Mahabharata, Book 14, Section IIआश्वमेधिकपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 14.2.

2Sanskrit adhyāya 14.2 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

वैशम्पायन उवाच।
एवमुक्तस्तु राजाऽसौ धृतराष्ट्रेण धीमता।
तूष्णींबभूव मेधावी तमुवाचाथ केशवः।।
अतीव मनसा शोकः क्रियमाणो जनाधिप।
सन्तपयति चैतस्य पूर्वप्रेतान्पितामहान्।।
यजस्व विविधैर्यज्ञैर्बहुभिः स्वाप्तदक्षिणैः।
देवांस्तर्पय सोमेन स्वधया च पितॄनपि।।
अतिथीनन्नपानेन कामैरन्यैरकिञ्चनान्।
`त्वद्विधस्य महाबुद्धे नैतदद्योपपद्यते।'
विदितं वेदितव्यं ते कर्तव्यमपि ते कृतम्।।
श्रुताश्च राजधर्मास्ते भीष्माद्भागीरथीसुतात्।
कृष्णद्वैपायनाच्चैव नारदाद्विदुरात्तथा।।
नेमामर्हसि मूढानां वृत्तिं त्वमनुवर्तितुम्।
पितृपैतामहं वृत्तमास्थाय धुरमुद्वह।।
युक्तं हि यशसा क्षात्रं स्वर्गं प्राप्तुमसंशयम्।
नहि कश्चिद्धि शूरणां निहतोऽत्र पराङ्मुखः।।
त्यज शोकं महाराज भवितव्यं हि तत्तथा।
न शक्यास्ते पुनर्द्रष्टुं त्वया येऽस्मिन्रणे हताः।।
एतावदुक्त्वा गोविन्दो धर्मराजं युधिष्ठिरम्।
विरराम महातेजास्तमुवाच युधिष्ठिरः।।
गोविन्द मयि या प्रीतिस्तव सा विदिता मम।
सौहृदेन तथा प्रेम्णा सदा मय्यनुकम्पसे।।
प्रियं तु मे स्यात्सुमहत्कृतं चक्रगदाधर।
श्रीमन्प्रीतेन मनसाक सर्वं यादवनन्दन।।
यदि मामनुजानीयाद्भवान्गन्तुं तपोवनम्।
`कृतकृत्यो भविष्यामि इति मे निश्चिता मतिः'।।
न हि शान्तिं प्रपश्यामि पातयित्वा पितामहम्।
`नृशंसः पुरुषव्याघ्रं गुरुं वीर्यबलान्वितम्।'
कर्णं च पुरुषव्याघ्नं सङ्ग्रामेष्वपलायिनम्।।
कर्मणा येन मुच्येयमस्मात्क्रूरादरिंदम।
कर्मणा तद्विधत्स्वेह येन शुध्यति मे मनः।।
तमेवंवादिनं पार्थं व्यासः प्रोवाच धर्मवित्।
सान्त्वयन्सुमहातेजाः शुभं वचनमर्थवत्।।
सुकृता ते मतिस्तात पुनर्बाल्येन मुह्यसे।
किमाकाशे वयं सर्वे प्रलपामो मुहुर्मुहुः।।
विदिताः क्षत्रधर्मास्ते येषां युद्धेन जीविका।
तथा प्रवृत्तो नृपतिर्नाधिबन्धेन युज्यसे।।
मोक्षधर्माश्च निखिला याथातथ्येन ते श्रुताः।
`यथा वै कामजां मायां परित्युक्तं त्वमर्हसि।।'
असकृच्चापि सन्देहाश्छिन्नास्ते कामजा मया।
अश्रद्दधानो दुर्मेधा लुप्तस्मृतिरसि ध्रुवम्।।
मैवं भव न ते युक्तमिदमज्ञानमीदृशम्।।
प्रायश्चित्तानि सर्वाणि विदितानि च तेऽनघ।
राजधर्माश्च ते सर्वे दानधर्माश्च ते श्रुताः।।
स कथं सर्वधर्मज्ञः सर्वागमविशारदः।
परिमुह्यसि भूयस्त्वमज्ञानादिव भारत।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते आश्वमेधिकपर्वणि
अश्वमेधपर्वणि द्वितीयोऽध्यायः।। 2 ।।

English Ganguli

"Vaisampayana said, 'Thus addressed by the intelligent king Dhritarashtra Yudhishthira, possessed of understanding, became calm. And then Kesava (Krishna) accosted him,—"If a person indulges excessively in sorrow for his departed forefathers, he grieves them. (Therefore, banishing grief), do thou (now) celebrate many a sacrifice with suitable presents to the priests; and do thou gratify the gods with Soma liquor, and the manes of thy forefathers with their due food and drink. Do thou also gratify thy guests with meat and drink and the destitute with gifts commensurate with their desires. A person of thy high intelligence should not bear himself thus. What ought to be known hath been known by thee; what ought to be done, hath also been performed. And thou hast heard the duties of the Kshatriyas, recited by Bhishma, the son of Bhagirathi, by Krishna Dwaipayana, Narada and Vidura. Therefore thou shouldst not walk the way of the stupid; but pursuing the course of thy forefathers, sustain the burthen (of the empire). It is meet that a Kshatriya should attain heaven for certain by his (own) renown. Of heroes, those that came to be slain never shall have to turn away (from the celestial regions). Renounce thy grief, O mighty sovereign. Verily, what hath happened was destined to happen so. Thou canst in no wise see those that have been slain in this war."—Having said this unto Yudhishthira, prince of the pious, the high-spirited Govinda paused; and Yudhishthira answered him thus, "O Govinda, full well do I know thy fondness for me. Thou hast ever favoured me with thy love and thy friendship. And, O holder of the mace and the discus, O scion of Yadu's race, O glorious one, if (now) with a pleased mind thou dost permit me to go to the ascetic's retreat in the woods, then thou wouldst compass what is highly desired by me. Peace find I none after having slain my grand-father, and that foremost of men, Karna, who never fled from the field of battle. Do thou, O Janarddana, so order that I may be freed from this heinous sin and that my mind may be purified." As Pritha's son was speaking thus, the highly-energetic Vyasa, cognisant of the duties of life, soothing him, spoke these excellent words, "My child, thy mind is not yet calmed; and therefore thou art again stupefied by a childish sentiment. And wherefore, O child, do we over and over again scatter our speech to the winds? Thou knowest duties of the Kshatriyas, who live by warfare. A king that hath performed his proper part should not suffer himself to be overwhelmed by sorrow. Thou hast faithfully listened to the entire doctrine of salvation; and I have repeatedly removed thy misgivings arising out of desire. But not paying due heed to what I have unfolded, thou of perverse understanding hast doubtless forgotten it clean. Be it not so. Such ignorance is not worthy of thee. O sinless one, thou knowest all kinds of expiation; and thou hast also heard of the virtues of kings as well as the merits of gifts. Wherefore then, O Bharata, acquainted with every morality and versed in all the Agamas, art thou overwhelmed (with grief) as if from ignorance?"'"