east, now identified as Pipli. Arantuka was in the north-west, now identified as Behar Jaka, partly in Patiala and partly in Kaithal. Machakruka was in the south-east, now identified as Sinkh, in Panipat. Kapila yaksha was in the south-west, near Jind. This is also where Rama’s lakes are. Parashurama is believed to have created five (pancha) lakes of blood, after killing the kshatriyas, one reason for the name Samantapanchaka. Another reason for the name Samantapanchaka is that it was five yojanas in every direction.
221
Madhuka is a kind of tree. Plaksha is the religious fig tree. Nyagrodha is the Indian fig tree. Bilva is bel and arjuna is a tall tree.
222
The text uses the word
kacchapi
. This means a lute, which is the sense in which we have translated it. However, this could also mean that the veena was made of tortoise shell.
223
Narada liked to incite quarrels.
224
Balarama.
225
Balarama.
1
Balarama.
2
Yudhishthira.
3
Balarama.
4
That is, they would go to Samantapanchaka. The encounter would take place there, rather than near Lake Dvaipayana.
5
Yudhishthira.
6
Meaning Bhima.
7
A club.
8
Demons killed by Vishnu.
9
Famous demons.
10
The image is of two bull elephants, contending over the same she-elephant.
11
The sun.
12
As worthy adversaries.
13
Bhima and Duryodhana.
14
The eleven akshouhinis.
15
Duryodhana.
16
Rahu is the demon who devours the sun and causes a solar eclipse.
17
Hastinapura.
18
The attempt to burn the Pandavas down in the house of lac.
19
This was the year of concealment in Virata’s kindom. Since the Pandavas and Droupadi were in disguise, they were pretending to be other people. In that sense, it was as if they had been reborn as other people.
20
Yajnasena is Drupada and the son in question is Shikhandi.
21
As we have mentioned earlier, there is no mention of the Pratikami seizing Droupadi by the hair, or of the Pratikami being killed.
22
Prahlada was a virtuous demon and Vishnu’s devotee. There are no stories about Indra and Prahlada having fought each other.
23
Presumably, the sparks of fire from the clubs are being compared with fireflies.
24
Duryodhana’s club.
25
The earlier club had already been hurled.
26
Technique of fighting with a club.
27
Duryodhana.
28
Bhima.
29
Bhima.
30
Bhima.
31
The word is being used here in the sense of deception.
32
Shukra, the preceptor of the demons.
33
Though not explicitly stated, this is Sanjaya speaking again.
34
Duryodhana extended forwards. There was no real weakness and Bhima tempted Duryodhana to attack.
35
Duryodhana.
36
Indra.
37
At the time of the gambling match, described in Section 27 (Volume 2).
38
A reference to the attempt to burn the Pandavas down in the house of lac.
39
Yajnaseni is Droupadi’s name.
40
The sons who would have offered Duryodhana funeral cakes have been killed.
41
Balarama was fair and Krishna was dark.
42
The shloka is slightly cryptic. The six types have to be deduced and are not obvious.
43
Pritha (Kunti) was from the Yadava lineage and Vasudeva’s (Krishna’s father) sister.
44
The sage Maitreya had cursed Duryodhana. This has been described in Section 29 (Volume 2).
45
Pralamba was a demon killed by Balarama.
46
The idea is that all three must be followed. One must not follow one at the expense of the other two objectives.
47
Bhima.
48
This is probably a reference to the act of adharma not having diminished the joy.
49
Krishna was the son of Vasudeva. Vasudeva married Devaki, Kamsa’s (alternatively Kansa) sister. Vasudeva was never Kamsa’s slave or servant, but was imprisoned by him. Eventually, Krishna killed Kamsa.
50
By Karna, from Indra and for Arjuna’s destruction.
51
Satyaki.
52
Yudhishthira.
53
Krishnaa, that is, Droupadi. This has been described in Section 42 (Volume 3).
54
The Pandavas.
55
The Pandavas.
56
An atiratha is a great warrior, superior to a maharatha. The four in question are Bhishma, Drona, Karna and Bhurishrava.
57
The aged advisers.
58
The chariot.
59
A mixture of honey and milk, offered to a guest.
60
Oghavati is that part of Sarasvati that flows through Kurukshetra.
61
The Pandavas.
62
Krishna’s charioteer.
63
Dhritarashtra.
64
The names of Krishna’s horses.
65
Of the Kouravas.
66
Meaning Krishna Dvaipayana Vedavyasa.
67
Vedavyasa.
68
Krishna Vedavyasa’s.
69
Krishna and Vishnu’s name.
70
Described in Section 54 (Volume 4).
71
The word used is
simantini
. While this means woman, in particular, it means a married woman, with the sign of marriage on the parting of the hair.
72
Mentally.
73
Demon killed by Krishna.
74
As will become clear, Duryodhana is actually speaking to Sanjaya.
75
Akshouhinis.
76
Dharma
,
artha and kama.
77
Bhurishrava.
78
She was married to Jayadratha.
79
Duryodhana’s wife, Bhanumati.
80
There was a famous Charvaka, the founder of a materialist and atheist school of philosophy. This is not the famous Charvaka. The word Charvaka means someone who is beautiful in speech.
81
The messengers.
82
The messengers.
With the war over, the eighth volume is on the aftermath of the war and covers Souptika Parva, Stri Parva and a large chunk of Shanti Parva of the 18-parva classification, and parvas 78 through 85, with a part of 86, of the 100-parva classification. In the night, Ashvatthama kills all the remaining Pandavas—with the exception of the five Pandava brothers—and Panchalas. The funeral ceremonies for the dead warriors are performed. Shanti Parva (Bhishma’s teachings after Yudhishthira is crowned) is about duties to be followed under different circumstances.
The Mahabharata: Volume 8
will be published in November 2013
.
C
arving time out from one’s regular schedule and work engagements to embark on such a mammoth work of translation has been difficult. The past tense should not be used, since only 70 per cent of the road has yet been traversed. Sometimes, I wish I had been born in nineteenth-century Bengal, with a benefactor funding me for doing nothing but this. But alas, the days of gentlemen of leisure are long over. The time could not be carved out from professional engagements, barring of course assorted television channels, who must have wondered why I have been so reluctant to head for their studios in the evenings. It was ascribed to health, interpreted as adverse health. It was certainly health, but not in an adverse sense. Reading the Mahabharata is good for one’s mental health and is an activity to be recommended, without any statutory warnings. The time was stolen in the evenings and over weekends. The cost was therefore borne by one’s immediate family, and to a lesser extent by friends. Socializing was reduced, since every dinner meant one less chapter done. The family has first claim on the debt, though I am sure it also has claim on whatever merits are due. At least Suparna does, and these volumes are therefore dedicated to her. I suspect Sirius has no claim on the merits, though he has been remarkably patient at the times when he has been curled up near my feet and I have been translating away. There is some allegory there about a dog keeping company when the Mahabharata is being read and translated.
Most people have thought I was mad, even if they never quite said that. Among those who believed and thought it was worthwhile, beyond immediate family, are M. Veerappa Moily, Ashok Desai, Pratap Bhanu Mehta and Laveesh Bhandari. And my sons, Nihshanka and Vidroha. The various reviewers of the earlier volumes have also
been extremely kind. Incidentally, I wouldn’t have been able to do it without Vaman Shivram Apte. When he compiled the student’s Sanskrit dictionary more than a hundred years ago in Pune, I am certain he had no idea that it would be used so comprehensively to translate the Mahabharata.
Penguin also believed. My initial hesitation about being able to deliver was brushed aside by R. Sivapriya, who pushed me after the series had been commissioned by V. Karthika. And then Sumitra Srinivasan became the editor, followed by Paloma Dutta. The enthusiasm of these ladies was so infectious that everything just snowballed and Paloma ensured that the final product of the seventh volume was much more readable than what I had initially produced.
When I first embarked on what was also a personal voyage of sorts, the end was never in sight and seemed to stretch to infinity. Now that 70 per cent is over (and 10 per cent more is in the pipeline), the horizon can be seen. And all the people mentioned above have had a role to play in this journey.