1108.  This is a difficult verse.  Anagatam is agama-viruddham.  The grammatical construction, as explained by the commentator, is this:  tat (tasmin or purvaslokokokte vishaya yat) anagatam tava uktam tat chintakalilam. (Twam tu) samprati iha (loke) tat (maduktam) bhutarthatattwamsarvam avapya bhuta-prabhavat santabuddhi bhava.  Bhutarthah is Brahma, and bhutaprabhavat is Brahmaiswaryat. (This is an instance of the ablative with ‘lyap’ understood).  What Bhishma wishes Yudhishthira to do is not so much to attend to the various theories about the origin of the universe but to carefully attend to the method of attaining to Brahma.  To be of tranquil heart, of course, implies the possession of a nirvrittika buddhi.

1109. i.e., they could be slain by only their equals who were engaged with them, meaning that all those warriors were very superior men.  They could not possibly be slain by others than those with whom they fought.

1110.  In the case of gods and Rishis, thinking and summoning are the same.

1111.  The commentator explains that the accusatives in the first line of verse 5 governed by hareyam in the previous verse.

1112.  A Padmaka consists of ten digits, i.e., a thousand millions or a billion according to the French method of calculation.

1113.  To lead a life in the woods with the deer and after the manner of the deer confers great merit.  Vide the story of Yayati’s daughter Madhavi in the Udyoga Parvam ante.

1114.  The commentator explains that this means that Death would attain to the status of all-pervading Brahma.  Even this is the boon that the Self-born grants her for protecting her against iniquity and allaying her fears.

1115. i.e., being freed from wrath and aversion.

1116.  Vasishtha’s work commences with the query—­What is dharmah?  The first answer is ‘anything consistent with the Srutis and the Smritis.’  Then comes Sishtacharah or the conduct of those called Sishta or the good.

1117.  However casuists may argue and moralists pretend, a lie like that of Sir Henry Lee for saving his prince from the hands of Cromwell (vide Woodstock), or like that of the goldsmith’s son, even when he was dying, for saving the prince Chevalier from the hands of his would-be captors, is excusable in the estimation of many and even meritorious according to some.  The world again is agreed that if an adulterer be called into the witness box, perjury would be a venal offence compared with the meanness of betraying the honour of a confiding woman.  Hence, the exclusion of such a witness (according to almost every system of law) in trials for adultery.  The Rishis wrote for men and not angels.  The conduct referred to is that of the good and pious.

1118.  In explaining verse 7, the commentator uses the words that I have enclosed within parenthesis.  According to him, verse 9 hath reference to the robbed thief while he goes to the king for invoking justice.