Mahabharata · Book 11 · Stri Parva
Mahabharata, Book 11, Section XIIIस्त्रीपर्व
Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 11.13.
Sanskrit
धृतराष्ट्राभ्यनुज्ञातास्ततस्ते कुरुपुङ्गवाः।
अभ्ययुर्भ्रातरः सर्वे गान्धारीं सहकेशवाः।।
ततो ज्ञात्वा हतामित्रं धर्मराजं युधिष्ठिरम्।
गान्धारी पुत्रशोकार्ता शप्तुमैच्छदनिन्दिता।।
तस्याः पापमभिप्रायं विदित्वा पाण्डवान्प्रति।
ऋषिर्गन्धवतीपुत्रः प्रागेव समबुध्यत।।
स गङ्गायामुपस्पृश्य ब्रह्मर्षिः प्रयतः शुचिः।
तं देशमुपसंपेदे पाराशर्यो मनोजवः।।
दिव्येन चक्षुषा ज्ञात्वा मनसाऽनुद्धतेन च।
सर्वप्राणभृतां भावं सततं स तु बृध्यति।।
स स्नुषामब्रवीत्काले कल्याणानि महातपाः।
शापकालमवाक्षिप्य शमकालमुदीरयन्।।
न कोपः पाण्डवे कार्यो गान्धारि शममाप्नुहि।
रजो निगृह्यतां चैव शृणु चेदं वचो मम।।
पुरोक्ता युद्धकाले त्वं पुत्रेण जयमिच्छता।
जयमाशास्व मे मातर्युध्यमानस्य शत्रुभिः।।
सा तथा याच्यमाना त्वं युद्धकाले जयैषिणा।
उक्तवत्यसि कल्याणि यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः।।
वाचाऽप्यतीते मा क्रोधे मनः कुरु यशस्विनि।
स्मरामि भाषमाणां हि त्वामहं सत्यवादिनीम्।।
विग्रहे तुमुले राज्ञां गत्वा परमसंशयम्।
जितं पाण्डुसुतैर्युद्धे नूनं धर्मस्ततोऽधिकः।।
क्षमाशीला पुरा भूत्वा साऽद्य न क्षमसे कथम्।
अधर्मे जहि धर्मज्ञे यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः।।
सा त्वं धर्मं परिस्मृत्य वाचं चोक्तां मनस्विनी।
कोपं संयच्छ गान्धारि पाण्डवेषु सुतेषु ते।।
गान्धार्युवाच।
भगवन्नाभ्यसूयामि नैतानिच्छामि नश्यतः।
पुत्रशोकेन तु बलान्मनो विह्वलतीव मे।।
यथैव कुन्त्या कौन्तेया रक्षितव्यास्तथा मया।
तथैव धृतराष्ट्रेण रक्षितव्या यथा त्वया।।
दुःशासनापराधेन शकुनेः सौबलस्य च।
कर्णदुर्योधनाभ्यां च कृतोऽयं कृरुसंक्षयः।।
नापराध्यति बीभत्सुर्न च पार्थो वृकोदरः।
नकुलः सदेवश्च नैव राजा युधिष्ठिरः।।
युध्यमाना हि कौरव्याः कृतमामाः परस्परम्।
निहताः सहिताश्चान्यैस्तत्र नास्त्यप्रियं मम।।
किं तु कर्माकरोद्भीमो वासुदेवस्य पश्यतः।
दुर्योधनं समाहूय गदायुर्द्ध महामनाः।।
शिक्षयाऽभ्यधिकं ज्ञात्वा चरन्तं बहुधा रणे।
अधो नाभ्याः प्रहृतवांस्तन्मे कोपमवर्धयत्।।
कथं नु धर्मं धर्मज्ञाः समुद्दिष्टं महात्मभिः।
त्यजेयुराहवे शूराः प्राणहेतोः कथञ्चनः।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते स्त्रीपर्वणि
जलप्रदानिकपर्वणि त्रयोदशोऽध्यायः।। 13 ।।
English Ganguli
13
Vaishampayana said, "Certain maid-servants then came to the king for washing him. After he had been duly washed, the slayer of Madhu again addressed him, saying, 'Thou hast, O king, read the Vedas and diverse scriptures. Thou hast heard all old histories, and everything about the duties of kings. Thou art learned, possessed of great wisdom, and indifferent to strength and weakness. Why then dost thou cherish such wrath when all that has overtaken thee is the result of thy own fault? I spoke to thee before the battle. Both Bhishma and Drona, O Bharata, did the same, as also Vidura and Sanjaya. Thou didst not, however, then follow our advice. Indeed, though exhorted by us, thou didst not yet act according to the counsels we offered, knowing that the Pandavas were superior to thee and thine, O Kauravya, in strength and courage. That king who is capable of seeing his own faults and knows the distinctions of place and time, obtains great prosperity. That person, however, who, though counselled by well-wishers, does not accept their words, good or bad, meets with distress and is obliged to grieve in consequence of the evil policy he pursues. Observe thou a different course of life now, O Bharata! Thou didst not keep thy soul under restraint, but suffered thyself to be ruled by Duryodhana. That which has come upon thee is due to thy own fault. Why then dost thou seek to slay Bhima? Recollecting thy own faults, govern thy wrath now. That mean wretch who had, from pride, caused the princess of Pancala to be brought into the assembly has been slain by Bhimasena in just revenge. Look at thy own evil acts as also at those of thy wicked-souled son. The sons of Pandu are perfectly innocent. Yet have they been treated most cruelly by thee and him.'"
Vaishampayana continued, "After he had thus been told nothing but the truth by Krishna, O monarch, king Dhritarashtra replied unto Devaki's son, saying, 'It is even so, O thou of mighty arms! What thou sayest, O Madhava, is perfectly true. It is parental affection, O thou of righteous soul, that caused me to fall away from righteousness. By good luck, that tiger among men, the mighty Bhima of true prowess, protected by thee, came not within my embrace. Now, however, I am free from wrath and fever. I desire eagerly, O Madhava, to embrace that hero, the second son of Pandu. When all the kings have been dead, when my children are no more, upon the sons of Pandu depend my welfare and happiness.' Having said these words, the old king then embraced those princes of excellent frames, Bhima and Dhananjaya, and those two foremost of men, the two sons of Madri, and wept, and comforted and pronounced blessings upon them."