174.  Once Brahma asked Surabhi to bear evidence before Vishnu to the statement that Brahma has seen the foremost part of Siva.  Surabhi having given false evidence out of fear for Brahma was cursed by Siva that her offspring will eat unholy substances.

175.  Uma is another name for Brahmavidya.

176.  Falling from the celestial regions, the river Ganga was held by Mahadeva on his head, among his matted locks.  At the earnest solicitations of King Bhagiratha he gave her out so that flowing along the surface of the Earth she met the ocean, first passing over the spot where the ashes of Bhagiratha’s ancestors, the sixty thousand sons of king Sagara of the solar race, lay.

177.  This form is called Hara-Gauri, as explained before.

178.  Some texts read Pritatma, implying one of contented soul.  The reading noticed by the commentator is Pitatma, meaning gold-complexioned.  The Burdwan translator takes Pritatma as one name.  This is not correct.

179.  Mahadeva is represented as possessed of five heads, four on four sides and one above.

180.  Amritogovrisherwarah is one name.

181.  These are names for different portions of time.

182.  The Srutis declare that Fire is his head, the Sun and the Moon are his eyes, etc.

183.  Mahadeva has an image in the country of the Kalingas that is called Vyaghreswara.

184.  Kantah is thus explained.  Kasya Sukhasya antah sima.

185.  Undivided, i.e., having nothing else for its object, Sarva-bhavatah is bhagvat.  The sense is that unless one becomes conversant with all the modes of worshipping Bhava, i.e., in thought, word and deed, and unless one has special good luck, one cannot have such devotion to Bhava.

186.  There are numerous instances of the gods having become alarmed at the penances of men and done their best to nullify those penances by despatching celestial nymphs for attracting them of carnal pleasures.

187.  I expand this verse a little for bringing out the sense clearly.

188.  The subject propounded by Yudhishthira is this:  marriage is always spoken of as a union of the sexes for practising all religious duties together.  The king asks, how can this be.  Marriage, as seems to him, is a union sought for pleasure.  If it be said that the two individuals married together are married for practising religious duties jointly, such practice is suspended by death.  Persons act differently and attain to different ends.  There is, therefore, no prospect of a reunion 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.