Critical Edition
कर्ण उवाच दुर्योधन तव प्रज्ञा न सम्यगिति मे मतिः न ह्युपायेन ते शक्याः पाण्डवाः कुरुनन्दन
M. N. Dutt: Karna said: O Duryodhana, in my opinion your reasoning are not well-founded. O perpetuator of the Kuru race, no machinations will succeed against the Pandavas.
पूर्वमेव हि ते सूक्ष्मैरुपायैर्यतितास्त्वया निग्रहीतुं यदा वीर शकिता न तदा त्वया
M. N. Dutt: O hero, you have formerly tried to accomplish your wishes by various subtlc means, but you have not been successful in killing them.
इहैव वर्तमानास्ते समीपे तव पार्थिव अजातपक्षाः शिशवः शकिता नैव बाधितुम्
M. N. Dutt: O. king, they were then living near you, they were then mere children, they were then without allies and friends, still you could nor injure them.
जातपक्षा विदेशस्था विवृद्धाः सर्वशोऽद्य ते नोपायसाध्याः कौन्तेया ममैषा मतिरच्युत
M. N. Dutt: They are now living at a distance, they are now grown up and they are now stronger by securing allies. It is my firm belief that you will not be able to injure them now with any subtle machinations.
न च ते व्यसनैर्योक्तुं शक्या दिष्टकृता हि ते शङ्किताश्चेप्सवश्चैव पितृपैतामहं पदम्
M. N. Dutt: They are aided by Fate. When they are desirous of regaining the place of their fathers and grandfathers, we can never succeed to injure them by any means of ours.
परस्परेण भेदश्च नाधातुं तेषु शक्यते एकस्यां ये रताः पत्न्यां न भिद्यन्ते परस्परम्
M. N. Dutt: It is impossible to create disunion amongst them. They can never be disunited who have taken a common wife.
न चापि कृष्णा शक्येत तेभ्यो भेदयितुं परैः परिद्यूनान्वृतवती किमुताद्य मृजावतः
M. N. Dutt: We can never succeed in estranging Krishna (Draupadi) from them by any spies. she choose them as her husband when they were in adversity, they are now in prosperity.
ईप्सितश्च गुणः स्त्रीणामेकस्या बहुभर्तृता तं च प्राप्तवती कृष्णा न सा भेदयितुं सुखम्
M. N. Dutt: Women generally desire to have many husbands, Krishna has got it; she can never be estranged from them.
आर्यवृत्तश्च पाञ्चाल्यो न स राजा धनप्रियः न संत्यक्ष्यति कौन्तेयान्राज्यदानैरपि ध्रुवम्
M. N. Dutt: The Panchala king is honest and virtuous, he is not covetous for wealth. Even if we offer him our whole kingdom, he will certainly not abandon the sons of Kunti.
तथास्य पुत्रो गुणवाननुरक्तश्च पाण्डवान् तस्मान्नोपायसाध्यांस्तानहं मन्ये कथंचन
M. N. Dutt: His son is also well-accomplished and has become attached to the Pandavas; therefore, I think by no subtle machinations that are in your power, you will be able to injure them.
Supplementary Passages:
1.194.10 After 10, K0.2 ins.: *1962 पाण्डवान्भरतश्रेष्ठ विक्रमस्तत्र रोचताम्
इदं त्वद्य क्षमं कर्तुमस्माकं पुरुषर्षभ यावन्न कृतमूलास्ते पाण्डवेया विशां पते तावत्प्रहरणीयास्ते रोचतां तव विक्रमः
AI Translation: O best of men, it is proper for us to do this today. O lord of the earth, as long as the Pandavas have not taken root, it is proper for us to strike them. Let your valour be approved.
अस्मत्पक्षो महान्यावद्यावत्पाञ्चालको लघुः तावत्प्रहरणं तेषां क्रियतां मा विचारय
AI Translation: Our side is great, while the Panchala side is small. Until then, let them be struck, without hesitation.
वाहनानि प्रभूतानि मित्राणि बहुलानि च यावन्न तेषां गान्धारे तावदेवाशु विक्रम
M. N. Dutt: O son of Gandhari, O king, as long as their innumerable conveyances, their friends and relatives, do not gather together, so long continue to display your prowess.
यावच्च राजा पाञ्चाल्यो नोद्यमे कुरुते मनः सह पुत्रैर्महावीर्यैस्तावदेवाशु विक्रम
M. N. Dutt: O king, as long as the Panchala king with his greatly powerful son does not resolve to fight with us, so long display your prowess.
Supplementary Passages:
1.194.14 T3 G1.3.4.6 M ins. after 14: G2, after 11: *1963 सदा च वैरी द्रुपदः सततं निकृतस्त्वया यावन्न वर्धते मित्रै रोचतां तत्र विक्रमः
यावन्नायाति वार्ष्णेयः कर्षन्यादववाहिनीम् राज्यार्थे पाण्डवेयानां तावदेवाशु विक्रम
M. N. Dutt: As long as Vasudeva, Krishna, does not march with the Yadava hosts into the city of the Panchala king in order to restore the Pandavas to their kingdom, so long display your prowess.
वसूनि विविधान्भोगान्राज्यमेव च केवलम् नात्याज्यमस्ति कृष्णस्य पाण्डवार्थे महीपते
M. N. Dutt: Wealth, articles of enjoyments, kingdom, nay their is nothing which Krishna may not sacrifice for the Pandavas,
विक्रमेण मही प्राप्ता भरतेन महात्मना विक्रमेण च लोकांस्त्रीञ्जितवान्पाकशासनः
M. N. Dutt: The whole earth was acquired by the illustrious Bharata by his prowess. Indra has obtained the sovereignty of three worlds by prowess alone.
विक्रमं च प्रशंसन्ति क्षत्रियस्य विशां पते स्वको हि धर्मः शूराणां विक्रमः पार्थिवर्षभ
M. N. Dutt: O king, prowess is always admired in a Kshatriya. O best of kings, prowess is the cardinal virtue of the heroes.
ते बलेन वयं राजन्महता चतुरङ्गिणा प्रमथ्य द्रुपदं शीघ्रमानयामेह पाण्डवान्
M. N. Dutt: O king, therefore, without any further delay let us with our large army of four kinds of troops vanquish Drupada and bring here the Pandavas.
न हि साम्ना न दानेन न भेदेन च पाण्डवाः शक्याः साधयितुं तस्माद्विक्रमेणैव ताञ्जहि
M. N. Dutt: The Pandavas cannot be defeated by any policy of conciliation, of gift, of wealth, of bribery or of disunion. Therefore, vanquish them by your prowess.
तान्विक्रमेण जित्वेमामखिलां भुङ्क्ष्व मेदिनीम् नान्यमत्र प्रपश्यामि कार्योपायं जनाधिप
M. N. Dutt: O king, after defeating them by your prowess, rule over the wide world. I do not see any other means of becoming successful in our object.
वैशंपायन उवाच श्रुत्वा तु राधेयवचो धृतराष्ट्रः प्रतापवान् अभिपूज्य ततः पश्चादिदं वचनमब्रवीत्
M. N. Dutt: Vaishampayana said : Hearing what the son of Radha (Karna) said, the powerful Dhritarashtra gave him high praise and he then spoke to him thus-
उपपन्नं महाप्राज्ञे कृतास्त्रे सूतनन्दने त्वयि विक्रमसंपन्नमिदं वचनमीदृशम्
M. N. Dutt: "O son of Suta, you are gifted with great wisdom and you are highly accomplished in arms. Such words breathing the spirit of heroism are surely worthy of you.
भूय एव तु भीष्मश्च द्रोणो विदुर एव च युवां च कुरुतां बुद्धिं भवेद्या नः सुखोदया
M. N. Dutt: But let Bhishma, Drona and Vidura and also you two, consult together and then adopt that means which may lead to our good."
तत आनाय्य तान्सर्वान्मन्त्रिणः सुमहायशाः धृतराष्ट्रो महाराज मन्त्रयामास वै तदा
M. N. Dutt: Thereupon, the greatly illustrious king Dhritarashtra summoned to him all those councillors and consulted with them.