621.  Atripyantah are men who like Yudhishthira are filled with anxiety:  as to what they should do.  Seekers after the right are so called.

622.  The five who must be first fed are the deities, the Pitris, the guests, diverse creatures included under the word Bhutus, and lastly relatives.

623.  Some texts read nabhibhavet, meaning one should never vanquish an old man (i.e., assert one’s superiority over him).

624.  In his excellent work on the Curiosities of Literature Mr. D’Israeli attempts to trace the origin of the custom of uttering a blessing on people who sneeze.  The custom seems, however, to be very ancient and widespread.  It exists to this day in India, among the Hindus at any rate, as it existed in the days of the Mahabharata.

625.  It seems that the author is of opinion that one lightens one’s sins by admissions before the wise.  To conceal a sin after having committed it proves the confirmed sinner.

626.  ‘Covered by righteousness’ implies ’if, having once tripped, the sinner restrains himself and engages to do acts of righteousness.’

627.  What is stated here is this; the condition of all living creatures is determined by their acts of this and past lives..  Nature, again, is the cause of acts.  What of felicity and misery, therefore, one sees in this world, must be ascribed to these two causes.  As regards the self also, O Yudhishthira, thou art not freed from that universal law.  Do thou, therefore, cease to cherish doubts of any kind.  If thou seest a learned man that is poor, or an ignorant man that is wealthy, if thou seest exertion failing and the absence of exertion leading to success. thou must always ascribe the result to acts and Nature.

628.  What is stated here is this; one may become righteous by accomplishing oneself righteous deeds or inducing or helping others to do them.  Similarly, one becomes unrighteous by doing oneself acts that are evil or by inducing or helping others to do them.

629.  Righteousness leads to regions of felicity.  The former is said to be eternal.  While the latter are not so.  The question asked (or doubt raised) is why is the effect not eternal when the cause is eternal?  It is explained below.

630.  There are two kinds of Righteousness, viz., nishkama and sakama.  The former leads to attainment of Brahma, the latter to heaven and felicity.  Brahma is eternal; the latter not so.  Nishkama Righteousness being eternal, leads to an eternal reward.  Sakama Righteousness not being so, does not lead to an eternal reward.  The word Kala here means Sankalpa, hence Dhruvahkalah means nishkama Dharma.

631.  Here, Calah means ‘Sankalpa’

The Mahabharata

of

Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa

BOOK 14

ASWAMEDHA PARVA

Translated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit Text