The Great Golden Sacrifice of the Mahabharata

by Maggi Lidchi Grassi

  Syamantaka

  Krishna’s jewel.

  Tabla

  Indian drums.

  Takshaka

  A fierce serpent inhabitant of the forest, is Indra’s special friend

  Tantripala

  The name of Sahadeva in the 13th year in Virata.

  Tapas

  Literally, heat. Any kind of energy, askesis, austerity of conscious force acting upon itself or on its object.

  Tathastu

  So be it.

  Tapasya

  Austerity or penance, askesis.

  Tilak

  Mark on the forehead, made with coloured earths, sandalwood paste or unguents, either as an ornament or a sectarian distinction.

  Trigartas

  Literally: triple-guarded. People of a territory in North India, identified with a part of modern Punjab. The Trigartas swore to kill Arjuna.

  Truti

  A very minute space of time like or less than a second.

  Uddhava

  Family member and great devotee of Krishna.

  Udgatri

  One of the four principal priests at a sacrifice. One who chants the hymns of the Samaveda.

  Udyana Kridana

  Literally, garden. Where games and sports take place.

  Ugrasena

  Father of the tyrant Kamsa.

  Uluka

  Son of Shakuni.

  Ulupi

  Daughter of Kauravya, king of the Nagas. Arjuna formed a marriage liaison with her, and she acted as a nurse to her step-son Babhruvahana. Mother of Iravat.

  Uma

  Wife of Shiva and the daughter of Himavat and Mena.

  Upasunda

  Name of an Asura. Son of Nikumbha and younger brother of Sunda. They destroyed each other because of an Apsara.

  Urmila

  In our story the Mother of Vidura, not of high caste.

  Urvashi

  Celestial nymph who was cursed to live on earth as the mistress-wife of Pururavas. Pururavas was the ancestor of all the Kauravas and Pandavas. Urvashi was the Mother of the race of Pandavas.

  Ushas

  The goddess of dawn.

  Uttamaujas

  A Panchala Prince son of Virata who, with his brother Yuyudhana protected Arjuna’s charioteer wheels.

  Uttarakumara

  Son of King Virata. He was killed by Shalya on the first day of battle.

  Uttaraa

  Sister of Uttarakumara. She was given in marriage to Arjuna’s son Abhimanyu, after Arjuna declined to marry her himself.

  Vaishnava

  Term for a devotee of Vishnu.

  Vaishya

  The third caste in Hinduism, consisting of traders, merchants and agriculturists.

  Vajra

  The thunderbolt, weapon of Indra. The weapon with supernatural powers, resembling a thunderbolt. Also, a military formation in the shape of a thunderbolt.

  Vajradatta

  Son of Bhagadatta who is defeated by Arjuna during the Ashwamedha campaign.

  Vamsha

  Race, family, dynasty, lineage.

  Vanaganaga

  Priest, often one who chants.

  Vanaprastha

  Forest retreat, the fourth and last division of life when one retires to the forest.

  Vanga

  An important state in ancient India; the modern Bengal.

  Varanasi

  The city of Kashi, anglicised to Benaras, one of Hinduism’s great centres of holy pilgrimage. Hindus acquire merit in the afterlife by leaving their bodies in this city.

  Varanavata

  A city where the Pandavas lived in the house of lac.

  Varandaka

  Covered seating arrangement on the back of an elephant, from which a mounted warrior fought.

  Varsha

  Country.

  Varuna

  Literally, All-Embracer. The oldest Vedic deity, creator of heaven and earth; Lord of the Waters in later Hindu mythology.

  Vasaka

  The mythical serpent son of Kadru. Like Shesha and Takshaka, one of the serpent (Naga) kings.

  Vasanta

  Spring.

  Vasishtha

  Literally, super-eminent. One of the seven great sages.

  Vasus

  Eight divinities cursed to be born on earth. They were born to King Shantanu by his wife Ganga. She released seven of them by drowning. The eighth was Bheeshma.

  Vasudeva

  Father of Krishna by Devaki and brother of Kunti. The same word accented on the first syllable, Vaasudeva, is a name of Krishna, meaning son of Vasudeva.

  Veda

  Literally: wisdom. Four early (ca. 3500 BC) collections of hymns and songs (Rig, Yajur, Sama, Atharva) held by Hindus in veneration as revealed scriptures.

  Vedangas

  Literally: limbs (angas) of the Vedas, comprising six treatises. Their original purpose was to ensure that each part of the sacrificial ceremonies was correctly performed.

  Veena

  The Indian lute.

  Vichitraveerya

  Literally: of many-faceted heroism. The younger son of Shantanu and Satyavati.

  Vidarbha

  Country south of the Vindhya ranges.

  Vidula

  A Queen known for inspiring her son to heroism.

  Vidura

  Son of Vyasa by a palace-serving maid. Vidura is credited with impartial wisdom.

  Vijaya

  One of the hundred sons of Dhritarashtra. Emergency name adopted by one of the Pandavas in the Kingdom of Virata.

  Vikarna

  One of the hundred sons of Dhritarashtra. The only one to support the Pandavas at the dice game.

  Virata

  The king of Matsya, near modern Jaipur.

  Vishvakarma

  Literally, all-accomplishing. Referred to in the Rig Veda as the personification of the all-creative power and the architect of the universe.

  Vishwamitra

  Literally friend of the world. A rishi of great tapas.

  Vishwarupa

  The vision of Krishna as the universal godhead which was granted to Arjuna before the battle of Kurukshetra.

  Vrishni

  A famous king of the Yadu dynasty. He was the Ruler of the Yadava kingdom of north-western India. Krishna’s family members were Vrishnis.

  Vyasa

  Literally, arranger. Composer of the Mahabharata and compiler of the Vedas in their present form. Island-born

  Greatfather, progenitor of Pandu and Dritarashtra.

  Vyuha

  A military array.

  Yadavas

  Krishna’s race or clan; they ruled in Dwaraka in Gujerat, West India.

  Yadu

  The descendants of King Yadu. See Yadavas.

  Yagnapatni

  The co-sacrificer and wife of the institutor of a sacrifice.

  Yajna Shala

  Hall for sacrifices.

  Yajurveda

  The second of the four principal Vedas, which are a collection of sacred texts in prose ,relating to sacrifices.

  Yaksha

  A class of divine beings. Followers of the god of wealth, Kubera.

  Yama

  Literally, restrainer. God of death; according to legend, he is the son of the sun.

  Yamuna

  A river, tributary of the Ganga, daughter of the Sun.

  Yantra

  A mystical diagram possessing occult powers. The term is derived from yam, meaning “to curb or restrain”.The suffix tra denoting the effecting instrument, hence by extension “fetter, tie, thong, rein” etc.

  Yashoda

  Foster mother of Krishna and wife of the cowherd Nanda.

  Yati

  An ascetic.

  Yavanas

  Identified by some scholars as the Ionians. In Buddhist texts, the Greeks are referred to as Yavanas. The Greeks were known as Ionians to the Persians, specifically a people of the Northwest but extended to mean non Aryans who do not offer sacrifices.<
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  Yojana

  A measure of distance, according to some equal to four krosas or eight or nine miles.

  Yuddhashala

  War academy.

  Yudhamanyu

  Brother of Uttamaujas. These two sons of Virata protected Arjuna’s chariot wheels with their lives.

  Yudhishthira

  The eldest of the five Pandava brothers.

  Yuga

  An astrological cycle. There are four Yugas. We are mow in the Kaliyuga, the age of iron ahich began with the death of Bheesma.

  Yuvaraj

  Heir apparent, a prince royal, or crown prince.

  Yuyutsu

  Son of Dhritarashtra by a Vaishya wife. The only surviving son. He fought on the side of Pandavas at Kurukshetra.

  A Note on the Author

  Maggi Lidchi-Grassi is a writer and has lived at the Aurobindo Ashram at Pondicherry since 1959. Her other works include the novels Earthman, The First Wife, Great Sir and Heaven Lady, and several collections of poems, fables, short stories, and plays.