कर्ण उवाच दुर्योधन तव प्रज्ञा न सम्यगिति मे मतिः। न ह्युपायेन ते शक्याः पाण्डवाः कुरुवर्धन॥
Karna said: O Duryodhana, in my opinion your reasoning are not well-founded. O perpetuator of the Kuru race, no machinations will succeed against the Pandavas.
पूर्वमेव हि ते सूक्ष्मैरुपायैर्यतितास्त्वया। निग्रहीतुं तदा वीर न चैव शकितास्त्वया।॥
O hero, you have formerly tried to accomplish your wishes by various subtlc means, but you have not been successful in killing them.
इहैव वर्तमानास्ते समीपे तव पार्थिव। अजातपक्षाः शिशवः शकिता नैव बाधितुम्॥
O. king, they were then living near you, they were then mere children, they were then without allies and friends, still you could nor injure them.
जातपक्षा विदेशस्था विवृद्धाः सर्वशोऽद्य ते। नोपायसाध्याः कौन्तेया ममैषा मतिरच्युत॥
They are now living at a distance, they are now grown up and they are now stronger by securing allies. It is my firm belief that you will not be able to injure them now with any subtle machinations.
न च ते व्यसनैर्योक्तुं शक्या दिष्टकृतेन च। शकिताश्चेप्सवश्चैव पितृपैतामहं पदम्॥
They are aided by Fate. When they are desirous of regaining the place of their fathers and grandfathers, we can never succeed to injure them by any means of ours.
परस्परेण भेदश्च नाधातुं तेषु शक्यते। एकस्यां ये रताः पन्यां न भिद्यन्ते परस्परम्॥
It is impossible to create disunion amongst them. They can never be disunited who have taken a common wife.
न चापि कृष्णा शक्येत तेभ्यो भेदयितुं परैः। परियूनान् वृतवती किमुताद्य मृजावतः॥
We can never succeed in estranging Krishna (Draupadi) from them by any spies. she choose them as her husband when they were in adversity, they are now in prosperity.
ईप्सितश्च गुणः स्त्रीणामेकस्या बहुभर्तृता। तं च प्राप्तवती कृष्णा न सा भेदयितुं क्षमा॥
Women generally desire to have many husbands, Krishna has got it; she can never be estranged from them.
आर्यव्रतश्च पाञ्चाल्यो न स राजा धनप्रियः। न संत्यक्ष्यति कौन्तेयान् राज्यदानैरपि ध्रुवम्॥
The Panchala king is honest and virtuous, he is not covetous for wealth. Even if we offer him our whole kingdom, he will certainly not abandon the sons of Kunti.
यथास्य पुत्रो गुणवाननुरक्तश्च पाण्डवान्। तस्मान्नो पायसाध्यांस्तानहं मन्ये कथंचन॥
His son is also well-accomplished and has become attached to the Pandavas; therefore, I think by no subtle machinations that are in your power, you will be able to injure them.
इदं त्वद्य क्षमं कर्तुमस्माकं पुरुषर्षभ। यावन्न कृतमूलास्ते पाण्डवेया विशाम्पते॥ तावत् प्रहरणीयास्ते तत् तुभ्यं तात रोचताम्। अस्मत्पक्षो महान् यावद् यावत् पाञ्चालको लघुः। तावत् प्रहरणं तेषां क्रियतां मा विचारय॥
O best of men, this is what is good and advisable for us to-day, namely, O king, to attack and smite them till the Pandavas are exterminated. O sire, consent to this. As long as our party is strong and that of the Panchalas weak, so long let us strike them without scruple.
वाहनानि प्रभूतानि मित्राणि च कुलानि च। यावन्न तेषां गान्धारे तावद् विक्रम पार्थिव॥
O son of Gandhari, O king, as long as their innumerable conveyances, their friends and relatives, do not gather together, so long continue to display your prowess.
यावच्च राजा पाञ्चाल्यो नोद्यमे कुरुते मनः। सह पुत्रैर्महावीर्य स्तावद् विक्रम पार्थिव॥
O king, as long as the Panchala king with his greatly powerful son does not resolve to fight with us, so long display your prowess.
यावन्नायाति वार्ष्णेयः कर्षन् यादववाहिनीम्। राज्यार्थे पाण्डवेयानां पाञ्चाल्यसदनं प्रति॥
As long as Vasudeva, Krishna, does not march with the Yadava hosts into the city of the Panchala king in order to restore the Pandavas to their kingdom, so long display your prowess.
वसूनि विविधान् भोगान् राज्यमेव च केवलम्। नात्याज्यमस्ति कृष्णस्य पाण्डवार्थं कथंचन॥
Wealth, articles of enjoyments, kingdom, nay their is nothing which Krishna may not sacrifice for the Pandavas,
विक्रमेण मही प्राप्ता भरतेन महात्मना। विक्रमेण च लोकांस्त्रीञ्जितवान् पाकशासनः॥
The whole earth was acquired by the illustrious Bharata by his prowess. Indra has obtained the sovereignty of three worlds by prowess alone.
विक्रमं च प्रशंसन्ति क्षत्रियस्य विशाम्पते। स्वको हि धर्मः शूराणां विक्रमः पार्थिवर्षभ॥
O king, prowess is always admired in a Kshatriya. O best of kings, prowess is the cardinal virtue of the heroes.
ते बलेन वयं राजन् महता चतुरङ्गिणा। प्रमथ्य दुपदं शीघ्रमानयामेह पाण्डवान्॥
O king, therefore, without any further delay let us with our large army of four kinds of troops vanquish Drupada and bring here the Pandavas.
न हि साम्ना न दानेन न भेदेन च पाण्डवाः। शक्याः साधयितुं तस्माद् विक्रमेणैव ताञ्जहि॥
The Pandavas cannot be defeated by any policy of conciliation, of gift, of wealth, of bribery or of disunion. Therefore, vanquish them by your prowess.
तान् विक्रमेण जित्वेमामखिलां भुक्ष्व मेदिनीम्। अतो नान्यं प्रपश्यामि कार्योपायं जनाधिप॥
O king, after defeating them by your prowess, rule over the wide world. I do not see any other means of becoming successful in our object.
वैशम्पायन उवाच श्रुत्वा तु राधेयवचो धृतराष्ट्रः प्रतापवान्। अभिपूज्य ततः पश्चादिदं वचनमब्रवीत्॥
Vaishampayana said : Hearing what the son of Radha (Karna) said, the powerful Dhritarashtra gave him high praise and he then spoke to him thus-
उपपन्नं महाप्राज्ञे कृतास्त्रे सूतनन्दने। त्वयि विक्रमसम्पन्नमिदं वचनमीदृशम्॥
"O son of Suta, you are gifted with great wisdom and you are highly accomplished in arms. Such words breathing the spirit of heroism are surely worthy of you.
भूय एव तु भीष्मश्च द्रोणो विदुरएव च। युवां च कुरुतं बुद्धिं भवेद् या नः सुखोदया॥
But let Bhishma, Drona and Vidura and also you two, consult together and then adopt that means which may lead to our good."
तत आनाय्य तान् सर्वान् मन्त्रिणः सुमहायशाः। धृतराष्ट्रो महाराज मन्त्रयामास वै तदा॥
Thereupon, the greatly illustrious king Dhritarashtra summoned to him all those councillors and consulted with them.