Read Mahabharata: Volume 4 Online
Authors: Bibek Debroy
325
The singular is used, which means that it is Bhishma speaking.
326
Duryodhana.
327
Bhishma and Drona.
328
Yudhishthira.
329
Arjuna had an ape on his standard.
330
Makara is a mythical aquatic animal, translated here as shark.
Nakra
and
graha
can mean either crocodile or alligator. Both expressions occur in the text and we have translated nakra as alligator and graha as crocodile.
331
Yudhishthira.
332
Figuratively speaking.
333
Kubera is Ilavila’s son.
334
Meaning Bhishma and Drona.
1
However, this is supposed to be a secret known only to Kunti.
2
The word used is tata.
3
Abhimanyu.
4
As king.
5
After the five Pandavas.
6
Dhoumya.
7
Above Karna’s head, as a sign of kingship.
8
Vasushena is Karna’s name.
9
Adhiratha’s wife.
10
Yudhishthira.
11
Literally, Indra’s bow, meaning rainbow.
12
By Yudhishthira.
13
There are four types of officiating priests—hotar (one who recites from the Rig Veda),
udgatar
(one who recites from the Sama Veda), adhvaryu (one who recites from the Yajur Veda) and brahman (one who recites from the Atharva Veda).
14
With the exception of sthunakarna, the others are divine weapons. Sthunakarna means thick-eared or thick-shafted.
15
Gravastotra is an invocation when the soma juice is extracted. Gravastotra is also a priest who chants this invocation. Subhadra’s son is Abhimanyu.
16
Priest who prepares the presentations at a Sama Veda sacrifice.
17
Subrahmanya is Kartikeya’s name and the reference means an invocation to Kartikeya.
18
Priests in charge of sacrificing animals.
19
For straining the soma juice.
20
Sadasya
s.
21
Priest who assists the adhvaryu.
22
The performer of the sacrifice has to be accompanied by his wife.
23
A sacrifice that is performed overnight.
24
The word used in the text is
vaitana
. This has several meanings, but oblations (usually burnt) into the fire is most appropriate.
25
Punashchiti is a type of sacrifice associated with the Yajur Veda. In this context, the term can also be interpreted as the second part of the sacrifice.
26
Bhima.
27
Dhrishtadyumna and Shikhandi respectively.
28
In the natural course, without the glory of dying in battle.
29
Alternatively, ‘The brahmanas will speak about the battle of Mahabharata.’
30
Amavasya
.
31
The text actually says Madhunishudana, which means the same thing as Madhusudana.
32
Saturn or Shani. Shanaischara means something that travels (
chara
) slowly (
shanai
).
33
Rohini. Prajapati is the lord of Rohini.
34
Mangala or Mars.
35
Anuradha is the seventeenth nakshatra and Jyeshtha is the eighteenth. Because Mars is retrograde, it is moving from the eighteenth to the seventeenth. The lord of Anuradha is Mitra, signifying friendship. Mitra means a friend and is also the name of a god.
36
Chitra (Spica) is the fourteenth nakshatra. The planet in question must be Mars, because Mars is the lord of Chitra.
37
This bird is not easily identified.
Shakuna
means bird and
pushpa
means flower.
38
A jivamjivaka is a mythical bird with two heads. Alternatively, it has the head of a human and the body of a bird.
39
Kind of jungle crow.
40
Duryodhana’s.
41
Rice cooked in milk.
42
In the dream.
43
Signifying blood.
44
The south, the direction of Yama and death.
45
The word used is tata.
46
An unsatisfactory explanation to justify Sanjaya’s knowledge of the secret conversation.
47
Satyaki.
48
Karna.
49
Vaishampayana’s account continues.
50
Which he had taken off for the meditations.
51
Tapana and Virochana are names of the sun god.
52
Kunti does not mean that she is literally one-eyed. The one-eyed is probably a reference to her being partial towards her son, Karna.
53
Balarama.
54
There are six Vedangas—
shiksha
(articulation and pronunciation),
chhanda
(prosody),
vyakarana
(grammar),
nirukta
(etymology),
jyotisha
(astronomy) and
kalpa
(rituals). The number five is used because there are five Parthas.
55
Another name for Hastinapura.
56
The Pandavas.
57
Bhishma and Drona.
58
The word used is tata.
59
The word used is tata.
60
Satyavati. Satyavati was dark and was known as Kali (dark) or Gandhakali.
61
Not be a father. This was a pledge extracted by Satyavati’s father, before Satyavati married Shantanu.
62
The Rama in question is Parashurama and the story will be told in Section 60.
63
That is, banished Vichitravirya. The details of this are never known.
64
Ganga’s son, Bhishma.
65
Shantanu’s father.
66
Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura.
67
The word used is tata.
68
The word used is tata.
69
Dhritarashtra.
70
Dhritarashtra.
71
The word used is tata.
72
The word used is tata.
73
Arjuna.
74
Meaning Bhishma.
75
Because there were no sons.
76
Gandhari.
77
Bhishma. Bhishma is Ganga’s son, thus the son of the river.
78
Bhishma.
79
The lunar dynasty of the Kurus is descended from Soma (the moon).
80
Shukracharya, the preceptor of the demons. Vrishaparva was the king of the demons.
81
Yadu.
82
The story has been recounted in Section 7 (Volume 1).
83
Another name for Hastinapura.
84
Puru and Yayati respectively.
85
Devapi.
86
Pratipa.
87
Dhritarashtra was blind.
88
Duryodhana.
89
Meaning that Pushya (the eighth nakshatra) was in the ascendant.
90
Dhritarashtra.
91
Sama (conciliation), dana (gifts) and bheda (dissension) being the other three, danda is chastisement or punishment.
1
This doesn’t mean Drona. Drona is actually Bhaaradvaja, Bharadvaja’s son. Drupada, together with Drona, studied under Bharadvaja, the father.
2
Here, Angiras means Drona. Drona was Bharadvaja’s son and Bharadvaja was descended from Angiras, Angiras was Bharadvaja’s grandfather. Drona and Drupada used to be friends, before they separated.
3
The rishi in question is Yaja. The story of Dhrishtadyumna’s birth has been recounted in Section 11 (Volume 1).
4
Parashurama. The story will be told in Section 60.
5
Meaning Bhishma.
6
Bhishma.
7
Parashurama.
8
The word used is tata.
9
This can also be translated, and interpreted, in a different way. The universe with substance is the present one and the universe without substance is a universe from the past, or one in the future.
10
The word used is tata.
11
Dhata
and
vidhata
respectively.
12
The word used is
adhivasa
, which can also mean consecration in general.
13
Drupada.
14
The name of Krishna’s conch shell.
15
The final camp or cantonment in Kurukshetra.
16
Resin and charcoal are flammable ingredients used in war.
17
Krishna.
18
The allies of the Pandavas.
19
Arjuna.
20
Kali yuga, symbolic of disaster.
21
Presumably spare ones.
22
Varutha
s. These were attached to chariots to guard against collisions. These must have been spare ones too.
23
As distinct from quivers,
upasanga
may have been a different kind of quiver.
24
As distinct from quivers,
nishanga
may have been a different kind of quiver.
25
Pothika
. This is a loose translation. Pothika is anything that is used for knocking down.
26
Something used to grasp (graha) the enemy by the hair (
kacha
) and fling away (
vikshepa
).
27
Vasti
s.
28
Prasa
s.
29
Ankusha, goad for driving an elephant.
30
Unit of the army.
31
Senapati is used in the sense of an overall general. However, sena is also a small unit of the army and senapati has now been used in that limited commander sense, far short of an overall general.
32
Jayadratha.
1
Shukracharya.
2
Garuda.
3
Kartikeya.
4
Bhutas.
5
Agni.
6
Kartikeya is the son of the fire.
7
Ganga’s son, Bhishma.
8
Duryodhana.
9
The Pandavas had seven akshouhinis.
10
Satyaki.
11
Dhrishtadyumna.
12
Balarama’s.
13
Balarama.
14
Pradyumna.
15
Balarama.
16
Bhishmaka was the king of Vidarbha and was the father of Rukmi and Rukmini. Bhishmaka wished to marry Rukmini to Shishupala. But Krishna abducted her and married her.
17
This king of the kimpurushas was named Drona or Druma and Rukmi learnt the art of war (dhanurveda) from him. The four parts of dhanurveda can mean four types of weapons, as well as the four techniques of releasing weapons. The import of this chapter is that Vidarbha remained neutral in the war.
18
Krishna’s bow.
19
The chastiser of Paka is Indra and Arjuna is his son.
20
Narakasura was the son of the earth goddess (Bhumi) and ruled in Pragjyotisha. He abducted sixteen thousand women and stole Aditi’s earrings. His general was Mura or Muru. Krishna defeated and slew them.
21
Elephants, cavalry, infantry and chariots.
22
The capital of Vidarbha, identified with Kaundinyapura in Amravati division.
23
Located to the west of Kundina.
24
The word used is tata.
25
Kubera.
26
That is, proud of his bravery, Duryodhana refused Rukmi’s help.
1
Duryodhana’s message is to Yudhishthira.
2
These words are addressed to Yudhishthira again.
3
Uluka.
4
Indra.
5
The four Vedas and Dhanurveda.
6
Bhishma and Drona.
7
Krishnaa, that is, Droupadi.
8
Kripa.
9
Mythical creature that lives on whales.
10
Bhima.
11
Arjuna.
12
Arjuna is addressing Duryodhana, using Uluka as a messenger.
13
Bhishma.
14
Arjuna is now addressing Uluka.
15
Bhishma’s.
16
Bhishma.
17
Bhima.