Notes N-Z
Naag
If you want to know some of the names of famous Naag read them in "Story of Maatali".
Nal
Night of Nine Hours
Mahaabhaarat has used the word "Triyaam", means Tri=three, and Yam=Yaam.
One Yaam consists of three hours. So Triyaam meens three Yaam, means nine hours.
The first hour and a half and the last hour and a half is being regarded as
twilight, and the middle part of six hours of night. Thus ancient Hindu regarded
the night of nine hours.
Note-1
There are five senses - eyes, nose, ears, tongue and skin. And their objects are
to see, to smell, to hear, to taste and speak, and to feel.
Note-2
The sense seems to be that by renouncing desires, both actions and attributes
are lost. Thus the souls is in the state of inaction, or perfect quietness and
the absence of attributes - this is exactly the nature of Supreme Being. If
emancipation is to be sought without killing one's desires - that is by the help
of work (prayers and sacrifices), it is to be attained by extinguishing path by
path - that is he has to proceed along a definite and prescribed route taking
care of the portions of the route which he has already covered are not to be covered again.
Actions
lead to the regions of bliss and emancipation, but the problem is that that state is
transitory, for when the Punya are exhausted, he has to leave those regions. He
falls off from there and restarts his actions. So if permanent emancipation is
to be attained, the process of restarting actions has to be stopped.
(back to 5-prewar, 6-vidur-neeti-5)
Note-3
We have heard that this Var was applicable only for one day, and that one day
was that day because Arjun was not there, that is why he could check those four Paandav.
(back to 6-war, 17-battle-13-1)
Note-4
Mind, as used generally in Hindu philosophy, is the seat of senses and he
feelings. Buddhi is understanding or the cognitive faculties of the Kantian school
Peace
Although Mahaabhaarat is the story of five generations, but mainly of the enmity
between Kaurav and Paandav resulting only in 18 days of war, still at all places
peace has been stressed to have at any cost - even at humiliation. Krishn left Mathuraa
because of Jaraasandh, because He did not want war with him. Vidur, Bheeshm,
Dhritraashtra all sensible people also wanted peace. Yudhishthir himself who has
suffered the most, also wanted peace even with humiliation. Only Duryodhan, Karn,
Dushaasan and Shakuni were for war - and all had their own reasons
Praayashchit
Repentance. In Praayashchit, repentance is done by passing through some
difficult situations from saying sorry or asking for forgiveness to kill
oneself, for example: fasting for a day, or fasting for a week, staying in
forest (as Paandu did), slavery to the person, etc. It is meant for purifying the soul.
Purifying Substances
There are ten substances which purify the things - five products of the cow
(milk, dung, urine) and earth, water, ashes, acids and fire. For example pots
are cleaned by ashes or water or earth; gold is cleaned by fire etc.
Ratio
It is a remarkable fact that the ratio between the diameter and circumference of
a circle was roughly known to ancient Hindu. The circumference here is three and
half times of the diameter. The next ratio is slightly less, being three and one-seventh.
Saatyaki and Bhoorishravaa
There was an ancient quarrel between the families of Saatyaki and
Bhoorishravaa. Shoorsen, the father of Vasudev and grandfather of Krishn, had a
cousin named Sinee. There was once the Swayamvar for Devakee (the sister of
Kans). Sinee went to that Swayamvar and abducted her to make her the wife of
Vasudev. At that time Somdatt was the king in Kuru House. He was very powerful. Somdatt was the
son of Baahleek (Shaantanu's brother). He resented the act of Sinee and
challenged him for fight. Sinee won. He caught Somdatt by hair and placed his foot
on his chest. This was a great insult to Kuru House. He prayed to Bhagavaan and
got a Var for a son who would do the same thing with one of the descendents of
Sinee. He got Bhoorishravaa and Saatyaki was the grandson of Sinee.
Shabd-Vedhee Vaan (Arrow)
Shooting the subject only at hearing its sound or voice, not by seeing it or him.
Shak Dweep
Probably this mythical account of Shak Dweep (of no king) is of some vague
current in ancient India of some republic of Eastern Asia or Oceanic Asia
(further east in Pacific). Hindu are accustomed to king form of government, not this.
Six Branches of Ved
Ved has six branches:
1. Shikshaa - it may be called orthoepy of the Ved - Akshar of the Ved.
Who is skilled in Shikshaa, he should be a good reader of Ved.
2. Vyaakaran,
Six-fold Requirements of the State
Peace, war, marching, halting, sowing dissensions, and defense of the kingdom by
seeking alliances and building forts etc.
Som
Som, also known as Chandramaa (Moon) is the Devtaa of all the herbal wealth of
the world. he has daughter named Jyotsanaakalee who first chose the eldest son
of aditi as her husband. Then she chose Varun's son named Pushkar.
Swayamvar
In olden days when girls grew up of marriageable age their father organized
Swayamvar for them - Swayam = self, and Var = husband, means to select a husband
herself. The king used to invite many kings and princes from various countries,
and the girl, usually carrying Varmaalaa (a garland), used to get introduction
of all candidates. Then to whoever she liked, she put the garland in his neck.
Sometimes some prince very much wanted to marry her, but she did not put her
Varmaalaa in his neck, then there could be a fight also.
Some
Swayamvar are very famous in Indian history, for example: Draupadee's Swayamvar,
Seetaa's Swayamvar, Sanyogitaa's Swayamvar (Prithvi Raaj Chauhaan had to abduct
her, because her family members did not want to marry her to him), Rukminee
Swayamvar (Krish also abducted her);
Three
Yug
[Shaanti, 44] (G-8-Shaanti/8)
Three Yug may mean here, Sat Yug, Tretaa Yug and Dwaapar Yug; or alternatively
it may mean three pairs - virtue and knowledge, renunciation and Lordship, and
prosperity and fame.
Trees
There are five species of tree: (1) Trees are such as Peepal, banyan; (2) Gulm (shrub)
such as Kush, Kasa growing from a clump underneath; (3) Creepers - all plants
growing upon the soil but requiring some support to twine around; (4) Vallee -
those that creep on the earth and live for a year only, such as the gourd,
pumpkin etc; (5) Trin - such as grass and all plants that have no stem, but only
barks and leaves.
Vaitaranee
River
According to Garud Puraan the soul has to cross this mythical river full of blood, bones,
and all kinds of dirty things before arriving to Yam Lok. This River is said to
flow in south direction. Everybody has to cross this.
Vardaan
Boon. Some good thing to be bestowed on somebody. Normally the God grants this
to living being, but sometimes human beings also have so much power that thy can
also bestow a boon. When God gives it, He gives according to the person's wishes, but
when human beings bestow this, they give it with their own wish, such as Raajaa
Shantanu gave the Ichchhaa Mrityu Vardaan to Bheeshm of his own.
Varmaalaa
This is a garland which is carried by the girl for whom the Swayamvar is
organized. To whoever she chooses as her husband, she put that Varmaalaa in his neck.
Varun
Varun is the Devtaa of waters. He has a son named Pushkar.
Wealth
see Dhan
Weapons
The science of arms (Dhanurved) classes arms under four heads: (1) Mukt, (2)
Amukt), (3) Muktaakukt, (4) Yantramukt. A Mukt weapon is that which is hurled
from the hand as a Chakra (disc); an Amukt weapon is not hurled from hand as a
sword; a Yantramukt weapon is that which is shot from a machine as an arrow or a
ball (like catapult). All Mukt weapons are called Astra, while all Amukt weapons
are called Shastra.
Weapons
Had Left
The celestial weapons are all living being who appear at the invocation of the
person who invoked them. They abandon the person whose death is near and in
spite of being invoked properly they don't appear. [6-war, 26-battle-15-2]
Besides,
these weapons are invoked by Mantra and could take any tangible shape, for
example Drone's Brahm Astra took the shape of broad-headed arrows and killed
hundreds and thousands of people just before the time of his dying.
[6-war, 26-battle-15-2]
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