Mahabharata, Book 3, Section CCXXXVIवनपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 3.236.

236Sanskrit adhyāya 3.236 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

वैशंपायन उवाच।
मार्कण्डेयादिभिर्विप्रैः पाण्डवैश्च महात्मभिः।
कथाभिरनुकूलाभिः सह स्तित्वा जनार्दनः ।।
ततस्तैः संविदं कृत्वा यथावन्मधुसूदनः।
आरुरुक्षू रथं सत्यामाह्वयामास भारत ।।
सत्यभामा ततस्तत्र स्वजित्वा द्रुपदात्मजाम्।
उवाच वचनं हृद्यं यथाभावं समाहितम् ।।
कृष्णे माभूत्तवोत्कण्ठा मा व्यथा मा प्रजागरः।
भर्तृभिर्देवसंकाशैर्जितां प्राप्स्यसि मेदिनीम् ।।
न ह्येवं शीलसंपन्ना नैवं पूजितलक्षणाः।
प्राप्नुवन्ति चिरं क्लेशं यथा त्वमसितेक्षणे ।।
अवश्यं च त्वया भूमिरियं निहतकण्टका।
भर्तृभिः सहभोक्तव्या निर्द्वन्द्वेति श्रुतं मया ।।
धार्तराष्ट्रवधं कृत्वावैराणि प्तियात्य च।
युधिष्ठिरस्थां पृथिवीं द्रष्टासि द्रुपदात्मजे ।।
यास्ताः प्रव्राजपानां त्वां प्राहसन्दर्पमोहिताः।
ताः क्षिप्रं हतसंकल्पा द्रक्ष्यसि त्वं कुरुस्त्रियः ।।
तव दुःखोपपन्नाया यैराचरितमप्रियम्।
विद्धि संप्रस्थितान्सर्वांस्तान्कृष्णे यमसादनम् ।।
पुत्रस्ते प्रतिविन्ध्यश्च सुतसोमस्तथाविधः।
श्रुतकर्माऽर्जुनिश्चैव शतानीकश्च नाकुलिः ।।
सहदेवाच्च यो जातः श्रुतसेनस्तवात्मजः।
सर्वेकुशलिनो वीराः कृतास्त्राश्च सुतास्तव ।।
अभिमन्युरिव प्रीता द्वारवत्यां रता भृशम्।
त्वमिवैषां सुभद्रा च प्रीत्या सर्वात्मना स्थिता ।।
प्रीयते तव निर्द्वन्द्वा तेभ्यश्च विगतज्वरा।
दुःखिता तेन दुःखेन सुखेन सुखिता तथा ।।
भजेत्सर्वात्मना चैव प्रद्युम्नजननी तथा।
भानुप्रभृतिभिश्चैनान्विशिनष्टि च केशवः ।।
भोजनाच्छादने चैषां नित्यं मे श्वशुरः स्थितः।
रामप्रभृतयः सर्वे भजन्त्यन्धकवृष्णयः ।।
तुल्यो हिप्रणयस्तेषां प्रद्युम्नस्य च भामिनि।
एवमादि प्रियं सत्यंहृद्यमुक्त्वा मनोनुगम् ।।
गमनाय मनश्चक्रेवासुदेवरथं प्रति।
तां कृष्णां कृष्णमहिषी चकाराभिप्रदक्षिणम् ।।
आरुरोह रथं शौरेः सत्यभामाऽथ भामिनी।
स्मयित्वातु यदुश्रेष्ठो द्रौपदीं परिसान्त्व्य च।
उपावर्त्य ततः शीघ्रैर्हयैः प्रायात्परंतपः ।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते अरण्यपर्वणि
द्रौपदीसत्यभामासंवादपर्वणि षट्‌त्रिंशदधिकद्विशततमोऽध्यायः ।। 236 ।।

English Ganguli

Vaisampayana said, “Having heard these words of Karna, king Duryodhana became highly pleased. Soon after, however, the prince became melancholy and addressing the speaker said, ‘What thou tellest me, O Karna, is always before my mind. I shall not, however, obtain permission to repair to the place where the Pandavas are residing. King Dhritarashtra is always grieving for those heroes. Indeed, the king regarded the sons of Pandu to have become more powerful than before in consequence of their ascetic austerities. Or, if the king understands our motives, he will never, having regard to the future, grant us permission, for, O thou of great effulgence, we can have no other business in the woods of Dwaitavana than the destruction of the Pandavas in exile! Thou knowest the words that Kshatri spoke to me to thyself, and to the son of Suvala, at the time of the match at dice! Reflecting upon all those words as also upon all those lamentations (that he and others indulged in), I cannot make up my mind as to whether I should or should not go! I shall certainly be highly pleased if I cast my eyes on Bhima and Phalguna passing their days in pain with Krishna in the woods. The joy that I may feel in obtaining the sovereignty of the entire earth is nothing to that which will be mine upon beholding the sons of Pandu attired in barks of trees and deer-skins. What joy can be greater, O Karna, that will be mine upon beholding the daughter of Drupada dressed in red rags in the woods? If king Yudhishthira and Bhima, the sons of Pandu, behold me graced with great affluence, then only shall I have attained the great end of my life! I do not, however, see the means by which I may repair to those woods, by which, in fact, I may obtain the king’s permission to go thither! Contrive thou, therefore, some skilful plan, with Suvala’s son and Dussasana, by which we may go to those woods! I also, making up my mind today as to whether I should go or not, approach the presence of the king tomorrow. And when I shall be sitting with Bhishma—that best of the Kurus—thou wilt, with Sakuni propose the pretext which thou mayst have contrived. Hearing then the words of Bhishma and of the king on the subject of our journey, I will settle everything beseeching our grandfather.

“Saying; ‘So be it,’ they then all went away to their respective quarters. And as soon as the night had passed away, Karna came to the king. And coming to him, Karna smilingly spoke unto Duryodhana, saying, ‘A plan hath been contrived by me. Listen to it, O lord of men! Our herds are now waiting in the woods of Dwaitavana in expectation of thee! Without doubt, we may all go there under the pretext of supervising our cattle stations, for, O monarch, it is proper that kings should frequently repair to their cattle stations. If this be the motive put forth, thy father, O prince, will certainly grant thee permission!’ And while Duryodhana and Karna were thus conversing laughingly, Sakuni addressed them and said, ‘This plan, free from difficulties, was what I also saw for going thither! The king will certainly grant us permission, or even send us thither of his own accord. Our herds are now all waiting in the woods of Dwaitavana expecting thee. Without doubt, we may all go there under the pretext of supervising our cattle stations!’

“They then all three laughed together, and gave their hands unto one another. And having arrived at that conclusion, they went to see the chief of Kurus.”