Mahabharata

[g.v.simson at easteur-orient.uio.no]

Are not most of your questions answered by NIlakaNTha in his commentary? He
has a lot to say about these things. Or do you not trust him?

Best wishes,

Georg v.Simson

Ferrini's question was:

>        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"