युधिष्ठिर उवाच कां नु वाचं संजय मे शृणोषि युद्धैषिणी येन युद्धाद् बिभेषि। अयुद्धं वै तात युद्धाद् गरीयः कस्तल्लब्ध्वा जातु युद्ध्येत सूत॥
Yudhishthira said What words, of mine, O Sanjaya, have you heard meaning ever, that you fear war. The reverse of war, is better than war. Who having got that (peace) goes to war, O Suta?
अकुर्वतश्चेत् पुरुषस्य संजय सिद्ध्येत् संकल्पो मनसा ये यमिच्छेत्। दन्यत्र युद्धाद् बहु यल्लघीयः॥
If what a man desires in his heart is fulfilled, O Sanjaya, without doing anything then he will not do anything even if that be very much easier than war.
कुतो युद्धं जातु नरोऽवगच्छेत् को देवशप्तो हि वृणीत युद्धम्। सुखैषिणः कर्म कुर्वन्ति पार्था धर्मादहीनं यच्च लोकस्य पथ्यम्॥
Wherefore should a man go to war; who is there cursed by the gods who would chose war? The sons of Pritha do acts which bring on happiness and at the same time are conducive to the well being of the world and not inferior to virtue (i.e. virtuous acts).
धर्मोदयं सुखमाशंसमानाः कृच्छ्रोपायं तत्त्वतः कर्म दुःखम्। सुखं प्रेप्सुर्विजिघांसुश्च दुःखं य इन्द्रियाणां प्रीतिरसानुगामी॥
They are men desirous of only such happiness as has its source in virtue. He, who being desirous of happiness and of destroying misery, follows the pleasant dictates of his senses, adopts a way which leads to misery.
कामाभिध्या स्वशरीरं दुनोति यया प्रमुक्तो न करोति दुःखम्। यथेध्यमानस्य समिद्धतेज़सो भूयो बलं वर्धते पावकस्य॥
Seeking pleasure he pains his own body as fuel to a burning flame increases its force; and when a man has freed himself from this longing he does not bring misery on himself.
कामार्थलाभेन तथैव भूयो न तृप्यते सर्पिषेवाग्निरिद्धः। सम्पश्येमं भोगचयं महान्तं सहास्माभिधृतराष्ट्रस्य राज्ञः॥
In the same way, by the satisfaction of our sensual desires we are not satiated but are like fire with clarified butter added on to it. Compare this great source of enjoyment of the king Dhritarashtra with ourselves.
नाश्रेयानीश्वरो विग्रहाणां नाश्रेयान् वै गीतशब्दं शृणोति। नाश्रेयान् वै सेवते माल्यगन्धान् न चाप्यश्रेयाननुलेपनानि॥
Deserted by the goddess of fortune people never win victory in battle; unfortunate people never hear the sound of music, unfortunate people never enjoy garlands and fragrance and unfortunate people (never enjoy) ungents.
नाश्रेयान् वै प्रावारान् संविवस्ते कथं त्वस्मान् सम्प्रणुदेत् कुरुभ्यः। अत्रैव स्यादबुधस्यैव कामः प्रायः शरीरे हृदयं दुनोति॥
Also, unfortunate people never get fine sheets to wear, (we are unfortunate) otherwise why should we have been exiled from the country of the Kurus. It must be so. The desires of an unwise man give trouble to his body as well as to his mind.
स्वयं राजा विषमस्थः परेषु सामर्थ्यमन्विच्छति तन्न साधु। यथाऽऽत्मनः पश्यति वृत्तमेव तथा परेषामपि सोऽभ्युपैति॥
The king himself in trouble wants to get strength from others; this is hardly fair. As he sees himself surrounded (by friends) so let him see others surrounded (by friends).
आसन्नमग्नि तु निदाघकाले गम्भीरकक्षे गहने विसृज्य। यथा विवृद्धं वायुवसेन शोचेत् क्षेमं मुमुक्षुः शिशिरव्यपाये॥
A man having thrown, burning fire, at midday, at the end of winter, on a thick wood of reeds and which fire spreads with the wind, repents his act when he is desirous of escape.
प्राप्तैश्वर्यो धृतराष्ट्रोऽद्य राजा लालप्यते संजय कस्य हेतोः। प्रगृह्य दुर्बुद्धिमनार्जवे रतं पुत्रं मन्दं मूढममन्त्रिणं तु॥
Having got wealth why does the king Dhritarashtra now grieve for his lot O Sanjaya? Simply because he had accepted the secret advice to his dull-headed son of vicious soul and addicted to dishonest ways.
अनाप्तवच्चाप्ततमस्य वाचः सुयोधनो विदुरस्यावमत्या सुतस्य राजा धृतराष्ट्रः प्रियैषी सम्बुध्यमानो विशतेऽधर्ममेव॥
Suyodhana treated with contempt the world of Vidura, whom he regarded as his enemy though he was his friend and the king Dhritarashtra, desirous of meeting the wishes of his son, consciously deserted virtue.
मेधाविनं ह्यर्थकामं कुरूणां बहुश्रुतं वाग्मिनं शीलवन्तम्। स तं राजा धृतराष्ट्रः कुरुभ्यो न सस्मार विदुरं पुत्रकाम्यात्॥
The king Dhritarashtra, from a desire to please his son, remembered not that Vidura was a wise man among the Kurus and wished for the well-being of the Kurus, of very great learning, adept at speech and well behaved.
माननस्यासौ मानकामस्य चे!ः संरम्भिणश्चार्थधर्मातिगस्य। दुर्भाषिणो मन्युवशानुगस्य कामात्मनो दौ«दैर्भावितस्य॥
He (the son) through himself desirous of honour, seeks to deprive others of honour, is jealous, wrathful, goes beyond the limits of virtue for his own interests, haughty in sensual desires and is induced with a bad heart.
मित्रदुहः संजय पापबुद्धेः। सुतस्य राजा धृतराष्ट्रः प्रियैषी प्रपश्यमानः प्राजहाद् धर्मकामौ॥
He leads a bad life, is deserted by the Goddess of Fortune, cherishes wrongs for a long time, conspires, against friends and has a vicious mind. For meeting the wishes of such an one did king Dhritarashtra, with his eyes wide open, forsake virtue and pleasure.
न्मतिः कुरूणामागतः स्यादभावः। काव्यां वाचं विदुरो भाषमाणो न विन्दते यद् धार्तराष्ट्रात् प्रशंसाम्॥
At that time, O Sanjaya, when I was playing at dice did it occur to me that the destruction of the Kurus was come for Vidura speaking these wise words did not obtain praise from Dhritarashtra.
क्षत्तुर्यदा नान्ववर्तन्त बुद्धि कृच्छ्रे कुरून् सूत तदाभ्याजगाम्। यावत् प्रज्ञामन्ववर्तन्त तस्य तावत् तेषां राष्ट्रवृद्धिर्बभूव॥
When they no longer followed the instructions of Vidura, troubles overtook the Kurus, O Suta. So long as they followed his wisdom, did their kingdom prosper.
तदर्थलुब्धस्य निबोध मेऽद्य ये मन्त्रिणो धार्तराष्ट्रस्य सूत। दुःशासनः शकुनिः सूतपुत्रो गावल्गणे पश्य सम्मोहमस्य॥
Hear now from me who are the ministers of the son of Dhritarashtra for the promotion of his interest, O Suta. They are Dhritarashtra, Shakuni and the son of Suta (Karna). O son of Gavalgani, look at his folly.
सोऽहं न पश्यामि परीक्षमाणः कथं स्वस्ति स्यात् कुरुसुंजयानाम्। आत्तैश्वर्यो धृतराष्ट्रः परेभ्यः प्रवाजिते विदुरे दीर्घदृष्टो॥
Therefore even when I consider, do I not see how it can go well with the Kurus and the Srinjayas, Dhritarashtra having usurped the wealth of others and the far seeing Vidura having been banished to a foreign country.
आशंसते वै धृतराष्ट्रः सपुत्रो महाराज्यमसपत्नं पृथिव्याम्। तस्मिञ्छमः केवलं नोपलभ्यः सर्वं स्वकं मद्गते मन्यतेऽर्थम्॥
Dhritarashtra, with his son, hopes for an undisputed suzerainty over this world. Absolute peace therefore is unobtainable. Whatever wealth is under his possession he regards as belonging to himself.
यत् तत् कर्णो मन्यते पारणीयं युद्धे गृहीतायुधमर्जुनं वै। आसंश्च युद्धानि पुरा महान्ति कथं कर्णो नाभवद् द्वीप एषाम्॥
Karna considers Arjuna capable of being vanquished when the latter takes up his weapons in battle. In former days there were many great battles. Why were they not benefited by Karna.
कर्णश्च जानाति सुयोधनश्च द्रोणश्च जानाति पितामहश्च। अन्ये च कर कुरवस्तत्र सन्ति यथार्जुनान्नास्त्यपरो धनुर्धरः॥
Karna knows, so does Suyodhana, Drona knows so does our grandsire and so do the other Kurus that there is no wielder of the bow superior to Arjuna.
जानन्त्येतत् कुरवः सर्व एव ये चाप्यन्ये भूमिपालाः समेताः। दुर्योधने राज्यमिहाभवद् यथा अरिंदमे फाल्गुने विद्यमाने॥
All the Kurus, know and so do all the other kings that are assembled, how this kingdom came under the possession of Duryodhana, during the life-time of Arjuna, the subduer of foes.
तेनानुबन्धं मन्यते धार्तराष्ट्रः शक्यं हर्तुं पाण्डवानां ममत्वम्। किरीटिना तालमात्रायुधेन तद्वेदिना संयुगं तत्र गत्वा॥
With that precedent in their mind, the sons of Dhritarashtra think that they are capable of depriving the sons of Pandu of what is their own through they are aware having been present there, of the deportment of Arjuna in a battle when the only weapon he had was a bow.
वशृण्वाना धार्तराष्ट्रा ध्रियन्ते। क्रुद्धं न चेदीक्षते भीमसेनं सुयोधनो मन्यते सिद्धमर्थम्॥
Not yet having heard the twang of the Gandiva when fully stretched out, the sons of Dhritarashtra are yet alive. So long as he does not see Bhimasena inspired with wrath, Suyodhana thinks that his object is gained.
इन्द्रोऽप्येतन्नोत्सहेत् तात हर्तु मैश्वर्यं नो जीवति भीमसेने। धनंजये नकुले चैव सूत तथा वीरे सहदेवे सहिष्णौ॥
Indra even would not be able to stand against him, for robbing us of our wealth, during the life time of Bhimasena and Dhananjaya, 0 Suta and the patient Nakula and the hero Sahadeva.
स चेदेता प्रतिपद्येत बुद्धि वृद्धो राजा सह पुत्रेण सूत। एवं रणे पाण्डवकोपदग्धा न नश्येयुः संजय धार्तराष्ट्राः॥
The old king with his son, O Suta, still entertains the thought that the sons of Dhritarashtra will not be killed in battle consumed by the son of Pandu, O Sanjaya.
जानासि त्वं क्लेशमस्मासु वृत्तं त्वां पूजयन् संजयाहं क्षमेयम्। यच्चास्माकं कौरवैर्भूतपूर्व या नो वृत्तिर्धार्तराष्ट्र तदाऽऽसीत्॥
You know what troubles have overtaken us. For my respect for you, I would forgive them, (you know as well) that which has taken place between ourselves and the sons of Kuru and what our treatment towards the son of Dhritarashtra was at the time.
अद्यापि तत् तत्र तथैव वर्ततां शान्तिं गमिष्यामि यथात्वमात्थ। इन्द्रप्रस्थे भवतु ममैव राज्यं सुयोधनो यच्छतु भारताग्रयः॥
Even let that treatment be the same, I shall make peace, as you ask me to do. Let Indraprastha be my kingdom. Let the foremost of the race of Bharata, give it back to me.