विदुर उवाच राजन् नि:संशयं श्रेयो वाच्यस्त्वमसि बान्धवैः। न त्वशुश्रूषमाणे वै वाक्यं सम्प्रतिष्ठिति॥
Vidura said : O king, there is no doubt your friends have spoken to you what is good for you. But as you don't listen to their words, they find no place here,
प्रियं हितं च तद् वाक्यमुक्तवान् कुरुसत्तमः। भीष्मः शांतनवो राजन् प्रतिगृहणसि तन्न च॥ तथा द्रोणेन बहुधा भाषितं हितमुत्तमम्। तच्च राधासुतः कर्णो मन्यते न हितं तव॥
O king, the best of Kurus, the son of Shantanu (Bhishma) has said what is for your great good, but you do not accept it (his advice). What has been said by Drona is for your good, but the son of Radha, Karna, does not consider it for your good.
चिन्तयंश्च न पश्यामि राजंस्तव सुहृत्तमम्। आभ्यां पुरुषसिंहाभ्यं यो वा स्यात् प्रज्ञयाधिकः॥
O king, after (due) reflection I do not find there is any who is a better friend of your than these two best of men (Bhishma and Drona) or who excels them in wisdom.
इमौ हि वृद्धौ वयसा प्रज्ञया च श्रुतेन च। समौ च त्वयि राजेन्द्र तथा पाण्डुसुतेषु च॥
These two are old in age, in wisdom and in Shastras. O king, they look at the sons of Pandu with equal eyes.
धर्मे चानवरौ राजन् सत्यतायां च भारत। रामाद् दाशरथेश्चैव गयाच्चैव न संशयः॥
O descendant of the Bharata, O king they are not certainly inferior to Rama, the son of Dasharatha and Gaya in the virtue and truthfulness.
न चोक्तवन्तावश्रेय पुरस्तादपि किंचन। न चाप्यपकृतं किंचिदनयोर्लक्ष्यते त्वयि॥ तावभौ पुरुषव्याघ्रावनागसि नृपे त्वयि। न मन्त्रयेतां त्वच्छ्रेयः कथं सत्यपराक्रमौ॥
It is not seen that they have ever given you evil advice. O king, you too have never injured them. Why should, therefore, these best of men, who are ever truthful, give you wicked advice?
प्रज्ञावन्तौ नरश्रेष्ठावस्मॅिल्लोके नराधिप। त्वन्निमित्तपतो नेमौ किंचिज्जिा वदिष्यतः॥
O king, these foremost of men are endued with wisdom; they will never give you evil advises or say any thing that is crooked.
इति मे नैष्ठिकी बुद्धिवर्तते कुरुनन्दन। न चार्थहेतोर्धर्मौ वक्ष्यतः पक्षसंश्रितम्॥
O descendant of Kuru, this is my firm conviction that being tempted by wealth these, learned as they are in the precepts of morality, will never utter anything savouring partisanship.
एतद्धि परमं श्रेयो मन्येऽहं तव भारत। दुर्योधनप्रभृतयः पुत्रा राजन् यथा तव॥ तथैव पाण्डवेयास्ते पुत्रा राजन् न संशयः। तेषु चेदहितं किंचिन्मन्त्रयेयुरतद्विदः॥ मन्त्रिणस्ते न च श्रेयः प्रपश्यन्ति विशेषतः। अथ ते हृदये राजन् विशेष: स्वेषु वर्तते। ते॥ अन्तरस्थं वितृण्वानाः श्रेयः कुर्युर्न ते ध्रुवम्॥
O descendant of Bharata, I consider what they have said is highly beneficial to you. O king, the Pandavas are certainly your sons as much as Duryodhana and others. Therefore, those ministers who give you any advice that is fraught with evil intentions towards the Pandavas do not really look after your interest. O king, if there is any partiality (for your sons) in your heart, it is certain that they who seek to excite it do you no good.
एतदर्थमिमौ राजन् महात्मानौ महाद्युती। नोचतुर्विवृतं किंचिन्न ह्येष तव निश्चयः॥
Therefore, O king, I think these illustrious and effulgent persons have not certainly said anything that leads to evil. You however do not understand it.
यच्चाप्यशक्यतां तेषामहतुः पुरुषर्षभौ। तत् तथा पुरुषव्याघ्र तव तद् भद्रमस्तु
O best of kings, what these excellent men have said regarding the invincibility of the Pandavas is perfectly true. Do not think otherwise. Be blessed.
कथं हि पाण्डवः श्रीमान् सव्यसाची धनंजयः। शक्यो विजेतुं संग्रामे राजन् मघवतापि हि॥
O king, can the handsome Pandavas Savyasachi Dhananjaya be ever vanquished in battle even by Maghavata (Indra) himself?
भीमसेनो महाबाहुर्नागायुतबलो महान्। कथं स्म युधि शक्येत विजेतुममरैरपि॥
Can the powerful Bhimsena of strong arms possessing the might of ten thousand elephants be vanquished in battle even by the immortals?
तथैव कृतिनौ युद्धे यमौ यमसुताविव। कथं विजेतुं शक्यौ तौ रणे जीवितुमिच्छता॥
Who having the desire of living can vanquish in battle the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva), who are like the sons of Yama himself and who are both well-skilled in battle?
यस्मिन् धृतिरनुक्रोशः क्षमा सत्यं पराक्रमः। नित्यानि पाण्डवे ज्येष्ठे स जीयेत रणे कथम्॥
How the eldest Pandavas (Yudhishthira) in whom patience, mercy, can son forgiveness, truth and prowess are always present, be ever vanquished?
येषां पक्षधरो रामो येषां मन्त्री जनार्दनः। किं न तैरजितं संख्ये येषां पक्षे च सात्यकिः॥
Is there any whom they have not already vanquished in battle, who who have have Rama (Baladeva) as their ally, Janardana (Krishna) as their counsellor, Satyaki as their supporter.
द्रुपदः श्वशुरो येषां येषां श्यालाश्च पार्षताः। धृष्टद्युम्नमुखा वीरा भ्रातरो द्रुपदात्मजाः॥ सोऽशक्यतां च विज्ञाय तेषामग्रे च भारता दायाद्यतां च धर्मेण सम्यक् तेषु समाचर॥
Drupada as their father-in-law and the descendant of Prishata, Drupada's Dhrishtadyumna and his other heroic brothers as their brother-in-law? O descendant of Bharata, remembering this and knowing that their claim to the kingdom is even prior to yours, behave virtuous towards them.
इदं निर्दिष्टमयशः पुरोचनकृतं महत्। तेषामनुग्रहेणाद्य राजन् प्रक्षालयात्मनः॥
O king, the stain of calumny is on you on account of the act of Purochana. Wash yourself off it by kindly behaving towards them (the Pandavas).
तेषामनुग्रहश्चायं सर्वेषां चैव नः कुले। जीवितं च परं श्रेयः क्षत्रस्य च विवर्धनम्॥
Your kindly behaviour towards them will be for our great good. It will protect the lives of all of us of the Kuru race and it will lead to the growth of the whole Kshatriya race.
दुपदोऽपि महान् राजा कृतवैस्च नः पुरा। तस्य संग्रहणं राजन् स्वपक्षस्य विवर्धनम्॥
O king, we have formerly waged a great war with the king of Drupada; if we can now secure him as an ally, it will strengthen our party.
बलवन्तश्च दाशार्हा बहवश्च विशाम्पते। यतः कृष्णस्ततः सर्वे यतः कृष्णस्ततो जयः॥
O king, the Dasharahas are numerous and powerful. They will be all there where Krishna will be. Where Krishna is, victory is certainly there.
यच्च साम्नैव शक्येत कार्यं साधयितुं नृप। को दैवशप्तस्तत् कार्यं विग्रहेण समाचरेत्॥
O king, unless cursed by the celestials, who would seek to effect by means of war that which can be effected by conciliation?
श्रुत्वा च जीवतः पार्थान् पौरजानपदा जनाः। बलवद् दर्शने हृष्टास्तेषां राजन् प्रियं कुरु॥
O king, having heard that the sons of Pritha are alive, the men of the city and the country have become exceedingly glad; and they are all eager to see them. Do what will be agreeable to them.
दुर्योधनश्च कर्णश्च शकुनिश्चापि सौबलः। अधर्मयुक्ता दुष्प्रज्ञा बाला मैषां वचः कृथाः॥
Duryodhana, Karna and the son of Subala, Shakuni, are sinful, foolish and young. Do not listen to their words.
उक्तमेतत् पुरा राजन् मया गुणवतस्तव। दुर्योधनापराधेन प्रजेयं वै विनक्ष्यति॥
O king, endued with all accomplishments as you are, I have told you long ago that for the fault of Duryodhana, the subjects of this kingdom will be annihilated.