on after
death. When, again, one of them dies, the joint practice of duties can no
longer take place. The other objections, urged by Yudhishthira, to the
theory of marriage being a union of the sexes for only practising
religious duties jointly, are plain.

189. The sense is that if after returning from thy journey to that region
thou claimest thy bride, thou mayst obtain her from me. Thy journey will
be a sort of trial or test to which I mean to put thee.

190. Kala-ratri is the Night that precedes the universal dissolution.

191. The commentator thinks that uttaram means the sacred north.

192. Tirtha means here a Ghat, i.e., an easy descent from the bank for
access to the water.

193. Pradhanatah is explained by the commentator to mean with foremost of
Vedic mantras.

194. Mandakini is that part of the river Ganga which flows through
Kailasa, while Nalini is a celebrated lake owned by the king of the
Yakshas, so called because of the lotuses which occur there in plenty.

195. Divya is excellent Gandharva, meaning music and dance.

196. A woman is said to destroy a family by staining it with her
unchastity.

197. Both the vernacular translators have totally misunderstood the
second line. Asyatam is explained by the commentator as tushnim
sthiyatam. Ruchitahchcchandah means chcchandah or yearning arises from
ruchi or like. What the Rishi says is, 'As yet I do not yearn after thy
company, for I do not like thee. Of course, if, after staying with thee
for some time, I begin to like thee, I may then feel a yearning for thee!'

198. Utsaditah is explained by the commentator to mean chalitah. Here,
however, I think it does not mean so.

199. The last words may also mean--'Go to thy own bed and rest by
thyself!'

200. The commentator takes the words kimivottaram bhavet to imply what
will be better for me? Shall I adhere to Vadanya's daughter or shall I
take this girl? I think this is rather far-fetched.

201. By Sakti is implied kamadidamanasamarthyam and by dhriti
purvapraptasya atyagah. The last half of the last line of verse 25 is
rendered erroneously by both the vernacular translators. Adhering to the
commentator's explanation, they add their own interpretation which is
different. This sort of jumble is very peculiar.

202. Linga means signs or indications. A Lingin is one that bears signs
and indications. Brahmanam (in both places) means one conversant with
Brahman. The first, that is, Lingin implies ei