धृतराष्ट्र उवाच भगवन् नाहमप्येतद् रोचये द्यूतसम्भवम्। मन्ये तद्विधिनाऽऽकृष्य कारितोऽस्मीति वै मुने॥
Dhritarashtra said: O illustrious one, I did not like this business of gambling. O Rishi, I think I was made to give my consent having been drawn by Fate.
नैतद् रोचयते भीष्मो न द्रोणो विदुरो न च। गान्धारी नेच्छति द्यूतं तत्र मोहात् प्रवर्तिमम्॥
Neither Bhishma, nor Drona, nor Vidura, nor Gandhari, liked this game at dice. There is no doubt it was begot by Moha (delusion).
परित्यक्तुं न शक्नोमि दुर्योधनमचेतनम्। पुत्रस्नेहेन भगवञ्जानन्नपि प्रियव्रत॥
O illustrious one, O (Rishi), who delights in observing vows, knowing everything, but yet for the sake of paternal love. I was unable to abandon the senseless Duryodhana.
व्यास उवाच वैचित्रवीर्य नृपते सत्यमाह यथा भवान्। दृढं विद्मः परं पुत्रं परं पुत्रान्न विद्यते॥
Vyasa said : O king, O son of Vichitravirya, what you say is right. We too know it for certain that the son is the greatest of all things. I here is nothing greater than the son.
इन्द्रोऽप्यश्रुनिपातेन सुरभ्या प्रतिबोधितः। अन्यैः समृद्धैरप्यर्थैर्न सुतान्मन्यते परम्॥
Instructed by the Surabhi (celestials cow), Indra came to know that the son surpasses in worth other valuable possessions.
अत्र ते कीर्तयिष्यामि महदाख्यानमुत्तमम्। सुरभ्याश्चैव संवादमिन्द्रस्य च विशाम्पते।॥
O king, I shall relate to you in this connection that excellent and best of stories, the conversation between Indra and Surabhi.
त्रिविष्टपगता राजन् सुरभी प्रारुदत् किल। गवां माता पुरा तात तामिन्द्रोऽन्वकृपायत॥
O king, O child, in the days of yore Surabhi, the mother of cows, was once weeping in the celestials regions. Indra took compassion on her.
इन्द्र उवाच किमिदं रोदिषि शुभे कच्चित् क्षेमं दिवौकसाम्। मानुषेष्वथ वा गोषु नैतदल्पं भविष्यति॥
Indra said: O blessed one, why do you weep? Is everything well with the celestials? Has any misfortune, however so little, befallen on the world of men or of the Nagas.
सुरभिरुवाच विनिपातो न वः कश्चिद् दृश्यते त्रिदशाधिप। अहं तु पुत्रं शोचामि तेन रोदिमि कौशिक॥
Surabhi said: O lord of heaven, I do not see any evil that has befallen you. I am aggrieved on account of my son. O Vasava, therefore I weep.
पश्यैनं कर्षकं क्षुद्रं दुर्बलं मम पुत्रकम्। प्रतोदेनाभिनिघ्नन्तं लागलेन च पीडितम्॥ निषीदमानं सोत्कण्ठं वध्यमानं सुराधिप। कृपाविष्टास्मि देवेन्द्र मनश्चोद्विजते मम। एकस्तत्र बलोपेतोधुरमुद्वहतेऽधिकाम्॥ अपरोऽप्यबलप्राणः कृशोधमनिसंततः। कृच्छ्रादुद्वहते भारं तं वै शोचामि वासव॥ वध्यमानः प्रतोदेन तुद्यमानः पुनः पुनः। नैव शक्नोति तं भारमुद्वोढुं पश्य वासव॥
O chief of the gods, O lord of the celestials, see the (your) cruel husband-man belabouring my weak son with the wooden stick and oppressing him with the stick, for which my son is afflicted with agony and he is falling on the ground and is at the point of death. I am filled with compassion and my mind is agitated. One of those (in the plough) is the stronger (of the pair) and bears his burden of greater weight (with ease), but the other (my son) is lean and weak and but a mass of veins and arteries. O Vasava, he bears his burden with difficulty. Therefore, I am weeping. Being whipped again and again harassed exceedingly.
ततोऽहं तस्य शोकार्ता विरौमि भृशदुःखिता। अश्रूण्यावर्तयन्ती च नेत्राभ्यां करुणायती॥
O Vasava, look, he is unable to bear the burden. Therefore, afflicted with grief for his sake, I weep in agony; and tears of sorrow roll down my eyes.
शक्र उवाच तव पुत्रसहस्रेषु पीड्यमानेषु शोभने। किं कृपायितवत्यत्र पुत्र एकत्र हन्यति॥
Indra said: O handsome one, thousands of your sons are oppressed (all over the world), why do you then grieve for one who is under inflictions?
सुरभिरुवाच यदि पुत्रसहस्राणि सर्वत्र समतैव मे। दीनस्य तु सतः शक्र पुत्रस्याभ्यधिका कृपा॥
Surabhi said: Though I have thousands of offspring, yet my affection flows equally towards them all. But, O Shakra, I feel greater compassion for one who is weak and honest.
व्यास उवाच तदिन्द्रः सुरभीवाक्यं निशम्य भृशविस्मित;। जीवितेनापि कौरव्य मेनेऽभ्यधिकमात्जम्॥
Vyasa said: Having heard the words of Surabhi, Indra was much surprised. O descendant of Kuru, he became convinced that a son is dearer than one's own life.
प्रववर्ष च तत्रैव सहसा तोयमुल्बणम्। कर्षकस्याचरन् विघ्नं भगवान् पाकशासनः॥
Thereupon the illustrious chastiser of Paka (Indra) suddenly poured a very great shower of rains. Thus he caused obstruction to the husband man's work.
तद् यथा सुरभिः प्राह समवेतास्तु ते तथा। सुतेषु राजन् सर्वेषु हीनेष्वभ्यधिका कृपा॥
O king, as Surabhi said, your affection flows equally towards all your sons. Let it be greater towards those that are weak.
यादृशो मे सुतः पाण्डुस्तादृशो मेऽसि पुत्रका विदुरश्च महाप्राज्ञः स्नेहादेतद् ब्रवीम्यहम्॥
O son, as my son Pandu is to me, so are you and also greatly wise Vidura. It is out of affection I tell you all this.
चिराय तव पुत्राणां शतमेकश्च भारत। पाण्डोः पञ्चैव लक्ष्यन्ते तेऽपि मन्दाः सुदुःखिताः।
O descendant of Bharata, You possess one hundred and one children. Pandu has only five. They are in misery and they are greatly afflicted.
कथं जीवेयुरत्यन्तं कथं वर्धयुरित्यपि। इति दीनेषु पार्थेषु मनो मे परितप्यते॥
"How might they save their lives how might they thrive?" Such thoughts about the distressed sons of Pritha make me aggrieved.
यदि पार्थिव कौरव्याञ्जीवमानानिहेच्छसि। दुर्योधनस्तव सुतः शमं गच्छतु पाण्डवैः॥
O king, if you wish to keep all the Kurus alive, let your son Duryodhana make peace with the Pandavas.