वैशम्पायन उवाच पुरोहितं ते प्रस्थाप्य नगरं नागसाह्वयम्। दूतान् प्रस्थापयामासुः पार्थिवेभ्यस्ततस्ततः॥
Vaishampayana said His (Drupada's) priest, having gone towards the city called after the elephant, the Pandavas sent in messengers to the rulers in the several parts.
प्रस्थाप्य दूतानन्यत्र द्वारकां पुरुषर्षभः। स्वयं जगाम कौरव्यः कुन्तीपुत्रो धनंजयः॥
Having sent messengers elsewhere, the best among men, Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, of race Kuru himself, went to Dwraka.
गते द्वारवती कृष्णे बलदेवे च माधवे। सह वृष्ण्यन्धकैः सर्वैर्भोजैश्च शतशस्तदा।॥
sons The of Madhu, Krishna and Balarama, in company with the Vrishni race and Andhaka and Bhoja by hundreds, having gone to Dvaravati.
सर्वमागमयामास पाण्डवानां विचेष्टितम्। धृतराष्ट्रात्मजो राजा गूढैः प्रणिहितैश्चरैः॥
The son of Dhritarashtra, himself a king, by sending scouts, privately, came to know all that had been done by the Pandavas.
स श्रुत्वा माधवं यान्त सदश्वैरनिलोपमैः। बलेन नातिमहता द्वारकामभ्ययात् पुरीम्॥
Having heard that Madhava was on his way he set out for the city of Dwraka, with a retinue not large and good horses which could be compared to the wind.
तमेव दिवसं चापि कौन्तेयः पाण्डुनन्दनः। आनर्तनगरी रम्या जगामाशु धनंजयः॥
That very day had Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, of the race of Pandu, arrived at the beautiful city of the Anartas.
तौ यात्वा पुरुषव्याघ्रौ द्वारकां कुरुनन्दनौ। सुप्तं ददृशतुः कृष्णं शयानं चाभिजग्मतुः॥
The two sons of Kuru, foremost among men, having reached Dwraka, saw Krishna asleep and went near him as he lay.
ततः शयाने गोविन्दे प्रविवेश सुयोधनः। उच्छीर्षतश्च कृष्णस्य निषसाद वरासने॥
And as Govinda lay, Suyodhana entered and sat him down on the floor which he used as a seat near the head of Krishna.
ततः किरीटी तस्यानुप्रविवेश महामनाः। पश्चाच्चैव स कृष्णस्य प्रह्वोऽतिष्ठत् कृताञ्जलिः॥
Then did enter the large-minded one, wearing a crown and stood with the hands clasped near the foot of Krishna.
प्रतिबुद्धः स वार्ष्णेयो ददर्शाग्रे किरीटिनम्। स तयोः स्वागतं कृत्वा यथावत् प्रतिपूज्य तौ॥
The son of Vrishni, having awakened, first saw the one wearing a crown and welcomed them and did them due honours.
तदागमनजं हेतुं पप्रच्छ मधुसूदनः। ततो दुर्योधनः कृष्णमुवाच प्रहसन्निव॥
The son of Madhu asked the cause of their coming and Duryodhana said as if in jest-
विग्रहेऽस्मिन् भवान् साह्यं मम दातुमिहार्हति। समं हि भवतः सख्यं मम चैवार्जुनेऽपि च॥
"It is befitting that you should lend me your help in this war, for your friendship with myself and that with Arjuna are equal.
तथा सम्बन्धकं तुल्यमस्माकं त्वयि माधव। अहं चाभिगतः पूर्वं त्वामद्य मधुसूदन॥
And, O slayer of Madhu our relations with you are the same and this day I have come first to you.
पूर्वं चाभिगतं सन्तो भजन्ते पूर्वसारिणः। त्वं च श्रेष्ठतमो लोके सतामद्य जनार्दन। सततं सम्मतश्चैव सद्वृत्तमनुपालय॥
From the time of our ancestors, good men have befriended him who has been the first to come; and you, O Janardana, are the best person in this world; therefore act after this good example which has always been followed."
कृष्ण उवाच भवानभिगतः पूर्वमत्र मे नास्ति संशयः। दृष्टस्तु प्रथमं राजन् मया पार्थो धनंजयः॥
Srikrishna said I have not the slightest doubt that you came here first, but Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha has been, O king, first seen by me.
तव पूर्वाभिगमनात् पूर्वं चाप्यस्य दर्शनात्। साहाय्यमुभयोरेव करिष्यामि सुयोधन॥
O Suyodhana, yourself having come first and he having been seen by me first, I shall help both of you.
प्रवारणं तु बालानां पूर्वं कार्यमिति श्रुतिः। तस्मात् प्रवारणं पूर्वमर्हः पार्थो धनंजयः॥
But the holy books lay down that the younger persons should be aided first, therefore I should first assist Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha.
मत्संहननतुल्यानां गोपानामर्बुद महत्। नारायणा इति ख्याताः सर्वे संग्रामयोधिनः॥
There is that large army of a hundred million of gopas who fight in battle, each of whom is capable of slaying me and who are known as the Narayanas.
ते वा युधि दुराधर्षा भवन्त्वेकस्य सैनिकाः। अयुध्यमानः संग्रामे न्यस्तशस्त्रोऽहमेकतः॥
Let them, who are hard to vanquish in battle, be the army of one party of you and let myself who shall not fight, having put off my weapons, take the side of the other.
आभ्यामन्यतरं पार्थ यत् ते हृद्यतरं मतम्। तद वृणीतां भवानग्रे प्रवार्यस्त्वं हि धर्मतः॥
Of these two, O son of Pritha, choose any one after your liking, for have the right of choosing first.
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्तस्तु कृष्णेन कुन्तीपुत्रो धनंजयः। अयुध्यमानं संग्रामे वरयामास केशवम्॥
Vaishampayana said Dhananjaya the son of Kunti being thus spoken to by Krishna chose Keshava, who was not to fight in the battle.
नारायणममित्रघ्नं कामाज्जातमजं नृषु। सर्वक्षत्रस्य पुरतो देवदानवयोरपि॥
(Who was) Narayana himself, the destroyer of those who were not his friends, who had volunteered a birth among men and who was superior to all the Kshatriyas, the gods and the Danavas.
दुर्योधनस्तु तत् सैन्यं सर्वमावरयत् तदा। सहस्राणां सहस्रं तु योधानां प्राप्य भारत॥ कृष्णं चापहृतं ज्ञात्वा सम्प्राय परमां मुदम्। दुर्योधनस्तु तत् सैन्यं सर्वमादाय पार्थिवः॥ ततोऽभ्ययाद् भीमबलो रौहिणेयं महाबलम्। सर्वं चागमने हेतुं स तस्मै संन्यवेदयत्। प्रत्युवाच ततः शौरिर्द्धार्तराष्ट्रमिदं वचः॥
And Duryodhana then chose the whole of that army. And O son of Bharata, having got thousands upon thousands of warriors and knowing (even) that Krishna was lost to him, he became mighty pleased; And O king, Duryodhana having taken that whole army of fearful strength came to the son of Rohini who was of great strength. He submitted to him the whole cause of his coming, upon which the son of Sura said in reply to the son of Dhritarashtra.
बलदेव उवाच विदितं ते नरव्याघ्र सर्वं भवितुमर्हति। यन्मयोक्तं विराटस्य पुरा वैवाहिके तदा॥
O you best among men, it is fitting that what was said by me at the time of the marriage, should be known to you.
निगृह्योक्तो हृषीकेशस्त्वदर्थं कुरुनन्दन। मया सम्बन्धकं तुल्यमिति राजन् पुनः पुनः॥
O you son of Kuru, for your sake did I speak contradicting what Hrishikesha had said. O king! again and again did I point out that our relations with both of you were equal.
न च तद् वाक्यमुक्तं वै केशवं प्रत्यपद्यत। न चाहमुत्सहे कृष्णं विना स्थातुमपि क्षणम्॥
And what I said, Keshava did not accept. I cannot for a moment exist separated from Krishna.
नाहं सहायः पार्थस्य नापि दुर्योधनस्य वै। इति मे निश्चिता बुद्धिर्वासुदेवमवेक्ष्य ह॥
I am no helper of either the son of Pritha or that of Duryodhana; such is the unalterable resolution I have come to after the opinion formed by Krishna.
जातोऽसि भारते वंशे सर्वपार्थिवपूजिते। गच्छ युद्धस्व धर्मेण क्षात्रेण पुरुषर्षभा॥
You are born in the race of Bharata, honored by all rulers of the earth; O you best among men, go and fight in strict accordance with the rules of honour and those of the military class."
वैशम्पायन उवाच इत्येवमुक्तस्तु तदा परिष्वज्य हलायुधम्। कृष्णं चापहतं ज्ञात्वा युद्धान्मने जितं जयम्॥
Being thus addressed he embraced him who used the plough as a weapon and knowing that Krishna had gone over to the other side he regarded as through a victory had already been achieved in battle.
सोऽभ्ययात् कृतवर्माणं धृतराष्ट्रसुतो नृपः। कृतवर्मा ददौ तस्य सेनामक्षौहिणी तदा॥
The son of Dhritarashtra, himself a king, then went to Kritavarma and Kritavarma gave him an army counting an Akshauhini.
स तेन सर्वसैन्येन भीमेन कुरुनन्दनः। वृतः परिययौ हृष्टः सुहृदः सम्प्रहर्षयन्॥
The son of Kuru, surrounded by all those troops, which were terrible looking, went forward with a light heart causing delight to his friends.
ततः पीताम्बरधरो जगत्स्रष्टा जनार्दनः। गते दुर्योधने कृष्णः किरीटिनमथाब्रवीत्। अयुध्यमानः कां बुद्धिमास्थायाहं वृतस्त्वया॥
Duryodhana having departed, the creator of the world, Janardana, with yellow robes on, said to the wearer of the crown-"Knowing that I shall not take any part in the battle, why have you chosen me?"
अर्जुन उवाच भवान् समर्थस्तानं सर्वान् निहन्तु नात्र संशयः। निहन्तुमहमष्येकः समर्थः पुरुषर्षभ॥
Arjuna said "There is no doubt that you can slay all of them. O foremost among men, I too, alone, am able to slay them all.
भवांस्तु कीर्तिमाँल्लोके तद् यशस्त्वां गमिष्यति। यशसां चाहमप्यर्थी तस्मादसि मया वृतः॥
In this world you are an illustrious man and I shall attain to eminence similar to yours by killing them single-handed. I too am a seeker after fame and so will you be surrounded by me.
सारथ्यं तु त्वया कार्यमिति मे मानसं सदा। चिररात्रेप्सितं कामं तद् भवान् कर्तुमर्हति॥
It has been my desire to have the office of the charioteer filled by you and it is fitting that you should fulfill this desire which has been felt by me for a long time.
वासुदेव उवाच उपपत्रमिदं पार्थ यत् स्पर्धसि मया सह। सारथ्यं ते करिष्यामि कामः सम्पद्यतां तव॥
Vasudeva said It is fitting, O son of Pritha, that you measure yourself with me. I shall act as your charioteer, let your desire be fulfilled.
वैशम्पयान उवाच एवं प्रमुदितः पार्थः कृष्णेन सहितस्तदा। वृतो दशाहप्रवरैः पुनरायाद् युधिष्ठिरम्॥
Vaishampayana said Being thus rendered glad, the son of Pritha, in company with Krishna and surrounded by the chiefs of the Dasharha race, came back to Yudhishthira.