YANASANDHI PARVA: Chapter 61

The speech of Duryodhana

वैशम्पायन उवाच पितुरेतद् वचः श्रुत्वा धार्तराष्ट्रोऽत्यमर्षणः। आधाय विपुलं क्रोधं पुनरेवेदमब्रवीत्॥
Vaishampayana said Having heard these words of his father, the extremely passionate son of Dhritarashtra became highly enraged and again said this-

अशक्यादेवसचिवाः पार्थाः स्युरिति यद् भवान्। मन्यते तद् भयं व्येतु भवतो राजसत्तम॥
You think that the sons of Pritha having the gods for their assistants are incapable of being withstood; let this fear of yours be dispelled, O you best among kings.

अकामद्वेषसंयोगलोभाद्रोहाच भारत। उपेक्षया च भावानां देवा देवत्वमाप्नुवन्॥
From an absence of desire and of hatred and of avarice and of anxiety and for their indifference to worldly property, did the gods obtain their god-ships.

इति द्वैपायनो व्यासो नारदश्च महातपाः। जामदग्न्यश्च रामो नः कथामकथयत् पुरा॥
Such was the tale told to us in days of yore by the great devotees Dvaipayana, Vyasa, Narayana and Rama the son of Jamadagna.

नैव मानुषवद् देवा: प्रवर्तन्ते कदाचन। कामात् क्रोधात् तथा लोभावेषाच्च भरतर्षभ॥
Never like men do the gods engage themselves in the work out of desire, wrath, avarice, hatred, O bull among the race of Bharata.

यदा ह्यग्निश्च वायुश्च धर्म इन्द्रोऽश्विनावपि। कामयोगात् प्रवर्तेरन् न पार्था दुःखमाप्नुयुः॥
If Agni (god of fire) or Vayu (god of wind) or Dharma (god of Virtue) or Indra or Ashvina had ever engaged in work out of desire, then the sons of Partha could not have met with unhappiness.

तस्मान्न भवता चिन्ता कार्येषा स्यात् कथंचन। दैवेष्वपेक्षका ह्येते शश्वद् भावेषु भारत॥
Therefore should anxiety never be indulged in by you, for the gods incline towards objects worthy of them, O Bharata.

अथ चेत् कामसंयोगाद् द्वेषो लोभश्च लक्ष्यते। देवेषु दैवप्रामाण्यान्नैषां तद् विक्रमिष्यति॥
If however out of contact with desire, envy or avarice is observed in the action of gods; then owing to their own ruling it cannot prevail.

मयाभिमन्त्रितः शश्वज्जातवेदाः प्रशाम्यति। दिधक्षुः सकलाँल्लोकान् परिक्षिप्य समन्ततः॥
Incantations being repeated by me, fire will that moment be extinguished, been if, desirous of burning up the worlds, it blazes occupying all directions.

यद् वा परमकं तेजो येन युक्ता दिवौकसः। ममाप्यनुपमं भूयो देवेभ्यो विद्धि भारत॥
The divine energy with which the denizens of haven endued is great; but mine, too, is without parallel and so greater than that of the gods; know this, O Bharata.

विदीर्यमाणां वसुधां गिरीणां शिखराणि च। लोकस्य पश्यतो राजन् स्थापयाम्यभिमन्त्रणात्॥
In the very sight of the world can I reunite, Oking by my incantation, the Earth divided into two or the or the peaks of heavens (divided into two).

स्तम्भितास्वप्सु चेतनाचेतनस्यास्य जङ्गमस्थावरस्य च। विनाशाय समुत्पन्नमहं घोरं महास्वनम्॥ अश्मवर्षं च वायुं च शमयामीह नित्यशः। जगतः पश्यतोऽभीक्ष्णं भूतानामनुकम्पया॥
I can at any time before the sight of the entire world put down a roaring downfall of stones or a strong gale produced from the destruction of animate and inanimate things and mobile and immobile beings out of compassion for them.

गच्छन्ति मया रथपदातयः। देवासुराणां भावानामहमेकः प्रवर्तिता॥
Cars and infantry can go over waters solidified by me. I am the only director of the affairs of the gods and Asuras.

अक्षौहिणीभिर्यान् देशान् यामि कार्येण केनचित्। तत्राश्वा मे प्रवर्तन्ते यत्र यत्राभिकामये॥
To whatever country I go with my Akshauhinis on any purpose, there my horses move in whatever directions I desire.

भयानकानि विषये व्यालादीनि न सन्ति मे। मन्त्रगुप्तानि भूतानि न हिंसन्ति भयंकराः॥
In my territories there are no terrible snakes and frightful beasts do not injure men who are protected by my incantations.

निकामवर्षी पर्जन्यो राजन् विषयवासिनाम्। धर्मिष्ठाश्च प्रजाः सर्वा ईतयश्च न सन्ति मे॥
To the residents in my territories the clouds shower rains at their (the resident') will (i.e. showers rains in quantities and at times desired by them). My subjects are attached to virtue; and in my territories the calamities of cultivation do not exist.

अश्विनावथ वाय्वग्नी मरुद्भिः सह वृत्रहा। धर्मश्चैव मया द्विष्टान् नोत्सहन्तेऽभिरक्षितुम्॥
The Asuras, the wind, the fire, the slayer of Vritra with the Marutas and Virtue himself would not dare protect them whom I hate.

यदि ह्येते समर्थाः स्युर्मविषस्त्रातुमञ्जसः। न स्म त्रयोदश समाः पार्था दुःखमवाप्नुयुः॥
If these had been capable of rescuing my enemies by their might; then the sons of Pritha would not have met with trouble years.

नैव देवा न गन्धर्वा नासुरा न च राक्षसाः। शक्तास्त्रातुं मया द्विष्टं सत्यमेतद् ब्रवीमि ते॥
Neither the gods and Gandharvas, nor the Asuras and the Rakshasas are capable of rescuing my enemies, I am telling the truth.

यदभिध्याम्यहं शश्वच्छुभं वा यद वाऽशुभम्। नैतद् विपन्नपूर्वं मे मित्रेष्वरिषु चोभयोः॥
Whatever happiness or misery I chose to assign to my friends or foes, I have never before been disappointed in.

भविष्यतीदमिति वा यद् ब्रवीमि परंतप। नान्यथा भूतपूर्वं च सत्यवागिति मां विदुः॥
It will be as I say, O you subduer of enemies, never before have my words been false; and I have been known as the one of truthful speech.

लोकसाक्षिकमेतन्मे महात्म्यं दिक्षु विश्रुतम्। आश्वासनार्थं भक्तः प्रोक्तं न श्लाघया नृप॥
The world is a witness to this greatness of mine, the fame of which has been heard by them. All this has been spoken for consoling you and not by way of self praise, Oking.

न ह्यहं श्लाघनो राजन् भूतपूर्वः कदाचन। असदाचरितं ह्येतद् यदात्मान् प्रशंसति॥
I have never, I king, praised myself before; for he who praises himself acts meanly.

पाण्डवांश्चैव मत्स्यांश्च पाञ्चालान् केकयैः सह। सात्यकिं वासुदेवं च श्रोतासि विजितान् मया।॥
You will be the hearer of the defeat by me of the Pandavas and Matsyas and the Panchalas with the Kaikeyas and Satyaki and the son of Vasudeva.

सरितः सागरं प्राप्य यथा नश्यन्ति सर्वशः। तथैव ते विनक्ष्यन्ति मामासाद्य सहान्वयाः॥
I am of superior intelligence, of superior might and of superior prowess. My knowledge is superior and my application and concentration are superior to theirs.

परा बुद्धिः परं तेजो वीर्यं च परमं मम। परा विद्या परो योगो मम तेभ्यो विशिष्यते॥
Asuras on falling into the sea annihilated in every way; so will the Pandavas with others be annihilated on meeting. are

पितामहश्च द्रोणश्च कृपः शल्यः शलस्तथा। अस्त्रेषु यत् प्रजानन्ति सर्वं तन्मयि विद्यते॥
What is know as to the use of weapons to our grandfather, Drona, Kripa, Shalya and Shala, is all present in me.

इत्युक्ते संजयं भूयः पर्यपृच्छत भारतः। ज्ञात्वा युयुत्सोः कार्याणि प्राप्तकालमरिन्दम॥
Saying this that subduer of enemies desirous of war knowing that proper time had come again asked Sanjaya about their doings.