नारायणं नमस्कृत्य नरं चैव नरोत्तमम्। देवी सरस्वतीं व्यासं ततो जयमुदीरयेत्।
Having saluted the Supreme Deity (Narayana) and the highest of all male beings (Nara) and the goddess of learning (Sarasvati) let us cry success.
जनमेजय उवाच हते दुर्योधने चैव हते सैन्ये च सर्वशः। धृतराष्ट्रो महाराज श्रुत्वा किमकरोन्मुने॥
Janamejaya said “After Duryodhana, and all the warriors had fallen, what, O sage, did king Dhritarashtra do after hearing of it.
तथैव कौरवो राजा धर्मपुत्रो महामनाः। कृपप्रभृतयश्चैव किमकुर्वत ते त्रयः॥
What also did the great Kuru king Yudhishthira the son of Dharma do? What did the three survivors (of the Kuru army, viz.,) Kripa and the others do?
अश्वत्थाम्नः श्रुतं कर्म शापादन्योन्यकारितात्। वृत्तान्तमुत्तरं ब्रूहि यदभाषत संजयः॥
I have heard everything about the deeds of Ashvatthaman. Tell me what took place after that mutual denunciation of curses. Tell me all that Sanjaya said to the blind old king!”
वैशम्पायन उवाच हते पुत्रशते दीनं छिन्नशाखमिव दुमम्। पुत्रशोकाभिसंतप्तं धृतराष्ट्रं महीपतिम्॥
Vaishampayana said “After he had lost his hundred sons, king Dhritarashtra. stricken with grief on that account, dejected, and looking like a tree shorn of its branches became stupefied with anxiety and lost his power of speech.
ध्यानमूकत्वमापन्नं चिन्तया सपभिप्लुतम्। अभिगम्य महाराज संजयो वाक्यमब्रवीत्॥ किं शोचसि महाराज नास्ति शोके सहायता।
Possessed of great wisdom, approaching the king the greatly wise Sanjaya, addressed him, saying-Why do you grieve, O monarch? Grief is absolutely useless.
अक्षौहिण्यो हताश्चाष्टौ दश चैव विशाम्पते॥ निर्जनेयं वसुमती शून्या सम्प्रति केवला।
Eight and ten Akshauhinis of warriors, O king, have been killed. The Earth had become desolate, and is almost empty now.
नानादिग्भ्यः समागम्य नानादेश्या नराधिपाः॥ सहैव तव पुत्रेण सर्वे वै निधनं गताः।
Kings of various countries, united with your son, and have all been killed.
पितृणां पुत्रपौत्राणां ज्ञातीनां सुहृदां तथा। गुरूणां चानुपूर्येण प्रेतकार्याणि कारय॥
Let now the obsequial rites of your fathers, sons, grandsons, kinsmen and friends and preceptors be performed duly.
वैशम्पायन उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा करुणं वाक्यं पुत्रपौत्रवधार्दितः। पपात भुवि दुर्धर्षो वाताहत इव दुमः॥
Vaishampayana continued Deprived of sons, counselors and all his friends, the energetic king Dhritarashtra suddenly dropped down on the Earth like a tree uprooted by the wind.
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच हतपुत्रो हतामात्यो हतसर्वसुहज्जनः। दुःखं नूनं भविष्यामि विचरन् पृथिवीमिमाम्॥
Dhritarashtra said Deprived as I am of sons, counselors and all my friends, I shall, forsooth, have to rove about sorrowfully over the Earth.
किं नु बन्धुविहीनस्य जीवितेन ममाद्य वै। लूनपक्षस्य इव मे जराजीर्णस्य पक्षिणः॥
What necessity have I now of life itself, deprived as I am of relatives and friends, I am like a bird shorn of its wings and afflicted with decrepitude?
हृतराज्यो हतबन्धुर्हतचक्षुश्च वै तथा। न भ्राजिष्ये महाप्राज्ञ क्षीणरश्मिरिवांशुमान्॥
Deprived of kingdom, deprived of relatives, and shorn of eyes, I cannot, O you of great wisdom, shine any longer on Earth like a luminary divested of its splendour.
न कृतं सुहृदां वाक्यं जामदग्न्यस्य जल्पतः। नारदस्य च देवर्षेः कृष्णद्वैपायनस्य च॥
I did not follow the advice of friends, of Jamadagni's son, of the celestial Rishi Narada, and of Krishna-Dvaipayana.
सभामध्ये तु कृष्णेन यच्छ्रेयोऽभिहितं मम। अलं वैरेण ते राजन् पुत्रः संगृह्यतामिति॥ तच वाक्यमकृत्वाहं भृशं तप्यामि दुर्मतिः।
In the midst of the assembly, Krishna told me what was for my good, saying,-Do away with hostilities, O king! Let your son take the entire kingdom. I did not foolishly follow that advice, and I am now obliged to repent.
न हि श्रोतास्मि भीष्मस्य धर्मयुक्तं प्रभाषितम्॥ दुर्योधनस्य च तथा वृषभस्येव नर्दतः। श्रुत्वा कर्णस्य च विपर्ययम्॥ द्रोणसूर्योपरागं च हृदयं मे विदीर्यते।
I did not listen to the good counsels of Bhishma. Alas, having heard of the destruction of Duryodhana whose roars were as deep as those of a bull, of the death of Dusshasana and the extinction of Karna and the setting of the Drona-sun, my-heart is not sundered into pieces.
न स्मराभ्यात्मनः किंचित् पुरा संजय दुष्कृतम्॥ यस्येदं फलमोह मया मूढेन भुज्यते। दुःशासनवधं
I do not, O Sanjaya, remember any evil act committed by me in my pristine birth, consequences of which fool as I am, I am now suffering.
नूनं व्यपकृतं किंचिन्मया पूर्वेषु जन्मसु॥ येन मां दुःखभागेषु धाता कर्मसु युक्तवान्।
Forsooth, I committed great sins in my previous lives, for which the great God has made me suffer such a grief.
परिणामश्च वयसः सर्वबन्धुक्षयश्च मे॥ सुहृन्मित्रविनाशश्च दैवयोगादुपागतः। कोऽन्योऽस्ति दुःखिततरो मत्तोऽन्यो हि पुमान् भुवि॥
This destruction of all my relatives, wellwishers and friends, at this old age has been brought about by Destiny. Who is there on Earth more afflicted than my wretched self.
तन्मामद्यैव पश्यन्तु पाण्डवाः संशितव्रताः। विवृतं ब्रह्मलोकस्य दीर्घमध्वानमास्थितम्॥
Therefore, let the Pandavas come and see me this very day determined upon following the long way that leads to the regions of Brahman."
वैशम्पायन उवाच तस्य लालप्यमानस्य बहुशोकं वितन्वतः। शोकापहं नरेन्द्रस्य संजयो वाक्यमब्रवीत्॥
Vaishampayana continued-"While king Dhritarashtra was thus bewailing, Sanjaya addressed him in the following words for driving away his grief.
शोकं राजन् व्यपनुद श्रुतास्ते वेदनिश्चयाः। शास्त्रागमाश्च विविधा वृद्धेभ्यो नृपसत्तम।॥ संजये पुत्रशोकार्ते यदूचुर्मुनयः पुरा।
Cast off your grief, O king! You have heard the teachings of the Vedas and various scriptures, from the lips of the old, O king! You have heard those words which the sages said to Srinjaya while the latter was stricken with grief on account of the death of his son.
यथा यौवनजं दर्पमास्थिते तं सुते नृप॥ न त्वया सुहृदां वाक्यं ब्रुवतामवधारितम्। स्वार्थश्च न कृतः कश्चिल्लुब्धेन फलगृद्धिना॥
When your son, O king, grew elated with pride, you did not accept the advice offered to you by your well-wisher. You did not, through covetousness, do what was really for your good.
असिनैवैकधारेण स्वबुद्ध्या तु विचेष्टितम्। प्रायशोऽवृत्तसम्पन्नाः सततं पर्युपासिताः॥
Your own intelligence, like a sharp sword, has cut you. You only sought the company of wicked men,
यस्य दुःशासनो मन्त्री राधेयश्च दुरात्मवान्। शकुनिश्चैव दुष्टात्मा चित्रसेनश्च दुर्मतिः॥ शल्यश्च येन वै सर्वं शल्यभूतं कृतं जगत्।
Your son had Dusshasana, the wicked son of Radha, the equally wicked Shakuni, Chritrasena and Shalya for his counsellor. Your son made the entire world his enemy.
कुरुवृद्धस्य भीष्मस्य गान्धार्या विदुरस्य च॥ द्रोणस्य च महाराज कृपस्य च शरद्वतः। कृष्णस्य च महाबाहो नारदस्य च धीमतः॥ ऋषीणां च तथान्येषां व्यासस्यामिततेजसः। न कृतं तेन वचनं तव पुत्रेण भारत॥
You son, O Bharata, did not follow the words of Bhishma the reverend chief of the Kurus, of Gandhari and Vidura, of Drona, O king, of Kripa the son of Sharadvat of the mighty-armed Krishna, of the intelligent Narada, of many other Rishis, and of Vyasa himself.
धर्म: सत्कृतः कश्चिन्नित्यं युद्धमभीप्सता। अल्पबुद्धिरहंकारी नित्यं युद्धमिति ब्रुवन्। क्रूरो दुर्मर्षणो नित्यमसंतुष्टश्च वीर्यवान्॥
Though powerful your son was of little intelligence, proud, always anxious to fight, wicked, ungovernable, and discontented.
श्रुतवानसि मेधावी सत्यवांश्चैव नित्यदा। न मुह्यन्तीदृशाः सन्तो बुद्धिमन्तो भवादृशाः॥
You are learned, intelligent, and always truthful. Righteous and intelligent persons like yourself, are never stupefied by grief.
न धर्मः सत्कृतः कश्चित् तव पुत्रेण मारिष। क्षपिताः क्षत्रियाः सर्वे शत्रूणां वर्धितं यशः॥ न
For this the Kshatriya order has been exterminated, because they did not care for virtue, and always talked of battle, and the fame of your foes enhanced.
मध्यस्थो हि त्वमप्यासीन क्षमकिञ्चिदुक्तवान्। दुधरेण त्वया भारस्तुलया न समं धृतः॥
You had occupied the position of an umpire, but you did not utter a word of wholesome advice. Unfitted as you were for the work, you did not hold the scales evenly.
आदावेव मनुष्येण वर्तितव्यं यथाक्षमम्। यथा नातीतमर्थं वै पश्चात्तापेन युज्यते॥
Every one should, at the beginning follow such a line of action that he mey not have, in the end, to repent for something already done by him.
पुत्रगृद्ध्या त्वया राजन् प्रियं तस्य चिकीर्षितम्। पश्चात्तापमिमं प्राप्तो न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि॥
Out of affection for your son, O king, you did what was agreeable to Duryodhana. You are obliged to repent for that now. You should not, however, grieve.
केवलं दृष्ट्वा प्रपातं नानुपश्यति। स भ्रष्टो मधुलोभेन शोचत्येवं यथा भवान्॥
The man who always looks at the honey without seeing the fall, meets with destruction through his covetousness for honey. Such a man is obliged to repent like yourself.
अर्थान्न शोचन् प्राप्नोति न शोचन् विन्दते फलम्। न शोचश्रियमाप्नोति न शोचन् विन्दते परम्॥
The man who indulges in grief never acquires wealth. By grieving one loses the fruits he seeks for. Grief again stands in the way of the acquisition of objects dear to us. The man who grieves loses even his salvation.
स्वयमुत्पादयित्वागिनं वस्त्रेण परिवेष्टयन्। दह्यमानो मनस्तापं भजते न स पण्डितः॥
The man who keeps a burning coal within the folds of his cloth and is burnt by the fire thereof is surely called a fool if he grieves for his injuries.
त्वयैव ससुतेनायं वाक्यवायुसमीरितः। लोभाज्येन स संसिक्तो ज्वलितः पार्थपावकः॥ मधु यः
with your You and your son, had with your words fanned the Partha-fire, and covetousness as clarified butter made that fire blaze forth into burning flames.
तस्मिन् समिद्धे पतिताः शलभा इव ते सुताः। तान् वै शराग्निनिर्दग्धान्न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि॥
Yours fell into that burning fire like insects. You should not, however, grieve for them now that they have all been burnt in the fire of the enemy's arrows.
यच्चाश्रुपातात् कलिलं वदनं वहसे नृप। अशास्त्रदृष्टमेतद्धि न प्रशंसन्ति पण्डिताः॥
The shedding of tears, O king, is not approved by the scriptures or praised by the wise.
विस्फुलिङ्गा इव ह्येतान् दहन्ति किल मानवान्। जहीहि मन्यु बुद्ध्या वै धारयात्मानमात्मान॥
These tears, like sparks of fire, consume the head for whom they are shed. Drive away your grief with your intelligence, and cheer yourself up with your mental strength.
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमाश्वासितस्तेन संजयेन महात्मना। विदुरो भूय एवाह बुद्धिपूर्वं परंतप॥
Thus was the king consoled by the great Sanjaya. Vidura then, O scorcher of foes, once again addressed the king, showing great intelligence."