Manki,’ and so the “subject” mentioned here is instantly recognizable as the indifference (nirveda) mentioned at the end of canto 177.

178.2The tradition of King Janaka’s indifference to the burning down of Mithila is also referred to at 219.50.

178.8For this verse see 174.62.

179.2In Hindu mythology, Prahrada, or Prahlada, was king of a class of demons known as daityas, who are similar or identical to the danavas and asuras. Thus in 179.15 Aja·gara calls Prahrada “asura king,” and in 179.16 “supreme danava.” Prahrada also appears in canto 222 of the present volume.

179.6Religion (dharma), pleasure (kama) and material gain (artha) are the three aims of life in Hinduism, to which was added a fourth aim: that of moksa, liberation.

179.31Observing that snakes eat only what comes by: the word ajagara means “in the manner of a large snake.” Ganguly (1999: 16) notes that “it is believed that such snakes, without moving, lie in the same place in expectation of prey, eating when anything comes near, famishing when there is nothing.”

180.3Manki and Prahrada have already appeared, in cantos 177 and 179 respectively. Like Prahrada, Namuchi and Bali are the names of prominent demons in Hindu mythology. Namuchi was slain by Indra, Bali was humiliated by Vishnu. In the present volume both feature in important dialogues with Indra, the former in cantos 226 and the latter in cantos 223–225 and 227.

180.49He will become a jackal just like me: it is hardly likely that a disguised Indra would be made to speak of his former existence as a heretic. This statement indicates that the jackal of this dialogue was not originally thought to be Indra.

181.1Apart from a number of divergent readings, this canto is identical to csl xii.322.