Critical Edition
कुन्त्युवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् विदुरायाश्च संवादं पुत्रस्य च परंतप
M. N. Dutt: Kunti said In this connection is cited the old story of the conversation between Vidula and her son, O chastiser of foes.
अत्र श्रेयश्च भूयश्च यथा सा वक्तुमर्हति यशस्विनी मन्युमती कुले जाता विभावरी
M. N. Dutt: It is proper that you should tell (Yudhishthira) the words of that story or anything better than that. There was a lady born in a noble family who had great renown and was wrathful.
क्षत्रधर्मरता धन्या विदुरा दीर्घदर्शिनी विश्रुता राजसंसत्सु श्रुतवाक्या बहुश्रुता
M. N. Dutt: She was attached to the duties of a Kshatriya princess and her name was Vidula, She possessed great foresight and had senses under control; her name was known to all kings and she was very learned for hearing speeches of eminent men.
विदुरा नाम वै सत्या जगर्हे पुत्रमौरसम् निर्जितं सिन्धुराजेन शयानं दीनचेतसम् अनन्दनमधर्मज्ञं द्विषतां हर्षवर्धनम्
M. N. Dutt: The princess Vidula thus censured her own son who, being defeated by the king of the Sindhus, was lying down with a sorrowful heart.
न मया त्वं न पित्रासि जातः क्वाभ्यागतो ह्यसि निर्मन्युरुपशाखीयः पुरुषः क्लीबसाधनः
AI Translation: You were not born from me or from your father. Where have you come from? The person who is without pride, who is a follower of the Upaśākhā, who is impotent, who is a means to an end,
यावज्जीवं निराशोऽसि कल्याणाय धुरं वह मात्मानमवमन्यस्व मैनमल्पेन बीभरः मनः कृत्वा सुकल्याणं मा भैस्त्वं प्रतिसंस्तभ
M. N. Dutt: Do not think lightly of your own soul and do not let it be satisfied with a little; having set your mind on very great desirable objects, be not afraid and abandon your misgivings.
उत्तिष्ठ हे कापुरुष मा शेष्वैवं पराजितः अमित्रान्नन्दयन्सर्वान्निर्मानो बन्धुशोकदः
M. N. Dutt: Rise, O coward, do not remain inactive in this way being defeated, thereby increasing the joys of our enemies, affording cause for grief to your friends and regardless of everything.
सुपूरा वै कुनदिका सुपूरो मूषिकाञ्जलिः सुसंतोषः कापुरुषः स्वल्पकेनापि तुष्यति
M. N. Dutt: Bad (small) rivers are filled with a handful water and douses are satisfied with little and a coward is ever well satisfied, for a little satisfies him.
अप्यरेरारुजन्दंष्ट्रामाश्वेव निधनं व्रज अपि वा संशयं प्राप्य जीवितेऽपि पराक्रम
M. N. Dutt: Rather die in the act of rooting out the fangs of a snake than roam about like a dog and exercise your prowess even at the risk of life.
अप्यरेः श्येनवच्छिद्रं पश्येस्त्वं विपरिक्रमन् विनदन्वाथ वा तूष्णीं व्योम्नि वापरिशङ्कितः
M. N. Dutt: Or be on the look out for the holes of your enemies like a hawk roaming about in the sky or you show your prowess and fight without any doubts in your mind.
त्वमेवं प्रेतवच्छेषे कस्माद्वज्रहतो यथा उत्तिष्ठ हे कापुरुष मा शेष्वैवं पराजितः
M. N. Dutt: Why are you lying down like a dead body being struck with thunder? Rise, O coward, and do not lie down defeated by your enemies.
मास्तं गमस्त्वं कृपणो विश्रूयस्व स्वकर्मणा मा मध्ये मा जघन्ये त्वं माधो भूस्तिष्ठ चोर्जितः
M. N. Dutt: Do not vanish away into darkness so miserably; let yourself be heard about by your deeds; do not stand in the second rank, nor in the third nor in the last but stand proudly first.
अलातं तिन्दुकस्येव मुहूर्तमपि विज्वल मा तुषाग्निरिवानर्चिः काकरङ्खा जिजीविषुः मुहूर्तं ज्वलितं श्रेयो न तु धूमायितं चिरम्
AI Translation: Like a firebrand from a tinder-fruit, blaze for a moment, but do not be like a fire of chaff, a crow's cackle, or one who wants to live. It is better to blaze for a moment than to smoke for a long time.
मा ह स्म कस्यचिद्गेहे जनी राज्ञः खरीमृदुः कृत्वा मानुष्यकं कर्म सृत्वाजिं यावदुत्तमम् धर्मस्यानृण्यमाप्नोति न चात्मानं विगर्हते
M. N. Dutt: Doing the deed of men and achieving every feat that is really great in a field of battle a man satisfied the duties of his order and has no reason to find fault with himself.
अलब्ध्वा यदि वा लब्ध्वा नानुशोचन्ति पण्डिताः आनन्तर्यं चारभते न प्राणानां धनायते
M. N. Dutt: A wise man grieves not whether he is successful or not in his object; on the contrary he commences what ought to be done under the altered circumstances without caring for his life.
उद्भावयस्व वीर्यं वा तां वा गच्छ ध्रुवां गतिम् धर्मं पुत्राग्रतः कृत्वा किंनिमित्तं हि जीवसि
M. N. Dutt: Show forth your own power or meet with your sure end only playing at your back (making it a secondary consideration) why do you live my son?
इष्टापूर्तं हि ते क्लीब कीर्तिश्च सकला हता विच्छिन्नं भोगमूलं ते किंनिमित्तं हि जीवसि
M. N. Dutt: The fruits of the sacrificial rites performed by you, O coward, and all your renown are all destroyed; the roots of your enjoyment are all cut up; for what reason do you live on?
शत्रुर्निमज्जता ग्राह्यो जङ्घायां प्रपतिष्यता विपरिच्छिन्नमूलोऽपि न विषीदेत्कथंचन उद्यम्य धुरमुत्कर्षेदाजानेयकृतं स्मरन्
M. N. Dutt: When about to fall down (in wrestling) an enemy should be held by the thing and made to fall down also even when cut up to the roots, one should not grieve.
कुरु सत्त्वं च मानं च विद्धि पौरुषमात्मनः उद्भावय कुलं मग्नं त्वत्कृते स्वयमेव हि
AI Translation: Be firm and proud, and know your own manhood. For your sake, raise up your own family, which is sunk.
यस्य वृत्तं न जल्पन्ति मानवा महदद्भुतम् राशिवर्धनमात्रं स नैव स्त्री न पुनः पुमान्
AI Translation: One whose conduct is not spoken of by people as being very wonderful, Who is merely an increaser of the group, is neither a woman nor a man.
दाने तपसि शौर्ये च यस्य न प्रथितं यशः विद्यायामर्थलाभे वा मातुरुच्चार एव सः
AI Translation: Whose fame is not spread in generosity, asceticism, and courage, That very utterance of the mother is for knowledge, for the attainment of wealth.
श्रुतेन तपसा वापि श्रिया वा विक्रमेण वा जनान्योऽभिभवत्यन्यान्कर्मणा हि स वै पुमान्
AI Translation: By learning, by austerities, by glory, or by prowess, A man who surpasses others by his deeds, he is the one who is superior.
न त्वेव जाल्मीं कापालीं वृत्तिमेषितुमर्हसि नृशंस्यामयशस्यां च दुःखां कापुरुषोचिताम्
AI Translation: But you should not seek to live a life of meanness and poverty, a life of cruelty, ill-fame, and suffering, a life fit for a coward.
यमेनमभिनन्देयुरमित्राः पुरुषं कृशम् लोकस्य समवज्ञातं निहीनाशनवाससम्
AI Translation: The enemies would welcome a man who is emaciated, neglected by the world, and dressed in poor clothes.
अहोलाभकरं दीनमल्पजीवनमल्पकम् नेदृशं बन्धुमासाद्य बान्धवः सुखमेधते
AI Translation: "Oh, it is a great gain, it is a great gain, it is a great gain, it is a great gain, it is a great gain, it is a great gain, it is a great gain, it is a great gain, it is a great gain, it is a
अवृत्त्यैव विपत्स्यामो वयं राष्ट्रात्प्रवासिताः सर्वकामरसैर्हीनाः स्थानभ्रष्टा अकिंचनाः
AI Translation: We will be ruined by not being able to return, banished from the kingdom, deprived of all sensual pleasures, fallen from our position, and destitute.
अवर्णकारिणं सत्सु कुलवंशस्य नाशनम् कलिं पुत्रप्रवादेन संजय त्वामजीजनम्
AI Translation: The one who destroys the good, the one who destroys the family lineage, O Sanjaya, you have given birth to Kali through the story of your son.
निरमर्षं निरुत्साहं निर्वीर्यमरिनन्दनम् मा स्म सीमन्तिनी काचिज्जनयेत्पुत्रमीदृशम्
AI Translation: One who is without anger, without enthusiasm, without strength, and without joy, May no woman give birth to a son like this.
मा धूमाय ज्वलात्यन्तमाक्रम्य जहि शात्रवान् ज्वल मूर्धन्यमित्राणां मुहूर्तमपि वा क्षणम्
AI Translation: Smoke, blaze, and completely destroy the enemies. Blaze, O head, the enemies, even for a moment or an instant.
एतावानेव पुरुषो यदमर्षी यदक्षमी क्षमावान्निरमर्षश्च नैव स्त्री न पुनः पुमान्
AI Translation: This much is a man, that he is intolerant, that he is impatient. One who is patient and intolerant is neither a woman nor a man.
संतोषो वै श्रियं हन्ति तथानुक्रोश एव च अनुत्थानभये चोभे निरीहो नाश्नुते महत्
AI Translation: Contentment destroys prosperity, and so does compassion. Both of these are not without fear of non-arising. The one without effort does not attain greatness.
एभ्यो निकृतिपापेभ्यः प्रमुञ्चात्मानमात्मना आयसं हृदयं कृत्वा मृगयस्व पुनः स्वकम्
AI Translation: Release yourself from these deceitful sins. Make your heart like iron and search for your own.
पुरं विषहते यस्मात्तस्मात्पुरुष उच्यते तमाहुर्व्यर्थनामानं स्त्रीवद्य इह जीवति
AI Translation: Because he can endure the city, he is called a man. They call him one with a meaningless name, who lives here like a woman.
शूरस्योर्जितसत्त्वस्य सिंहविक्रान्तगामिनः दिष्टभावं गतस्यापि विघसे मोदते प्रजा
AI Translation: The people rejoice in the prosperity of the hero, of the one of firm resolve, of the one who moves with the gait of a lion, even though he has gone to the destiny determined by
य आत्मनः प्रियसुखे हित्वा मृगयते श्रियम् अमात्यानामथो हर्षमादधात्यचिरेण सः
M. N. Dutt: May be subject to the influence of his fate but even in such a case his subjects rejoice; for he who leaving his own happiness hunts for the prosperity (of his kingdom) very contributes to the rejoicing of his ministers. soon
पुत्र उवाच किं नु ते मामपश्यन्त्याः पृथिव्या अपि सर्वया किमाभरणकृत्यं ते किं भोगैर्जीवितेन वा
M. N. Dutt: The son said If you do not behold me, what is this entire earth to you; what will your ornaments do for you, and what is the use of enjoyments and what even of life itself.
मातोवाच किमद्यकानां ये लोका द्विषन्तस्तानवाप्नुयुः ये त्वादृतात्मनां लोकाः सुहृदस्तान्व्रजन्तु नः
M. N. Dutt: The mother said The world which is (reserved) for the poor and miserable, may our enemies attain to; and may our well-wishers roam about in the earth which is (reserved) for respected souls.
Supplementary Passages:
5.131.37 S ins. after the ref.: D3.4.9 after 37ab: *503 परैर्विहन्यमानस्य जीवितेनापि किं फलम्
भृत्यैर्विहीयमानानां परपिण्डोपजीविनाम् कृपणानामसत्त्वानां मा वृत्तिमनुवर्तिथाः
M. N. Dutt: Do not follow the life of those who are devoid of attendants, who subsist on the food given by others (by way of charity); who are miserable and who are devoid of strength and prowess.
अनु त्वां तात जीवन्तु ब्राह्मणाः सुहृदस्तथा पर्जन्यमिव भूतानि देवा इव शतक्रतुम्
M. N. Dutt: May the Brahmanas and your wellwishers, my son, live depend on you as living creatures depend on the clouds (rain) and as the gods depend on the performer of a hundred sacrifices.
यमाजीवन्ति पुरुषं सर्वभूतानि संजय पक्वं द्रुममिवासाद्य तस्य जीवितमर्थवत्
M. N. Dutt: The man, depending on whom all living creatures depend, O Sanjaya as (birds) on a tree with ripe fruits, has his life rendered useful.
यस्य शूरस्य विक्रान्तैरेधन्ते बान्धवाः सुखम् त्रिदशा इव शक्रस्य साधु तस्येह जीवितम्
M. N. Dutt: The hero, by whose prowess his friends attain to happiness like the gods attaining to happiness through Shakra has his life blessed.
स्वबाहुबलमाश्रित्य योऽभ्युज्जीवति मानवः स लोके लभते कीर्तिं परत्र च शुभां गतिम्
M. N. Dutt: That son of Manu, who lives on the strength of his arms, gets renown in this world and a blissful one here after.