Mahabharata, Book 3, Section CCLIIवनपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 3.252.

252Sanskrit adhyāya 3.252 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

वैशंपायन उवाच।
प्रायोपविष्टं राजानं दुर्योधनममर्षणम्।
उवाच सान्त्वयन्राजञ्शकुनिः सौबलस्तदा ।।
सम्यगुक्तं हि कर्णेन तच्छ्रुतं कौरव त्वया।
मया हृतां श्रियं स्फीतां तां मोहादपहासि किम् ।।
त्वमबुद्ध्या नृपवर प्राणानुत्स्रष्टुमिच्छसि।
अद्य वाऽप्यवगन्छामि न वृद्धाः सेवितास्त्वया ।।
यः समुत्पतितं हर्षं दैन्यं वा न नियच्छति।
स नश्यति श्रियं प्राप्य पात्रमाममिवाम्भसि ।।
अतिभीरुं मृदुं क्लीबं दीर्घसूत्रं प्रमादिनम्।
व्यसनाद्विषयाक्रान्तं न भजन्ति नृपं श्रिताः ।।
सत्कृतस्य हि ते शोको विपरीते कथं भवेत्।
मा कृतं शोभनं पार्थैः शोकमालम्ब्य नाशय ।।
यत्र हर्षस्त्वया कार्यः सत्कर्तव्याश्च पाण्डवाः।
तत्र शोचसि राजेन्द्रविपरीतमिदं तव ।।
प्रसीदमा त्यजात्मानं तुष्टश्च सुकृतं स्मर।
कप्रयच्छ राज्यं पार्थानां यशो धर्ममवाप्नुहि।
क्रियामेतां समाज्ञाय कृतघ्नो न भविष्यसि ।।
सौभ्रात्रं पाण्डवैः कृत्वा समवस्ताप्य चैव तान्।
पित्र्यं राज्यं प्रयच्छैषां ततः सुखमवाप्स्यसि ।।
वैशंपायन उवाच।
शकुनेस्तु वचः श्रुत्वा दुःशासनमवेक्ष्य च।
पादयोः पतितं वीरं विकृतं भ्रातृसौहृदात् ।।
बाहुभ्यां साधुजाताभ्यां दुःशासनमरिंदमम्।
उत्थाप्य संपरिष्वज्य प्रीत्याऽजिघ्रत मूर्धनि ।।
कर्णसौबलयोश्चापि संश्रुत्य वचनान्यसौ।
निर्वेदं परमं गत्वा राजा दुर्योधनस्तदा।
व्रीडयाऽभिपरीतात्मा नैराश्यमगमत्परम् ।।
सुहृदां चैव तच्छ्रुत्वा समन्युरिदमब्रवीत्।
न धर्मधनसौख्येन नैश्वर्येण न चाज्ञया ।।
नैव भोगैश्च मे कार्यं मा विहन्यत गच्छत।
निश्चितेयं मम मतिः स्थिता प्रायोपवेशने ।।
गच्छध्वं नगरं सर्वे पूज्याश्च गुरवो मम।
त एवमुक्ताः प्रत्यूच् राजानमरिमर्दनम् ।।
या गतिस्तव राजेन्द्र साऽस्माकमपि भारत।
कथं वा संप्रवेक्ष्यामस्त्वद्विहीनाः पुरं वयम् ।।
वैशंपायन उवाच।
स सुहृद्भिरमात्यैश्च भातृभिः स्वजनेन च।
बहुप्रकारमप्युक्तो निश्चयान्न व्यचाल्यत ।।
दर्भास्तरणमास्तीर्य निश्चयाद्धृतराष्ट्रजः।
संस्पृश्यापः शुचिर्भूत्वा भूतले समुपस्थितः ।।
कुशचीराम्बरधरः परं नियममास्थितः।
वाग्यतो राजशार्दूलः स स्वर्गगतिकाम्यया ।।
मनसोपचितिं कृत्वा निरस् च बहिःक्रियाः।
`तस्थौप्रायोपवेशेऽथमतिं कृत्वा सुनिश्चयाम्' ।।
अथ तं निश्चयं तस्य बुद्ध्वा दैतेयदानवाः।
पातालवासिनो रौद्राः पूर्वं देवैर्विनिर्जिताः ।।
ते स्वपक्षक्षयं तं तु ज्ञात्वा दुर्योधनस्य वै।
आह्वानाय तदा चक्रुः कर्म वैतानसंभवम् ।।
बृहस्पत्युशनोक्तैश्च मन्त्रैर्मन्त्रविशारदाः।
अथर्ववेदप्रोक्तैश्च याश्चौपनिषदाः क्रियाः।
मन्त्रजप्यसमायुक्तास्तास्तदा समवर्तयन् ।।
जुह्वत्यग्नौ हविः क्षीरं मन्त्रवत्सुसमाहिताः।
ब्राह्मणा वेदवेदाङ्गपारगाः सुदृढव्रताः ।।
`अध्वर्यवो दानवानां कर्म प्रावर्तयंस्ततः' ।।
कर्मसिद्धौ तदा तत्र जृम्भमाणा महाद्भुता।
कृत्या समुत्थिता राजन्किं करोमीति चाब्रवीत् ।।
आहुर्दैत्याश्च तां तत्र सुप्रीतेनान्तरात्मना।
प्रायोपविष्टं राजानं धार्तराष्ट्रमिहानय ।।
तथेति च प्रतिश्रुत्य सा कृत्या प्रययौ तदा।
निमेषादगमच्चापि यत्र राजा सुयोधनः ।।
समादाय च राजानं प्रविवेश रसातलम्।
दानवानां मुहूर्ताच्च पुरतस्तं न्यवेदयत् ।।
तमानीतं नृपं दृष्ट्वा रात्रौ संगत्य दानवाः।
प्रहृष्टमनसः सर्वे किंचिदुत्फुल्ललोचनाः ।।
`दृढमेनं परिष्यज्य दृष्ट्वा च कुशलं तदा'।
साभिमानमिदं वाक्यं दुर्योधनमथाब्रुवन् ।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते अरण्यपर्वणि
घोषयात्रापर्वणि द्विपञ्चाशदधिकद्विशततमोऽध्यायः ।।

English Ganguli

Vaisampayana continued, “Then, O bull among the Bharatas, that mighty bowman, Karna, surrounded by a large army, besieged the beautiful city of Drupada. And he, after a hard conflict, brought the hero under subjection, and, O best of monarchs, made Drupada contribute silver and gold and gems, and also pay tribute. And, O foremost of kings, having subdued him, (Karna) brought under subjection those princes that were under him (Drupada) and made them pay tribute. Then going to the north, he subdued the sovereigns (of that quarter) and having effected the defeat of Bhagadatta, Radha’s son ascended that mighty mountain Himavat, all along fighting his foes. And ranging all sides, he conquered and brought under subjection all the kings inhabiting the Himavat, and made them pay dues. Then descending from the mountain and rushing to the east, he reduced the Angas, and the Bangas, and the Kalingas, and the Mandikas, and the Magadhas. the Karkakhandas; and also included with them the Avasiras, Yodhyas, and the Ahikshatras. Having (thus) conquered the eastern quarter Karna then presented himself before Batsa-bhumi. And having taken Batsa-bhumi, he reduced Kevali, and Mrittikavati, and Mohana and Patrana, and Tripura, and Kosala,—and compelled all these to pay tribute. Then going to the south, Karna vanquished the mighty charioteers (of that quarter) and in Dakshinatya, the Suta’s son entered into conflict with Rukmi. After having fought dreadfully, Rukmi spake to the Suta’s son saying, ‘O foremost of monarchs, I have been pleased with thy might and prowess. I shall not do thee wrong: I have only fulfilled the vow of a Kshatriya. Gladly will I give thee as many gold coins as thou desirest.’ Having met with Rukmi, Karna, repaired to Pandya and the mountain, Sri. And by fighting, he made Karala, king Nila, Venudari’s son, and other best of kings living in the southern direction pay tribute. Then going to Sisupala’s son, the son of the Suta defeated him and that highly powerful one also brought under his sway all the neighbouring rulers. And, O bull of the Bharata race, having subjugated the Avantis and concluded peace with them, and having met with the Vrishnis, he conquered the west. And, having come to the quarter of Varuna, he made all the Yavana and Varvara kings pay tribute. And, having conquered the entire earth—east, west, north and south—that hero without any aid brought under subjection all the nations of the Mlechchhas, the mountaineers, the Bhadras, the Rohitakas, the Agneyas and the Malavas. And, having conquered the mighty charioteers, headed by the Nagnajitas, the Suta’s son brought the Sasakas and the Yavanas under his sway. Having thus conquered and brought under his subjection the world, the mighty charioteer and tiger among men came (back) to Hastinapura. That lord of men, Dhritarashtra’s son, accompanied by his father and brothers and friends, came to that mighty bowman, who had arrived, and duly paid homage unto Karna crowned with martial merit. And the king proclaimed his feats, saying, ‘What I have not received from either Bhishma, or Drona, or Kripa, or Vahlika, I have received from thee. May good betide thee! What need of speaking at length! Hear my words, O Karna! In thee, O chief of men, I have my refuge. O mighty-armed one. O tiger among men, without doubt all the Pandavas and the other kings crowned with prosperity, come not to a sixteenth part of thee. Do thou, O mighty bowman, O Karna, see Dhritarashtra, and the illustrious Gandhari, as the bearer of the thunderbolt did Aditi.’

“Then, O king, there arose in the city of Hastinapura a clamour, and sounds of Oh! and Alas! and, O lord of men, some of the kings praised him (Karna), while others censured him, while others, again, remained silent. Having thus, O foremost of monarchs, in a short time conquered this earth furnished with mountains and forests and skies, and with oceans, and fields, and filled with high and low tracts, and cities, and replete also with islands. O lord of earth, and brought the monarchs under subjection,—and having gained imperishable wealth, the Suta’s son appeared before the king. Then, O represser of foes, entering into the interior of the palace that hero saw Dhritarashtra with Gandhari, O tiger among men, that one conversant with morality took hold of his feet even like a son. And Dhritarashtra embraced him affectionately, and then dismissed him. Ever since that time, O monarch, O Bharata, king Duryodhana and Sakuni, the son of Suvala, thought that Pritha’s sons had already been defeated in battle by Karna.”