Sri Aurobindo
The Harmony of Virtue
Early Cultural Writings — 1890-1910
Valmiki and Vyasa. Notes on 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.
1. Kurupravīrāḥ... svapakṣāḥ — 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. Vṛddhau — This supplies the reason of their pre-eminence.
5. Pradyumna-sāmbau ca yudhi pravīrau. This establishes Pradyumna and Samba as historical sons of Krishna.
Virāṭaputraiśca — Virata has therefore several sons, three at least.
कृत्वा विवाहं तु कुरुप्रवीरास्तदाऽभिमन्योर्मुदिताः सपक्षाः ।
विश्रम्य रात्रावुषसि प्रतीताः सभां विराटस्य ततोऽभिजग्मुः ॥ १ ॥
kṛtvā vivāhaṃ tu kurupravīrāstadā'bhimanyormuditāḥ sapakṣāḥ
viśramya rātrāvuṣasi pratītāḥ sabhāṃ virāṭasya tato'bhijagmuḥ
सभा तु सा मत्स्यपतेः समृद्धा मणिप्रवेकोत्तमरत्नचित्रा ।
न्यस्तासना माल्यवती सुगन्धा तामभ्ययुस्ते नरराजवर्याः ॥ २ ॥
sabhā tu sā matsyapateḥ samṛddhā maṇipravekottamaratnacitrā
nyastāsanā mālyavatī sugandhā tāmabhyayuste nararājavaryāḥ
अथासनान्याविशतां पुरस्तादुभौ विराटद्रुपदौ नरेन्द्रौ ।
वृद्धौ च मान्यौ पृथिवीपतीनां पित्रा समं रामजनार्दनौ च ॥ ३ ॥
athāsanānyāviśatāṃ purastādubhau virāṭadrupadau narendrau
vṛddhau ca mānyau pṛthivīpatīnāṃ pitrā samaṃ rāmajanārdanau ca
पाञ्चालराजस्य समीपतस्तु शिनिप्रवीरः सहरौहिणेयः ।
मत्स्यस्य राज्ञस्तु सुसन्निकृष्टौ जनार्दनश्चैव युधिष्ठिरश्च ॥ ४ ॥
pāñcālarājasya samīpatastu śinipravīraḥ saharauhiṇeyaḥ
matsyasya rājñastu susannikṛṣṭau janārdanaścaiva yudhiṣṭhiraśca
सुताश्च सर्वे द्रुपदस्य राज्ञो भीमार्जुनौ माद्रवतीसुतौ च ।
प्रद्युम्नसाम्बौ च युधि प्रवीरौ विराटपुत्रैश्च सहाभिमन्युः ॥ ५ ॥
sutāśca sarve drupadasya rājño bhīmārjunau mādravatīsutau ca
pradyumnasāmbau ca yudhi pravīrau virāṭaputraiśca sahābhimanyuḥ
सर्वे च शूराः पितृभिः समाना वीर्येण रुपेण बलेन चैव ।
उपाविशन्द्रौपदेयाः कुमाराः सुवर्णचित्रेषु वरासनेषु ॥ ६ ॥
sarve ca śūrāḥ pitṛbhiḥ samānā vīryeṇa rūpeṇa balena caiva
upāviśandraupadeyāḥ kumārāḥ suvarṇacitreṣu varāsaneṣu
तथोपविष्टेषु महारथेषु विराजमानाभरणाम्बरेषु ।
रराज सा राजवती समृद्धा ग्रहैरिव द्यौर्विमलैरुपेता ॥ ७ ॥
tathopaviṣṭeṣu mahāratheṣu virājamānābharaṇāmbareṣu
rarāja sā rājavatī samṛddhā grahairiva dyaurvimalairupetā
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 the2 purpose. The assonance rarāja sā rājavatī is an epic assonance altogether uncommon in Vyasa and due evidently to the influence of Valmiki3.
8. Strong, brief and illumining strokes of description which add to the naturalness of the scene4, tataḥ kathāste samavāyayuktāḥ: while also adding a touch that reveals the inwardness of the situation:
kṛtvā vicitrāḥ puruṣa-pravīrāḥ,
Tasthurmuhūrtaṃ paricintayantaḥ kṛṣṇaṃ nṛpāste samudīkṣamāṇāḥ.
9. Saṃghaṭṭitāḥ — 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 around5 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 those6 lion-kings assembled by the den7 of Madhou8 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. Yudhishthira9 is sitting just by Krishna separated by Virata10.
ततः कथास्ते समवाययुक्ताः कृत्वा विचित्राः पुरुषप्रवीराः ।
तस्थुर्मुहूर्त्तं परिचिन्तयन्तः कृष्णं नृपास्ते समुदीक्षमाणाः ॥८॥
tataḥ kathāste samavāyayuktāḥ kṛtvā vicitrāḥ puruṣapravīrāḥ
tasthurmuhūrttaṃ paricintayantaḥ kṛṣṇaṃ nṛpāste samudīkṣamāṇāḥ
कथान्तमासाद्य च माधवेन संघट्टिताः पाण्डवकार्यहेतोः ।
ते राजसिंहाः सहिता ह्यशृण्वन्वाक्यं महार्थं सुमहोदयं च ॥९॥
kathāntamāsādya ca mādhavena saṃghaṭṭitāḥ pāṇḍavakāryahetoḥ
te rājasiṃhāḥ sahitā hyaśṛṇvanvākyaṃ mahārthaṃ sumahodayaṃ ca
सर्वैर् भवद्भिर्विदितं यथाऽयं युधिष्ठिरः सौबलेनाक्षवत्याम् ।
जितो निकृत्याऽपहृतं च राज्यं वनप्रवासे समयः कृतश्च ॥१०॥
sarvair bhavadbhirviditaṃ yathā'yaṃ yudhiṣṭhiraḥ saubalenākṣavatyām
jito nikṛtyā'pahṛtaṃ ca rājyaṃ vanapravāse samayaḥ kṛtaśca
11. Tarasā — taras expresses any swift, violent and impetuous act, anything that has the momentum of strength and impulse or fire and energy.
Satyarathaiḥ — This is a word of doubtful import; it may mean “of unerring chariots”, i.e. skilful fighters, or else “honourable fighters”, rathaḥ being used as in mahārathaḥ, adhirathaḥ fighter in a chariot. Cf. satyaparākramaḥ. 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 sthitaiḥ, according to another version.]
12. Trayodaśaścaiva, — agreeing with Samvatsara which the mind supplies from varṣāṇi in the last line and Virvatsa has to be supplied from Chirnam. This is the true Vyasa style.
Niviṣṭa — niviś: to abide. This sense though not given in Apte may be deduced from niveśaḥ: 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
शक्तैर्विजेतुं तरसा महीं च सत्ये स्थितैः सत्यरथैर्ययथावत् ।
पाण्डोः सुतैस्तद् व्रतमुग्ररुपं वर्षाणि षट् सप्त च चीर्णमग्र्यैः ॥११॥
śaktairvijetuṃ tarasā mahīṃ ca satye sthitaiḥ satyarathairyayathāvat
pāṇḍoḥ sutaistad vratamugrarūpaṃ varṣāṇi ṣaṭ sapta ca cīrṇamagryaiḥ
त्रयोदशश्चैव सुदस्तरोऽयमज्ञायमानैर्भवतां समीपे ।
क्लेशानसह्यान्विविधान्सहद्भिर्महात्मभिश्चापि वने निविष्टम् ॥१२॥
trayodaśaścaiva sudustaro'yamajñāyamānairbhavatāṃ samīpe
kleśānasahyānvividhānsahadbhirmahātmabhiścāpi vane niviṣṭam
एतैः परप्रेष्यनियोगयुक्तैरिच्छद्भिराप्तं स्वकुलेन राज्यम् ।
एवं गते धर्मसुतस्य राज्ञो दुर्योधनस्यापि च यद्धितं स्यात् ॥१३॥
etaiḥ parapreṣyaniyogayuktairicchadbhirāptaṃ svakulena rājyam
evaṃ gate dharmasutasya rājño duryodhanasyāpi ca yaddhitaṃ syāt
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 Matsyas11 and Panchalas who were bent on war as the only means of overthrowing the Kuru domination.
14. Krishna's
testimony to Yudhishthira’s12 character is here of great importance.
Adharmayuktaṃ na ca kāmayeta rājyaṃ surāṇāmapi dharmarājaḥ.
Dharmārthayuktaṃ tu mahīpatitvaṃ grāme'pi kasmimścidayaṃ bubhūṣet.
That Yudhishthira13 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.
bubhūṣet — desiderative of bhū in the sense of “get, obtain”, “would aspire after”14.
15. Mithyopacāreṇa — by fraudulent procedure15.
16.16 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.
तच्चिन्तयध्वं कुरुपाण्डवानां धर्म्यं च युक्तं च यशस्करं च ।
अधर्मयुक्तं न च कामयेत राज्यं सुराणामपि धर्मराजः ॥१४॥
taccintayadhvaṃ kurupāṇḍavānāṃ dharmyaṃ ca yuktaṃ ca yaśaskaraṃ ca
adharmayuktaṃ na ca kāmayeta rājyaṃ surāṇāmapi dharmarājaḥ
धर्मार्थयुक्तं तु महीपतित्वं ग्रमेऽपि कस्मिंश्चिदयं बुभूषेत् ।
पित्र्यं हि राज्यं विदितं नृपाणां यथाऽपकृष्टं धृतराष्ट्रपुत्रैः ॥१५॥
dharmārthayuktaṃ tu mahīpatitvaṃ grāme'pi kasmiṃścidayaṃ bubhūṣet
pitryaṃ hi rājyaṃ viditaṃ nṛpāṇāṃ yathā'pakṛṣṭaṃ dhṛtarāṣṭraputraiḥ
मिथ्योपचारेण यथा ह्यनेन कृच्छ्रं महत्प्राप्तमसह्यरुपम् ।
न चापि पार्थो विजितो रणे तैः स्वतेजसा धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्रैः ॥१६॥
mithyopacāreṇa yathā hyanena kṛcchraṃ mahatprāptamasahyarūpam
na cāpi pārtho vijito raṇe taiḥ svatejasā dhṛtarāṣṭrasya putraiḥ
17. Prapīḍya [nipiḍya — another version] by force, pressure; as a result of conquest in open battle.
This seems to point to the Vijayaparva17; but the reference is general and may apply to the Rajasuya generally.
18. Tu — The force is “but you know what the Dhartarashtras18 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”.
Bālāstvime — An allusion to the early persecution of the Pandavas by Duryodhana. If we accept this Parva19 in its completeness, we must accept the genuineness in the main of the early narrative of the Adiparva20 in so far as it is covered by the21 Sloka. Notice especially vividhairupāyaiḥ.
22. Tathāpi — for all their good will. It is part of the inverted commas implied in iti.
तथाऽपि राजा सहितः सुहृद्भिरभीप्सतेऽनामयमेव तेषाम् ।
यत्तु स्वयं पाण्डुसुतैर्विजित्य समाहृतं भूमिपतीन्प्रपीड्य ॥१७॥
tathā'pi rājā sahitaḥ suhṛdbhirabhīpsate'nāmayameva teṣām
yattu svayaṃ pāṇḍusutairvijitya samāhṛtaṃ bhūmipatīnprapīḍya
तत्प्रार्थयन्ते पुरुषप्रवीराः कुन्तीसुता माद्रवतीसुतौ च ।
बालास्त्विमे तैर्विविधैरुपायैः सम्प्रार्थिता हन्तुममित्रसङ्घैः ॥१८॥
tatprārthayante puruṣapravīrāḥ kuntīsutā mādravatīsutau ca
bālāstvime tairvividhairupāyaiḥ samprārthitā hantumamitrasaňghaiḥ
राज्यं जिहीर्षद्भिरसद्भिरुग्रैः सर्वं च तद्वो विदितं यथावत् ।
तेषां च लोभं प्रसमीक्ष्य वृद्धं धर्मज्ञतां चापि युधिष्ठिरस्य ॥१९॥
rājyaṃ jihīrṣadbhirasadbhirugraiḥ sarvaṃ ca tadvo viditaṃ yathāvat
teṣāṃ ca lobhaṃ prasamīkṣya vṛddhaṃ dharmajñatāṃ cāpi yudhiṣṭhirasya
संबन्धितां चापि समीक्ष्य तेषां मतिं कुरुध्वं सहिताः पृथक्च ।
इमे च सत्येऽभिरताः सदैव तं पालयित्वा समयं यथावत् ॥२०॥
saṃbandhitāṃ cāpi samīkṣya teṣāṃ matiṃ kurudhvaṃ sahitāḥ pṛthakca
ime ca satye'bhiratāḥ sadaiva taṃ pālayitvā samayaṃ yathāvat
अतोऽन्यथा तैरुपचर्यमाणा हन्युः समेतान्धृतराष्ट्रपुत्रान् ।
तैर्विप्रकारं च निशम्य कार्यं सुहृज्जनास्तान्परिवारयेयुः ॥२१॥
ato'nyathā tairupacaryamāṇā hanyuḥ sametāndhṛtarāṣṭraputrān
tairviprakāraṃ ca niśamya kāryaṃ suhṛjjanāstānparivārayeyuḥ
युद्धेन बाधेयुरिमांस्तथैवं तैर्बाध्यमाना युधितांश्च हन्युः ।
तथाऽपि नेमेऽल्पतयाऽसमर्थास्तेषां जयायेति भवेन्मतिर्वः ॥२२॥
yuddhena bādheyurimāṃstathaivaṃ tairbādhyamānā yudhitāṃśca hanyuḥ
tathā'pi neme'lpatayā'samarthāsteṣāṃ jayāyeti bhavenmatirvaḥ
yateyur eva — would at least do their utmost.
23. yathāvat — definitely; though they may form a shrewd guess.
24. 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).
mahābhārate, udyogaparvaṇi, senodyogaparvaṇi, purohitayāne1 prathamo'dhyāyaḥ
Purohitāyane — 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 Kurus22 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 Kurus23
*
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 Sabhaparva24; firm and precise in outlook and sure of its own drift, it is yet full of an admirable and disinterested25 statesmanlike broadmindedness.
समेत्य सर्वे सहिताः सुहृद्भिस्तेषां विनाशाय यतेयुरेव ।
दुर्योधनस्यापि मतं यथावन्न ज्ञायते किं नु करिष्यतीति ॥२३॥
sametya sarve sahitāḥ suhṛdbhisteṣāṃ vināśāya yateyureva
duryodhanasyāpi mataṃ yathāvanna jñāyate kiṃ nu kariṣyatīti
अज्ञायमाने च मते परस्य मन्त्रस्य पारं कथमभ्युपेमः ।
तस्मादितो गच्छतु धर्मशीलः शुचिः कुलीनः पुरुषोऽप्रमत्तः ॥२४॥
ajñāyamāne ca mate parasya mantrasya pāraṃ kathamabhyupemaḥ
tasmādito gacchatu dharmaśīlaḥ śuciḥ kulīnaḥ puruṣo'pramattaḥ
दूतः समर्थः प्रशमाय तेषां राज्यार्धदानाय य़ुधिष्ठिरस्य ।
निशम्य वाक्यं तु जनार्दनस्य धर्मार्थयुक्तं मधुरं समं च ।
समाददे वाक्यमथाग्रजोऽस्य संपूज्य वाक्यं तदतीव राजन् ॥२५॥
dūtaḥ samarthaḥ praśamāya teṣāṃ rājyārdhadānāya yudhiṣṭhirasya
niśamya vākyaṃ tu janārdanasya dharmārthayuktaṃ madhuraṃ samaṃ ca
samādade vākyamathāgrajo'sya saṃpūjya vākyaṃ tadatīva rājan
महाभारते, उद्योगपर्वणि, सेनोद्योगपर्वणि, पुरोहितयाने प्रथमोऽध्यायः॥
mahābhārate, udyogaparvaṇi, senodyogaparvaṇi, purohitayāne1 prathamo'dhyāyaḥ
Divyamānaḥ pratidevanena — Can this not mean “being challenged to dice placed26 against Saubala or in acceptance of the challenge”, or must it mean “gambled and that against Saubala”?
उत्सृज्य तान् सौबलमेव चायं समाह्वयत् तेन जितोऽक्षवत्याम् ।
स दीव्यमानः प्रतिदेवनेन अक्षेषु नित्यं तु पराङ्मुखेषु ॥११॥
utsṛjya tān saubalameva cāyaṃ samāhvayat tena jito'kṣavatyām
sa dīvyamānaḥ pratidevanena akṣeṣu nityaṃ tu parāňmukheṣu
Later edition of this work: The Complete Works of Sri Aurobindo.- Set in 37 volumes.- Volume 1.- Early Cultural Writings (1890 — 1910).- Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, 2003.- 784 p.
1 2003 ed.: Udyogapurva
2 2003 ed.: its
3 2003 ed.: Valmekie
4 2003 ed.: scene e.g.
5 2003 ed.: round
6 2003 ed.: talk, those
7 2003 ed.: Son
8 2003 ed.: Modhou
9 2003 ed.: Yudhisthere
10 2003 ed.: by him [from] Virata. अक्षवती not given by Apte
11 2003 ed.: Mutsyas
12 2003 ed.: Yudhisthere’s
13 2003 ed.: Yudhisthere
14 2003 ed.: would wish to obtain, in the second sense of bhū get, obtain.
15 2003 ed.: by dishonest procedure; not in accordance with straightforward and chivalrous rules of conduct.
16 Numeration (Nos 15-23) in this edition was corrwcted according to the original text of Udyogaparva and edition of 2003 year.
17 2003 ed.: Digvijayapurva
18 2003 ed.: Dhartarastras
19 2003 ed.: purva
20 2003 ed.: Adi Purva
21 2003 ed.: this
22 In this edition this text wes placed at footnotes, but in this file all this paragraph is given as in edition of 2003 year.
23 In this edition this piece of text was placed at point No 18 after words various means but moved in this file at this place according to the edition of 2003 year.
24 2003 ed.: Sabhapurva
25 2003 ed.: admirably disinterested
26 2003 ed.: played
