The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (4 vols., libros 1–18) · 4 · 69

178. Krishna implies Vyasa here. The great Rishi was called 'the island-born Krishna'.

179. The commentator explains that by the constellation Dhruba is implied Rohini and the Uttaras numbering three. Sunday, again is called the Dhruba-day.

180. Agnivesya was another name of Dhaumya.

181. Three roads running north to south, and three running cast to west and intersecting the former, are the six roads that are directed to be laid out in pitching encampments. Those give nine squares with two boundary lines at right angles with each other.

182. Karaputa is made up of two wooden chests united with each other by chains or cords and intended to be borne by camels and bullocks.

183. The first line of 17 is exceedingly terse. Literally rendered, it runs,—'Each vessel was united with another, and became half the (total) weight slung on balance.'

184. Vilava is Arjuna.

185. Before performing any rite or act of a grave nature, Hindus are required to touch water or perform what is called the 'achamana'. A little quantity of water is taken on the palm of the right hand, and with it are touched the lips, the nostrils, the ears, and the eyes.

186. The abode of Vaisravana is called Alaka. Vaisravana is, of course, Kuvera, the lord of treasures, friend of Mahadeva, and chief of the Yakshas.

187. The last line is slightly expanded.

188. The sense is this: thou art the eldest brother of the Pandavas; if thou sacrificest, thy brothers also will come to be regarded as sacrificing with thee.

189. Sphya was a wooden sword or scimitar, used for slaying the sacrificial animal. Kurcha is a handful of Kusa grass. All these things are directed by Vyasa to be made of pure gold.

190. It will be remembered that the Samsaptaka host which had engaged Arjuna for several days on the field of Kurukshetra, all consisted of Trigarta warriors led by their king Susarman, Samsaptaka means 'sworn'. Those soldiers who took the oath that they would either conquer or die, wore called by that name.

191. The reading in every edition seems to be vicious. For obvious reasons, I read Parthadupadravat instead of Parthamupadravat.

192. Bhagadatta was the friend of Indra, the father of Arjuna.

193. The allusion is to Mahadeva's pursuing Sacrifice when the latter fled from him in the form of a deer.

194. The Brahmanas were to receive Arjuna duly and the treasure was intended as a present or offering of respect.

195. Ulupi was one of the wives of Arjuna. She was, therefore, the step-mother of Vabhruvahana.

196. Yahubharyyata, meaning polygamy in the first line, should, as the noun of reference for Eshah be taken as vahunam bharyyata, i.e., polyandry, in the second line.

197. To sit in Praya is to remain seated in a particular spot, abstaining from food and drink with a view to cast off one's life-breaths.

198. The sense is, that 'grief does not kill; one does not die till one's hour comes. If it were otherwise, I would have died, so heavy is the load of my affliction.'

199. The name of the city was Suktimati.

200. The etymology of Gudakesa as the lord of Gudaka or sleep, is fanciful.

201. Sakuni was the maternal uncle of Duryodhana and, therefore, of Arjuna also. Sakuni's son and Arjuna, hence, were cousins.

202. The word chara does not mean always a spy. The ancient kings of India had their spies it is true, but they had a regular intelligence department. It was the business of these men to send correct reports to the king of every important occurrence. The news letter-writers of the Mussalman time, or Harkaras, were the successors of the charas of Hindu times.

203. Hetuvadins are dialecticians or philosophers who dispute on the reasons of things.

204. It is worthy of note that Draupadi was always styled by Krishna as his sakhi or 'friend'. Krishna was highly chivalrous to the other sex at an age when women were universally regarded as the inferiors of men.

205. The sense is this: for a horse-sacrifice, the Dakshina or sacrificial present, payable to the principal Ritwija or to be distributed among all the Ritwijas including the other Brahmanas, is enjoined to be of a certain measure. Vyasa advises Yudhishthira to make that Dakshina triple of what the enjoined measure is. By thus increasing the Dakshina, the merit of the sacrificer will increase correspondingly.

206. The Diksha is the ceremony of initiation. Certain mantras are uttered in which the intention is declared of performing what is desired to be performed.

207. The Karma of a sacrifice or religious rite is the procedure. It is, of course, laid down in the scriptures on the ritual. There are certain acts, however, which, though not laid down, should be done agreeably to reasonable inferences. What is said, therefore, in the second line of 20 is that the procedure was fully followed, both as laid down and as consistent with inferences.