253 Indra’s name. Literally, the destroyer of cities.
254 Droupadi.
255 This is what he had been taught by Yudhishthira, who had in turn been taught by Vyasadeva.
256 Literally, Indra’s mountain.
257 Indra has a thousand eyes.
258 Shiva.
259 The Pandavas, that is, the other four Pandavas.
260 Arjuna’s.
261 Shiva’s name. Literally, the one with three eyes.
262 Shiva.
263 Arjuna was Indra’s son.
264 Vaidurya.
265 That is, he ate after a period of six nights was over.
266 The word used is nandana, meaning beloved as well as son.
267 A pinaka is both a trident and a bow. In particular, pinaka means Shiva’s bow. Shiva is known as Pinaki. He wields both a bow and a trident.
268 Shiva’s throat is dark because he consumed the poison thrown up during the churning of the ocean.
269 Sharva is one of Shiva’s names.
270 Shiva.
271 Kanchana means gold or golden. The word kanchana is applied to several different kinds of trees.
272 Shiva’s consort.
273 The sons of Diti were daityas or demons. Muka was a demon.
274 Referring to the boar.
275 The word used is naracha, which means an iron arrow.
276 The word used is nandana.
277 Arjuna’s.
278 So that Arjuna can see Shiva.
279 Lord (isha) of the mountains (giri), Shiva’s epithet.
280 Uma was with Shiva.
281 Shiva.
282 Kapardin is one of Shiva’s names. Kaparda or kapardaka means braided or matted hair and Shiva is named Kapardin because his hair is matted.
283 At the time of Daksha’s yajna, Shiva uprooted the god Bhaga’s eyes.
284 Shiva’s name, the one with a bull (vrishabha) on his banner (dhvaja).
285 An ayuta is ten thousand.
286 The hermitage at Badari or Badarika, one of the sources of the Ganga.
287 Vrishadhvaja and Vrishabhadhvaja mean the same.
288 Pashupati is Shiva’s name.
289 The word bhuta means beings, but it also means evil spirits.
290 Nagas and pannagas are serpents. They are different from snakes, because they possess extraordinary powers, including that of assuming any form at will.
291 Karna is the son of the suta.
292 Kubera.
293 These divine weapons were based on mantras, the physical form was immaterial.
294 Arjuna.
295 Tryaksha is Shiva’s name, meaning the one with three (tri) eyes (aksha).
296 The word used is nirghata, which also means earthquake.
297 Shiva, the one with three eyes.
298 Arjuna.
299 Varuna.
300 Vaidurya.
301 Class of demigods.
302 Obviously meaning lesser gods.
303 This is a description of Yama.
304 Vivasvat is the sun and Dharmaraja Yama is the son of the sun.
305 Indrani is Indra’s consort, Shakra is Indra.
306 Indra’s elephant.
307 The moon is the lord of the stars.
308 The word used is nandana. So it can also be translated as beloved of the Kuru lineage.
309 Drona.
310 The nivatakavachas are demons. The story will be told in Section 35.
311 Yama is the son of the sun and so is Karna.
312 A reference to Krishna.
313 Danda.
314 The word used is nandana.
315 Pasha.
316 Famous battle that took place between the gods and the demons.
317 Antardhana means disappearance. This weapon enables the user to become invisible.
318 In its capacity to put the enemy to sleep, this weapon was also known as prasvapana.
319 The word used is nandana.
320 Ishana is the supreme god. Specifically, the term is used for both Shiva and Vishnu. It is being used in a general sense here.
321 Matali is the name of Indra’s charioteer.
1 A hudaguda is an iron club. However, an iron club cannot have wheels. So what is probably meant is some kind of battering-ram made out of iron.
2 Arjuna.
3 Indivara, a blue lotus.
4 Shakra is Indra and Arjuna was Indra’s son.
5 Daivata is a word used for the class of gods as a whole. In this context, it seems to mean the minor gods.
6 The word used is nandana. Hence alternatively, beloved of the Kuru lineage.
7 The word used is nandana.
8 The word used is vimana and vimanas are not ordinary chariots. They fly through the sky and are therefore, divine chariots.
9 By implication, from the earth.
10 Famous king whose story will be recounted in Section 33.
11 The name of Indra’s garden.
12 Sacrificial fires.
13 Translated literally.
14 That is, have intercourse with the preceptor’s wife.
15 Ayuta, meaning ten thousand. But ayuta can also mean a large number.
16 Suravithi literally means the road (vithi) of the gods (sura) and could be a reference to the Milky Way.
17 The Vishvadevas.
18 King of the solar dynasty, often described as an ideal king.
19 The name of a gandharva.
20 The critical edition’s text has Ahuhu. It should read Huhu.
21 The word used is nandana.
22 Indra.
23 Vasava is Indra’s name.
24 Indra killed a demon named Vritra.
25 Demon killed by Indra.
26 The fourteenth day of the lunar fortnight. Though not explicitly stated, the reference is probably to the dark lunar fortnight.
27 Hava. Hava is not just any gesture, but a feminine coquettish gesture with amorous overtones.
28 Arjuna.
29 Water for washing the feet.
30 Water for washing the face.
31 The sense is that the vajra was like thunder and lightning. Consequently, there were clouds and peacocks figure because they dance when it rains.
32 The critical edition excises some sections that are part of popular renderings of the Mahabharata. That story figures in regional versions and is a story about the apsara Urvashi’s desire for Arjuna. Arjuna spurned her because she was like his superior’s wife or mother, the Puru dynasty having descended from Urvashi. Urvashi then cursed Arjuna that he would have to live as a woman, bereft of his manhood. Indra reduced the duration of the curse to one year.
33 The word used is vishtara. This means a seat, stool or chair. It is also the seat of the officiating priest at a sacrifice, usually made of kusha grass.
34 Lomasha.
35 Alternatively, Badarika.
36 The story of Sagara will be told in Section 33. He had sixty thousand sons. When he performed a sacrifice, the sacrificial horse was stolen by Indra and taken to the nether regions. The sons were sent in search of the horse and proceeded to dig towards the nether regions. They falsely accused the sage Kapila of stealing the horse and were burnt to ashes because of his rage. Subsequently, their souls were saved when their descendant Bhagiratha brought down the Ganga to the nether regions. The nether regions are often known by the name of patala. However, there are seven nether regions—atala, vitala, sutala, rasatala, talatala, mahatala and patala. Patala is thus the lowest of the seven nether regions and rasatala is an intermediate one.
37 A reference to Arjuna.
38 The word jvara should not be interpreted as physical fever only. It also means mental fever and distress.
39 The quotation marks signify that this is a message from Indra to Yudhishthira.
40 Dhritarashtra was Ambika’s son.
41 The word used is gramya, which means vulgar, as well as rustic.
42 Yudhishthira.
; 43 The word used (ghrini) means both compassionate and contemptible. Since Karna is being described disapprovingly, contemptible is more appropriate than compassionate.
44 The preceptor is Drona. Since Drona is Arjuna’s teacher, the implication is that Drona will not fight properly with Arjuna.
45 The word used is tata. While this means son, it can generally be used for anyone who is a junior.
46 Sthanu is Shiva’s names. Shiva has eleven manifestations in the form of the eleven Rudras.
47 Meaning Duryodhana.
48 Krishna.
49 The Yadavas.
50 That is, brahmanas who maintained the sacrificial fire.
51 That is, killed the deer.
52 Yudhishthira.
53 Balarama.
54 This is odd. Choosing a charioteer for Arjuna is premature and the question shouldn’t arise at this stage. This reinforces the general impression that this chapter was a later addition and doesn’t quite belong.
55 Balarama.
56 Shishupala’s son is Dhrishtaketu.
57 Yudhishthira.
58 Droupadi.
59 The word used is devi. This is a honorific form of address and doesn’t mean goddess alone.
60 Specifically, the hair.
61 Balarama.
62 Satyaki.
63 Droupadi.
64 This should really be thirteen years.
65 The word used is tata. This means father, but is also used for any elder or superior.
66 Alternatively, childish.
67 This is being addressed to Yudhishthira. So Achyuta is in the sense of one without decay.
68 A mixture based on honey that is offered to guests. It is made of five ingredients—curds, clarified butter, water, wax and candied sugar.
69 Yudhishthira.
70 There were fourteen Manus, who were lords of the earth in fourteen different eras. Because of descent from Manu, a human is known as manava.
71 Though not explicitly stated, Bhima was the king of Vidarbha. This Bhima is not to be confused with the Pandava Bhima.
72 Obviously this means the three sons.
73 The god of love.
74 Damayanti’s.
75 Nala was the king of Nishadha.
76 Of his palace.
77 Or geese.
78 Meaning the capital city of Vidarbha, named Kundina.
79 Indra.
80 Maghavan is Indra’s name.
81 Bala and Vritra were demons killed by Indra.
82 The lords (pala) of the worlds (loka) are eight in number—Indra, Vahni (Agni), Yama, Nairrita, Varuna, Maruta, Kubera and Isha (Ishana). Sometimes, Vayu is listed instead of Indra. However, especially since Agni is mentioned separately, in this context, the word lokapala is being used in a less specific sense. As will become clear later, only Indra, Agni, Varuna and Yama are meant.
83 The god of love, Kandarpa is another of his names.
84 That is, they gave up the intention of soliciting Damayanti for themselves.
85 Varuna.
86 That is, will have to kill myself.
87 A reference to Indra.
88 The thirty gods.
89 Bhogavati is the capital city of the nagas and is located in the nether regions.
90 The four gods, Shakra, Agni, Varuna and Yama had assumed forms that were identical to that of Nala.
91 Indra.
92 Punyashloka is one of Nala’s epithets.
93 That is, divine marks. Gods do not perspire. Nor do their eyes blink. Their feet do not touch the ground and they do not have any shadows.
94 As a mark of choosing him.
95 Each of the four gods gave two boons.
96 Indra.
97 Agni.
98 Agni.
99 Varuna.
100 Yayati figures in several sections, such as Section 33.
101 In the four yuga cycle, dvapara and kali are the third and the fourth yuga, with dharma progressively declining as one moves down the yugas. Here, the third and the fourth yugas have been personified.
102 Dvapara is also the side of a dice marked with two points, satya or krita with four points, treta with three points and kali with one point.
103 Enter Nala’s body. An act of sin would permit Kali to enter Nala’s body and make Nala addictive towards gambling and dice.
104 The word used is sandhya, which means both dawn and dusk, and the attendant ceremonies. In the translation, we have used the evening sense.
105 Pushkara was Nala’s brother. The word pushkara also means intoxication.
106 This imagery is difficult to understand. It probably means that Kali became the chief dice with which the game would be played.
107 The bull is the dice with Kali inside it.
108 Damayanti.
109 The words hiranya and suvarna are separately used. However, hiranya also means silver or any other precious metal. Since the two words are separately used, we have translated hiranya as silver.
110 Nala’s charioteer Varshneya.
111 Nala and Damayanti’s son and daughter.
112 Kundina is the capital of Vidarbha, that is, Damayanti’s father’s capital.
113 That is, Indrasenaa, to distinguish from the boy Indrasena.
114 Outside the city.
115 Nala.
116 The flesh would be his food and the plumage his riches.
117 The southern part of India, the region of the Deccan.
118 Damayanti had shared her garment with Nala.
119 The word used is sabha. This means an assembly hall or council. It also means a place where gambling occurs. But it is also generally used for any place frequented by the public.
120 That is, she became tired.
121 An ajagara. An ajagara is so named because it swallows goats (aja).
122 The word used is graham, normally used for a crocodile or shark.
123 The word used is lubdhaka, which means a hunter, but can also be a proper name. It also means someone who is covetous.
124 Kind of tree.
125 The sacred fig tree.
126 Kind of tree.
127 Tree used for medicinal purposes.
128 Tree with red blossoms.
129 Kind of tree.
130 The soap-berry tree.
131 Sandalwood trees.
132 The silk-cotton tree.
133 The rose-apple tree.
134 Tree with red or white flowers.
135 Kind of tree.
136 Teak.
137 Kind of plant.
138 Myrobalan.
139 Fig trees.
140 Flowering tree.
141 Kind of tree.
142 The jujube tree.
143 Indian fig tree.
144 Name of a tree, also known as piyala.
145 Palmyra trees.
146 Date trees.
147 A green herb.
148 Kind of myrobalan tree.
149 Nala.
150 Kind of tree with fragrant blossoms.
151 Name of a tree with fragrant blossoms, also known as nagakeshara.
152 Nala.
153 That is, maintains the sacrificial fire.
154 More specifically, follows the Vedas.
155 It is not obvious what Dramida is. It could be that Dravida is meant. Alternatively, there might be a typo, because some regional versions have parvata instead of Dramida. In that case, the tree would be compared to a king of the mountains.
156 The ashoka tree has red flowers and is believed to blossom when it is struck by the feet of beautiful women. Shoka means sorrow and the tree’s name literally means without sorrow. It is so named because it removes sorrow from the mind of anyone who looks at the tree. That’s the reason Damayanti asks the tree to alleviate her sorrow.
157 In accordance with your name.
158 The ruddy goose.
159 The feminine of yaksha and rakshasa respectively.
160 The elephants who were part of the carav
an.
161 A sairandhri is a female servant who works in the inner quarters and is therefore superior to a common slave girl. This was also the name Droupadi used when she became a servant to Sudeshna, King Virata’s wife. By describing herself as a sairandhri, Damayanti is signifying her desire to work in the palace.
162 Nala had a boon that a fire would do him no harm.
163 This is a reference to Kali, who is inside Nala.
164 The sense is not clear. Perhaps it is a reference to those who possessed secret knowledge.
165 Rituparna was the king of Ayodhya.
166 Rituparna’s charioteers. Varshneya is Nala’s old charioteer, who has found employment with Rituparna.
167 Manmatha is the god of love and Rati is his consort.
168 Rahu is a demon who sought to drink amrita, but was caught, and resolved vengeance on the sun and the moon. Consequently, as one of the nine planets, Rahu swallows up the sun and the moon at the time of eclipses.
169 Rohini is the fourth nakshatra. While all the nakshatras are married to the moon, Rohini is the favourite wife.
170 A birthmark. Alternatively, a mole.
171 It was a palanquin.
172 Another name for Rituparna.
173 Sudeva.
174 Avarta, an auspicious lock of hair on the back of a horse, curling backwards.
175 A famous authority who wrote about horses.
176 This is strange, because Bahuka is deformed.
177 Since Varshneya is Nala’s old charioteer, he knows Nala well. The only difficulty is that Nala’s form is now different.
178 Bahuka.
Mahabharata Vol. 2 (Penguin Translated Texts) Page 53
