Mahabharata, Book 5, Section VIउद्योगपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 5.6.

6Sanskrit adhyāya 5.6 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

द्रुपद उवाच।
भूतानां प्राणिनः श्रेष्ठाः प्राणिनां बुद्धिजीविनः।
बुद्धिमत्सु नराः श्रेष्ठा नरेष्वपि द्विजातयः ।।
द्विजेषु वैद्याः श्रेयांसो वैद्येषु कृतबुद्धयः।
कृतबुद्धिषु कर्तारः कर्तृषु ब्रह्मवादिनः ।।
स भवान्कृबुद्धीनां प्रधान इति मे मतिः ।
कुलेन च विशिष्टोऽसि वयसा च श्रुतेन च।
प्रज्ञया सदृशश्चासि शुक्रेणाङ्गिरसेन च ।।
विदितं चापि ते सर्वं यथावृत्तः स कौरवः ।
पाण्डवश्च यथावृत्तः कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः ।।
धृतराष्ट्रस्य विदिते वञ्चिताः पाण्डवाः परैः ।
विदुरेणानुनीतोऽपि पुत्रमेवानुवर्तते ।।
शकुनिर्बुद्धिपूर्वं हि कुन्तीपुत्रं समाह्वयत् ।
अनक्षज्ञं मताक्षः सन्क्षत्रवृत्ते स्थितं शुचिम् ।।
ते तथा वञ्चयित्वा तु धर्मराजं युधिष्ठिरम् ।
न कस्यांचिदवस्थायां राज्यं दास्यन्ति वै स्वयम् ।।
भवांस्तु धर्मसंयुक्तं धृतराष्ट्रं ब्रुवन्वचः ।
मनांसि तस्य योधानां ध्रुवमावर्तयिष्यति ।।
विदुरश्चापि तद्वाक्यं साधयिष्यति तावकम्।
भीष्मद्रोणकृपादीनां भेदं संजनयिष्यति ।।
अमात्येषु च भिन्नेषु योधेषु विमुखेषु च।
पुनरेकत्र करणं तेषां कर्म भविष्यति ।।
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे पार्थाः सुखमेकाग्रबुद्धयः।
सेनाकर्म करिष्यन्ति द्रव्याणां चैव सञ्चयम् ।।
भिद्यमानेषु च स्वेषु लम्बमाने तथा त्वयि।
न तथा ते करिष्यन्ति सेनाकर्म न संशयः ।।
एतत्प्रयोजनं चात्र प्राधान्येनोपलभ्यते।
संगत्या धृतराष्ट्रश्च कुर्याद्धर्म्यं वचस्तव ।।
स भवान्धर्मयुक्तश्च धर्म्यं तेषु समाचरन् ।
कृपालुषु परिक्लेशान्पाण्डवीयान्प्रकीर्तयन् ।।
वृद्धेषु कुलधर्मं च ब्रुवन्पूर्वैरनुष्ठितम् ।
विभेत्स्यति मनांस्येषमिति मे नात्र संशयः ।।
न च तेभ्यो भयं तेऽस्ति ब्राह्मणो ह्यसि वेदवित् ।
दूतकर्मणि युक्तश्च स्थविरश्च विशेषतः ।।
स भवान्पुष्ययोगेन मुहूर्तेन जयेन च।
कौरवेयान्प्रयात्वाशु कौन्तेयस्यार्थसिद्धये ।।
वैशंपायन उवाच।
तथाऽनुशिष्टः प्रययौ द्रुपदेन महात्मना।
पुरोधा वृत्तसंपन्नो नगरं नागसाह्वयम् ।।
शिष्यैः परिवृतो विद्वान्नीतिशास्त्रार्थकोविदः ।
पाण्डवानां हितार्थाय कौरवान्प्रतिजग्मिवान् ।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते उद्योगपर्वणि
सेनोद्योगपर्वणि षष्ठोऽध्यायः ।।

English Ganguli

“Drupada said, ‘Of beings those that are endowed with life are superior. Of living beings those that are endowed with intelligence are superior. Of intelligent creatures men are superior. Of men the twice-born are superior. Of the twice-born, students of the Veda are superior. Of students of the Veda those of cultured understanding are superior. Of cultured men practical persons are superior. And finally, of practical men those knowing the Supreme Being are superior. You, it seems to me, are at the very top of those that are of cultured understanding. You are distinguished both for age and learning. You are equal in intellect to either Sukra or Vrihaspati, the son of Angiras. You know what kind of man the chief of the Kuru race is, and what kind of man also is Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti. It was with Dhritarashtra’s knowledge that the Pandavas were deceived by their opponents. Though instructed by Vidura he yet follows his son. Sakuni advisedly challenged Yudhishthira to a gambling match although the latter was unskilled in gambling while the former was an adept in it. Unskilled in play, Yudhishthira was guileless and firm in following the rules of the military order. Having thus cheated the virtuous king Yudhishthira, they will, by no means, voluntarily yield up the kingdom. If you speak words of righteousness unto Dhritarashtra, you will certainly gain the hearts of his fighting men. Vidura also will make use of those words of yours and will thus alienate the hearts of Bhishma, and Drona, and Kripa, and others. When the officers of state are alienated and fighting men are backward, the task of the enemy will be to gain back their hearts. In the meantime, the Pandavas will, with ease and with their whole hearts, address themselves in preparing the army and in collecting stores. And when the enemy’s adherents are estranged, and while you are hanging about them, they will surely not be able to make adequate preparations for war. This course seems expedient in this wise. On your meeting with Dhritarashtra it is possible that Dhritarashtra may do what you say. And as you are virtuous, you must therefore act virtuously towards them. And to the compassionate, you must descant upon the various hardships that the Pandavas have endured. And you must estrange the hearts of the aged persons by discoursing upon the family usages which were followed by their forefathers. I do not entertain the slightest doubt in this matter. Nor need you be apprehensive of any danger from them, for you are a Brahmana, versed in the Vedas; and you are going thither as an ambassador, and more specially, you are an aged man. Therefore, I ask you to set out without delay towards the Kauravas with the object of promoting the interests of the Pandavas, timing your departure under the (astrological) combination called Pushya and at that part of the day called Jaya.’"

Vaisampayana continued, “Thus instructed by the magnanimous Drupada, the virtuous priest set out for Hastinapura (the city called after the elephant). And that learned man, well-versed in the principles of the science of politics, started with a following of disciples towards the Kurus for the sake of promoting the welfare of Pandu’s sons."