Critical Edition
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच युधिष्ठिर महाबाहो कच्चित्तात कुशल्यसि सहितो भ्रातृभिः सर्वैः पौरजानपदैस्तथा
M. N. Dutt: Dhritarashtra said O Yudhishthira, are you in peace and happiness, with all your brothers and the dwellers of the city and the provinces?
ये च त्वामुपजीवन्ति कच्चित्तेऽपि निरामयाः सचिवा भृत्यवर्गाश्च गुरवश्चैव ते विभो
M. N. Dutt: Are they who depend on you also happy? Are your ministers, and servitors, and all your seniors and preceptors also, happy?
Supplementary Passages:
15.33.2 After 2, Dn ins.: *52 कच्चित्तेऽपि निरातङ्का वसन्ति विषये तव
कच्चिद्वर्तसि पौराणीं वृत्तिं राजर्षिसेविताम् कच्चिद्दायाननुच्छिद्य कोशस्तेऽभिप्रपूर्यते
AI Translation: Do you still follow the old way of life, followed by the royal sages? Do you still fill your treasury without cutting off the means of livelihood of your subjects?
अरिमध्यस्थमित्रेषु वर्तसे चानुरूपतः ब्राह्मणानग्रहारैर्वा यथावदनुपश्यसि
AI Translation: You are in the midst of enemies and friends, acting appropriately. You see Brahmins and villages as they are.
कच्चित्ते परितुष्यन्ति शीलेन भरतर्षभ शत्रवो गुरवः पौरा भृत्या वा स्वजनोऽपि वा
AI Translation: O bull among the Bharata lineage, are your enemies, superiors, citizens, servants, or relatives satisfied with your conduct?
कच्चिद्यजसि राजेन्द्र श्रद्धावान्पितृदेवताः अतिथींश्चान्नपानेन कच्चिदर्चसि भारत
AI Translation: O king, do you worship the ancestors and the gods with faith? O descendant of Bharata, do you honour guests with food and drink?
कच्चिच्च विषये विप्राः स्वकर्मनिरतास्तव क्षत्रिया वैश्यवर्गा वा शूद्रा वापि कुटुम्बिनः
AI Translation: Are the Brahmanas in your kingdom engaged in their own duties? Are the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas, the Shudras and the householders
Supplementary Passages:
15.33.7 K3.4 ins after 7: K5 after 6: *53 सर्वे ते आश्रमा वर्णा धर्मस्था ये च वित्तमाः
कच्चित्स्त्रीबालवृद्धं ते न शोचति न याचते जामयः पूजिताः कच्चित्तव गेहे नरर्षभ
M. N. Dutt: Do the Kshatriyas and Vaishyas and Shudras also within your kingdom and all your relatives, perform their respective duties? I hope the women, the children, and the old, among your subjects, do not grieve (under distress) and not beg (the necessaries of life).
कच्चिद्राजर्षिवंशोऽयं त्वामासाद्य महीपतिम् यथोचितं महाराज यशसा नावसीदति
M. N. Dutt: Are the ladies of your households duly honoured in your house, O best of men? I hope, O king. that this race of royal sages, having to you for their king, have not fallen away from fame and glory?
वैशंपायन उवाच इत्येवंवादिनं तं स न्यायवित्प्रत्यभाषत कुशलप्रश्नसंयुक्तं कुशलो वाक्यकर्मणि
AI Translation: Vaishampayana said: Thus addressed, the one who knew the law replied to him: Skillful in the practice of speech, he spoke words accompanied by inquiries about well-being
कच्चित्ते वर्धते राजंस्तपो मन्दश्रमस्य ते अपि मे जननी चेयं शुश्रूषुर्विगतक्लमा अप्यस्याः सफलो राजन्वनवासो भविष्यति
AI Translation: O king, is your penance prospering? Are you free from fatigue? Is my mother well? Is she free from fatigue? O king, will her stay in the forest be fruitful?
इयं च माता ज्येष्ठा मे शीतवाताध्वकर्शिता घोरेण तपसा युक्ता देवी कच्चिन्न शोचति
AI Translation: And this mother of mine, the eldest, worn out by cold and wind and travel, united with terrible asceticism, the goddess, does she not grieve?
हतान्पुत्रान्महावीर्यान्क्षत्रधर्मपरायणान् नापध्यायति वा कच्चिदस्मान्पापकृतः सदा
AI Translation: "He has killed our sons, who were of great valor, who were devoted to the duty of kshatriyas," "Or does he not think of us, who are always sinful?"
क्व चासौ विदुरो राजन्नैनं पश्यामहे वयम् संजयः कुशली चायं कच्चिन्नु तपसि स्थितः
M. N. Dutt: Does she accuse us. sinful wretches, who are responsible for their destruction? Where is Vidura, O king? We do not see him here. I hope this Sanjaya, performing penances, is in peace and happiness.
इत्युक्तः प्रत्युवाचेदं धृतराष्ट्रो जनाधिपम् कुशली विदुरः पुत्र तपो घोरं समास्थितः
AI Translation: Having been thus addressed, Dhritarashtra replied to the lord of men: "O son, Vidura is well, having resorted to a terrible penance."
वायुभक्षो निराहारः कृशो धमनिसंततः कदाचिद्दृश्यते विप्रैः शून्येऽस्मिन्कानने क्वचित्
AI Translation: Eating only air, without food, thin, covered with veins, Sometimes he is seen by the Brahmins in this empty forest somewhere.
इत्येवं वदतस्तस्य जटी वीटामुखः कृशः दिग्वासा मलदिग्धाङ्गो वनरेणुसमुक्षितः
M. N. Dutt: While Dhritarashtra was saying this. Vidura was seen at a distance. He had matted locks on his head, and gravel's in his mouth, and was greatly emaciated. He was perfectly naked. his body was besmeared all over with fifth, and with the dust of various wild flowers,
Supplementary Passages:
15.33.17 After 17a, K ins.: *54 धृतराष्ट्रस्य धीमतः जगाम स वनं राजा धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः दृश्यते विदुरस्तत्र
दूरादालक्षितः क्षत्ता तत्राख्यातो महीपतेः निवर्तमानः सहसा जनं दृष्ट्वाश्रमं प्रति
M. N. Dutt: When Kshatta, was seen from a distance, the fact was communicated to Yudhishthira. Vidura suddenly stopped, O king, loO king towards the retreat.
Supplementary Passages:
15.33.18 After 18ab, D4.6.8 T2 G1.2 ins.: *55 विदुरस्त्वेष धर्मात्मा जनं दृष्ट्वा निवर्तते On the other hand, T3 ins. after 18ab: *56 तूष्णीं गच्छन्तमेकाग्रे विदुरं समुदैक्षत
तमन्वधावन्नृपतिरेक एव युधिष्ठिरः प्रविशन्तं वनं घोरं लक्ष्यालक्ष्यं क्वचित्क्वचित्
M. N. Dutt: King Yudhishthira pursued him alone, as he ran and entered the deep forest, sometimes seen and sometimes not seen by the pursuer.
भो भो विदुर राजाहं दयितस्ते युधिष्ठिरः इति ब्रुवन्नरपतिस्तं यत्नादभ्यधावत
M. N. Dutt: He said aloud, 'O Vidura, O Vidura, I am king Yudhishthira, your favourite-Exclaiming thus, Yudhishthira, with great exertion, followed Vidura.
ततो विविक्त एकान्ते तस्थौ बुद्धिमतां वरः विदुरो वृक्षमाश्रित्य कंचित्तत्र वनान्तरे
M. N. Dutt: Having reached a solitary spot in the forest that foremost of intelligent men, viz., Vidura, stood still, learning against a tree.
तं राजा क्षीणभूयिष्ठमाकृतीमात्रसूचितम् अभिजज्ञे महाबुद्धिं महाबुद्धिर्युधिष्ठिरः
M. N. Dutt: He was greatly emaciated. He retained only the shape of a human being. Yudhishthira of great intelligence recognised him, however.
युधिष्ठिरोऽहमस्मीति वाक्यमुक्त्वाग्रतः स्थितः विदुरस्याश्रवे राजा स च प्रत्याह संज्ञया
M. N. Dutt: Standing before him, Yudhishthira addressed him saying, 'I am Yudhishthira.' Indeed, adoring Vidura properly., Yudhishthira said these words in the hearing of Vidura.
ततः सोऽनिमिषो भूत्वा राजानं समुदैक्षत संयोज्य विदुरस्तस्मिन्दृष्टिं दृष्ट्या समाहितः
M. N. Dutt: Meanwhile Vidura looked at the king steadfastly. Casting his look thus on the king, he stood motionless in Yoga.
विवेश विदुरो धीमान्गात्रैर्गात्राणि चैव ह प्राणान्प्राणेषु च दधदिन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियेषु च
M. N. Dutt: Endued with great intelligence, he then (by his Yoga-power) entered the body of Yudhishthira, limb by limb. He united his vital airs with those of the king, and his senses with the king's senses.
स योगबलमास्थाय विवेश नृपतेस्तनुम् विदुरो धर्मराजस्य तेजसा प्रज्वलन्निव
M. N. Dutt: Indeed, with the help of Yoga-power, Vidura, burning with energy, thus entered the body of king Yudhishthira the just.
विदुरस्य शरीरं तत्तथैव स्तब्धलोचनम् वृक्षाश्रितं तदा राजा ददर्श गतचेतनम्
M. N. Dutt: Meanwhile the body of Vidura continued to lean against the tree with eyes fixed. The king soon saw that life had fled out of it.
बलवन्तं तथात्मानं मेने बहुगुणं तदा धर्मराजो महातेजास्तच्च सस्मार पाण्डवः
AI Translation: He considered himself to be strong and endowed with many qualities. The king of Dharma, of great splendor, remembered that.
पौराणमात्मनः सर्वं विद्यावान्स विशां पते योगधर्मं महातेजा व्यासेन कथितं यथा
AI Translation: The learned one, the lord of the people, knows all about the ancient self, as it was described by the greatly radiant Vyasa in the Yoga-dharma.
धर्मराजस्तु तत्रैनं संचस्कारयिषुस्तदा दग्धुकामोऽभवद्विद्वानथ वै वागभाषत
AI Translation: Then Dharmaraja, wishing to cremate him, became desirous of burning him. Then the wise one spoke these words:
भो भो राजन्न दग्धव्यमेतद्विदुरसंज्ञकम् कलेवरमिहैतत्ते धर्म एष सनातनः
AI Translation: "O King, this body of Vidura should not be burnt. This is your eternal duty."
Supplementary Passages:
15.33.31 After 31, K ins.: *57 न दग्धव्यो न दग्धव्य एष राजन्महातपाः ज्ञानदग्धस्य देहस्य पुनर्दाहो न विद्यते
लोकाः संतानका नाम भविष्यन्त्यस्य पार्थिव यतिधर्ममवाप्तोऽसौ नैव शोच्यः परंतप
M. N. Dutt: Those happy regions which pass by the name of Santanika will be his, O Bharata. he performed the duties of Yatis. You should not, O scorcher of enemies, grieve for him at all.
इत्युक्तो धर्मराजः स विनिवृत्य ततः पुनः राज्ञो वैचित्रवीर्यस्य तत्सर्वं प्रत्यवेदयत्
M. N. Dutt: Thus addressed, king Yudhishthira the just returned from the place, and represented everything to the royal son of Vichitravirya.
ततः स राजा द्युतिमान्स च सर्वो जनस्तदा भीमसेनादयश्चैव परं विस्मयमागताः
M. N. Dutt: At this, that effulgent king, all those men, and Bhimasena and others, became filled with wonder.
तच्छ्रुत्वा प्रीतिमान्राजा भूत्वा धर्मजमब्रवीत् आपो मूलं फलं चैव ममेदं प्रतिगृह्यताम्
M. N. Dutt: Hearing what had taken place, king Dhritarashtra became pleased and then, addressing the son of Dharma, said, 'Do you accept from me these gifts of water and roots and fruits! It has been said, O king, that one's guest should take what one takes himself.'
Supplementary Passages:
15.33.35 For 35ab, G5 M1-4 subst.: *58 अथ राजाब्रवीद्वृद्धः कुरुराजो युधिष्ठिरम्
यदन्नो हि नरो राजंस्तदन्नोऽस्यातिथिः स्मृतः इत्युक्तः स तथेत्येव प्राह धर्मात्मजो नृपम् फलं मूलं च बुभुजे राज्ञा दत्तं सहानुजः
M. N. Dutt: Thus addressed, Dharma's son answered armed king ate the fruits and roots which he gave.
ततस्ते वृक्षमूलेषु कृतवासपरिग्रहाः तां रात्रिं न्यवसन्सर्वे फलमूलजलाशनाः
M. N. Dutt: Then they all spread their beds under a tree and passed that night thus having eaten fruits and roots and drunk the water that the old monarch had given them.