Critical Edition
वैशंपायन उवाच विदुरस्य तु तद्वाक्यं निशम्य कुरुसत्तमः पुत्रशोकाभिसंतप्तः पपात भुवि मूर्छितः
M. N. Dutt: Vaishampayana said “After hearting the words of Vidura, the chief of the Kurus, stricken with grief on account of the death of his sons, dropped down senseless on the Earth.
तं तथा पतितं भूमौ निःसंज्ञं प्रेक्ष्य बान्धवाः कृष्णद्वैपायनश्चैव क्षत्ता च विदुरस्तथा
AI Translation: Seeing him fallen on the ground unconscious, his relatives and Krishna Dvaipāyana, and Kshātriya and Vidura also,
संजयः सुहृदश्चान्ये द्वाःस्था ये चास्य संमताः जलेन सुखशीतेन तालवृन्तैश्च भारत
AI Translation: and other well-wishers, and the doorkeepers who were his favourites, with cool water and fans of palm leaves, O descendant of Bharata.
पस्पृशुश्च करैर्गात्रं वीजमानाश्च यत्नतः अन्वासन्सुचिरं कालं धृतराष्ट्रं तथागतम्
AI Translation: They touched his body with their hands, and tried to revive him. They followed him for a long time, as he went.
अथ दीर्घस्य कालस्य लब्धसंज्ञो महीपतिः विललाप चिरं कालं पुत्राधिभिरभिप्लुतः
M. N. Dutt: Regaining his senses, after a long time the monarch, wept for a long time, overwhelmed with grief on account of the death of his sons.
धिगस्तु खलु मानुष्यं मानुष्ये च परिग्रहम् यतोमूलानि दुःखानि संभवन्ति मुहुर्मुहुः
M. N. Dutt: He said:-'Fie on the humanity. Fie out the human body. The miseries that we suffer in this life frequently originate from the very state of humanity.
पुत्रनाशेऽर्थनाशे च ज्ञातिसंबन्धिनामपि प्राप्यते सुमहद्दुःखं विषाग्निप्रतिमं विभो
M. N. Dutt: Alas, O lord great is the grief, like poison or fire, that one suffers at the loss of sons, of riches, of kinsmen, and relatives.
येन दह्यन्ति गात्राणि येन प्रज्ञा विनश्यति येनाभिभूतः पुरुषो मरणं बहु मन्यते
M. N. Dutt: That grief cosumes our limbs, and wisdom. Stricken with that grief, a person welcomes death.
तदिदं व्यसनं प्राप्तं मया भाग्यविपर्ययात् तच्चैवाहं करिष्यामि अद्यैव द्विजसत्तम
AI Translation: This misfortune has befallen me through the reversal of my fortune. And I shall do that very thing today, O best of Brahmins.
Supplementary Passages:
11.8.9 After 9ab, Ś2 K1-3 B Dn D1-7.9 ins.: *28 तस्यान्तं नाधिगच्छामि ऋते प्राणविपर्ययात्
इत्युक्त्वा तु महात्मानं पितरं ब्रह्मवित्तमम् धृतराष्ट्रोऽभवन्मूढः शोकं च परमं गतः अभूच्च तूष्णीं राजासौ ध्यायमानो महीपते
M. N. Dutt: Saying so to his great sire, that foremost of all persons conversant with Brahma, Dhritarashtra, laden with grief, became stupefied. The king, O monarch, thinking of his miseries, became silent.
तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा कृष्णद्वैपायनः प्रभुः पुत्रशोकाभिसंतप्तं पुत्रं वचनमब्रवीत्
M. N. Dutt: Hearing these words of his the powerful Vyasa thus spoke to his son stricken with grief on account of the death of his children.
धृतराष्ट्र महाबाहो यत्त्वां वक्ष्यामि तच्छृणु श्रुतवानसि मेधावी धर्मार्थकुशलस्तथा
M. N. Dutt: Vyasa said O mighty-armed Dhritarashtra, hear what I say. You are learned, intelligent, and you O powerful, one, are skilled in understanding duties.
न तेऽस्त्यविदितं किंचिद्वेदितव्यं परंतप अनित्यतां हि मर्त्यानां विजानासि न संशयः
M. N. Dutt: Everything is know to you. O scorcher of foes. Forsooth you know the instability of all things doomed to death.
अध्रुवे जीवलोके च स्थाने वाशाश्वते सति जीविते मरणान्ते च कस्माच्छोचसि भारत
M. N. Dutt: When this life is fickle, when this word itself is not eternal, when life is sure to end in death, why then, O Bharata, do you grieve?
प्रत्यक्षं तव राजेन्द्र वैरस्यास्य समुद्भवः पुत्रं ते कारणं कृत्वा कालयोगेन कारितः
M. N. Dutt: Before your very eyes, O king, Time, making your son the cause, created this enmity.
अवश्यं भवितव्ये च कुरूणां वैशसे नृप कस्माच्छोचसि ताञ्शूरान्गतान्परमिकां गतिम्
M. N. Dutt: This destruction of the Kurus, O king, was inevitable. Why then do you grieve for those heroes that have achieved the highest end?
जानता च महाबाहो विदुरेण महात्मना यतितं सर्वयत्नेन शमं प्रति जनेश्वर
M. N. Dutt: The high-souled Vidura knew every thing. he had tried his best, О king, to bring about peace.
न च दैवकृतो मार्गः शक्यो भूतेन केनचित् घटतापि चिरं कालं नियन्तुमिति मे मतिः
M. N. Dutt: I Think the course marked by destiny cannot be controlled by any one, even if one struggles for ever.
देवतानां हि यत्कार्यं मया प्रत्यक्षतः श्रुतम् तत्तेऽहं संप्रवक्ष्यामि कथं स्थैर्यं भवेत्तव
M. N. Dutt: The course that was settled by the celestial was known to me direct. I will recite it to you, so that you may enjoy peace of mind.
पुराहं त्वरितो यातः सभामैन्द्रीं जितक्लमः अपश्यं तत्र च तदा समवेतान्दिवौकसः नारदप्रमुखांश्चापि सर्वान्देवऋषींस्तथा
M. N. Dutt: Once before, I went very quickly to the court of Indra. There I all the inhabitation's of heaven assembled together.
तत्र चापि मया दृष्टा पृथिवी पृथिवीपते कार्यार्थमुपसंप्राप्ता देवतानां समीपतः
AI Translation: And there also, O Lord of the Earth, I saw the Earth, having come near the gods for some purpose.
उपगम्य तदा धात्री देवानाह समागतान् यत्कार्यं मम युष्माभिर्ब्रह्मणः सदने तदा प्रतिज्ञातं महाभागास्तच्छीघ्रं संविधीयताम्
M. N. Dutt: The latter had gone to the gods for the accomplishment of a particular mission. Approaching the gods, she said,—While you were in Brahman's abode you promised to do all for me. Let that be accomplished soon.
तस्यास्तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा विष्णुर्लोकनमस्कृतः उवाच प्रहसन्वाक्यं पृथिवीं देवसंसदि
AI Translation: Hearing her words, Vishnu, revered by the world, spoke these words with a smile to the earth in the assembly of gods.
धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्राणां यस्तु ज्येष्ठः शतस्य वै दुर्योधन इति ख्यातः स ते कार्यं करिष्यति तं च प्राप्य महीपालं कृतकृत्या भविष्यसि
M. N. Dutt: Hearing these words of hers, Vishnu, adored of all the worlds, smilingly addressed her in the midst of the celestials, saving,-The eldest of the hundred sons of Dhritarashtra, viz., Duryodhana, will accomplish your work. Through that king you object will be achieved.
तस्यार्थे पृथिवीपालाः कुरुक्षेत्रे समागताः अन्योन्यं घातयिष्यन्ति दृढैः शस्त्रैः प्रहारिणः
M. N. Dutt: For his sake, many kings assemble together on the field of Kuru, They will cause one another to be killed through hard weapons.
ततस्ते भविता देवि भारस्य युधि नाशनम् गच्छ शीघ्रं स्वकं स्थानं लोकान्धारय शोभने
M. N. Dutt: It is evident, O goddess, that your bruden will then he lightened in battle, Go quickly to your won station and continue to bear the the weight of creatures, O beautiful damsel.
स एष ते सुतो राजँल्लोकसंहारकारणात् कलेरंशः समुत्पन्नो गान्धार्या जठरे नृप
M. N. Dutt: From this you should know, O king that your son Duryodhana, born in Gandhari's womb, was a portion of Kali born for bringing about a universal slaughter.
अमर्षी चपलश्चापि क्रोधनो दुष्प्रसाधनः दैवयोगात्समुत्पन्ना भ्रातरश्चास्य तादृशाः
M. N. Dutt: He was vindictive, restless, wrathful and difficult of being pleased. Through the influence of Destiny his brothers also took after him.
शकुनिर्मातुलश्चैव कर्णश्च परमः सखा समुत्पन्ना विनाशार्थं पृथिव्यां सहिता नृपाः एतमर्थं महाबाहो नारदो वेद तत्त्वतः
M. N. Dutt: Shakuni became his maternal uncle and Karna his great friend. Many other kings were born on Earth for helping him in the work of destruction.
Supplementary Passages:
11.8.29 K0 (marg.) Dn D1.4-7.9 ins. after 29cd: D3, after 30: *29 यादृशो जायते राजा तादृशोऽस्य जनो भवेत् अधर्मो धर्मतां याति स्वामी चेद्धार्मिको भवेत् स्वामिनो गुणदोषाभ्यां भृत्याः स्युर्नात्र संशयः दुष्टं राजानमासाद्य गतास्ते तनया नृप
आत्मापराधात्पुत्रास्ते विनष्टाः पृथिवीपते मा ताञ्शोचस्व राजेन्द्र न हि शोकेऽस्ति कारणम्
M. N. Dutt: Conversant with truth, Narada knew all this. Through their own faults, your sons have been destroyed, O king! Do not grieve for them, O king. There in no cause for grief.
न हि ते पाण्डवाः स्वल्पमपराध्यन्ति भारत पुत्रास्तव दुरात्मानो यैरियं घातिता मही
M. N. Dutt: The Pandavas are not to be blamed, O Bharata, in the least, for what has taken place. Your sons were all wicked. It is they that caused this destruction on Earth.
नारदेन च भद्रं ते पूर्वमेव न संशयः युधिष्ठिरस्य समितौ राजसूये निवेदितम्
AI Translation: And by Narada, for your good, there is no doubt, it has been declared in the assembly of Yudhisthira at the Rajasuya sacrifice.
पाण्डवाः कौरवाश्चैव समासाद्य परस्परम् न भविष्यन्ति कौन्तेय यत्ते कृत्यं तदाचर
AI Translation: The Pandavas and the Kauravas, having come together, will not exist, O son of Kunti. Do what is your duty then.
नारदस्य वचः श्रुत्वा तदाशोचन्त पाण्डवाः एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं देवगुह्यं सनातनम्
M. N. Dutt: Hearing these words of Narada, the Pandavas were filled with grief. I have thus communicated to you, an eternal secret of the celestials.
कथं ते शोकनाशः स्यात्प्राणेषु च दया प्रभो स्नेहश्च पाण्डुपुत्रेषु ज्ञात्वा दैवकृतं विधिम्
M. N. Dutt: This will dispell your sorrow and restore to you a love of life, and make you love the Pandavas, for all that had taken place has been due to what had been preordained by the gods.
एष चार्थो महाबाहो पूर्वमेव मया श्रुतः कथितो धर्मराजस्य राजसूये क्रतूत्तमे
M. N. Dutt: O you, of mighty-arms, I had learnt all this sometime before. I also spoke of it to king Yudhishthira the just at the time of the Rajasuya sacrifice.
यतितं धर्मपुत्रेण मया गुह्ये निवेदिते अविग्रहे कौरवाणां दैवं तु बलवत्तरम्
M. N. Dutt: When I secretly informed him of all this, Dharma's son, tried his best for preserving peace with the Kauravas. That, however, which is ordained by the gods proved too strong for him too strong for his to defeat.
अनतिक्रमणीयो हि विधी राजन्कथंचन कृतान्तस्य हि भूतेन स्थावरेण त्रसेन च
M. N. Dutt: The determination, O king, of the Destroyer, cannot be baffled any how by mobile and immobile creatures.
भवान्धर्मपरो यत्र बुद्धिश्रेष्ठश्च भारत मुह्यते प्राणिनां ज्ञात्वा गतिं चागतिमेव च
M. N. Dutt: You are virtuous and highly intelligent, O Bharata! You know also that which all creatures should do and that which they should not do.
त्वां तु शोकेन संतप्तं मुह्यमानं मुहुर्मुहुः ज्ञात्वा युधिष्ठिरो राजा प्राणानपि परित्यजेत्
M. N. Dutt: If king Yudhishthira leans that you are overwhelmed with grief and losing your senses frequently, he will put an end to his life.
कृपालुर्नित्यशो वीरस्तिर्यग्योनिगतेष्वपि स कथं त्वयि राजेन्द्र कृपां वै न करिष्यति
M. N. Dutt: He is always compassionate and wise. His kindness is displayed even towards all the inferior creatures. How is it possible, O king, that he will not show compassion to you, O king.
मम चैव नियोगेन विधेश्चाप्यनिवर्तनात् पाण्डवानां च कारुण्यात्प्राणान्धारय भारत
M. N. Dutt: At my behest, and knowing that which is ordained is inevitable, as also out of love for the Pandavas, live, O Bharata!
एवं ते वर्तमानस्य लोके कीर्तिर्भविष्यति धर्मश्च सुमहांस्तात तप्तं स्याच्च तपश्चिरात्
M. N. Dutt: If you live thus, you fame will travel all over the world. You will then acquire a knowledge of all duties and find many years for acquiring ascetic merit.
पुत्रशोकसमुत्पन्नं हुताशं ज्वलितं यथा प्रज्ञाम्भसा महाराज निर्वापय सदा सदा
M. N. Dutt: Thus grief consequent on the death of your sons that has arisen in your heart, like a blazing fire, should always be extinguished, O king, by the water of wisdom.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु वचनं व्यासस्यामिततेजसः मुहूर्तं समनुध्याय धृतराष्ट्रोऽभ्यभाषत
AI Translation: Having heard these words of Vyasa of immeasurable splendor, Dhritarashtra, after reflecting for a moment, spoke:
महता शोकजालेन प्रणुन्नोऽस्मि द्विजोत्तम नात्मानमवबुध्यामि मुह्यमानो मुहुर्मुहुः
AI Translation: O best of Brahmanas, I am overwhelmed by a great net of grief. I do not understand myself, being confused again and again.
इदं तु वचनं श्रुत्वा तव दैवनियोगजम् धारयिष्याम्यहं प्राणान्यतिष्ये च नशोचितुम्
M. N. Dutt: Hearing, however, these your words about what had been ordained by the gods, I shall not think of putting an end to my life and shall live and act without indulging in grief.'
एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु वचनं व्यासः सत्यवतीसुतः धृतराष्ट्रस्य राजेन्द्र तत्रैवान्तरधीयत
M. N. Dutt: Hearing these words of Dhritarashtra, O king, Satyavati's son Vyasa, disappeared then and there. Hearing these words of Dhritarashtra, O king, Satyavati's son Vyasa, disappeared then and there.