वैशम्पायन उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्या भीमसेनोऽथ भीतवत्। गान्धारी प्रत्युवाचेदं वचः सानुनयं तदा॥ अधर्मो यदि वा धर्मस्त्रासात् तत्र मया कृतः। आत्मानं त्रातुकामेन तन्मे त्वं क्षन्तुमर्हसि॥
Vaishampayana said “Hearing these words of Gandhari, Bhimasena, in fear said these words for solacing her. "The deed may be fair or unfair, I did it through fear and for the object of protecting my own self! you should, therefore, forgive me now!
न हि युद्धेन पुत्रस्ते धर्येण स महाबलः। शक्यः केनचिदुद्यन्तुमतो विषममाचरम्॥
Your powerful son was incapable of being killed by anybody in a fair and righteous battle. And therefore I did what was unfair.
अधर्मेण जितः पूर्वं तेन चापि युधिष्ठिरः। निकृताश्च सदैव स्म ततो विषममाचरम्॥
Duryodhana himself had formerly defeated Yudhishthira unfairly. He always acted treacherously towards us. It was therefore that I had recourse to an unfair act.
सैन्यस्यैकोऽवशिष्टोऽयं गदायुद्धेन वीर्यवान्। मां हत्वा न हरेद् राज्यमिति वै तत् कृतं मया॥
Your son was then the only unslain warrior of his party. In order that brave prince might not kill me in the mace-encounter and once more deprive us of our kingdom, I acted in that way.
राजपुत्री च पाञ्चालीमेकवस्त्रां रजस्वलाम्। भवत्या विदितं सर्वमुक्तवान् यत् सुतस्तव॥
You know what your son had said to the princes of Panchala while the latter, in her seasons, was clad in a single piece of cloth.
सुयोधनमसंगृह्य न शक्या भूः ससागरा। केवला भोक्तुमस्माभिरतश्चैतत् कृतं मया॥
Without having killed Suyodhana it was impossible for us to rule peacefully whole Earth with seas. And therefore I acted in that way.
तथाप्यप्रियमस्माकं पुत्रस्ते समुपाचरत्। द्रौपद्या यत् सभामध्ये सव्यमूरुमदर्शयत्॥
Your son wronged us in many ways. In the court he had shown his left thigh to Draupadi.
तदैव वध्यः सोऽस्माकं दुराचारश्च ते सुतः। धर्मराजाज्ञया चैव स्थिताः स्म समये तदा।॥
For that wicked conduct of his your son deserved to be killed by us even then. However, commanded by king Yudhishthira the just, we allowed ourselves to be restrained by the agreement that had been made.
वैरमुद्दीपितं राज्ञि पुत्रेण तव तन्महत्। क्लेशिताश्च वने नित्यं तत एतत् कृतं मया।।१०।
By this means, O queen, your son excited deadly hostilities with us. We suffered great miseries in the forest. Remembering all this, I acted in that way!
वैरस्यास्य गताः पारं हत्वा दुर्योधनं रणे। राज्यं युधिष्ठिरः प्राप्तो वयं च गतमन्यवः॥
Having killed Duryodhana in battle, we have terminated our hostilities. Yudhishthira has regained his kingdom, and we also have been freed from anger!'
गान्धार्युवाच न तस्यैष वधस्तात यत् प्रशंससि मे सुतम्। कृतवांश्चापि तत् सर्वं यदिदं भाषसे मयि॥
Hearing these words of Bhima, Gandhari said,– 'As you praise my son thus he did not deserve such a death! He, however, did all that you describe!
हताश्वे नकुले यत्तु वृषसेनेन भारत। अपिबः शोणितं संख्ये दुःशासनशरीरजम्॥
When Vrishasena, however, had deprived Nakula of his horses, O Bharata, you drank in battle the blood from Dussasana's body.
सद्भिर्विगर्हितं घोरमनार्यजनसेवितम्। क्रूरं कर्माकृथास्तस्मात्तदयुक्तं वृकोदर॥
Such an act is cruel and is spoken ill of by the good. It becomes a most disrespectable person. It was a wicked act, O Vrikodara, which you then perpetrated. You should not have done it.
भीमसेन उवाच अन्यस्यापि न पातव्यं रुधिरं किं पुनः स्वकम्। यथैवात्मा तथा भ्राता विशेषो नास्ति कश्चन॥
Bhima replied,-'It is improper to drink the blood of even a stranger, what then need be said about quaffing the blood of one's own self. One's brother, again, is like his own self. There is no difference between them.
रुधिरं न व्यतिक्रामद् दन्तोष्ठं मेऽम्ब मा शुचः। वैवस्वतस्तु तद् वेद हस्तौ मे रुधिरोक्षितौ॥
The blood, however, did not, O mother, pass down my lips and teeth. Karna knew this well. My hands only were covered with Dussasana's blood.
हताश्वं नकुलं दृष्ट्वा वृषसेनेन संयुगे। भ्रातृणां सम्प्रहृष्टानां त्रासः संजानितो मया॥
Seeing Nakula deprived of his horses by Vrishasena in battle, I caused the rejoicing Kaurava brothers to be filled with fear.
केशपक्षपरामर्श द्रौपद्या द्यूतकारिते। क्रोधाद् यदब्रवं चाहं तच्च मे हृदि वर्तते॥
When after the gambling match the hairs of Draupadi were seized, I gave vent to certain words in anger. I do still remember those words.
क्षत्रधर्माच्च्युतो राज्ञि भवेयं शाश्वतीः समाः। प्रतिज्ञां तामनिस्तीर्य ततस्तत् कृतवानहम्॥
I would for all years to come, have been regarded to have neglected the duties of a Kshatriya if I had left that promise unfulfilled. It was for this, O queen, that I did that act.
न मामर्हसि गान्धारि दोषेण परिशङ्कितुम्। अनिगृह्य पुरा पुत्रानस्मास्वनपकारिषु। अधुना किं नु दोषेण परिशङ्कितुमर्हसि॥
You should not, O Gandhari, attribute any fault to me. Without having checked your sons formerly, should you attribute any fault to our innocent selves.
वृद्धस्यास्य पुत्रान् निघ्नंस्त्वमपराजितः। कस्मानाशेषयः कंचिद् येनाल्पमपराधितम्॥
Gandhari said "Unvanquished by any one, you have killed a hundred sons of this old man! Oh, why did you not spare, O child, even one son of this old couple deprived of kingdom. Who had not committed a greater offense?
संतानमावयोस्तात वृद्धयोर्हतराज्ययोः। कथमन्धद्वयस्यास्य यष्टिरेका न वर्जिता॥
Why did you not leave even one crutch for this blind couple?
शेषे ह्यवस्थिते तात पुत्राणामन्तके त्वयि। न मे दुःखं भवेदेतद् यदि त्वं धर्ममाचरेः॥
O child, although you live unscathed, having killed all my sons, yet I would not have been sorry, if you had followed the path of righteousness in killing them.
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्त्वा तु गान्धारी युधिष्ठिरमपृच्छत। व स राजेति सक्रोधा पुत्रपौत्रवधार्दिता॥
Vaishampayana continued Having said so, Gandhari, filled with anger at the slaughter of all her sons and grandsons enquired after Yudhishthira, saying.-'Where is the king?'
तमभ्यगच्छद् राजेन्द्रो वेपमानः कृताञ्जलिः। युधिष्ठिरस्त्विदं तत्र मधुरं वाक्यमब्रवीत्॥ पुत्रहन्ता नृशंसोऽहं तव देवि युधिष्ठिरः। शापार्हः पृथिवीनाशे हेतुभूतः शपस्व माम्॥
After she had said these words, king Yudhishthira, trembling and with joined hands, approached her and said, 'Here is Yudhishthira, O goddess, that cruel destroyer of your sons! I deserve your curses, for I am the root of this universal destruction! Oh curse me!
न हि मे जीवितेनार्थो न राज्येन धनेन वा। तादृशान् सुहृदो हत्वा मूढस्यास्य सुहृद्रुहः॥
I do not care for life, for kingdom, for wealth! Having brought about the destruction of such friends, I have proved myself to be a great fool and a hater of friend.
तमेवंवादिनं भीतं संनिकर्षगतं तदा। नोवाच किंचिद् गान्धारी निःश्वासपरमा भृशम्॥
Gandhari, singing heavily, said nothing to Yudhishthira-who spoke such words, who was overcome with fear, and who stood in ner presence.
तस्यावनतदेहस्य पादयोर्निपतिष्यतः। युधिष्ठिरस्य नृपतेधर्मज्ञा दीर्घदर्शिनी॥ अंगुल्यग्राणि ददृशे देवी पट्टान्तरेण सा! ततः स कुनखीभूतो दर्शनीयनखो नृपः॥
Conversant with the rules of righteousness, the Kuru queen, possessed of great foresight, turned her eyes from within the folds of the cloth that covered them, to the tip of Yudhishthira's toe, as the prince with body bent forwards, was about to fall down at her feet. At this, the king, whose nails had before this been all very beautiful, got a sore nail on his toe.
तं दृष्ट्वा चार्जुनोऽगच्छद् वासुदेवस्य पृष्ठतः। एवं संचेष्टमानांस्तानितश्चेतश्च भारत॥
Seeing this, Arjuna went behind Vasudeva, and the other sons of Pandu became restless and moved about from one place to another.
गान्धारी विगतक्रोधा सान्त्वयामास मातृवत्। तया ते समनुज्ञाता मातरं वीरमातरम्॥
Gandhari then, having shaken off her anger, comforted the Pandavas as a inother should,. With her permission those broadchested heroes then proceeded together to present themselves to their mother.
अभ्यगच्छन्त सहिताः पृथां पृथुलवक्षसः। चिरस्य दृष्ट्वा पुत्रान् सा पुत्राधिभिरभिप्लुता॥
Having seen her sons after a long time, Kunti who had been filled with anxiety for them covered her face with her cloth and began to weep.
बाप्पमाहारयद् देवी वस्त्रेणावृत्य वै मुखम्। ततो बाष्पं समुत्सृज्य सह पुत्रैस्तदा पृथा॥ अपश्यदेताशस्त्रौधैर्बहुधा क्षतविक्षतान्।
Having wept for sometime with her children, I'ritha saw the wounds and scars of many weapons of their bodies.
सा तानेकैकशः पुत्रान् संस्पृशन्तीं पुनः पुनः॥ अन्वशोचत दुःखार्ता द्रौपदी च हृतात्मजाम्। रुदतीमथ पाञ्चालीं ददर्श पतितां भुवि॥
She then repeatedly embraced and patted each of her sons, and stricken with grief wept with Draupadi who had lost all her children and whom she saw lying on the naked Earth, piteously bewailing.
द्रौपद्युवाच आर्येः पौत्राः क ते सर्वे सौभद्रसहिता गताः। न त्वां तेऽद्याभिगच्छन्ति चिरं दृष्ट्वा तपस्विनीम्॥ किं नु राज्येन वै कार्यं विहीनायाः सुतैर्ममा
Draupadi said O Venerable lady, were have all your grandsons, with Abhimanyu among them, gone? Seeing you in such distress why are they delaying in coming before you. Deprived as I am of my children, what need have I of kingdom.'
तां समाश्वासयामास पृथा पृथुललोचना॥ उत्थाप्य याज्ञसेनी तु रुदतीं शोककर्शिताम्।
Raising the grief-stricken princess of Panchala who was weeping thus, Pritha began to solace that lady having of large eyes.
तयैव सहिता चापि पुत्रैरनुगता नृप॥ अभ्यगच्छत गान्धारीमार्तामार्ततरा स्वयम्।
Then Kunti, accompanied by the princess of Panchala, and followed by her sons proceeded towards the grief-afflicted Gandhari, though she herself was also in great sorrow.
वैशम्पायन उवाच तामुवाचाथ गान्धारी सह बध्वा यशस्विनीम्॥ मैवं पुत्रीति शोकार्ता पश्य मामपि दुःखिताम्।
Seeing that illustrious lady with her daughter-in-law, Gandhari said, 'Do not, O daughter, grieve so. See, I too am much afflicted with sorrow as you.
पन्ये लोकविनाशोऽयं कालपर्यायनोदितः॥ अवश्यभावी सम्प्राप्तः स्वभावाल्लोमहर्षणः।
I think, this universal destruction has been caused by the irresistible course of Time. This dreadful slaughter was inevitable, since it has not been brought about by human agency!
इदं तत् समनुप्राप्तं विदुरस्य वचो महत्॥ असिद्धानुनये कृष्णे यदुवाच महामतिः।
What Vidura of great wisdom foretold, after Krishna's suing in vain for peace, has now come to pass!
तस्मिन्नपरिहार्येऽर्थे व्यतीते च विशेषतः॥ माशुचो न हि शोच्यास्ते संग्रामे निधनं गताः।
Do not, therefore, grieve in a matter that was inevitable, especially when it has taken place! Having been dead in battle they should not be grieved for!
यथैवाहं तथैव त्वं को नावाश्वासयिष्यति। ममैव ह्यपराधेन कुलमयं विनाशितम्॥
I am in the same situation as you are! (If you act thus) who then will comfort us? Through my fault, this foremost of races has becn ruined.' I am in the same situation as you are! (If you act thus) who then will comfort us? Through my fault, this foremost of races has becn ruined.'