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The Problem of the Mahabharata
NOTES
Notes on the Mahabharata dealing with the authenticity of each
separate canto i.e. whether it belongs or not to the original epic of
24,000 Slokas on the great catastrophe of the Bharatas.
UDYOGAPARVA
CANTO
ONE
1. Kurupravīrāh...sapaksāh — This may mean in Vyasa's elliptic
manner the Great Kurus (i.e. the Pandavas) and those of their
side. Otherwise "The Kuru heroes of his own side", i.e. Abhimanyu's, which is awkward.
3. Vrddhau — This supplies the reason of their pre-eminence.
5. Pradyumna-sāmbau ca yudhi pravīrau. This establishes Pradyumna and Samba as historical sons of Krishna.
Virātaputraiśca — Virata has therefore several sons, three at
least.
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7. The simile is strictly in the style of Vyasa who cares little for
newness or ingenuity, so long as the image called up effects the
purpose. The assonance rarāja sā rājavatī is an epic assonance
altogether uncommon in Vyasa and due evidently to the influence
of Valmiki.
8. Strong, brief and illumining strokes of description which add
to the naturalness of the scene, tatah kathāste samavāyayuktāh: while also adding a touch that reveals the inwardness of the
situation:
krtvā vicitrāh purusa-pravīrāh,
Tasthurmuhūrtam paricintayantah krsnam nrpāste
samudīksamānādh.
9. Samghattitāh
— surely means "assembled" and nothing else.
P. C. Roy in taking it as "drew their attention to" shows his usual
slovenliness. Lele also errs in his translation. He interprets it:
"as soon as the talk was over Krishna assembled the kings for the
affairs of the Pandavas." But the kings were already assembled
and seated; not only so but they were waiting for Krishna to
begin. It is absurd to suppose that as soon as Krishna began
speaking they left their seats and clustered around him like a pack
of schoolboys. Yet this is the only sense in which we can take Lele's rendering. I prefer to take the obvious sense of the words: "As soon as they had reached an end of talk, all those lion-kings
assembled by the den of Madhou in the interests of the Pandava
listened in a body to his high-thoughted and fateful speech."
Sumahodayam — having mighty consequences.
10. Ayam — here beside me. See verse 4. Yudhishthira is sitting
just by Krishna separated by Virata.
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11. Tarasā — taras expresses any swift, violent and impetuous
act, anything that has the momentum of strength and impulse
or fire and energy.
Satyarathaih — This is a word of doubtful import; it may
mean "of unerring chariots", i.e. skilful fighters, or else "honourable fighters", rathah being used as in mahārathah, adhirathah
fighter in a chariot. Cf. satyaparākramah. In the first case the
epithet would be otiose and ornamental and an epic assonance.
I cannot think however that Vyasa was capable of putting a purely
decorative epic epithet in so emphatic a place. It must surely
mean either "honourable fighters" or "making truth their chariot"; ratha being used as in manoratha etc. The latter however
is almost too much a flight of fancy for Vyasa. [The word is satye sthitaih, according to another version.]
12. Trayodaśaścaiva, — agreeing with Samvatsara which the
mind supplies from varsāni in the last line and Virvatsa has to
be supplied from Chirnam. This is the true Vyasa style.
Nivista — niviś
: to abide. This sense though not given in
Apte may be deduced from niveśah : impersonal "it has been
dwelt".
13. It will be seen from Krishna's attitude here as elsewhere that
he was very far from being the engineer and subtle contriver of
war into which later ideas have deformed him. That he came
down to force on war and destroy the Kshatriya caste, whether
to open India to the world or for other cause, is an idea that was
not present to the mind of Vyasa. Later generations writing,
when the pure Kshatriya caste had almost disappeared,
attributed this motive for God's descent upon earth, just
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as a modern English Theosophist, perceiving British rule established in India, has added the corollary that he destroyed the
Kshatriyas (five thousand years ago, according to her own
belief) in order to make the line clear for the English. What
Vyasa, on the other hand, makes us feel is that Krishna, though
fixed to support justice at every cost, was earnestly desirous to
support it by peaceful means if possible. His speech is an evident
attempt to restrain the eagerness of the Matsyas and Panchalas
who were bent on war as the only means of overthrowing the
Kuru domination.
14-15. Krishna's testimony to Yudhishthira's character is here
of great importance.
Adharmayuktam na ca kāmayeta rājyam surānāmapi dharmarājah.
Dharmārthayuktam tu mahīpatitvam grāme'pi kasmimścidayam
bubhūset.
That Yudhishthira has deserved this character to the letter so
far anyone who has followed the story will admit. If he acts in
diametrical opposition to this character in any future passage we
shall have some ground to pause before we admit the genuineness of the passage.
Bubhūset — desiderative of
bhū in the sense of "get, obtain",
"would aspire after".
16. Mithyopacārena — by fraudulent procedure.
That is, if Duryodhana had taken the kingdom from the
Pandavas in fair war by his own energy and genius (svatejasā),
he would not have transgressed the ordinary Dharma of the
Kshatriya. In that case the Pandavas might have accepted the
verdict of Fate and refrained from plunging the country in
farther bloodshed.
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17. Prapīdya [nipidya — another version] by force, pressure; as
a result of conquest in open battle.
This seems to point to the Vijayaparva; but the reference
is general and may apply to the Rajasuya generally.
Tu — The force is "but you know what the Dhartarashtras
are, their fierceness, falseness and land-hunger, — how even in
the childhood of the Pandavas these, their banded foemen, sought
to slay them by various means". For he evidently desired to try
conciliation first, before resorting to threats. The choice of the Purohita was that of King Drupada, and the leaders of the
Brahmavarta nations who desired to break the supremacy among
them of the Kurus.
18. Bālāstvime — An allusion to the early persecution of the
Pandavas by Duryodhana. If we accept this Parva in its completeness, we must accept the genuineness in the main of the early
narrative of the Adiparva in so far as it is covered by the Sloka.
Notice especially vividhairupāyaih.
19. This seems to point to the Digvijaya Parva; but the reference is general and may apply to the Rajasuya generally.
22. Tathāpi — for all their good will. It is part of the inverted
commas implied in iti.
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23. Yateyureva — would at least do their utmost.
Yathāvat — definitely; though they may form a shrewd
guess.
25. Rājyārdhadānāya — Krishna does not, at present at any
rate, suggest a compromise; let them first make their full claim
to which they are entitled (notice genitive).
This canto is in the very finest and most characteristic style
of Vyasa; precise, simple and hardy in phrasing, with a strong,
curt, decisive movement and a pregnant mode of expression, in
which a kernel of thought is expressed and its corollaries suggested so as to form a thought-atmosphere around it. There is no
superfluous or lost word or sentence, but each goes straight to
its mark and says something which wanted to be said. The speech
of Krishna is admirably characteristic of the man as we have
seen him in the Sabhaparva; firm and precise in outlook and sure
of its own drift, it is yet full of an admirable and disinterested
statesmanlike broadmindedness.
¹Purohitāyane — This title is evidently a misnomer; there is no mention of the Purohita,
far less does he set out as yet nor need we suppose he is hinted at in the description of a suitable envoy. It is doubtful whether Krishna would have singled out a Panchala Purohita as
the best intermediary between the Kurus for he evidently desired to try conciliation first,
before resorting to threats. The choice of the Purohita was that of King Drupada and the
leaders of the Brahmavarta nations who desired to break the supremacy among them of
the Kurus.
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CANTO TWO
Divyamānah pratidevanena — Can this not mean "being challenged to dice placed against Saubala or in acceptance of
the challenge", or must it mean "gambled and that against
Saubala" ?
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Udyogaparva*
LET
the reciter bow down to Naraian,
likewise to Nara the Highest Male, also to our Lady the Muse
(Goddess Saraswati), and thereafter utter the word of Hail!
Vaishampayan continueth
But the hero Kurus and who clove to them thereafter having
performed joyously the marriage of Abhimanyu rested that night
and then at dawn went glad to the Assembly-hall of Virata.
Now wealthy was that hall of the lord of Matsya with
mosaic of gems excellent and perfect jewels, with seats set out,
garlanded, perfumed; thither went those great among the kings
of men.
Then took their seats in front the two high kings, Drupada
and Virata, old they and honoured of earth's lords, and Rama
and Janardan with their father.
Now by the Panchala king was the hero Shini with the son
of Rohinie but very near likewise to the Matsya king Janardan
and Yudhishthira;
And all the sons of Drupada, Bhima, Arjuna and the sons
of Madravatie and Pradyumna and Samba, heroes in the strife,
and Abhimanyu with the children of Virata;
And all those heroes equal to their fathers in heroism and
beauty and strength sat down, the princely boys, sons of Draupadie, on noble seats curious with gold.
Thus as those great warriors sat with shining ornaments
and shining robes, rich shone that senate of kings like wide heaven
with its stainless stars.
*
"To all of you it is known how Yudhishthira
here was conquered by Saubala in the hall of the dicing; by fraud was he conquered and his kingdom torn from him and contract made of
* Translation of Adhyaya 1.1-7, 10-26.
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exile in the forest; and though infallible in the mellay, though
able by force impetuous to conquer the whole earth, yet the sons
of Pandu stood by their honour religiously; harsh and austere
their vow but for the six years and the seven they kept it, noblest
of men, the sons of Pandu; and this the thirteenth year and most
difficult they have passed before all your eyes unrecognised; in
exile they passed it, the mighty-minded ones, suffering many
and intolerable hardships, in the service of strangers, in menial employments
cherishing their desire of the kingdom that belongeth to their lineage. Since this is so, do ye think out somewhat that shall be for the good both of the King, the son of
Righteousness and of Duryodhana, just and glorious and worthy
of the great Kurus; for Yudhishthira the just would not desire
even the kingship of the gods unjustly, yet would he cling to the
lordship of some small village which he might hold with expediency and justice. For it is known to you kings that how by dishonest proceeding his father's kingdom was torn from him by
the sons of Dhritarashtra and himself cast into great and unbearable danger; for not in battle did they conquer him by
their own prowess, these sons of Dhritarashtra; even so the king
with his friends desired the welfare of his wrongers. But what
the sons of Pandu with their own hands amassed by conquest
crushing the lords of earth, that these mighty ones demand,
even Kunti's sons and Madravatie's. But even when they were
children, they were sought by various means to be slain of their banded foemen,
savage and unrighteous, for greed of their kingdom, yea all this is known to you utterly. Considering therefore their growing greed and the righteousness of Yudhishthira,
considering also their close kinship, form you a judgment each
man to himself and together. And since these have always clung
to truth and loyally observed the contract, if they know they are
wronged, they may well slay all the sons of Dhritarashtra. And
hearing of any wrong done by these in this business their friends
would gather round, the Pandavas, yea and repel war with war
and slay them. If natheless ye deem these too weak in numbers
for victory, yet would they all band together and with their
friends at last to strive to destroy them. Moreover none knoweth
the mind of Duryodhana rightly, what he meaneth to do, and
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what can you decide that shall be the best to set about when you
know not the mind of your foeman ? Therefore let one go hence,
some virtuous, pure-minded and careful man such as shall be an able envoy for
their appeasement and the gift of half the kingdom to Yudhishthira. This hearing, the just, expedient, sweet
and impartial speech of Janardan, the elder brother of him took
up the word, O prince, honouring the younger's speech even
greatly."
(Incomplete)
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