Mahabharata: Volume 8 (93 page)
Read Mahabharata: Volume 8 Online
Authors: Bibek Debroy
1048
The Critical edition probably has a typo here. It says suras, which can only be translated as divine waters. It should probably read asuras, in which case, Varuna would also be lord over the underwater demons.
1049
Shiva.
1050
In the form of Jataveda.
1051
Energy is mentioned twice.
1052
Amshuman means one with the rays and can refer to either the sun or the moon. Here, it means the moon.
1053
Bhuta
s.
1054
Resulting from disease, weapons, one’s own acts and Yama.
1055
Shiva.
1056
Shiva.
1057
If this remaining awake is interpreted as wielding the rod, this is an alternative line of succession.
1058
While this word has many meanings, Resolution is best here.
1059
Energy.
1060
The goddess of calamity and destruction.
1061
Literally, with the head of a horse, one of Vishnu’s forms.
1062
The moon god.
1063
The three objectives of dharma, artha and kama are based on the acquisition of material objects.
1064
The text uses the word
rajasvala
, meaning a menstruating woman. That imagery implicitly exists. Beyond that, rajas is dust and there is also the rajas quality of passion.
1065
An indirect way of referring to dharma, artha and kama.
1066
The word used for such a person is nastika.
1067
The king is being compared to a snake.
1068
The three Vedas.
1069
The virtuous people.
1070
This has been described in Section 27 (Volume 2).
1071
The word used is tata.
1072
Shukracharya, the preceptor of the demons.
1073
Indra.
1074
Prahrada.
1075
The word used is tata.
1076
Shukracharya.
1077
A specific kind of honey, that from the
sampangi
plant.
1078
Having been given the knowledge.
1079
Hope.
1080
Measure of distance, distance from which a cow’s bellow can he heard.
1081
The jujube tree.
1082
The celestial Ganga is believed to originate from this lake in the sky.
1083
With the head of a horse, Vishnu.
1084
The eight qualities are intelligence, good conduct, self-control, studying, valour, restraint in speech, generosity and gratitude.
1085
The son’s name was Bhuridyumna.
1086
Referring to the son.
1087
It will become clear later that Bhuridyumna’s father had insulted Tanu.
1088
Bhuridyumna’s father.
1089
This is Rishabha speaking, not Bhishma. The sages sat down around Tanu.
1090
Dhruva is the Pole Star and the saptarshis mean the constellation of Ursa Major.
1091
Tanu.
1092
Tanu.
1093
Hope is strong, but it can be controlled. The objects one hopes for are difficult to get.
1094
Than the remarkable emaciation of the body.
1095
Krisha
means emaciated and the text now refers to Tanu as Krishatanu.
1096
While not obvious, this may refer to judicial procedures too.
1097
The word used is tata.
1098
Because of what the king had done earlier.
1099
Yama.
1100
Meaning that this should not be talked about in public. Dharma in times of distress figures in the next section.
1101
The suggestion seems to be that these acts are undertaken in a time of emergency. Therefore, even though they seem to follow dharma, they are not true dharma.
1102
Because those acts were short-sighted and not in conformity with true dharma.
1103
In a time of adversity, it is dharma to build the treasury by imposing taxes. When it is a time of prosperity, one can be compassionate and reduce taxes.
1104
Using intelligence to build up the treasury.
1105
It can have other adverse affects.
1106
When the period of hardship is over.
1107
Generous king, whose story has been recounted in Section 33 (Volume 3).
1108
It is not clear how this is to be interpreted. It probably means that doing the right thing is more important in normal times and not doing the right thing becomes more serious in times of adversity.
1109
This is an argument against renunciating life.
1
The king.
2
His advisers.
3
These restrictions might amount to giving up some more territory.
4
Of running away.
5
This can be interpreted as an injunction against suicide.
6
To run away.
7
Advance towards the enemy with a friend, removing all signs of royalty.
8
The word used is vijnana, not jnana. Therefore, it isn’t quite straightforward knowledge.
9
The sacred texts are meant for normal situations.
10
The idea is that even in times of adversity, they must not be taxed.
11
Reward and punishment should not be based on hearsay and slander.
12
The scrupulous adherence to dharma on the part of Shankha and Likhita, also involving a king punishing a brahmana.
13
Even if they are brahmanas.
14
The four qualities are metaphysics/logic, the Vedas, economic welfare/prosperity and dandaniti. Alternatively, the Vedas, the smriti texts, customary law and what one personally regards to be dharma.
15
A reference to the rewards a king offers his servants.
16
Alternatively, jackals. But dogs is more appropriate. Like vicious dogs, they wish to injure him, but serve him because of his riches.
17
A king without a large treasury.
18
Righteous people regard taking from others as adharma and bandits regard non-violence as adharma.
19
Other people’s wives.
20
Probably because there will always be some survivors and they will seek vengeance.
21
They get blurred and a wolf’s footprints cannot be distinguished from those of a dog.
22
Dharma and artha.
23
Nothing taints them.
24
The Vedas.
25
To serve them.
26
A brahmana should not be captured.
27
The text does not indicate where the Brahma quote starts, but this seems to be the obvious place.
28
The inedible herbs are used as fuel. The inedible herbs are being compared to bandits and those who do not observe rites. Wealth is taken from them and used for sacrifices and the treasury, the edible imagery.
29
In the hands of bandits and those who do not observe rites.
30
A kind of soft grass.
31
The fishermen.
32
Kala is a small unit of time (roughly one minute), thirty kashthas make 1 kala, one muhurta is forty-eight minutes, dina is a day, nadya means night, kshana is another word for muhurta, lava is two kashthas, paksha is fortnight, masa is month, ritu is season and vatsara is year.
33
In addition to time and place.
34
The meat left by the chandala as bait.
35
Someone born in reeds, Kartikeya.
36
The rat.
37
Probably meaning force.
38
The mongoose.
39
One who is an outcaste. Literally, one who eats dogs, or eats with dogs.
40
Tame elephants are used to trap wild elephants.
41
When the hunter arrives.
42
This refers to the agreement between the rat and the cat. There is an inconsistency, because the mongoose and the owl had already left and had gone home.
43
Shukracharya.
44
Fallen in the sense of having done something reprehensible.
45
Because of the natural bond of affection.
46
That is, other men, not in the sense of rats or cats versus men.
47
Dharma, artha and kama.
48
The jivajivaka bird is a pheasant. Pujani could probably mimic the cries of all beings.
49
Pujani.
50
The baby bird.
51
The text uses the word
jara
, meaning old age, as well as wear and tear. In this context, wear and tear fits better.
52
The friend has to be bribed.
53
This story has been recounted in Section 11 (Volume 1). The sage Ourva belonged to the Bhargava lineage and the fire of his rage was cast into the ocean.
54
There are pits covered with dry grass. In pursuit of honey, people don’t notice these and fall into them.
55
There is an implicit image of the king as the rock, the enemy as the pot and the objects in the pot as the temporary blandishments.
56
Kupya
, that is, metals other than silver and gold.
57
There is nothing in the text to suggest that these young crabs are offspring. Therefore, this is probably nothing more than some crabs eating smaller crabs.
58
The king.
59
Dharma, artha and kama.
60
Kubera.
61
The king.
62
Kaninka is another name for Bharadvaja.
63
The king.
64
Sama (conciliation), dana (gifts), danda (the rod/chastisement) and bheda (dissension) are the four elements of policy.
65
Of the enemy.
66
The king.
67
The enemy.
68
If everything is completed, an ungrateful person will have nothing to look forward to.
69
He must be like a cuckoo in sweetness of speech, like a boar in destroying enemies, like Meru in loftiness, like an empty house that offers refuge to everyone, like a predatory beast in causing fear and like an actor in adopting different disguises.
70
The crane waits patiently.
71
In a time of distress, these are best interpreted as examples of deceit.
72
Because of the belief that a she-mule dies when she gives birth.
73
Spies sent by the enemy.
74
The enemy’s.
75
The three objectives are dharma, artha and kama. The bonds are addiction to the fruits these lead to. The evils probably are—pursuit of dharma leads to neglect of artha, pursuit of artha leads to neglect of dharma and the pursuit of kama leads to the neglect of both dharma and artha.
77
He may be unwilling to give up his life.
78
Sandhya, the period between two yugas.
79
Indra.
80
The text uses the word Guru.
81
In places along the roads, where there is free distribution of drinking water.
82
For food.
83
The lack of a house need not necessarily mean a sign of deprivation, since hermits often didn’t possess a fixed residence.
84
Implicitly, these garments and garlands have been collected from the dead and from cremation grounds.
85
Vishvamitra was the son of Gadhi and Gadhi was the son of Kushika. Thus, Vishvamitra is Koushika.
86
The chandala’s name.
87
Mix up a brahmana’s dharma with a chandala’s dharma.
88
Sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent and astringent.
89
Hedgehog, porcupine, lizard, rabbit and turtle.
90
This incident has been described in Section 33 (Volume 3).
