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.s1.458
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.s1.458
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on his way (XIV, 81). The horse, having wandered over the whole earth, turned its face towards Hāstinapura. At Rājagṛha, the Magadha king Meghasandhi, son of Sahadeva, attacked Arjuna, who was on foot, from his chariot; Meghasandhi was worsted, but spared and told to come to the horse-sacrifice. The horse then proceeded along the sea-coast through the country of the Vaṅgas, Puṇḍras, and Koṣalas; in these countries Arjuna vanquished innumerable Mleccha armies (XIV, 82). Arjuna proceeded towards the south. The horse came to Cuktimatī, the beautiful city of the Cedis. Carabha, the son of Cicu-pāla, fought Arjuna, and then worshipped him. Then the horse came to the Kācis, Aṅgas, Koṣalas, Kirātas, and Tārganas; then to the Dācārṇas, whose ruler Citrāṅgada was vanquished by Arjuna; then to the dominions of the Niṣāda king, the son of Ekalavya, who was vanquished after a furious battle; then towards the southern ocean, where the Draviḍas, Andhras, Māhiṣakas, and Kolvagireyas (B. Kolla°) were subjugated; then to the Surāṣṭras, Gokarṇa, Prabhāsa, and Dvāravatī, where the Yādava youths were going to heat the horse, but were forbidden by King Ugrasena, who came to Arjuna with Vasudeva. Then the horse proceeded along the coast of the western ocean to the prosperous country of the five rivers; then to the Gāndhāras, where a fierce battle ensued with the Gāndhāra king, the son of Ṣakuni (XIV, 83), who wanted to avenge the slaughter of Ṣakuni; many Gāndhāras were slain;
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at last the king, disregarding Arjuna's peaceful advice, fought alone; Arjuna shot off his headgear; then he and all the Gāndhāras fled; the mother of the king and all the aged ministers came out and forbade her son to fight; Arjuna said he had spared him for the sake of Gāndhārī and Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and told him to come to the horse-sacrifice (XIV, 84). The horse then turned towards the road that led to Hāstinapura. As these tidings reached the Kuru court through the intelligence-bearers, Yudhiṣṭhira rejoiced, and on the twelfth day of the bright fortnight of Māgha, under a favourable constellation, he summoned his brothers (σ), and caused Bhīma to let learned brahmans select a beautiful spot for the sacrificial compound (description). Then Bhīma sent messengers to invite the kings of the earth; they brought gems, female slaves, horses, and weapons. All the foremost brahmans also came there with their disciples; likewise many dialecticians disputing with each other. All was made of gold. One hundred thousand brahmans were fed; many mountains of food, many large tanks of curds, and many lakes of ghee were seen there. The entire population of Jambudvīpa was collected together (XIV, 85). Yudhiṣṭhira appointed Bhīmasena to pay proper honours to the royal guests and to their attendants. Kṛṣṇa came with the Vṛṣṇis, Baladeva, etc. (τ);
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Kṛṣṇa told Yudhiṣṭhira about Arjuna (having heard it from a confidential agent of his in Dvārakā), that he had become very much emaciated, and that he was near at hand; he had warned against a carnage similar to that at the presenting of the Arghya, and he had especially recommended Babhruvāhana (XIV, 86). Yudhiṣṭhira enquired of Kṛṣṇa why Arjuna had to suffer such hardships in life; Kṛṣṇa attributes it to the elevation of Arjuna's cheek-bones; Draupadī looked angrily at Kṛṣṇa, who approved of her love. Bhīmasena, etc., became gratified with Arjuna's triumphs. A messenger announced the arrival of Arjuna, and was presented with large gifts. On the second day Arjuna entered the city (description); people said that he had surpassed even Sagara, etc. Arjuna saluted Yudhiṣṭhira, etc. (v). Babhruvāhana came with his mother and entered the abode of Kuntī (XIV, 87); Citrāṅgadā [and Ulūpī] saluted Pṛthā, etc. (φ); Babhruvāhana saluted Dhṛtarāṣṭra, etc. (χ); Kṛṣṇa gave him an excellent chariot and steeds, and the others likewise gave him presents. On the third day Vyāsa told Yudhiṣṭhira to commence the sacrifice, and to make the dakṣiṇā threefold. Yudhiṣṭhira underwent the dīkṣā. The sacrifice was duly performed (description); 300 animals were tied to the stakes in addition to the horse; this sacrifice was honoured by the presence of D.-r., G., Aps., Kp., and Ku.; there were the disciples of Vyāsa, etc. (ψ) (XIV, 88); having cooked the other animals, the priests sacrificed the horse;
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after having cut it into pieces (B. cooking), they caused Draupadī to sit near it; then the brahmans cooked its marrow; Yudhiṣṭhira and his brothers smelled the sin-destroying smoke of that marrow; the limbs (heart, tongue, breast, etc., Nil.) the sixteen ṛtvijs offered into the fire. Vyāsa and his disciples eulogised Yudhiṣṭhira, who gave 1,000 crores of golden niṣkas to the brahmans, and the whole earth as dakṣiṇā to Vyāsa; Vyāsa returned it to him, telling him to give the purchasing value instead; Yudhiṣṭhira said that the dakṣiṇā for the horse-sacrifice is the earth, and that he would enter the woods and tell them to divide it into four parts, one for each of the four principal priests (”caturhotrapramāṇataḥ; PCR. ”according to what is done in the caturhotra sacrifice”); his brothers and Draupadī approved of his words, as did also a voice in the sky; Vyāsa and Kṛṣṇa prevailed upon him to retain the earth and give away millions of golden coins, trebling the dakṣiṇā for the horse-sacrifice; no other king would be able to accomplish what Yudhiṣṭhira thus did after the manner of Marutta; Vyāsa gave the wealth (the price of the earth) to the officiating priests, in four parts, and they distributed it among the brahmans, who were also permitted to take the ornaments of gold, etc.; the remaining wealth was allotted to kṣattriyas, vaiśyas, śūdras, and Mlecchas. Vyāsa gave away his own share to Kuntī, who devoted it to various meritorious acts.
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Yudhiṣṭhira performed the final sacrificial bath, and dismissed the kings, etc. (w), with proper honours and gifts. There were oceans of wine of different kinds, etc. (description); people of different realms speak of this sacrifice to this day. Then Yudhiṣṭhira entered his capital (XIV, 89).—§ 786: Janamejaya said: Tell me of any wonderful incident that occurred in the sacrifice of my grandfather. Vaiśampāyana related how a mongoose disparaged the sacrifice: Nakulākhyāna (b); then the mongoose disappeared, and the brahmans returned home. ”Thou shouldst not think highly of sacrifice; millions of Ṛ. have ascended to Heaven with the sole aid of their penances; abstention from injury, contentment, proper conduct, sincerity, penances, self-restraint, truthfulness, and gifts are each equal in point of merit to sacrifice” (XIV, 90). Seeing that kings are given to sacrifice, M.-r. to penance, and learned brahmans to tranquillity, etc., Janamejaya cannot but think that nothing can be compared with the result of sacrifices, since Indra obtained the sovereignty over the gods by his many sacrifices; and when Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, and Arjuna resembled Indra, ”why did then that mongoose depreciate Yudhiṣṭhira’s horse-sacrifice?” Vaiśampāyana said: Formerly, when Indra was performing a sacrifice the Ṛ. felt compassion on the animals, and said to Indra that the slaughter of animals in sacrifices had not been ordained;
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according to the [true] scriptural ordinances the sacrifice should be performed with seeds of grain which had been kept for three years. As Indra did not accept their words, a great dispute arose; they referred to the Cedi king Vasu, who declared that a sacrifice may be performed with whichever of the two kinds of objects is ready; he therefore had to enter Rasātala; therefore no one should singly be relied upon, when a doubt arises, except Brahmán; gifts made by a sinful person and with wealth acquired by unrighteous means became lost; while men possessing the wealth of penances acquired great merit and proceeded to Heaven, by giving away, to the best of their ability, grains of corn, or roots, etc., or water or leaves. The same results are also won by compassion, brahmacarya, truthfulness, kindness, fortitude, and forgiveness, which are the eternal foundations of eternal righteousness; having made gifts of articles lawfully acquired, Viçvāmitra, etc. (a), have attained to high success; those amongst brahmans, kṣattriyas, vaiśyas, and śūdras, who betake themselves to penances, and who purify themselves by gifts and other acts of righteousness, proceed to Heaven (XIV, 91). Janamejaya said: If Heaven is the result of wealth acquired by lawful means, please tell me all about it; thou hast told me the great result that accrued to the brahman living by gleaning grains from his gift of powdered barley.
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Vaiçampāyana cited the old narrative of what occurred in former days at the great sacrifice of Agastya (e).—Asked by Janamejaya, Vaiçampāyana explained that the mongoose (v. Nakulākhyāna) with a golden head was Dharma, who had been cursed by P., but freed from his curse by disparaging himself in the form of Yudhiṣṭhira; ”the mongoose disappeared there in our very sight” (XIV, 92).