.

186. The abode of Vaisravana is called Alaka. Vaisravana is, of course,
Kuvera, the lord of treasures, friend of Mahadeva, and chief of the
Yakshas.

187. The last line is slightly expanded.

188. The sense is this: thou art the eldest brother of the Pandavas; if
thou sacrificest, thy brothers also will come to be regarded as
sacrificing with thee.

189. Sphya was a wooden sword or scimitar, used for slaying the
sacrificial animal. Kurcha is a handful of Kusa grass. All these things
are directed by Vyasa to be made of pure gold.

190. It will be remembered that the Samsaptaka host which had engaged
Arjuna for several days on the field of Kurukshetra, all consisted of
Trigarta warriors led by their king Susarman, Samsaptaka means 'sworn'.
Those soldiers who took the oath that they would either conquer or die,
wore called by that name.

191. The reading in every edition seems to be vicious. For obvious
reasons, I read Parthadupadravat instead of Parthamupadravat.

192. Bhagadatta was the friend of Indra, the father of Arjuna.

193. The allusion is to Mahadeva's pursuing Sacrifice when the latter
fled from him in the form of a deer.

194. The Brahmanas were to receive Arjuna duly and the treasure was
intended as a present or offering of respect.

195. Ulupi was one of the wives of Arjuna. She was, therefore, the
step-mother of Vabhruvahana.

196. Yahubharyyata, meaning polygamy in the first line, should, as the
noun of reference for Eshah be taken as vahunam bharyyata, i.e.,
polyandry, in the second line.

197. To sit in Praya is to remain seated in a particular spot, abstaining
from food and drink with a view to cast off one's life-breaths.

198. The sense is, that 'grief does not kill; one does not die till one's
hour comes. If it were otherwise, I would have died, so heavy is the load
of my affliction.'

199. The name of the city was Suktimati.

200. The etymology of Gudakesa as the lord of Gudaka or sleep, is
fanciful.

201. Sakuni was the maternal uncle of Duryodhana and, therefore, of
Arjuna also. Sakuni's son and Arjuna, hence, were cousins.

202. The word chara does not mean always a spy. The ancient kings of
India had their spies it is true, but they had a regular intelligence
department. It was the business of these men to send correct reports to
the king of every important occurrence. The news letter-writers of the
Mussalman time, or Harkaras, were the successors of the charas of Hindu