वैशम्पायन उवाच कर्णस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा राजा दुर्योधनस्ततः। हृष्टो भूत्वा पुनर्दीन इदं वचनमब्रवीत्॥
Vaishampayana said : Having heard the words of Karna, the king Duryodhana became greatly delighted. But soon again the became melancholy and he then thus spoke.
ब्रवीषि यदिदं कर्ण सर्वं मनसि मे स्थितम्। न त्वभ्यनुज्ञा लप्स्यामि गमने यत्र पाण्डवाः॥
Duryodhana said : O Karna, what you tell me is always in my mind. But I shall not get permission to go where the Pandavas are.
परिदेवति तान् वीरान् धृतराष्ट्रो महीपतिः। मन्यतेऽभ्यधिकांश्चापि तपोयोगेन पाण्डवान्॥
King Dhritarashtra is always grieving for those heroes. The king considers them (now) more powerful (than before) by their asceticism.
अथवाप्यनुबुध्येत नृपोऽस्माकं चिकीर्षितम्। एवमप्यायतिं रक्षन् नाभ्यनुज्ञातुमर्हति॥ न हि द्वैतवने किंचिद् विद्यतेऽन्यत् प्रयोजनम्। उत्सादनमृते तेषां वनस्थानां महाद्युते॥
O greatly effulgent one, if the king understands our motives, he will never grant us permission, for we can have no other business in Dvaitavana than to exterminate the Pandavas in their exile.
जानासि हि यथा क्षत्ता द्यूतकाल उपस्थिते। अब्रवीद् यच्च मां त्वां च सौबलं वचनं तदा॥
You know what Khatva (Vidura) said to me, to yourself and to the son of Subala (Shakuni) at the time of the play.
तानि सर्वाणि वाक्यानि यच्चान्यत् परिदेवितम्। विचिन्त्य नाधिगच्छामि गमनायेतराय वा॥
Reflecting on those words and also on (their) lamentations, I cannot make up my mind as to whether I should or should not go.
ममापि हि महान् हर्षो यदहं भीमफाल्गुनौ। क्लिष्टावरण्ये पश्येयं कृष्णया सहिताविति।॥
I shall certainly feel great delight if I see Bhima and Falguna (Arjuna) passing their days with Krishna (Draupadi) in great misery in the forest.
न तथा ह्याप्नुयां प्रीतिमवाप्य वसुधामिमाम्। दृष्ट्वा यथा पाण्डुसुतान् वल्कलाजिनवाससः॥
The joy that I may feel by obtaining the entire sovereignty over the earth is nothing in comparison to what I shall obtain on seeing the Pandavas clad in barks and skins.
किं नु स्यादधिकं तस्माद् यदहं दुपदात्मजाम्। द्रौपदी कर्ण पश्येयं काषायवसनां वने।॥
O Karna, what joy could be greater than what I shall drive on seeing Draupadi, the daughter of Draupada, clad in rags in the forest?
यदि मां धर्मराजश्च भीमसेनश्च पाण्डवः। युक्तं परमया लक्ष्या पश्येतां जीवितं भवेत्॥
If king Dharmaraja (Yudhishthira), Bhima and the son of Pandu (Arjuna) see me graced with great prosperity, then only shall I attain to the great end of my life.
उपायं न तु पश्यामि येन गच्छेम तद् वनम्। यथा चाभ्यनुजानीयाद् गच्छन्तं मां महीपतिः॥
But I do not see the means through which I can go to that forest and by which I may get the permission of the king Dhritarashtra.
स सौबलेन सहितस्तथा दुःशासनेन च। उपायं पश्य निपुणं येन गच्छेम तद् वनम्॥
Therefore find out some skillful plan with the help of Subala's son (Shakuni) and Duhshasana, by which we may go to the forest (where the Pandavas) are.
अहमष्यद्य निश्चित्य गमनायेतराय च। कल्यमेव गमिष्यामि समीपं पार्थिवस्य ह॥
I shall also today make up my mind whether I should go or not and then I shall see the king (my father) tomorrow.
मयि तत्रोपविष्टे तु भीष्मे च कुरुसत्तमे। उपायो यो भवेद् दृष्टस्तं ब्रूयाः सहसौबलः॥
When I shall remain seated (tomorrow) with that foremost of the Kurus, you will then with Subala's son propose the pretext you may have fixed upon.
वचो भीष्मस्य राज्ञश्च निशम्य गमनं प्रति। व्यवसायं करिष्येऽहमनुनीय पितामहम्॥
Hearing then the words of Bhishma and of the king (my father) on the subject of this journey, I shall settle everything, beseeching (the permission of) our grand father (Bhishma).
तथेत्युक्त्वा तु ते सर्वे जग्मुरावसथान् प्रति। व्युषितायां रजन्यां तु कर्णो राजानमभ्ययात्॥
Vaishampayana said: Having said “So be it.” They then all went away to their respective houses. As soon as the night passed, Karna came to the king.
ततो दुर्योधनं कर्णः प्रहसन्निदमब्रवीत्। उपायः परिदृष्टोऽयं तं निबोध जनेश्वर।॥
Thereupon Karna thus smilingly spoke to Duryodhana, “O ruler of men, a plan has been fixed upon by me. Hear it.
घोषा द्वैतवने सर्वे त्वत्प्रतीक्षा नराधिप। घोषयात्रापदेशेन गमिष्यामो न संशयः॥
O ruler, of men, our herds of cattle are now in Dvaitavana all waiting for you. There is no doubt we can go on the pretext of seeing our cattle.
उचितं हि सदा गन्तुं घोषयात्रां विशाम्पते। एवं च त्वां पिता राजन् समनुज्ञातुमर्हति॥
O king, O ruler of earth, it is always proper to go and see the cattle; if you say this to your father, you will get his permission."
तथा कथयमानौ तौ घोषयात्राविनिश्चयम्। गान्धारराजः शकुनिः प्रत्युवाच हसन्निव॥
When they were thus talking about the cattle, the Gandhara king Shakuni thus smilingly spoke,
उपायोऽयं मया दृष्टो गमनाय निरामयः। अनुज्ञास्यति नो राजा बोधयिष्यति चाप्युत॥ घोषा द्वैतवने सर्वे त्वत्प्रतीक्षा नराधिप। घोषयात्रापदेशेन गमिष्यामो न संशयः॥
“O ruler of men, this plan which has no difficulty to be carried out was what I also saw for the purpose of going (to Dvaitavana). The king will certainly grant us permission or even he may send us there of his own accord. Our herds of cattle are now all waiting in the forest of Dvaitavana. We may certainly go there under the pretext of seeing our cattle."
ततः प्रहसिताः सर्वे तेऽन्योन्यस्य तलान् ददुः। तदेव च विनिश्चित्य ददृशुः कुरुसत्तमम्॥
They then all three laughed together and gave their hands to one another. Having arrived at this conclusion, they then went to see the chief of the Kurus (Dhritarashtra).