Mahabharata, Book 3, Section VIIवनपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 3.7.

7Sanskrit adhyāya 3.7 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

वैशंपायन उवाच।
श्रुत्वा च विदुरं प्राप्तं राज्ञा च परिसान्त्वितम्।
धृताराष्ट्रात्मजो राजा पर्यतप्यत दुर्मतिः ।।
स सौबलेयमानाय्य कर्णदुःशासनौ तथा।
अब्रवीद्वचनं राजा प्रविश्याबुद्धिजं तमः ।।
एष प्रत्यागतो मन्त्री धृतराष्ट्रस्य संमतः।
विदुरः पाण्डुपुत्राणां सुहृद्विद्वान्हिते रतः ।।
यावदस्य पुनर्बुद्धिं विदुरो नापकर्षति।
पाण्डवानयने तावन्मन्त्रयध्वं हितं मम ।।
अथ पश्याम्यहं पार्थान्प्राप्तानिह कथंचन।
पुनः शोषं गमिष्यामि निरसुर्निष्परिग्रहः ।।
विषमुद्बन्धनं चैव शस्त्रमग्निप्रवेशनम्।
करिष्ये न हि तानृद्धान्पुनर्द्रष्टुमिहोत्सहे ।।
सुकुनिरुवाच।
किं बालिशमतिं राजन्नास्थितोसि विशांपते।
गतास्ते समयं कृत्वा नैतदेवं भविष्यति ।।
सत्यवाक्येः स्विताः सर्वे पाण्डवा भरतषभ।
पितुस्ते वचनं तात न ग्रहीष्यन्ति कर्हिचिति ।।
अथवा ते ग्रहीष्यन्ति पुनरेष्यन्ति वा पुरम्।
निरस्य समयं सर्वे पणोऽस्माकं भविष्यति ।।
सर्वे भवामो मध्यस्था राज्ञश्छन्दानुवर्तिनः।
छिद्रं बहु प्रपश्यन्तः पाण्डवानां सुसंवृताः ।
दुःशासन उवाच।
एवमेतन्महाप्राज्ञ यथा वदसि मातुल।
नित्यं हि मे कथयतस्तव बुद्धिर्विरोचते ।।
कर्ण उवाच।
काममीक्षामहे सर्वे दुर्योधन तवेप्सितम्।
ऐकमत्यं हि नो राजन्सर्वेषामेव लक्षये ।।
[नागमिष्यन्ति ते धीरा अकृत्वा कालसंविदम्।
आगमिष्यन्ति चेन्मोहात्पुनर्द्यूतेन ताञ्जय ।।]
वैशंपायन उवाच।
एवमुक्तस्तु कर्णेन राजा दुर्योधनस्तदा।
नातिहृष्टमनाः क्षिप्रमभवत्स पराङ्मुखः ।।
उपलभ्य ततः कर्णो विवृत्य नयने शुभे।
रोषाद्दुःशासनं चैव सौबलं च तमेव च ।।
उवाच परमक्रुद्ध उद्यम्यात्मानमात्मना।
अथो मम मतं यत्तु तन्निबोधत भूमिपाः ।।
प्रियं सर्वे करिष्यामो राज्ञः किं करवामहे।
न चास्य शक्नुमः स्थातुं प्रिये सर्वे ह्यतन्द्रिताः ।।
वयं तु शस्त्राण्यादाय रथानास्थाय दंशिताः।
गच्छामः सहिता हन्तुं पाण्डवान्वनगोचरान् ।।
तेषु सर्वेषु शान्तेषु गतेष्वविदितां गतिम्।
निर्विवादा भविष्यन्ति धार्तराष्ट्रास्तथा वयम् ।।
यावदेव परिद्यूना यावच्छोकपरायणाः।
यावन्मित्रविहीनाश्च तावद्गच्छाम माचिरम् ।।
तस्यतद्वचनं श्रुत्वा पूजयन्तः पुनः पुनः।
प्रहृष्टमनसः सर्वे प्रत्यूचुः सूतजं तदा ।।
एवमुक्त्वा सुसंरब्धा रथैः सर्वे पृथक्पृथक्।
निर्ययुः पाण्डवान्हन्तुं सहिताः कृतनिश्चयाः ।।
तान्प्रस्थितान्परिज्ञाय कृष्णद्वैपायनः प्रभुः।
आजगाम विशुद्धात्मा दृष्ट्वा दिव्येन चक्षुषा ।।
प्रतिषिध्याथ तान्सर्वान्भगवाँल्लोकपूजितः।
प्रज्ञाचक्षुषमासीनमुवाचाभ्येत्य सत्वरम् ।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते अरण्यपर्वणि
किर्मीरवधपर्वणि सप्तमोऽध्यायः ।। 7 ।।

English Ganguli

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Hearing that Vidura had returned, and that the king had consoled him, the evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra began to burn in grief. His understanding clouded by ignorance, he summoned the son of Suvala, and Karna and Dussasana, and addressed them saying, ‘The learned Vidura, the minister of the wise Dhritarashtra, hath returned! The friend of the sons of Pandu, he is ever engaged in doing what is beneficial to them. So long as this Vidura doth not succeed in inducing the king to bring them back, do ye all think of what may benefit me! If ever I behold the sons of Pritha return to the city, I shall again be emaciated by renouncing food and drink, even though there be no obstacle in my path! And I shall either take poison or hang myself, either enter the pyre or kill myself with my own weapons. But I shall never be able to behold the sons of Pandu in prosperity!

“Sakuni said, ‘O king, O lord of the earth, what folly hath taken possession of thee! The Pandavas have gone to the forest, having given a particular pledge, so that what thou apprehendest can never take place! O bull of the Bharata race, the Pandavas ever abide by the truth. They will never, therefore, accept the words of thy father! If however, accepting the commands of the king, they come back to the capital, violating their vow, even this would be our conduct, viz., assuming, an aspect of neutrality, and in apparent obedience to the will of the monarch, we will closely watch the Pandavas, keeping our counsels!’

“Dussasana said, ‘O uncle of great intelligence, it is even as thou sayest! The words of wisdom thou utterest always recommend themselves to me!’”Karna said, ‘O Duryodhana, all of us seek to accomplish thy will and, O king, I see that unanimity at present prevaileth among us! The sons of Pandu, with passions under complete control, will never return without passing away the promised period. If, however, they do return from failing sense, do thou defeat them again at dice.’

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Thus addressed by Karna, king Duryodhana with cheerless heart, averted his face from his counsellors. Marking all this, Karna expanding his beautiful eyes, and vehemently gesticulating in anger, haughtily addressed Duryodhana and Dussasana and Suvala’s son saying, ‘Ye princes, know ye my opinion! We are all servants of the king (Duryodhana) waiting upon him with joined palms! We should, therefore, do what is agreeable to him! But we are not always able to seek his welfare with promptness and activity (owing to our dependence on Dhritarashtra)! But let us now, encased in mail and armed with our weapons, mount our cars and go in a body to slay the Pandavas now living in the forest! After the Pandavas have been quieted and after they have gone on the unknown journey, both ourselves and the sons of Dhritarashtra will find peace! As long as they are in distress, as long as they are in sorrow, as long as they are destitute of help, so long are we a match for them! This is my mind!’

‘Hearing those words of the charioteer’s son, they repeatedly applauded him, and at last exclaimed, ‘Very well!’ And saying this each of them mounted his car, and sanguine of success, they rushed in a body to slay the sons of Pandu. And knowing by his spiritual vision that they had gone out, the master Krishna-Dwaipayana of pure soul came upon them, and commanded them to desist. And sending them away, the holy one, worshipped by all the worlds, quickly appeared before the king whose intelligence served the purposes of eye-sight, and who was then seated (at his ease). And the holy one addressed the monarch thus.’”