Mahabharata: Vol. 5 (82 page)
Read Mahabharata: Vol. 5 Online
Authors: Bibek Debroy
1
This is happening on the eve of the next day’s battle.
2
Yudhishthira.
3
Before Duryodhana.
4
Prasthala is the capital of Trigarta.
5
In the hereafter.
6
A royal grant is given in the expectation of a quid pro quo. Stealing means violating the conditions of the grant.
7
Those worlds.
8
Literally translated, the text means the region inhabited by the ancestors. This is the southern direction.
9
The word used is tata.
10
Susharma.
11
This is a reference to the incidents recounted in Section 49 (Volume 4), when both Duryodhana and Arjuna had solicited Krishna’s help. Arjuna had opted for the unarmed Krishna and Duryodhana for the cowherds known as Narayana soldiers. The Narayana soldiers are partly being equated with the samshaptakas.
12
That is, many different forms of Krishna and Arjuna appeared.
13
Vayavya is a divine weapon named after Vayu, the wind god.
14
Such as at dawn.
15
Implying that they were about to die.
16
The text uses the word Suparna, which is the same as Garuda.
17
Kripa.
18
The Kalingas were divided into various segments.
19
As with the Kalingas, there is repetition here too.
20
That is, they were prepared to die.
21
Bhagadatta.
22
The third of the twenty-seven nakshatras, Pleiades.
23
Bhagadatta.
24
They are white.
25
Dhrishtadyumna was destined to kill Drona.
26
The word used is
ekachara.
The elephants were solitary, as if they had lost their herds. Ekachara also means a rhinoceros. Therefore, an alternative translation is also possible. The elephants wandered around, like rhinos.
27
The enemy.
28
They lost their standards and the signs of belonging to specific divisions.
29
Virochana’s son was Bali.
30
Drona.
31
The river.
32
The severed arms of warriors.
33
Along the banks of the river.
34
Because he did not stay to fight.
35
This particular Panchala is not named.
36
The Pandavas.
37
The Kouravas surrounded the Pandavas.
38
Before the gambling match, Duryodhana had tried poisoning and arson.
39
Bhima will also use horses, elephants, men and chariots as implements of war.
40
Meaning the Pandavas.
41
The horses were dappled.
42
Satyaki.
43
Yudhishthira.
44
Virata.
45
Patala is a kind of rose or the trumpet-flower. The complexion is reddish pink.
46
Uttara.
47
Showered arrows.
48
Prativindhya was Yudhishthira’s son, Sutasoma Bhima’s, Shrutakarma Arjuna’s, Shatanika Nakula’s and Shrutasena Sahadeva’s. All five were Droupadi’s sons.
49
This Partha is Bhima. Dhoumya was priest to the Pandavas. He encouraged them to participate in Droupadi’s svayamvara and was also the priest when each of the five Pandavas were married to Droupadi. Having said this, there is no particular reason to single out Dhoumya for Sutasoma.
50
Masha is wild bean and the colour of the flowers is whitish yellow.
51
The text uses the word
somasa
. That is, Sutasoma was born in the midst of the Somasas. Some non-critical versions say Somakas. We have interpreted Somasas as those of the lunar lineage, since all the Bharatas were born in the lunar dynasty. Sutasoma literally means the son of Soma (the moon) and Udayendu means the rising moon. There is some problem with the text in this segment.
52
Shrutakirti is the same as Shrutakarma. This should probably read Shrutasena.
53
Depending on whether this is Shrutakarma or Shrutasena, the Partha in question is Arjuna or Sahadeva.
54
Dhrishtadyumna would kill Drona.
55
The text is such that this can be translated as Vaishravana (Vishrava’s son) Yama or Yama and Vaishravana (Kubera).
56
Kuntibhoja was Kunti’s father and Purujit was Kuntibhoja’s son. By extension, Purujit is also being referred to as Kuntibhoja, since he was Kuntibhoja’s son. As Kunti’s brother, Purujit was Arjuna’s maternal uncle.
57
Meaning Indra’s bow, that is, the rainbow.
58
Not to be confused with the more famous Janamejaya who was Parikshit’s son and to whom, the story of the Mahabharata is being told.
59
It is by no means obvious that this Panchala means Drupada. Drupada has already been mentioned and this could be anyone from Panchala.
60
The medicinal herb
Ailanthus excelsa.
61
Some of the Kekayas were opposed to Duryodhana.
62
The word used is tata.
63
Vidura.
64
In the sense of a metaphor.
65
Bhima.
66
This entire chapter has inconsistencies and doesn’t quite belong.
67
The deed was cruel because Drona was a brahmana and killing a brahmana was cruel.
68
Meaning Satyaki.
69
This is inconsistent. All of Duryodhana’s brothers were killed by Bhima. And Subahu has already been killed by Bhima in Section 64.
70
The demon Bali was eventually vanquished by Vishnu in his dwarf (vamana) incarnation. Prior to that, Bali defeated the gods. However, there is no particular story connecting Agni with Bali.
71
There is a problem with this. Bhimaratha is Duryodhana’s brother and was killed by Bhima in Section 64. Shalva was killed much later, by Satyaki. Chitrasena is also Duryodhana’s brother.
72
References to Ashvatthama.
73
Durmukha’s.
74
Meaning Satyaki.
75
The king of Chedi.
76
Descriptions of Somadatta’s son, Bhurishrava.
77
However, Manimana will later be killed by Drona.
78
The implication is that Bhurishrava’s charioteer was also slain.
79
There were several demons named Shambara. One of them was killed by Indra.
80
The Pandavas.
81
Bhima.
82
Because they were wounded, the elephants were streaked with blood.
83
Duryodhana’s.
84
Meaning, the lord of Anga.
85
In ancient times, mountains are believed to have possessed wings.
86
Back to Bhagadatta.
87
The wind is the friend of the fire.
88
In fighting with elephants. Effectively meaning that there is no one superior to Bhagadatta.
89
Bhagadatta was Indra’s friend.
90
These were the followers of Krishna who participated on the Kourava side in the war.
91
Arjuna.
92
Garuda.
93
The elephant.
94
The rules of fair combat required one to fight from the front, not the sides or the rear.
95
Krishna is one of Arjuna’s names.
96
Bhagadatta.
97
Indra is Paka’s destroyer and Arjuna was Indra’s son.
98
Implying that Bhagadatta would not look upon the world for long.
99
Any divine weapon possessed the characteristic that with the appropriate mantra, any object could be invested with the power of the weapon. Thus, the vaishnava weapon was invoked on the goad.
100
While vaijayanti literally means a garland that portends of victory, it is also the name of Vishnu’s garland or necklace.
101
The demon Naraka was the earth’s son.
102
Naraka was killed by Krishna, when he began to oppress women. Naraka ruled in Pragjyotisha and Bhagadatta was Naraka’s son.
103
Bhagadatta was actually Indra’s friend.
104
The Indian laburnum.
105
Vrishaka.
106
The text should be translated as two months, not several months. An alternative translation of two months of summer, excluding the monsoon, is also possible.
107
Nalika
s. However, these can be any hollowed weapon.
108
The word used is
srimara
. While this is a kind of small deer, in general it also means an animal that frequents marshy places and has been identified as nilgai.
109
The word used is rakshasas. But in this context, the more general flesh-eater is more appropriate.
110
This was part of Shakuni’s maya too.
111
Jyotisha has several meanings. It can also be translated as light.
112
Alternatively, my right.
113
Dhrishtadyumna.
114
Nila was the king of Mahishmati and there was an ancient enmity between him and Ashvatthama.
115
Nila pierced Ashvatthama.
116
The image is of a bird flying away with a prey in its talons.
117
Nila.
118
That is, on beds made out of arrows.
119
Because of the blood.
120
Dhrishtadyumna.
121
The word used in the text is dhumaketu. While this means comet, it can also be translated as something that has smoke as its banner, that is, a fire.
122
Shatrunjaya and Vipatha are sometimes stated to have been Karna’s sons, though they are described as brothers here.
123
Garuda.