Critical Edition
युधिष्ठिर उवाच तथा महात्मनस्तस्य तपस्युग्रे च वर्ततः अनाथस्येव निधनं तिष्ठत्स्वस्मासु बन्धुषु
AI Translation: Yudhiṣṭhira said: Thus, while the great-souled one was engaged in fierce austerities, while his kinsmen were standing by, he was dying like a helpless one.
दुर्विज्ञेया हि गतयः पुरुषाणां मता मम यत्र वैचित्रवीर्योऽसौ दग्ध एवं दवाग्निना
AI Translation: The ways of men are hard to know, so I think. Where that Vichitravirya was burnt by the forest fire,
यस्य पुत्रशतं श्रीमदभवद्बाहुशालिनः नागायुतबलो राजा स दग्धो हि दवाग्निना
M. N. Dutt: He had a hundred sons each gifted with mighty-arms and possessed of great prosperity! The king himself had the strength of ten thousand elephants, Alas, even he has been burnt to death in a wild fire.
यं पुरा पर्यवीजन्त तालवृन्तैर्वरस्त्रियः तं गृध्राः पर्यवीजन्त दावाग्निपरिकालितम्
M. N. Dutt: Alas, he had formerly been fanned with palm leaves by the fair hands of beautiful women, was fanned by vultures with their wings after he had been burnt to death in a wild fire.
सूतमागधसंघैश्च शयानो यः प्रबोध्यते धरण्यां स नृपः शेते पापस्य मम कर्मभिः
M. N. Dutt: He was formerly roused from sleep every morning by bands of Sutas and Magadhas had to sleep on the naked earth through the acts of my sinful self.
न तु शोचामि गान्धारीं हतपुत्रां यशस्विनीम् पतिलोकमनुप्राप्तां तथा भर्तृव्रते स्थिताम्
M. N. Dutt: I do not grieve for the famous Gandhari who had been deprived of all her children. Observing the same vows as her husband. she has acquired those very regions which have become his.
पृथामेव तु शोचामि या पुत्रैश्वर्यमृद्धिमत् उत्सृज्य सुमहद्दीप्तं वनवासमरोचयत्
M. N. Dutt: I grieve, however, for Pritha who, renouncing the blazing prosperity of her sons, became desirous of living in the forest.
धिग्राज्यमिदमस्माकं धिग्बलं धिक्पराक्रमम् क्षत्रधर्मं च धिग्यस्मान्मृता जीवामहे वयम्
M. N. Dutt: Fie on this sovereignty of ours, fie on our prowess, fie on the practices of Kshatriyas! Though alive, we are really dead.
सुसूक्ष्मा किल कालस्य गतिर्द्विजवरोत्तम यत्समुत्सृज्य राज्यं सा वनवासमरोचयत्
AI Translation: The course of time is very subtle, O best of Brahmins, By which she, having renounced the kingdom, desired to live in the forest.
युधिष्ठिरस्य जननी भीमस्य विजयस्य च अनाथवत्कथं दग्धा इति मुह्यामि चिन्तयन्
M. N. Dutt: How is it that she who was the mother of Yudhishthira, of Bhima, of Vijaya, was brunt to death like helpless creature! Thinking of this I become stupefied.
वृथा संतोषितो वह्निः खाण्डवे सव्यसाचिना उपकारमजानन्स कृतघ्न इति मे मतिः
M. N. Dutt: In vain was the god of fire pleased at Khandava by Arjuna! Ingrate that he is, forgetting that service, he has burnt to death the mother of his benefactor.
यत्रादहत्स भगवान्मातरं सव्यसाचिनः कृत्वा यो ब्राह्मणच्छद्म भिक्षार्थी समुपागतः धिगग्निं धिक्च पार्थस्य विश्रुतां सत्यसंधताम्
M. N. Dutt: Alas, how could that deity burn the mother of Arjuna! Putting, on the guise of Brahmana, he had formerly come to Arjuna, for begging a favour! Fie on the deity of fire! Fie on the celebrated success of Partha's arrows.
Supplementary Passages:
15.46.12 After 12, D1.3 ins.: *99 दहते मातरं मह्यं यस्य ते गतिरीदृशी
इदं कष्टतरं चान्यद्भगवन्प्रतिभाति मे वृथाग्निना समायोगो यदभूत्पृथिवीपतेः
AI Translation: This is even more painful, O Lord, it seems to me. The union with the fire was in vain for the lord of the earth.
तथा तपस्विनस्तस्य राजर्षेः कौरवस्य ह कथमेवंविधो मृत्युः प्रशास्य पृथिवीमिमाम्
AI Translation: And the ascetics of that royal sage, the Kaurava, How can such a death befall him, having ruled over this earth?
तिष्ठत्सु मन्त्रपूतेषु तस्याग्निषु महावने वृथाग्निना समायुक्तो निष्ठां प्राप्तः पिता मम
AI Translation: While the fires were still burning, purified by mantras, in that great forest, My father, who was associated with a useless fire, attained his end.
मन्ये पृथा वेपमाना कृशा धमनिसंतता हा तात धर्मराजेति समाक्रन्दन्महाभये
M. N. Dutt: I suppose that Pritha, emaciated and reduced to a from in which all her nerves became visible, must have trembled in fear and cried aloud, saying, O son Yudhishthira! and awaited the terrible approach of the fire.
भीम पर्याप्नुहि भयादिति चैवाभिवाशती समन्ततः परिक्षिप्ता माता मेऽभूद्दवाग्निना
M. N. Dutt: She must have also said, O Bhima, save me from this danger! when she, my mother, was surrounded on all sides y that dreadful fire.
Supplementary Passages:
15.46.17 For 17ab, D3 subst.: *100 भीम मां त्राहि दावाग्नेर्भयादित्यभियाचती
सहदेवः प्रियस्तस्याः पुत्रेभ्योऽधिक एव तु न चैनां मोक्षयामास वीरो माद्रवतीसुतः
M. N. Dutt: Among all her sons, Sahadeva was her darling. Alas, that heroic son of Madravati did not rescue her!'
तच्छ्रुत्वा रुरुदुः सर्वे समालिङ्ग्य परस्परम् पाण्डवाः पञ्च दुःखार्ता भूतानीव युगक्षये
M. N. Dutt: Hearing these bewailings of the king. all those person who were present there began to weep, embracing each other. In fact, the five sons of Pandu were so stricken with grief that they resembled living creatures at the time of the dissolution of the universe.
तेषां तु पुरुषेन्द्राणां रुदतां रुदितस्वनः प्रासादाभोगसंरुद्धो अन्वरौत्सीत्स रोदसी
M. N. Dutt: The sound of lamentations uttered by those weeping heroes, filling the spacious chambers of the palace, escaped therefrom and penetrated the very sky.
Supplementary Passages:
15.46.20 After 20, G1.5 M1-4 ins.: *101 अन्योन्यं वीक्ष्य वीक्ष्यैवं स्मृत्वा मातुरुपप्लवम् सेहिरे न महीपाला निपेतुः पृथिवीतले पुनरुत्थाय चालिङ्ग्य रुदन्तो विषमस्वनाः निपेतुः पाण्डवाः शोकाद्धर्मराजस्य पादयोः