Critical Edition
व्यास उवाच युधिष्ठिर महाबाहो यदाह कुरुनन्दनः धृतराष्ट्रो महात्मा त्वां तत्कुरुष्वाविचारयन्
M. N. Dutt: Vyasa said O Inighty-armed Yudhishthira, do unhesitatingly what Dhritarashtra of Kuru's family has said.
अयं हि वृद्धो नृपतिर्हतपुत्रो विशेषतः नेदं कृच्छ्रं चिरतरं सहेदिति मतिर्मम
M. N. Dutt: This king is old. He has again, been made sonlcss. I think he will not be able to bear his grief long.
गान्धारी च महाभागा प्राज्ञा करुणवेदिनी पुत्रशोकं महाराज धैर्येणोद्वहते भृशम्
M. N. Dutt: The highly blessed Gandhari, cndued with great wisdom and kindly speech, bears with fortitude her excessive grief owing to the loss of her sons.
अहमप्येतदेव त्वां ब्रवीमि कुरु मे वचः अनुज्ञां लभतां राजा मा वृथेह मरिष्यति
M. N. Dutt: I also tell you (what the old king says.) Do you obey my words. Let the old king have your permission. Let him not die an inglorious death at home.
Supplementary Passages:
15.8.4 After 4, D4-6.8 S ins.: *23 स्वस्थो भवत्वयं धीमान्वनेषु मधुगन्धिषु
राजर्षीणां पुराणानामनुयातु गतिं नृपः राजर्षीणां हि सर्वेषामन्ते वनमुपाश्रयः
M. N. Dutt: Let this king follow the path of royal sages of old. Indeed, all royal sages retire into the woods at last.
वैशंपायन उवाच इत्युक्तः स तदा राजा व्यासेनाद्भुतकर्मणा प्रत्युवाच महातेजा धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः
AI Translation: Vaishampayana said: Thus addressed by Vyasa, the king of wonderful deeds, the immensely radiant Dharmaraja Yudhishthira replied:
भगवानेव नो मान्यो भगवानेव नो गुरुः भगवानस्य राज्यस्य कुलस्य च परायणम्
AI Translation: The Blessed One alone is worthy of our respect, the Blessed One alone is our teacher. The Blessed One is the refuge of this kingdom and of this family.
अहं तु पुत्रो भगवान्पिता राजा गुरुश्च मे निदेशवर्ती च पितुः पुत्रो भवति धर्मतः
M. N. Dutt: I am your son. You, O holy one, are my father! You are our king, and you are our preceptor! The son should as dictated by every duty, obey the commands of his father.
इत्युक्तः स तु तं प्राह व्यासो धर्मभृतां वरः युधिष्ठिरं महातेजाः पुनरेव विशां पते
AI Translation: Thus addressed, Vyasa, the best of the upholders of dharma, said to him, O Yudhisthira, O lord of the people, the greatly radiant one said again.
एवमेतन्महाबाहो यथा वदसि भारत राजायं वृद्धतां प्राप्तः प्रमाणे परमे स्थितः
AI Translation: Thus it is, O mighty-armed one, as you say, O descendant of Bharata. This king, having attained old age, is established in the highest authority.
सोऽयं मयाभ्यनुज्ञातस्त्वया च पृथिवीपते करोतु स्वमभिप्रायं मास्य विघ्नकरो भव
M. N. Dutt: Permitted both by me and you, let this king do what he wishes. Do not stand as on obstacle in his way.
एष एव परो धर्मो राजर्षीणां युधिष्ठिर समरे वा भवेन्मृत्युर्वने वा विधिपूर्वकम्
M. N. Dutt: This is the highest duty, O Yudhishthira, of royal sages. They should die either in battle or in the forest according to the scriptures.
पित्रा तु तव राजेन्द्र पाण्डुना पृथिवीक्षिता शिष्यभूतेन राजायं गुरुवत्पर्युपासितः
M. N. Dutt: Your royal father, Pandu, O king of kings, respected this old king as a disciple reverses his preceptor.
क्रतुभिर्दक्षिणावद्भिरन्नपर्वतशोभितैः महद्भिरिष्टं भोगाश्च भुक्ताः पुत्राश्च पालिताः
M. N. Dutt: (At that time) he worshipped the celestials in many great sacrifices with profuse gifts consisting of hills of wealth and jewels, and ruled the Earth and protected his subjects wisely and well.
पुत्रसंस्थं च विपुलं राज्यं विप्रोषिते त्वयि त्रयोदशसमा भुक्तं दत्तं च विविधं वसु
M. N. Dutt: Having obtained a good number of children and a prosperous kingdom, he enjoyed great riches for thirteen years while you were in exile, and gave away much wealth.
त्वया चायं नरव्याघ्र गुरुशुश्रूषया नृपः आराधितः सभृत्येन गान्धारी च यशस्विनी
M. N. Dutt: Yourself also, O king, with your servants, O sinless one, have worshipped this king and the famous Gandhari with that ready obedience which a disciple pays to his preceptor.
अनुजानीहि पितरं समयोऽस्य तपोविधौ न मन्युर्विद्यते चास्य सुसूक्ष्मोऽपि युधिष्ठिर
M. N. Dutt: Do you grant permission to your father. The time has come for his to attend to the practice of penances. He does He does not cherish, O Yudhishthira, even the slightest anger against any of you.
एतावदुक्त्वा वचनमनुज्ञाप्य च पार्थिवम् तथास्त्विति च तेनोक्तः कौन्तेयेन ययौ वनम्
M. N. Dutt: Vaishampayana said Having said these words, Vyasa, soothed the old king. Yudhishthira, then, answered him, saying, “So be it.' The great ascetic then left the palace for proceeding to the forest.
गते भगवति व्यासे राजा पाण्डुसुतस्ततः प्रोवाच पितरं वृद्धं मन्दं मन्दमिवानतः
AI Translation: When the Blessed Vyasa had departed, the king, son of Pandu, bowed his head and slowly addressed his aged father:
यदाह भगवान्व्यासो यच्चापि भवतो मतम् यदाह च महेष्वासः कृपो विदुर एव च
AI Translation: What the Blessed Vyasa said, and what is your opinion, And what the great archer Kripa and Vidura said,
युयुत्सुः संजयश्चैव तत्कर्तास्म्यहमञ्जसा सर्वे ह्येतेऽनुमान्या मे कुलस्यास्य हितैषिणः
AI Translation: Yuyutsu, and Sanjaya, I shall do it with ease. For all these are to be respected by me, and are well-wishers of this family.
इदं तु याचे नृपते त्वामहं शिरसा नतः क्रियतां तावदाहारस्ततो गच्छाश्रमं प्रति
M. N. Dutt: This, however, O king, I beg of you by bending my head. Do you first eat and afterwards go to your forest-retreat.