Mahabharata Vol. 3 (Penguin Translated Texts) (77 page)

¹⁸⁰
Pavana is Vayu, the god of the wind.

¹⁸¹
Shalihotra is in Sarsa village, about 22 km from Kurukshetra.

¹⁸²
Donating one thousand cows.

¹⁸³
Meaning the forest of Naimisha.

¹⁸⁴
Donating one thousand cows.

¹⁸⁵
There is a Kanyatirtha in the village of Balwanti (or Vridhakanya) in Kaithal district.

¹⁸⁶
Somatirtha is in Jind, known earlier as Jaintapuri.

¹⁸⁷
There were seven (sapta) tributaries or different names for the Sarasvati in different places—Suprabha in Pushkara, Kanchanakshi in Naimisha, Vishala in Gaya, Manasahrida in Uttara Koshala, Suvenu in Kedara, Vimaloda in Gangadvara and Sarasvati in Kurukshetra. Through his powers, the sage Mankanaka guided these seven to a confluence in Kurukshetra, known as Saptasarasvata.

¹⁸⁸
Mahadeva.

¹⁸⁹
Another name for Kapalamochana tirtha, on the banks of the Sarasvati. This is in the tehsil of Jagadhri, close to Bilaspur in Haryana. The reference is to Shiva slicing off one of Brahma’s heads and this head (
kapala
) stuck to his hand, because of the sin of killing a brahmana. The head was released (
mochana
) on the banks of the Sarasvati.

¹⁹⁰
Mahadeva having left, Pulastya is speaking again.

¹⁹¹
This is probably a reference to Parashurama.

¹⁹²
Vishvamitra’s tirtha is probably in Pehowa (Prithudaka). Prithudaka is named after King Prithu. It is believed that Vishvamitra became a brahmarshi in the Sarasvati temple there.

¹⁹³
This is in Pehowa.

¹⁹⁴
That is, the person becomes immortal.

¹⁹⁵
A sage who was Brahma’s son.

¹⁹⁶
There is a lake named Madhusrava in Prithudaka. Alternatively, one part of the Koushiki River may have been called the Madhusrava River.

¹⁹⁷
Donating one thousand cows.

¹⁹⁸
Probably the village of Arnai (derived from Aruna), near Pehowa.

¹⁹⁹
Darbhin is probably the sage Baka Dalbhya, the creator of Avatirna tirtha.

²⁰⁰
Donating four thousand cows.

²⁰¹
Donating one thousand cows.

²⁰²
Renuka tirtha is in Ranacha, Haryana.

²⁰³
In the sense that acts of acquisition can be undesirable.

²⁰⁴
In Palwal district.

²⁰⁵
Mahadeva’s names. Yogeshvara means the lord of yoga, while Vrishadhvaja is the one who has a bull on his standard.

²⁰⁶
This is difficult to identify, but was on the banks of the Sarasvati. It was also known by the name of Aditya, since Varuna was Aditi’s son. The word Oujasa itself means energetic.

²⁰⁷
Kartikeya’s name.

²⁰⁸
Literally, the gate (
dvara
) to heaven (
svarga
).

²⁰⁹
Lord of the universe. Mahadeva’s name. Mahadeva’s wife is Uma. Rudra is another name for Mahadeva.

²¹⁰
Padmanabha is Vishnu’s name, meaning the one with a lotus (
padma
) for his navel (
nabha
).

²¹¹
That is, the well is equal to three crores of tirthas.

²¹²
There is a tank named after Vasishtha in Budha Khera, near Safidon.

²¹³
The berries.

²¹⁴
Vibhavasu is another name for the sun-god. Aditya means any god, a son of Aditi. In this context, the sun-god is meant.

²¹⁵
The word used is
sarasvata
. Other than Sarasvati’s world, this can also mean the world of the Sarasvata brahmanas.

²¹⁶
The time of a solar eclipse.

²¹⁷
One has obtained the merits of such sacrifices.

²¹⁸
Sarasvati should actually be to the north and Drishadvati to the south.

²¹⁹
Samantapanchaka is another name for Kurukshetra, usually explained because of the five (pancha) lakes created by Parashurama. Alternatively, it is said that the land was five yojanas in every direction.

²²⁰
The grandfather is Brahma. Kurukshetra is often called Brahma’s altar (Brahmavedi) or the northern altar (Uttaravedi).

²²¹
Literally, sweet-smelling and fragrant. There is also a plant and a flower by the name of Sougandhika.

²²²
Mythical beings who were followers of Kubera and could sing well. They were also physically deformed, sometimes described as possessing human heads and bodies of horses.

²²³
Plaksha is a fig tree and the Sarasvati originated from the Shivalik hills in the Himalayas from below a fig tree. This fountain at the foot of the fig tree is called Plaksha Prasravana. Plaksha is sometimes also identified with Paonta Sahib in Himachal Pradesh.

²²⁴
Literally, a place where Shiva (Ishana) is established.

²²⁵
Shamya is a wooden sacrificial stick and the distance is six throws of this stick away.

²²⁶
That is, the fruits of a horse sacrifice and donating one thousand cows.

²²⁷
Shaka
means vegetable, herb or edible leaf. Shakambhari is one who nourishes through shaka and is one of the goddess Durga’s manifestations. There are Shakambhari temples throughout India.

²²⁸
Shiva is the destroyer of Tripura. Tripura was the name of three (
tri
) cities (
pura
) created by the demons and was destroyed by Shiva.

²²⁹
Dhumavati is one of the manifestations of the goddess.

²³⁰
Alternatively, the right.

²³¹
More accurately, Gangadvara, probably Har ki Pauri in Haridwar.

²³²
Saptaganga usually means seven (sapta) great rivers, of which, Ganga is one. But clearly, something else is meant here.

²³³
Kankhal in Haridwar.

²³⁴
This Kapila was a king of the nagas and Kapilavata was near the source of the Ganga, that is, near Rishikesh in Uttarakhand.

²³⁵
Sangama means confluence. So this probably means the confluence of Ganga with the confluence of the Yamuna and the Sarasvati.

²³⁶
The confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna and the Sarasvati is at Prayaga (Allahabad).

²³⁷
The source of the Yamuna is in the Yamunotri glacier.

²³⁸
The source of the Sindhu is near Manasa Sarovara, in Tibet.

²³⁹
Ushanas is Shukra’s name. So, one goes to Shukra’s world.

²⁴⁰
This might mean Rishikesh.

²⁴¹
The night of the new moon (
amavasya
) during krishnapaksha, when there is a conjunction of the sun and the moon and the sun enters the constellation of Kanya (Virgo). This occurs in September or October.

²⁴²
Brahma.

²⁴³
Sacrifice to the gods.

²⁴⁴
The Sarayu River is in Uttar Pradesh. At the end, Rama immersed himself in the Sarayu River and returned to heaven. Gopratara is about 8 km from Ayodhya.

²⁴⁵
River in Uttar Pradesh, the Sarayu River is a tributary. This Rama tirtha is probably a reference to Parashurama.

²⁴⁶
Guha is the king of the
nishada
s in the Ramayana.

²⁴⁷
That is, the merits will be equal to those from observing a vow for twelve years.

²⁴⁸
The sun-god. Alternatively, Savitra.

²⁴⁹
Literally, the gate (
dvara
) to the womb (
yoni
).

²⁵⁰
The text literally translates as mixing up of wombs, that is, miscegenation.

²⁵¹
The sense is that going to Gaya is easier.

²⁵²
Tributary of the Ganga. Gaya is on the banks of the Phalgu River.

²⁵³
Rajagriha is also known as Girivraja and today, it is known as Rajgir. There is a hot spring there. Figures of yakshas and yakshinis have been found in Rajagriha. The naga Maninaga is believed to have lived in Rajagriha and today, that particular place is known as Maniyar Nath.

²⁵⁴
Famous sage.

²⁵⁵
Ahalya was the sage Goutama’s wife and Indra used deceit to seduce her.

²⁵⁶
Shri means Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. It also means beauty, in addition to prosperity. Shri can refer to the place, as well a person. Since Ahalya was beautiful, the text probably means Ahalya.

²⁵⁷
A royal sage, that is a king who has attained the characteristics of a rishi.

²⁵⁸
Originally, the gods were believed to be thirty or thirty-three in number.

²⁵⁹
Vinashana is the place where the Sarasvati river disappears into the desert.

²⁶⁰
River in Nepal that eventually becomes part of the Ganga.

²⁶¹
Demi-gods similar to the yakshas, companions of Kubera.

²⁶²
Shalagrama
is a sacred stone that is Vishnu’s personification. According to legend, Vishnu promised that he would be present as this stone in the Gandaki River. The Gandaki River is therefore famous for its shalagrama stones.

²⁶³
Literally, Mahadeva means the great god. Mahadeva is usually used for Shiva. But here, it is being used for Vishnu.

²⁶⁴
A river.

²⁶⁵
This could mean either Shiva or Vishnu.

²⁶⁶
A river.

²⁶⁷
Kartikeya.

²⁶⁸
Brahma is the grandfather.

²⁶⁹
Probably meaning the Himalayas.

²⁷⁰
The name of a lake near the peak.

²⁷¹
Louhitya (or Lohitya) is the name of the Brahmaputra River, and the name is also used to refer to the kingdom around the river. The Rama in question is Parashurama, who is believed to have visited the area and set up a tirtha there.

²⁷²
The Karatoya River is now in Bangladesh, in the Rajshahi division. The river is believed to have been formed at the time of Shiva and Parvati’s marriage, when water (
toya
) was poured on Shiva’s hands (
kara
).

²⁷³
Brahma.

²⁷⁴
This is a reference to Sagar island, also known as Gangasagar, in West Bengal.

²⁷⁵
In Orissa. Viraja is Jajpur, in Cuttack district.

²⁷⁶
That is, donating ten thousand cows.

²⁷⁷
Both the Shona (Sone or Son) and Narmada originate in Madhya Pradesh. The Narmada originates in Amarkantak.

²⁷⁸
Donating eleven bulls.

²⁷⁹
Badarika or Badarikashrama is in Haridwar.

²⁸⁰
Jamadagni’s son is Parashurama and Parashurama’s tirtha in Mahendra or Mahendra Parvat is near Chiplun, in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. Mahendra Parvat is also known as the southern Kailash.

²⁸¹
Matanga was a sage. This Kedara might be the Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga in Andhra Pradesh.

²⁸²
Sanchi was once known as Shri (or Sri) Parvata, though this might not be the Mount Shri of the text.

²⁸³
The Pandya kingdom, in today’s Tamil Nadu.

²⁸⁴
Meaning heaven.

²⁸⁵
The river Kaveri flows through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

²⁸⁶
Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.

²⁸⁷
Gokarna is on the shores of the ocean, in Karnataka and houses a famous temple to Shiva.

²⁸⁸
Bhuta has several meanings. Here, it means spirits or ghosts.

²⁸⁹
Malevolent beings.

²⁹⁰
Gayatri is a famous mantra from the Vedas, also personified as a goddess. There is no identifiable region known as Gayatri. However, there is the Gayatri River.

²⁹¹
The gayatri mantra is metrical and musical, but only pure brahmanas know how to recite it properly. There are inferior brahmanas born of mixed parentage and their recitals will not be metrical and musical, except in the region known as Gayatri.

²⁹²
Venna (or Vena) is a tributary of the Godavari.

²⁹³
The Varada River flows through Karnataka and joins the Tungabhadra.