Critical Edition
वैशंपायन उवाच एवमुक्तास्तु ते तेन पौरजानपदा जनाः वृद्धेन राज्ञा कौरव्य नष्टसंज्ञा इवाभवन्
M. N. Dutt: Thus addressed, O you of Kuru's race, by the old king, the citizens and the inhabitants of the provinces stood sometime like men shorn of consciousness.
तूष्णींभूतांस्ततस्तांस्तु बाष्पकण्ठान्महीपतिः धृतराष्ट्रो महीपालः पुनरेवाभ्यभाषत
AI Translation: Then, the king Dhritarashtra, seeing them all silent and choked with tears, again spoke to them.
वृद्धं मां हतपुत्रं च धर्मपत्न्या सहानया विलपन्तं बहुविधं कृपणं चैव सत्तमाः
AI Translation: "O best of men, I am old, my son is dead, and I am with my lawful wife. I am lamenting in many ways, and am miserable.
पित्रा स्वयमनुज्ञातं कृष्णद्वैपायनेन वै वनवासाय धर्मज्ञा धर्मज्ञेन नृपेण च
AI Translation: By his father, by Krishna Dvaipāyana himself, and by the king who knew Dharma, the one who knew Dharma was permitted to go to the forest.
सोऽहं पुनः पुनर्याचे शिरसावनतोऽनघाः गान्धार्या सहितं तन्मां समनुज्ञातुमर्हथ
M. N. Dutt: You sinless ones, I with Gandhari, repeatedly solicit you with bent heads, You should all grant us permission.
श्रुत्वा तु कुरुराजस्य वाक्यानि करुणानि ते रुरुदुः सर्वतो राजन्समेताः कुरुजाङ्गलाः
M. N. Dutt: Vaishampayana said Hearing these pitiable words of the Kuru king, O monarch, the assembled dwellers of Kurujangala all began to weep.
उत्तरीयैः करैश्चापि संछाद्य वदनानि ते रुरुदुः शोकसंतप्ता मुहूर्तं पितृमातृवत्
M. N. Dutt: Covering their faces with their hands and upper garments, all those men, burning with grief, wept for a while as father sand mothers would weep.
हृदयैः शून्यभूतैस्ते धृतराष्ट्रप्रवासजम् दुःखं संधारयन्तः स्म नष्टसंज्ञा इवाभवन्
M. N. Dutt: Bearing in their hearts, from which every other thoughts had been removed, the sorrow born of Dhritarashtra's desire to leave the world, they looked like men shorn of consciousness.
ते विनीय तमायासं कुरुराजवियोगजम् शनैः शनैस्तदान्योन्यमब्रुवन्स्वमतान्युत
M. N. Dutt: Checking that agitation of heart due to the announcement of Dhritarashtra's desire of going to the forest, they gradually were able to address one another, expressing their wishes.
ततः संधाय ते सर्वे वाक्यान्यथ समासतः एकस्मिन्ब्राह्मणे राजन्नावेश्योचुर्नराधिपम्
M. N. Dutt: Setting their words briefly, O king, they charged a certain Brahmana therewith and thus replied to the old king.
ततः स्वचरणे वृद्धः संमतोऽर्थविशारदः साम्बाख्यो बह्वृचो राजन्वक्तुं समुपचक्रमे
M. N. Dutt: That learned Brahinana, of good conduct, chosen by unanimous consent, conversant with all subjects, master of all the Rics, and named Samba, tried to speak.
अनुमान्य महाराजं तत्सदः संप्रभाष्य च विप्रः प्रगल्भो मेधावी स राजानमुवाच ह
M. N. Dutt: Taking the permission of the whole assembly and with its full approbation, that learned Brahmana of great intelligence, conscious of his own powers, said these words to the king.
राजन्वाक्यं जनस्यास्य मयि सर्वं समर्पितम् वक्ष्यामि तदहं वीर तज्जुषस्व नराधिप
M. N. Dutt: O monarch, the answer of this assembly has been committed to my care. I shall speak it out, O hero! Do you receive it, O king.
यथा वदसि राजेन्द्र सर्वमेतत्तथा विभो नात्र मिथ्या वचः किंचित्सुहृत्त्वं नः परस्परम्
M. N. Dutt: What you say, O king of kings, is all true, O powerful one. There is nothing in it that is in even slightly tinctured with untruth, you are our well-wisher, as, indeed, we are yours.
न जात्वस्य तु वंशस्य राज्ञां कश्चित्कदाचन राजासीद्यः प्रजापालः प्रजानामप्रियो भवेत्
M. N. Dutt: Indeed, in this royal family, there never was a king who coming to rulc his subjects, became unpopular with them.
पितृवद्भ्रातृवच्चैव भवन्तः पालयन्ति नः न च दुर्योधनः किंचिदयुक्तं कृतवान्नृप
M. N. Dutt: You have ruled us like fathers or brothers. King Duryodhana never did us any wrong.
Supplementary Passages:
15.15.16 After 16, D4-6.8 T2-4 G1.2 M ins.: *37 प्रियाणि कुर्वन्सर्वेषामनुवृत्त्यर्थमुद्यतः
यथा ब्रवीति धर्मज्ञो मुनिः सत्यवतीसुतः तथा कुरु महाराज स हि नः परमो गुरुः
M. N. Dutt: Do that, O king, which that righteoussouled ascetic, the son of Satyavati, has said. He is, indeed out foremost of instructors.
त्यक्ता वयं तु भवता दुःखशोकपरायणाः भविष्यामश्चिरं राजन्भवद्गुणशतैर्हृताः
M. N. Dutt: Left by you, O king, we shall have to pass our days in grief and sorrow, remembering hundreds of virtues possessed by you.
यथा शंतनुना गुप्ता राज्ञा चित्राङ्गदेन च भीष्मवीर्योपगूढेन पित्रा च तव पार्थिव
AI Translation: As by King Shantanu, by Chitrangada, by Bhishma, by your father, O king.
भवद्बुद्धियुजा चैव पाण्डुना पृथिवीक्षिता तथा दुर्योधनेनापि राज्ञा सुपरिपालिताः
AI Translation: And you are endowed with the wisdom of the Buddha, and the earth is protected by Pandu, and also by King Duryodhana.
न स्वल्पमपि पुत्रस्ते व्यलीकं कृतवान्नृप पितरीव सुविश्वस्तास्तस्मिन्नपि नराधिपे वयमास्म यथा सम्यग्भवतो विदितं तथा
M. N. Dutt: Your son, O monarch, never did us the slightest wrong. We lived, depending on that king as trustfully as on our own father.
तथा वर्षसहस्राय कुन्तीपुत्रेण धीमता पाल्यमाना धृतिमता सुखं विन्दामहे नृप
AI Translation: Thus, for a thousand years, we have been protected by the wise son of Kunti, and we find happiness, O king, protected by the patient one.
राजर्षीणां पुराणानां भवतां वंशधारिणाम् कुरुसंवरणादीनां भरतस्य च धीमतः
AI Translation: The lineage of the ancient royal sages, the upholders of your lineage, The Kuru, Sanvarana, and others, and the wise Bharata,
वृत्तं समनुयात्येष धर्मात्मा भूरिदक्षिणः नात्र वाच्यं महाराज सुसूक्ष्ममपि विद्यते
AI Translation: This righteous one, who is very generous, follows the rules. O great king, there is nothing to be said here, not even the subtlest thing.
उषिताः स्म सुखं नित्यं भवता परिपालिताः सुसूक्ष्मं च व्यलीकं ते सपुत्रस्य न विद्यते
AI Translation: We have always lived happily, protected by you. You have no fault, not even the slightest, you and your son.
यत्तु ज्ञातिविमर्देऽस्मिन्नात्थ दुर्योधनं प्रति भवन्तमनुनेष्यामि तत्रापि कुरुनन्दन
M. N. Dutt: The slightest omission cannot be laid at your doors and yours sons. Regarding what you have said about Duryodhana in the matter of this destruction of kinsmen, I beg you, O delighter of the Kurus, (to listen to me).