20. Krita-krita--Nilakantha explains this to mean ‘imagining themselves to have achieved success in their mission’ for having learnt of Kichaka’s death, they could readily guess the presence of the Pandavas there. This is too far-fetched and does not at all agree with the spirit of their report to Duryodhana below. And then the same word occurs in the very last line of the Section. I take it that in both places the word has been used in the same sense. 21. This is a very difficult sloka. I am not sure that I have understood it alright. Both Nilakantha and Arjuna Misra are silent. Instead of depending, however, on my own intelligence, I have consulted several friends who have read the Mahabharata thoroughly. The grammatical structure is easy. The only difficulty consists in the second half of the sloka. The meaning, however, I have given is consistent with the tenor of Bhishma’s advice. 22. Indicating the unobstructed completion of the sacrifice. 23. The word tirtha here means, as Nilakantha rightly explains spies and not holy spots. 24. Satram is explained by Nilakantha to mean here ‘false disguise.’ I think, however, such an interpretation to be far-fetched. It evidently means ‘forest’,--the use of ‘pravisteshu’ in connection with it almost settles the point. 25. This sloka is not correctly printed in any of the texts that I have seen. The reading that I adopt is that the second word is the participle of the root budh and not the instrumental of budhi; the last word again of the second line is a compound of valavatsu and avaleshu instead of (as printed in many books) valavatswavaleshu. Any other reading would certainly be incorrect. I have not consulted the Bombay text. 26. Bhagasas lit., each in its proper place. It may also mean, ‘according to their respective division.’ 27. Kalyana-patalam is explained by Nilakantha to mean suvarna pattachchaditam. 28. One of the generals of Virata. 29. Some differences of reading are noticeable here, for Yasaswinau some texts read Manaswinau, and for Vahusamravdhau--Vahusanrambhat; and for Nakha-naki--Ratha-rathi. 30. Some texts read Ghanabiva for Ghanarva. The latter is unquestionably better in form. 31. The word in the original is Muhurta equal to 48 minutes. Nilakantha points out very ingeniously that the night being the seventh of the dark fortnight, the moon would not rise till after 14 Dandas from the hour of sunset, a Danda being equal to 24 minutes. A Muhurta, therefore implies not 48 minutes exactly, but some time. 32. Some Vikshyainam, Nilakantha explains Sama as a word spoken by Bhima for assuring the captive Virata, and Vikshya as ‘assuring’ or ‘consoling by a glance.’ Perhaps this is right. 33. The adjective Bhima-sankasas as explained by Nilakantha is in this sense, quoting the celebrated simile of Valmiki.