धृतराष्ट्र उवाच युधिष्ठिर महाबाहो कच्चित् त्वं कुशली ह्यसि। सहितो भ्रातृभिः सर्वैः पौरजानपदैस्तथा॥
Dhritarashtra said O Yudhishthira, are you in peace and happiness, with all your brothers and the dwellers of the city and the provinces?
ये च त्वामनुजीवन्ति कच्चित् तेऽपि निरामयाः। सचिवा भृत्यवर्गाश्च गुरवश्चैव ते नृप॥
Are they who depend on you also happy? Are your ministers, and servitors, and all your seniors and preceptors also, happy?
कच्चित् तेऽपि निरातङ्का वसन्ति विषये तव। कच्चिद् वर्तसि पौराणी वृत्तिं राजर्षिसेविताम्॥
Are those also who live in your kingdom frce from fear? Do you follow the old and traditional conduct of kings?
कच्चिन्यायाननुच्छिद्य कोशस्तेऽभिप्रपूर्यते। अरिमध्यस्थमित्रेषु वर्तसे चानुरूपतः॥
Is your treasury filled without disregarding the restraints imposed by justice and equity? Do you behave as you should towards foes, neutrals, and allies?
ब्राह्मणानग्रहारैर्वा यथावदनुपश्यसि। कच्चित् ते परितुष्यन्ति शीलेन भरतर्षभ।॥ शत्रवोऽपि कुतः पौरा भृत्या वा स्वजनोऽपि वा। कच्चिद् यजसि राजेन्द्र श्रद्धावान् पितृदेवताः॥
Do you duly look after the Brahmanas, always making them the first gifts? What need I say of the citizens, and your servants, and kinsmen, are your foes, O chief of Bharata's race pleased with your conduct? Do you, O king of kings, adore with devotion the Pitris and the deities?
अतिथीनन्नपानेन कच्चिदर्चसि भारत। कच्चिन्नयपथे विप्राः स्वकर्मनिरतास्तव।॥
Do you adore guests with food and drink, O Bharata? Do the Brahmanas in your kingdom perforin the duties of their order, walk along the path of virtue?
क्षत्रिया वैश्यवर्गा वा शूद्रा वापि कुटुम्बिनः। कच्चित् स्त्रीबालवृद्धं ते न शोचति न याचते॥ जामयः पूजिताः कच्चित् तव गेहे नरर्षभ।
Do the Kshatriyas and Vaishyas and Shudras also within your kingdom and all your relatives, perform their respective duties? I hope the women, the children, and the old, among your subjects, do not grieve (under distress) and not beg (the necessaries of life).
कच्चिद् राजर्षिवंशोऽयं त्वामासाद्य महीपतिम्॥ यथोचितं महाराज यशसा नावसीदति। इत्येवंवादिनं तं स न्यायवित् प्रत्यभाषत॥
Are the ladies of your households duly honoured in your house, O best of men? I hope, O king. that this race of royal sages, having to you for their king, have not fallen away from fame and glory?
वैशम्पायन उवाच कुशलप्रश्नसंयुक्तं कुशलो वाक्यकर्मणि। कच्चित् ते वर्धते राजस्तपो दमशमौ च ते॥
Vaishampayana said To the old king who said so, Yudhishthira, knowing morality and justice and well-skilled in acts and speech, spoke as follows, putting some questions about his well-being.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच अपि मे जननी चेयं शुश्रूषुर्विगतक्लमा। अथास्याः सफलो राजन् वनवासो भविष्यति॥
Yudhishthira said Does your peace, O king, your self-control, your tranquility of heart, grow? Is this my mother able to serve you without fatigue and trouble.
इयं च माता ज्येष्ठा मे शीतवातावकर्शिता। घोरेण तपसा युक्ता देवी कच्चिन्न शोचति॥ हतान् पुत्रान् महावीर्यान् क्षत्रधर्मपरायणान्। नापध्यापति वा कच्चिदस्मान् पापकृतः सदा॥
Will, O king, her residence in the forest yield fruit? I hope this queen, who is my eldest mother, who is emaciated with (exposure to cold and wind and the toil of walking, and who is now given to the practice of serve austerities, no longer yields to grief for her children of great energy, of all whoin performing the duties of the Kshatriyas, have been killed on the field of battle.
क्व चासौ विदुरो राजन् नेमं पश्यामहे वयम्। सञ्जयः कुशली चायं कच्चिन्नु तपसि स्थिरः॥
Does she accuse us. sinful wretches, who are responsible for their destruction? Where is Vidura, O king? We do not see him here. I hope this Sanjaya, performing penances, is in peace and happiness.
वैशम्पायन उवाच इत्युक्तः प्रत्युवाचेदं धृतराष्ट्रो जनाधिपम्। कुशली विदुरः पुत्र तपो घोरं समाश्रितः॥ वायुभक्षो निराहारः कृशो धमनिसन्ततः। कदाचिद् दृश्यते विप्रैः शून्येऽस्मिन् कानने क्वचित्॥
Thus addressed, Dhritarashtra, answered king Yudhishthira, saying, O son, Vidura is well. He is practising austere penances living on air alone, for he abstains from all other food. He is emaciated and his arteries and nerves have become visible. Sometimes he is seen in this empty forest by Brahmanas.
इत्येवं ब्रुवतस्तस्य जटी वीटामुखः कृशः। दिग्वासा मलदिग्धाङ्गो वनरेणुसमुक्षितः॥
While Dhritarashtra was saying this. Vidura was seen at a distance. He had matted locks on his head, and gravel's in his mouth, and was greatly emaciated. He was perfectly naked. his body was besmeared all over with fifth, and with the dust of various wild flowers,
दूरादालक्षितः क्षत्ता तत्राख्यातो महीपतेः। निवर्तमानः सहसा राजन् दृष्ट्वाऽऽश्रमं प्रति॥
When Kshatta, was seen from a distance, the fact was communicated to Yudhishthira. Vidura suddenly stopped, O king, loO king towards the retreat.
तमन्वधावन्नृपतिरेक एव युधिष्ठिरः। प्रविशन्तं वनं घोरं लक्ष्यालक्ष्यं क्वचित् क्वचित् ।।
King Yudhishthira pursued him alone, as he ran and entered the deep forest, sometimes seen and sometimes not seen by the pursuer.
भो भो विदुर राजाहं दयितस्ते युधिष्ठिरः। इति ब्रुवन्नरपतिस्तं यत्नादभ्यधावत॥
He said aloud, 'O Vidura, O Vidura, I am king Yudhishthira, your favourite-Exclaiming thus, Yudhishthira, with great exertion, followed Vidura.
ततो विविक्त एकान्ते तस्थौ बुद्धिमतां वरः। विदुरो वृक्षमाश्रित्य कच्चितत्र वनान्तरे॥
Having reached a solitary spot in the forest that foremost of intelligent men, viz., Vidura, stood still, learning against a tree.
तं राजा क्षीणभूयिष्ठमाकृतीमात्रसूचितम्। अभिजज्ञे महाबुद्धिं महाबुद्धियुधिष्ठिरः॥
He was greatly emaciated. He retained only the shape of a human being. Yudhishthira of great intelligence recognised him, however.
युधिष्ठिरोऽहमस्मीति वाक्यमुक्त्वाग्रतः स्थितः। विदुरस्य श्रवे राजा तं च प्रत्यभ्यपूजयत्॥
Standing before him, Yudhishthira addressed him saying, 'I am Yudhishthira.' Indeed, adoring Vidura properly., Yudhishthira said these words in the hearing of Vidura.
ततः सोऽनिमिषो भूत्वा राजानं तमुदैक्षत। संयोज्य विदुरस्तस्मिन् दृष्टिं दृष्ट्या समाहितः॥
Meanwhile Vidura looked at the king steadfastly. Casting his look thus on the king, he stood motionless in Yoga.
विवेश विदुरो धीमान् गात्रैर्गात्राणि चैव ह। प्राणान् प्राणेषु च दधदिन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियेषु च॥
Endued with great intelligence, he then (by his Yoga-power) entered the body of Yudhishthira, limb by limb. He united his vital airs with those of the king, and his senses with the king's senses.
स योगबलमास्थाय विवेश नृपतेस्तनुम्। विदुरो धर्मराजस्य तेजसा प्रज्वलन्निव॥
Indeed, with the help of Yoga-power, Vidura, burning with energy, thus entered the body of king Yudhishthira the just.
विदुरस्य शरीरं तु तथैव स्तब्धलोचनम्। वृक्षाश्रितं तदा राजा ददर्श गतचेतनम्॥
Meanwhile the body of Vidura continued to lean against the tree with eyes fixed. The king soon saw that life had fled out of it.
बलवन्तं तथाऽऽत्मानं मेने बहुगुणं तदा। धर्मराजो महातेजास्तच्च सस्मार पाण्डवः॥ पौराणामात्मनः सर्वं विद्यावान् स विशाम्पते। योगधर्मं महातेजा व्यासेन कथितं यथा॥
At the same time, he felt that he himself had become stronger than before and that he had gained many additional virtues and accomplishments. Gifted with great learning and energy, O monarch, Pandu's son, king Yudhishthira the just, then recollected his own state before his birth among men, Possessed of mighty energy, he had heard of Yoga practice from Vyasa.
धर्मराजश्च तत्रैव संचस्कारयिषुस्तदा। दग्धुकामोऽभवद् विद्वानथ वागभ्यभाषत॥ भो भो राजन्न दग्धव्यमेतद् विदुरसंज्ञकम्। कलेवरमिहैवं ते धर्म एष सनातनः॥
King Yudhishthira the just, endued with great learning, became desirous of doing the last rites to the body of Vidura, and wished to cremate it duly. An invisible voice was then heard, saying, 'O king, this body which belonged to him called Vidura should not be cremated. In him is your body also. He is the eternal deity of Virtue.
लोकाः सान्तानिका नाम भविष्यन्त्यस्य भारत। यतिधर्ममवाप्तोऽसौ नैष शोच्यः परंतप॥
Those happy regions which pass by the name of Santanika will be his, O Bharata. he performed the duties of Yatis. You should not, O scorcher of enemies, grieve for him at all.
इत्युक्तो धर्मराज: स विनिवृत्य ततः पुनः। राज्ञो वैचित्रवीर्यस्य तत् सर्वं प्रत्यवेदयत्॥
Thus addressed, king Yudhishthira the just returned from the place, and represented everything to the royal son of Vichitravirya.
ततः स राजा द्युतिमान् स च सर्वो जनस्तदा। भीमसेनादयश्चैव परं विस्मयमागताः॥
At this, that effulgent king, all those men, and Bhimasena and others, became filled with wonder.
तच्छ्रुत्वा प्रीतिमान् राजा भूत्वा धर्मजमब्रवीत्। आपो मूलं फलं चैव ममेदं प्रतिगृह्यताम्॥ यदर्थो हि नरो राजस्तदर्थोऽस्यातिथिः स्मृतः।
Hearing what had taken place, king Dhritarashtra became pleased and then, addressing the son of Dharma, said, 'Do you accept from me these gifts of water and roots and fruits! It has been said, O king, that one's guest should take what one takes himself.'
इत्युक्तः स तथेत्येवं प्राह धर्मात्मजो नृपम्॥ फलं मूलं च बुभुजे राज्ञा दत्तं सहानुजः।
Thus addressed, Dharma's son answered armed king ate the fruits and roots which he gave.
ततस्ते वृक्षमूलेषु कृतवासपरिग्रहाः। तां रात्रिमवसन् सर्वे फलमूलजलाशनाः॥
Then they all spread their beds under a tree and passed that night thus having eaten fruits and roots and drunk the water that the old monarch had given them.