Critical Edition
वैशंपायन उवाच एतावदुक्त्वा देवर्षिर्विरराम स नारदः युधिष्ठिरस्तु राजर्षिर्दध्यौ शोकपरिप्लुतः
M. N. Dutt: Saying so the celestial Rishi Narada became silent. the royal sage Yudhishthira, filled with sorrow began to meditate.
तं दीनमनसं वीरमधोवदनमातुरम् निःश्वसन्तं यथा नागं पर्यश्रुनयनं तथा
AI Translation: The hero, with a dejected mind, his face down, and sick, sighing like a serpent, his eyes full of tears,
कुन्ती शोकपरीताङ्गी दुःखोपहतचेतना अब्रवीन्मधुराभाषा काले वचनमर्थवत्
AI Translation: Kunti, her body overwhelmed with grief, her mind afflicted with sorrow, spoke these meaningful words at the right time in a sweet voice.
युधिष्ठिर महाबाहो नैनं शोचितुमर्हसि जहि शोकं महाप्राज्ञ शृणु चेदं वचो मम
M. N. Dutt: O mighty-armed Yudhishthira, you should not give way to sorrow thus! O you of at wisdom, destroy this grief and listen to what I say.
यतितः स मया पूर्वं भ्रात्र्यं ज्ञापयितुं तव भास्करेण च देवेन पित्रा धर्मभृतां वर
M. N. Dutt: I tried formerly to inform Karna of his being your brother. The god Surya also, O best of all righteous men, did the same.
यद्वाच्यं हितकामेन सुहृदा भूतिमिच्छता तथा दिवाकरेणोक्तः स्वप्नान्ते मम चाग्रतः
M. N. Dutt: That god said to Karna in a dream and once more in my presence, all that a well-wishing friend, from desire of good, should say.
न चैनमशकद्भानुरहं वा स्नेहकारणैः पुरा प्रत्यनुनेतुं वा नेतुं वाप्येकतां त्वया
M. N. Dutt: Neither by affliction nor by reasons could Surya or myself succeed in pacifying him or inducing him to join you.
ततः कालपरीतः स वैरस्योद्धुक्षणे रतः प्रतीपकारी युष्माकमिति चोपेक्षितो मया
M. N. Dutt: Yielding to the influence of Time, he was determined on creating enmity with you. As he was determined upon doing injuries to you all, I myself gave up the attempt.'
इत्युक्तो धर्मराजस्तु मात्रा बाष्पाकुलेक्षणः उवाच वाक्यं धर्मात्मा शोकव्याकुलचेतनः
M. N. Dutt: Thus addressed by his mother, king Yudhishthira, with tearful eyes and heart shaken by grief, said:-
भवत्या गूढमन्त्रत्वात्पीडितोऽस्मीत्युवाच ताम् शशाप च महातेजाः सर्वलोकेषु च स्त्रियः न गुह्यं धारयिष्यन्तीत्यतिदुःखसमन्वितः
M. N. Dutt: 'For you having concealed your counsels, this great calamity has befallen me.' The highly energetic and the righteous king then, in sorrow, cursed all the women of the world, saying,-'Henceforth no woman shall succeed in keeping a secret."
स राजा पुत्रपौत्राणां संबन्धिसुहृदां तथा स्मरन्नुद्विग्नहृदयो बभूवास्वस्थचेतनः
M. N. Dutt: Recollecting his sons and grandsons and kinsmen and friends, the king then became filled with anxiety and grief.
ततः शोकपरीतात्मा सधूम इव पावकः निर्वेदमकरोद्धीमान्राजा संतापपीडितः
M. N. Dutt: Stricken with sorrow, the intelligent king, resembling a fire covered with smoke, was filled with despair. Then the wise king endued with grief like the fire covered in the grip of dense smoke and thus he sank in agony.