THE MAHABHARATA: A Modern Rendering, Vol 1 (86 page)

BOOK 2. Sabha Parva.

1. When Gandhari comes to Hastinapura to marry Dhritarashtra, several of her brothers come with her, including Shakuni. There is some sort of altercation with the Kuru hosts and Bheeshma and others have the Gandhara prines incarcerated. They are given just enough food to keep them alive and all of them will soon die of starvation. They decide among themselves to give all their portions of food to just one brother—Shakuni—so he will live and perhaps take revenge one day on the Kurus.

This is what happens. The other brothers die of starvation, Shakuni survives and returns to his father’s kingdom, with his brothers’ ashes and bones.

Later, he comes back to Hastinapura and ingratiates himself with Duryodhana, who was not born when the tragedy occurred. But all the while, Shakuni plots revenge, stoking Duryodhana’s envy and hatred for the Pandavas at every opportunity.

Most important—when the game of dice takes place between Yudhishtira and Duryodhana, the dice Shakuni uses are made not of ivory but his dead brothers’ bones! They have occult powers and his brothers’ spirits influence the way they roll.

BOOK 3. Vana Parva.

1. The 108 names of the Sun are:

Surya, Aryaman, Bhaga, Twashtri, Pusha, Arka, Savitri, Ravi, Gabhastimat, Aja, Kala, Mrityu, Dhatri, Prabhakara, Prithibhi, Apa, Teja, Kha, Vayu, Soma, Brihaspati, Sukra, Budha, Angaraka, Indra, Vivaswat, Diptanshu, Suchi, Sauri, Sanaischara, Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Skanda, Vaisrava, Yama, Vaidyutagni, Jatharagni, Aindhna, Tejasampati, Dharmadhwaja, Vedakarttri, Vedanga, Vedavahana, Krita, Treta, Dwapara, Kali, Kala, Kastha, Muhurta, Kshapa, Kshana, Samvatsarakara, Aswattha, Kalachakra, Vibhavasu, Purusha, Saswata, Yogin, Vyaktavyakta, Sanatana, Kaladhyaksha, Prajadhyaksha, Viswakarma, Tamounda, Varuna, Sagara, Ansu, Jimuta, Jivana, Arihan, Bhutasraya, Bhutapati, Srastri, Samvartaka, Vanhi, Sarvadi, Alolupa, Ananta, Kapila, Bhanu, Kamada, Sarvatomukha, Jaya, Visakha, Varada, Manas, Suparna, Bhutadi, Sighraga, Prandharana, Dhanwantari, Dhumaketu, Adideva, Aditisuta, Dwadasatman, Aravindaksha, Pitri, Matri, Pitamaha, Swargadwara, Prajadwara, Mokshadwara, Tripistapa, Dehakarti, Prasanatman, Viswatman, Viswatomukha, Characharatman, Sukshmatman and Maitreya, the merciful.

(The list in Ganguli’s translation contains 112 names! Obviously, some of these names refer to other Gods and heavenly bodies, as well. In some manner, we might suppose, at their root, they are also names of the Sun. Often, Siva and Vishnu share names in the Puranas.)

Yudhishtira’s prayer to the Sun is given in some detail, as well:

‘You are, O Sun, the eye of the universe, the soul of all corporeal life, the origin of all things, the embodiment of the all the punya of the sages. You are the refuge of the samkhyas, the support of the yogins, a door without bolts, the sanctuary of those that seek moksha. From compassion, you illumine and sustain the earth. Brahmanas that know the Veda adore you with the proper hymns. The rishis worship you. Wanting boons from you, siddhas, charanas, gandharvas, yakshas, guhyakas and nagas follow your blazing chariot through the sky. The thirty-three devas, Upendra, Mahendra and the Vaimanikas all found grace by worshipping you. Offering you garlands of mandara flowers, the vidyadharas had their desires fulfilled. The guhyas and the seven orders of the pitrs, human and divine, all adored you before they became superior beings., as did the vasus, marutas, rudras, sadhyas, marichipas, valikhilyas and the siddhas. Nothing in the seven realms, including Brahma’s, is past your understanding. No other being owns your lustre and energy. All light exists in you, indeed you are the lord of light. The five elements dwell in you, as do all intelligence, knowledge, asceticism and the occult siddhis. Viswakarman fashioned the nave of Vishnu’s Sudarshana Chakra using your energy.

In summer you draw out the moisture from the earth along your searing rays and all her beings and return this as rain during the monsoon. Not fire, homes, or warm clothes keep away the cold as your rays do. Your rays light the thirteen mahadwipas of the earth. If you did not rise, the world would be blind and virtue would die. Then, none could pursue dharma, artha, kama and moksha. Your grace enables the 4 varnas to perform their dharma.

Those that know cosmic time, say that you are the beginning and the end of each day of Brahma—every one a thousand yugas. You are the lord of the manus and their sons, of man and the universe, o the manvantaras and their sovereigns. When the time of the apocalypse arrives, your wrath ignites the fire Samvartaka, which consumes the three worlds. The many-hued clouds that then fetch the pralaya, the deluge, are born from your mystic rays, from Airavata and the vajra. Making yourself twelve suns, you again drain the twelve seas.

You are Indra, Vishnu, Brahma and Prajapati. You are Agni and the subtle mind. You are the Lord and the eternal Brahman. You are hamsa, Savitri, Bhanu, Ansumalin and Vrikshapi. You are Vivaswan, Mihira, Pusha, Mitra and Dharma. Thousand-rayed, you are Aditya, Tapana, Martanda, Arka, Ravi, Surya, Saranya, Divakara, Suptasaspti, Dhumakesin and Virochana.

You are swift as thought, the dispeller of darkness, who owns the golden steeds. He that worships you humbly on the sixth or seventh day of the moon receives the grace of the Devi Lakshmi. All your bhaktas are delivered from every danger, sufferings and sickness.

Lord of all food, grant me an abundance of food to feed my brahmanas and my guests, with reverence. I also bow to those that have taken refuge at your feet—Mathra, Arna, Danda, Asani, Kshuva and the rest. I bow to Kshuva, Maitri and the other mothers of all beings. Let them deliver me from my predicament.’

(This roughly was Yudhishtira’s prayer to Surya Deva.)

Glossary