Mahabharata Vol. 6 (Penguin Translated Texts) (65 page)
Read Mahabharata Vol. 6 (Penguin Translated Texts) Online
Authors: Bibek Debroy
‘“‘O Partha! This was the god Mahadeva who was stationed in front of you. You saw the wielder of Pinaka in the battle, destroying the enemy. In the battle, this was the illustrious god who advanced in front of you. He is the one who gave you the weapons with which you destroyed the danavas.
133
O Partha! The sacred shatarudiya in the Vedas praises the god of the gods. It is excellent, famous and brings life and all that is auspicious. It accomplishes all desire. It is sacred and destroys all sin. It destroys all wickedness and dispels all kinds of misery. The hymn is always heard by men in four different forms.
134
They triumph over all their enemies and attain the great world of Rudra. The great-souled, auspicious and divine one acted thus in battles. He who reads the shatarudiya, or hears it, is always uplifted. The god is the lord of the universe. A man who is always devoted to him, obtains the boon of getting all the objects of desire. Such a man pleases Tryambaka. O Kounteya! Advance towards the battle. You will not confront defeat. Janardana, your adviser and your protector, is by your side.’”
‘Sanjaya said, “O destroyer of enemies! O foremost among the Bharata lineage! Having addressed Arjuna in the battle, Parashara’s son
135
went away to the spot he had arrived from.”’
This concludes Drona Parva.
The seventh volume will end the account of the war, with the deaths of Karna, Shalya and, most importantly, Duryodhana. It will cover Karna Parva, Shalya Parva and Souptika Parva of the 18-parva classification and parvas 73 through 79 of the 100-parva classification.
The Mahabharata: Volume 7
will be published in April 2013
.
Carving 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 60 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 sixth 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 60 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.
Published by the Penguin Group
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Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
First published by Penguin Books India 2012
Translation copyright © Bibek Debroy 2012
Cover design by Nitesh Mohanty
All rights reserved
ISBN: 978-01-4310-018-8
This digital edition published in 2012.
e-ISBN: 978-81-8475-680-7
1
Brahmana is a text and also the word used for the highest caste.
2
A class of religious and philosophical texts that are composed in the forest, or are meant to be studied when one retires to the forest.
3
The six Vedangas are
shiksha
(articulation and pronunciation),
chhanda
(prosody),
vyakarana
(grammar),
nirukta
(etymology),
jyotisha
(astronomy) and
kalpa
(rituals).
4
Religion, duty.
5
Wealth. But in general, any object of the senses.
6
Desire.
7
Release from the cycle of rebirth.
8
Krishna or Krishnaa is another name for Droupadi.
1
Chakra means circular. Vyuha is a specific type of battle formation.
2
Samshaptakas are warriors who have taken an oath and these warriors (primarily the Trigartas) take an oath to die or kill Arjuna.
3
A ratha is a great warrior.
4
Drona.
5
Arjuna’s.
6
Krishna’s.
7
The word used is
arya.
8
Gandharvas are celestial musicians and semi-divine.
9
Yakshas are semi-divine species and companions of Kubera, the god of treasure.
10
Arjuna’s name.
11
The one with three eyes, Shiva’s name.
12
A maharatha is in general a mighty warrior. More specifically, a maharatha is skilled in the use of all weapons and can take on ten thousand warriors single-handedly.
13
Sanjaya was the son of Gavalgana.
14
An era. At the end of an era, the universe is destroyed and created again.
15
Jamadagni’s son is Parashurama.
16
A suta is a charioteer, and those who looked after horses, tended to chariots and drove them were of the suta class. Sanjaya was a suta.
17
Lakshmana was Duryodhana’s son.
18
Duryodhana.
19
Jayadratha.
20
Shakuni.
21
Presumably the other flank.
22
Parshata, or Prishata’s (Drupada) son, is one of Dhrishtadyumna’s names.
23
Abimanyu.
24
Nakula and Sahadeva.
25
Dhrishtaketu, Shishupala’s son, and the king of Chedi, has already been mentioned. So this is a reference to Suketu, Dhrishtaketu’s brother.
26
Yudhishthira.
27
The word used is
tata
. While this means son, it can be affectionately used for anyone who is younger or junior.
28
Arjuna has been persuaded to leave for another part of the field, to fight with the samshaptakas.
29
Pradyumna was the son of Krishna and Rukmini.
30
The father’s lineage and the mother’s lineage. Subhadra, Abhimanyu’s mother, was Krishna’s sister.
31
Abhimanyu.
32
Shakra is Indra and Airavata is the name of Indra’s elephant.
33
The word used in the text is
kala.
The moon has sixteen kalas, or phases. Hence the fraction sixteenth.
34
Meaning Krishna.
35
Tree, the Indian laburnum.
36
A kampana is a weapon that is difficult to identify. It made the enemy tremble.
37
A specific type of spear called
kunta.
38
Weapon for grasping the enemy by the hair.
39
Chariots, elephants and horses.
40
Kartikeya, the general of the gods.
41
Duryodhana.
42
Duryodhana.
43
Shakuni.
44
Karna’s eldest son.
45
A makara is a mythical aquatic animal, which can be loosely translated as shark or crocodile.
46
The name of Ashmaka’s son is not given. The Ashmakas are mentioned as having fought both on the Pandava and the Kourava sides.
47
Shakra is Indra. Arjuna is Indra’s son and Abhimanyu is Arjuna’s son.
48
Shalya.
49
Abhimanyu.
50
Celestial singers.
51
A siddha is someone who has attained success and siddhas are semi-divine species who have attained perfection.
52
Abhimanyu.
53
The word used in the text is
chaitya.
Chaitya has several meanings, such as place of worship, funeral mound, sanctuary and so on. Given the context, tree seems to be the best translation.
54
That is, he did not take them seriously.
55
Krishna is also one of Arjuna’s names. The two Krishnas are Krishna and Arjuna and Krishna’s son means Arjuna’s son.
56
These are different types of arrows. Kshurapras are arrows with sharp edges, vatsadantas have heads like a calf’s tooth, vipathas are large arrows, narachas are made out of iron, bhallas have broad heads and anjalikas have heads shaped like crescents.
57
Satisfaction because Abhimanyu is Dhritarashtra’s grandson.
58
The word ratha means chariot, as well as great warrior, as compared to ordinary soldier. The context will make clear what is meant. There were gradations in rathas, when used in the sense of warrior, and better ones were known as
maharatha
s and
atiratha
s.
59
Kritavarma.
60
Bhurishrava.
61
Because Duryodhana was ashamed.
62
Satvatas are Yadavas. Abhimanyu’s mother, Subhadra, belonged to the Yadava lineage.
63
Rahu is a demon who devours the sun (and the moon) and causes eclipses.
64
In this context, field means wife. The Pandavas were born from both of Pandu’s wives, Kunti and Madri.
65
There is a typo in the Critical text here. There is no musical instrument called krikara. It might be
krakacha
, which is a kind of saw.
66
Kind of drum.
67
In the gambling match.
68
These sons were respectively the sons of Yudhishthira (Dharma’s son), Bhima (Marut’s son), Arjuna (Shakra’s son) and Nakula and Sahadeva (the sons of the two Ashvins).
69
Duhshasana.
70
Vajra can loosely be translated as thunderbolt. Vajra is Indra’s weapon and Indra is the wielder of the vajra.
71
Parashurama.
72
Karna’s younger brother.
73
Abhimanyu and Karna.
74
Krishna is one of Arjuna’s names.
75
Of Karna’s younger brother.
76
Jayadratha.
77
The Kourava soldiers.
78
Jayadratha, the king of Sindhu. Jayadratha was married to Duhshala, Dhritarashtra’s daughter.
79
Abhimanyu.
80
Droupadi had been abducted by Jayadratha. That incident has been described in Section 42 (Volume 3).
81
Shiva’s name. Hara and Rudra are Shiva’s names too.
82
On the Kourava side.
83
The moon.
84
The sense is that Abhimanyu created breaches in the Kourava army and Jayadratha filled these breaches up.
85
That is, Yudhishthira severed Jayadratha’s bow.
86
Jayadratha pierced Yudhishthira.
87
Vrishasena’s.
88
Abhimanyu.
89
It is not obvious what an anukarsha is. It is something that was used to attract or pull and may have been some kind of hook.
90
That is, he was Shalya’s son.
91
With implements of war.
92
Vaivasvata is Yama. That is, Abhimanyu would die.
93
Abhimanyu.
94
A reference to the arrows.
95
Duryodhana’s son.
96
Kubera is the lord of riches. Lakshmana was like Kubera’s son.
97
Lakshmana’s bow.
98
Abhimanyu and Lakshmana respectively.
99
Kratha’s son.
100
Jayadratha was entrusted with the task of preventing the Pandavas from following Abhimanyu. Barring those six rathas, all the other soldiers now supported him in this task.
101
Known as
parshni
s.
102
This Vrindaraka cannot be Duryodhana’s brother. The brother Vrindaraka was killed by Bhima.
103
Brihadbala.
104
Abhimanyu.
105
Brihadbala’s.
106
It is not clear who these kings were abusing. They might have abused Abhimanyu. Or they might have abused Duryodhana, for having brought this on.
107
Abhimanyu.
108
Tree with red blossoms.
109
Parshnis.
110
Shalya.
111
Vrisha and Vaikartana are Karna’s names.
112
Arjuna.
113
The art of donning armour, Abhimanyu having learnt it from Arjuna.
114
Parshnis.
115
Kritavarma.
116
Kripa.
117
However, Brihadbala (one of the original six) has already been killed.
118
There were prescribed motions for fighting with a sword, such as
rishabha, gandhara, nishadha, madhyama,
kaishika and so on. The two common ones are
kratha
and kaishika, named after two princes from Vidarbha.
119
The imagery being that of Krishna with a chakra in his hand.
120
Subhadra was Krishna’s sister.
121
The chariot wheel is being compared to Vishnu’s chakra.
122
Great warrior, greater than a maharatha.
123
Ashvatthama.
124
Parshnis.
125
Abhimanyu.
126
Shiva’s name.
127
Nakshatras are stars or constellations and there are twenty-seven (sometimes twenty-eight) of these.
128
That is, the Pandava soldiers.
129
Brihadbala.
130
The sun is believed to set behind a mountain known as
asta.
131
The night is characterized by fire.
132
Obviously meaning carnivorous birds. The word used in the text is
suparna.
While suparna means any bird, it specifically also means predatory birds, like vultures and eagles.
133
Malevolent beings, demons, ghosts.
134
River which flows in the nether world.
135
Meaning Yama, the god of death.
136
The Pandava warriors.
137
Yama’s.
138
These incidents have been described in Section 35 (Volume 3).
139
Duryodhana.
140
Arjuna.
141
Krishna’s name, meaning the one without decay.
142
Stringed musical instrument.
143
Including the sons of the other Pandavas.
144
Meaning, born in our lineage.
145
Vishnu is Indra’s younger brother and is referred to as Upendra.
146
Krishna.
147
Vaivasvata is Yama. Shatakratu means the performer of a hundred sacrifices and is Indra’s name. Kubera is the lord of riches.
148
Yuyutsu was Dhritrashtra’s son, but was born from a vaishya woman, not Gandhari. In the war, Yuyutsu sided with the Pandavas.
149
Arjuna is specifically addressing Yudhishthira.
150
Abhimanyu’s mother, Subhadra, was born in the Satvata lineage.
151
The word used is tata. While this means son, it is affectionately used for anyone who is younger or junior.
152
Abhimanyu.
153
Rice mixed with sweetened milk.
154
Funeral rites.
155
The word used is
vrishali
, which does not necessarily mean shudra.
156
The name of Krishna’s conch shell.
157
The name of Arjuna’s conch shell.