An Index to the Names in the Mahabharata, with Short Explanations and a Concordance to the Bombay and Calcutta Editions and P. C. Roy's Translation c5.s1.443
An Index to the Names in the Mahābhārata, with Short Explanations and a Concordance to the Bombay and Calcutta Editions and P. C. Roy's Translation c5.s1.443
- Language
- English
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grain) with ghee to the moon on the day of the full moon, and warns against cutting a tree or chewing a tooth-brush on the day of the new moon, lest the Moon, P., and D. should be offended. Çri said that D. and P. fly away from that house in which vessels, etc., lie scattered, and in which women are beaten. Aṅgiras said that the offspring of that man increases who every night for a full year stands under a karañjaka tree with a lamp and the roots of the Suvarcala plant. Gārgya recommended, for example, that one should always repeat the names of the Puṣkara lakes; while the merit of even 100 sacrifices is exhausted, the merit resulting from the performance of the duties that he has mentioned becomes inexhaustible; a woman during her season or one whose mother is a leper must not assist at sacred rites, or D. will not eat the libations and P. not become gratified for thirteen years; at a çrāddha one should also recite the Bhārata. Dhaumya warned against broken utensils (which mean Kali himself), broken bedsteads (which mean loss of wealth), and trees in the house (under whose roots snakes and scorpions find shelter); when a cock or a dog is in sight, the gods do not eat the offerings made to them. Jamadagni said that a man whose heart is not pure is sure to go to hell, even if he performs a horse-sacrifice or 100 Vājapeyas; by giving only a prastha of powdered barley with a pure heart to a brahman, a very poor brahman attained to Brahmaloka (XIII, 127).
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Vāyu said that he who, during the four months of the rainy season, offers sesames and water, etc., acquires all the merit resulting from 100 sacrifices in which animals are offered up to the gods. When a Çūdra ignites the sacred fires, or women are allowed to assist at rites, one is reborn as a Çūdra, and P. and D. are never gratified with him; as an expiation, one should for three days pour into the sacred fire libations of the urine of the cow mixed with cow-dung, milk, and ghee; after a year the gods once more accept the offerings of such a man, and P. become gratified (XIII, 128). Lomaça warned against cohabiting with the wives of the others, to a barren woman, and against appropriating what belongs to a brahman, or D. and P. will refuse one's offerings, etc. On the 12th lunar day and the day of full moon, one should every month make gifts of ghee and akṣata to brahmans; and the Ocean increases, and Indra confers one-fourth of the merit of a horse-sacrifice, and Soma grants the fruition of one's wishes. He who, during this Kaliyuga, at dawn, in white robes, makes gifts of a vessel of sesame seeds to brahmans, and of water with sesame seeds and honey to P., and who gives lamps and kṛçara, acquires, this is the ancient ordinance of R., applauded by P. and D. heaven and Pitṛloka (XIII, 129). Bhīṣma said: R., P., and D.
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then asked Arundhatī (equal to [her husband] Vasiṣṭha, not in C.) about the mysteries of dharma [not legible] Arundhatī said that dharma should never be violated by him who is bereft of faith, full of pride, or by a brahman, or who violates the bed of a guru; recommended hospitality as better than the merit of thousands of cows in Puṣkara, etc.; the touch of cow's horns with kuça-grass, and the placing of it on his own head, acquires the merit of bathing in all the three worlds (XIII, 130). P. applauded her. Bhīṣma said that one would continually [not legible] gupta: On days of the full moon and the new moon one's acts are conveyed to the Sun; when a mortal goes into Pretaloka (the regions of the dead), Vibhāvasu (the Sun) bears witness to all his acts; especially in Jyeṣṭha-Puṣkara one should give a kapilā cow to a learned brahman, on Kaumudī [the day of full moon in the month of Kārttika]; such a man is considered to have given 100 cows with a bull, a gift which is productive of eternal merit. They that are of little understanding become afflicted with hunger and thirst in the regions of the dead, burning in pain, and there is no escape for them (they who make gifts of water, on the other hand, drink of a large river full of excellent water), and have to enter into a thick darkness (but Soma, Sūrya, and Agni always give light to him who has given lamps in this world, and he blazes forth like a second Sūrya).
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One should also give a pair of sandals to a deserving brahman, and an umbrella (thereby comfortable shade is obtained in the next world). Sūrya's hair stood on end; applauding the sayings of Citragupta, he said to D. and P. that these five should always be avoided: the slayer of a brahman, the slayer of a cow, he who is addicted to sexual intercourse with other people's wives, he who is bereft of faith, and he who derives his living from the misbehaviour of his wife; such persons suffer (pacyante) in hell like worms eating pus and blood, and are avoided by P., D., Snātakas, etc. (XIII, 130). Asked by D., P., and R., the Pramathas said that men who are rendered impure by sexual intercourse without having previously purified themselves (ucchisṭaḥ), men who insult their superiors, who eat different kinds of meat, and sleep at the foot of a tree, who keeps flesh under his pillow while lying down to sleep, who places the head where his feet should be placed (in lying down or sleeping), and who throws phlegm, etc., into the water: "these men deserve to be slain and eaten up by us." Means of protection against them are: Gorocana, [the root of] vacā [so B.], ghee with akṣata, abstaining from meat, ever-burning fire, the skin or teeth of a wolf, a hill-tortoise, [the sacrificial] smoke, a cat, a tawny or black goat; those articles are destructive of Rā. (XIII, 131). Brahmān caused D. together with Indra and P.
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to let the elephant Reṇuka in Rasātala go and question the Diggajas (the elephants who sustain the earth) about the mysteries of dharma. Asked by Reṇuka, the Diggajas recommended a çrāddha, with gifts of treacle and rice, on the 8th day of the dark fortnight of Kārttika, under the conjunction of the moon with Āçleṣā, uttering certain mantras (mentioning "Baladeva and other Nāgas," and "Nārāyaṇa when he raised the submerged earth"), and making bali offerings of blue cloth and fragrant unguents upon an uthill strewn with gajendra flowers at sunset. Thereby those beings in the nether regions that bear the weight of the upper regions become pleased, and the Diggajas do not feel the weight of upholding the earth. By observing this rule for a whole year, and fasting, the four castes acquire great merit; it is equal to hospitality for 100 years to all the elephants in the three worlds. D., P., and R. applauded Reṇuka (XIII, 132). Çiva recommended to give food to cows every day for a month, contenting oneself with one meal a day; he who gives food to cows even for a single day, receives one-fourth of the merit of all his meritorious acts; cows uphold the three worlds with D., As., and men; Çiva had praised them in the Kṛta age; at the solicitation of Brahmān a bull stands in his banner, and he always sports with cows; only believers should be instructed in these mysteries (XIII, 133).
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Skanda recommended to smear one's body for three days with earth from the horns of a dark-coloured bull, and then to perform one's ablutions; to offer cooked food with honey, in an udumbara vessel, as bali to the moon on the evening of the day of full-moon, which offer is accepted by Sā., etc. (γ), and whereby Soma and the Ocean increase * (spoken by Vishnu). Bhishma said that these mysteries (respected by D. and promulgated by Vyāsa) are even superior to the whole earth († v. 6198), and should not be imparted to any unbeliever, etc. (XIII, 134).—§ 767: Asked by Yudhishthira, Bhishma enumerated those persons from which a brahman, a kshattriya, a vaiçya, and a çūdra may take his food, etc. (XIII, 135). Asked by Yudhishthira, Bhishma expounded the expiations which purify a brahman of the sin he incurs by accepting forbidden food (especially offered to D. and P.); without having performed his ablutions, a brahman should not say his evening prayers, etc.; for this reason the çrāddha has been ordained to be performed in the afternoon (XIII, 136). Asked by Yudhishthira which is better, charity (dāna) or devotion (tapas), Bhishma enumerated the pious princes who have attained to heaven (lokāḥ) (a). “These and many other men (houscholders) have attained to heaven by charity and penances, and return again and again. As night approaches, I shall explain to thee in the morning whatever doubts may arise in thy mind” (XIII, 137).
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Asked by Yudhishthira (who refers to XIII, 137), Bhishma discoursed on the five kinds of gifts: from desire of merit, from desire of profit, from fear, from free choice, and from pity; Brahmán has said that one should always make gifts according to one's power (XIII, 138).—§ 768: Yudhishthira, complaining of the distress of the time, asked Bhishma to discourse on religion and profit in the presence of Krishna and all the kings. Vaiçampāyana said that Bhishma recited the discourses on the puissance of Vishnu in days of yore (and the doubt of Rudra and his spouse). Once Krishna observed a vow for twelve years in order to obtain a son; Nārada, etc. (a), came there with Si., etc. (description of their seats); fire issued from the mouth of Krishna and consumed the summit of the mountain with all its living creatures, then it came back and touched his feet; he cast a benignant look upon the mountain, which once more became adorned and peopled as before. Asked by R., Krishna explained that, in consequence of his penances, his soul became transformed into fire and repaired to Brahmán (who told it that half of the energy of Çiva would take birth as Krishna's son), and then went back; “I now ask you to tell me something that is highly wonderful, which you have heard of or seen on earth or in heaven.” R. glorified Krishna, and asked by them, Nārada described the wonderful incident on Himavat, “which was witnessed by R. on their tīrthayātrā” (XIII, 139). Bhishma said: Then R.
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Nārada, the friend of Krishna, told the following story of the discourse between Çiva and Umā: Umā-Maheçvara-saṃvāda (b) (XIII, 140-148). Bhishma said: Krishna paid honour to R., who praised Krishna, approving of what Çiva had said of him, and saying that they had told him [about the discourse of Çiva with Umā], only to please him, since he had asked them; but “there is nothing in the three worlds that is unknown to thee.” R. took leave of Krishna, promising him that he would soon get an excellent son. Krishna returned to Dvārakā. Rukmiṇī, after the tenth month, bore a son who is identified with Kāma, which exists in every creature and moves within the hearts of both gods and Asuras. Praise of Krishna = Vishnu Trivikrama = the thirty-three gods with Indra = Adideva (the first god), etc. Bhishma congratulated