Mahabharata

[Ferrini]

        Dear Indologists,
        We are working on a translation of the Mahabharata into Italian and
in the Sabha-parvan, chapters 5,11 and 35, we had difficulty understanding the
cultural and technical meaning of some terms.
       Since we are adding footnotes for such terms, we would greatly
appreciate any elucidation concerning these points along with your sources
i.e: title, page, author, publisher,etc.
        Thank-you for your kind attention and any information you can offer
on this matter.
        Sincerely,
        Marco Ferrini


SP 5
Dialogue between Devarshi Naarada Muni and Mahaaraaja Yudhishthira:

        -shloka 8/12 "O sinless one, do you employ the six qualities of
kings, and
thus study the seven means of policy, analyzing the fourteen areas of
strength and weakness?"

        - Footnote "the six qualities of kings".
        - Footnote "the seven means of policy".
        - Footnote "the fourteen areas of strenght and weakness".

        - shloka 12/16 "Honestly examining yourself and others, do you keep
peace and
attend to the eight kinds of work, O Bhaarata? O Bhaarata leader, do you
see that your six kinds of advisers are neither deprived of nor corrupted
by wealth, and that they are truly loyal to you in all respects?"

        - Footnote "the eight kinds of works"
        - Footnote "six kinds of advisers"

        -shloka 52/56 "Is your army, equipped with the eight elements and
the four
kinds of strength, well led by your best fighters, and does it push back
those who oppose you? "

        - Footnote "eight elements"
        - Footnote "four kinds of strenght"

        -shloka 68/72 "Are the five duties carefully discharged by five wise
men of
selfless deeds, and do they work together, O King, to bring safety to your
nation?


        - Footnote "the five duties"

        - shloka 72/76 "O lord of earth, having slept at night for the first two
periods (yaamas) of three hours each, do you then arise in the final
three-hour period, and deeply ponder your religious and practical duties? "

        - Footnote "the first two periods (yaamas) of three hours each"

shloka 80/84 "Do physicians expert in the eight branches of medicine, true
and devoted friends, ever attend to the well-being of your body?"

        - Footnote "the eight branches of medicine"


        SP 11
        -  shloka 20/24 "Mantra, Rathantara, Harimaan, and Vasumaan, the
aadityas,
with their overlord, and those called by various double names"

- Footnote "various double names"; In sscr. naanaadvamdvair

        - shloka 28 "The years, the five-year cycles, the four kinds of days and
nights, and the divine wheel of time, which is eternal, indestructible and
inexhaustible"

        - Footnote "the five-year cycles"
        - Footnote "the four kinds of days and nights"; in sscr.
ahoraatraashcaturvidhaah

        SP 35
        - shloka 24 "Intelligence, mind, the mighty wind, fire, water, sky,
and all
that is earth - the entire four-fould existence  is situated in Krshna".

        - Footnote "four-fould existence"