242.  Pavatam may also mean “of those that have motion.”  Rama is Dasaratha’s son, the hero of Valmiki’s poem.  Ganga is called Jahnavi because she was, after having been drunk up, let out by the ascetic Jahnu through his knee.

243.  Mr. Davies renders Vedas ‘Pravadatam’ as “the speech of those that speak.”  K. T. Telang renders it “the argument of controversialists.”

244.  A, or rather the sound of A as in full, is the initial letter of the Sanskrit alphabet.  Of compounds, the Dwanda, or the copulative compound, is enumerated first.  In other respects again, the Dwanda is the best kind of compound for the words forming it are co-ordinate, without one being dependent on the other or others.

245.  The Vrihat-saman is said to be the best, because it leads to emancipation at once.  Thus Sankara.  The Margasirsha is the month from the middle of February to the middle of March.  Productive of flowers, i.e., the Spring.

246.  Mr. Davies renders the last line of this verse as “I have established in continuance all this universe by one part myself.”  This is both obscure and inaccurate.

247.  Adhyatman, i.e., the relation between the Supreme and the individual soul.  This my delusion, i.e., about my being the slayer.

248.  Avyayam is that which has no decay.  Ordinarily, it may be rendered “eternal.”  Telang renders it “inexhaustible”.  Elsewhere I have rendered it as “understanding.”

249.  Ekastham, lit. “all in one”. i.e., collected together.

250.  Devam is explained by Sreedhara as Dyotanatmakam i.e., endued with splendour.  Mr. Davies renders it resplendent; but Telang renders it “deity.”

251.  Pra-vibhaktam-anekadha (divided diversely) is an adjective of Jagat.  See Sreedhara.  Both Mr. Davies and Telang seem to take it as a predicate in contra-distinction to Ekastham.  This is scarcely correct.

252.  Verse 21 is read differently.  For Twam Surasangha, some texts read twa-Asurasanghas.  Then again for Stuvanti in the second line some read Vikshate.

253.  Pravritti is explained by both Sankara and Sreedhara as Chesta, i.e., movements or acts.  Mr. Davies is, I think, not correct in taking it to mean “evolved or developed form.”

254.  Kala here is death.  Mr. Davies renders it Time, following some other translators.  Pravriddha is not (as Mr. Davies renders it) “old” or “very old,” but swelling or fully developed.  Then again, Mr. Davies commits a ludicrous blunder in rendering Rite twam as “Except thee.”  This is one of those idioms at which a foreigner is sure to stumble who has only the lexicons for his guide.  What Krishna says is not that all would perish save Arjuna, but that without Arjuna (i.e., even if he did not fight) all would perish.

255.  Nidhanam is either refuge or support or abode or receptacle.  Mr. Davies incorrectly renders it “treasure-house.”