444.  That which is asamikshitam is samagram karpanyam.

445.  Nilakantha explains that vala here means patience (strength to bear) and ojas (energy) means restraints of the senses.

446.  Both the vernacular translators nave rendered the second line of verse 25 wrongly.  They seem to think that a person by setting out for any of the sacred waters from a distance of a hundred yojanas becomes cleansed.  If this meaning be accepted then no man who lives within a hundred yojanas of any of them has any chance of being cleansed.  The sense, of course, is that such is the efficacy of these tirthas that a man becomes cleansed by approaching even to a spot within a hundred yojanas of their several sites.

447.  These mantras form a part of the morning, noon and evening prayer of every Brahmana.  Aghamarshana was a Vedic Rishi of great sanctity.

448.  In the first line of 26 the correct reading is Kutah not Kritah as adopted by the Burdwan translators.

449. i.e., beasts and birds.  The vernacular translators wrongly render it—­’Behold the affection that is cherished by those that are good towards even the beasts and birds!’

450.  The correct reading is Murtina (as in the Bombay text) and not Mrityuna.  The Burdwan version adopts the incorrect reading.

451.  The allusion is to the story of Rama having restored a dead Brahmana boy.  During Rama’s righteous reign there were no premature deaths in his kingdom.  It happened, however, one day that a Brahmana father came to Rama’s court and complained of the premature death of his son.  Rama instantly began to enquire after the cause.  Some sinful act in some corner of the kingdom, it was suspected, had caused the deed.  Soon enough Rama discovered a Sudra of the name of Samvuka engaged in the heart of a deep forest in ascetic penances.  The king instantly cut off the man’s head inasmuch as a Sudra by birth had no right to do what that man was doing.  As soon as righteousness was upheld, the deceased Brahmana boy revived. (Ramayana, Uttarakandam).

452.  Literally, ‘by giving up their own bodies’.

453. i.e., he is sure to come back to life.

454.  The word sramana is used in Brahmanical literature to signify a certain order of ascetics or yatis that have renounced work for meditation.  It is also frequently employed to mean a person of low life or profession.  It should be noted, however, that in Buddhistic literature the word came to be exclusively used for Buddhist monks.

455.  This is how Nilakantha seems to explain the line, Bhishma is anxious about the effect of his instructions.  He says that those instructions would bear fruit if the gods will it; otherwise, his words would go for nothing, however carefully he might speak.

456.  The commentator explains that including the first, altogether 12 questions are put by Yudhishthira.

457.  This is an answer to the first question viz., the general aspect of ignorance.