Versions of description of Arjun's Matsya Vedha in Mahabharata

[Margie Parikh]

Namaste!

I am interested in using the description of Matsya Vedha by Arjun at Draupadi's Swayamvara for my research on a framework of designing organizations.

From my childhood I remembered stories confirming one version, which lists the following conditions:

1. A pool of water

2. A tall pole

3. A scale suspended high on that pole

4. Rotating fish on top of the pole

5. Climbing the pole with bow and arrow, and balancing self on the scale

6. Looking into the water below for aiming

7. Hitting the fish

However, the critical edition of Mahabharata published by the Bhandarkar institute has a sparse version, where the essential conditions are:

1. Pole with rotating target

2. Hitting the target with arrow.

My question is, is the 'popular' version with climbing and balancing an 'authentic' version? What is its source? 

How many versions of Matsyavedha are there?

I thank you in advance for your guidance and sharing of references.

Pranam,

margie parikh

[Hnbhat B.R.]

.

The answer for the last question is that it may be as many as the versions of Mahabharata itself as recorded in the Critical Apparatus.

For being authentic, you have to do some research. Critical Edition accepts the least common verses in all the versions.

I have heard only the the shooting of moving object (matsya) by seeing its reflection is described in Mahabharata. I have not seen other versions as I have read the abridged version of Mahabharata in my childhoold and I never bothered about the technical details of Matsyavedhayanta or its construction.