जनमेजय उवाच कथं समभवद् द्यूतं भ्रातृणां तन्महात्ययम्। यत्र तद् व्यसनं प्राप्तं पाण्डवैर्म पितामहैः॥
Janamejaya said How did that gambling take place, the play which was full of such evils to the brothers and which plunged my grandsires into such sorrow?
के च तत्र सभास्तारा राजानो ब्रह्मवित्तम। के चैनमन्वमोदन्त के चैनं प्रत्यषेधयन्॥
O best of all Veda-knowing men, who were the kings that were present in that Sabha and who amongst them approved of the play and who forbade it?
विस्तरेणैतदिच्छामि कथ्यमानं त्वया द्विजा मूलं ह्येतद् विनाशस्य पृथिव्या द्विजसत्तम॥
O sinless one, O foremost of the twice borne. I desire to hear narrated by you in detail all this which became the cause of the destruction of all the world.
सौतिरुवाच एवमुक्तस्ततो राजा व्यासशिष्यः प्रतापवान्। आचचक्षेऽथ यद् वृत्तं तत् सर्वं वेदतत्त्ववित्॥
Sauti said Having been thus addressed by the king, the powerful disciple of Vyasa, (Vaishampayana), learned in all the Vedas, narrated every thing as it happened.
वैशम्पायन उवाच शृणु मे विस्तरेणेमां कथां भारतसत्तम। भूय एव महाराज यदि ते श्रवणे मतिः॥
Vaishampayana said O best of the Bharata race, O great king, if you desire to hear it, listen to it. I narrate all this in detail.
विदुरस्य मतिं ज्ञात्वा धृतराष्ट्रोऽम्बिकासुतः। दुर्योधनमिदं वाक्यमुवाच विजने पुनः॥
Knowing the opinion of Vidura, the son of Ambika, Dhritarashtra, thus spoke to Duryodhana in private.
अलं द्यूतेन गान्धारे विदुरो न प्रशंसति। न ह्यसौ सुमहाबुद्धिरहितं नो वदिष्यति॥
Dhritarashtra said O son of Gandhara, there is no need of playing dice. Vidura does not praise it. That greatly intelligent man will never give me advice that is not good for me.
हितं हि परमं मन्ये विदुरो यत् प्रभाषते। क्रियतां पुत्र तत् सर्वमेतन्मन्ये हितं तव॥
I consider that what Vidura said is greatly beneficial to me. O son, do it; for I consider it to be for your good also.
देवर्षिर्वासवगुरुर्देवराजाय धीमते। यत् प्राह शास्त्रं भगवान् बृहस्पतिरुदारधीः। तद् वेद विदुरः सर्वं सरहस्यं महाकविः॥
The greatly learned man, Vidura, knows all the sciences with their mysteries which the illustrious, learned and wise Brihaspati, the great Rishi who is the preceptor of Vasava (Indra), taught to the intelligent king of the immortals.
स्थितस्तु वचने तस्य सदाहमपि पुत्रका विदुरो वापि मेधावी कुरूणां प्रवरो मतः॥
O son, I always follow his counsel. The greatly wise Vidura is considered to be the foremost of the Kurus.
उद्धवो वा महाबुद्धिवृष्णीनामर्चितो नृप। तदलं पुत्र द्यूतेन छूते भेदो हि दृश्यते॥
As the greatly intelligent Udhava (is considered to be the foremost) of the Vrishnis. O son, O prince, have nothing with gambling. Dissension is the evident result of gambling.
भेदे विनाशो राज्यस्य तत् पुत्र परिवर्जय। पित्रा मात्रा च पुत्रस्य यद् वै कार्यं परं स्मृतम्॥ प्राप्तस्त्वमसि तन्नाम पितृपैतामहं पदम्। अधीतवान् कृती शास्त्रे लालितः सततं गृहे॥
Dissension causes ruin to a kingdom. O son, therefore, abandon (the idea of gambling). O son, you have obtained all that is hard to be obtained from the father and the mother. You have obtained the rank and the possessions of your ancestors, you are taught, you are made learned in the Shastras, you were carefully brought up in the house.
भ्रातृज्येष्ठः स्थितो राज्ये विन्दसे किं न शोभनम्। पृथग्जनैरलभ्यं यद् भोजनाच्छादनं परम्॥
You are the eldest amongst all your brothers, you are placed over the kingdom; why do you not consider yourself fortunate and happy? You get the very best kind of food and robes, unobtainable by ordinary men.
तत् प्राप्तोऽसि महाबाहो कस्माच्छोचसि पुत्रका स्फीतं राष्ट्रं महाबाहो पितृपैतामहं महत्॥ नित्यमाज्ञापयन् भासि दिवि देवेश्वरो यथा। तस्य ते विदितप्रज्ञ शोकमूलमिदं कथम्। समुत्थितं दुःखकरं यन्मे शंसितुमर्हसि॥
O mighty armed hero, O son, having obtained all this, why do you grieve? O mighty armed hero, ruling over your large ancestral kingdom swelling with people and wealth, you shine as splendidly as the chief of the celestials in heaven. O possessor of knowledge, you should tell me what can be the root of your grief which has made you so melancholy.
दुर्योधन उवाच अश्नाम्याच्छादयामीति प्रपश्यन् पापपूरुषः। नामर्षं कुरुते यस्तु पुरुषः सोऽधमः स्मृतः॥
Duryodhana said I am a sinful wretch that I eat and dress, though see the prosperity of the enemy. It has been said that a man is a wretch who does not feel jealousy at the sight of his enemy's prosperity.
न मां प्रीणाति राजेन्द्र लक्ष्मी: साधारणी विभो। ज्वलितामेव कौन्तेये श्रियं दृष्ट्वा च विव्यथे॥
O king of kings, O lord, this ordinary prosperity does not please me. I am greatly pained on seeing the burning prosperity of the son of Kunti.
सर्वां च पृथिवीं चैव युधिष्ठिरवशानुगाम्। स्थिरोऽस्मि योऽहं जीवामि दुःखादेतद् ब्रवीमि ते।।
I tell you, my life must be very hard to be parted with from my body, and therefore I am still alive after seeing all the kings of the world enduring the sway of Yudhishthira.
आवर्जिता इवाभान्ति नीपाश्चित्रककौकुराः। कारस्कारा लोहजङ्घा युधिष्ठिरनिवेशने॥
The Nipas, the Chitrakas, the Kukuras, the Karaskaras and the Lohajanghas are living in the Yudhishthira's palace like bondsmen.
हिमवत्सागरानूपाः सर्वे रत्नाकरास्तथा। अन्त्याः सर्वे पर्युदस्ता युधिष्ठिरनिवेशने॥
The Himalayas, the ocean, the regions on the sea-shore and the numberless other regions that yield gems and jewels have all acknowledged their inferiority to the palace of Yudhishthira.
ज्येष्ठोऽयमिति मां मत्वा श्रेष्ठश्चेति विशाम्पते। युधिष्ठिरेण सत्कृत्य युक्तो रत्नपरिग्रहे॥
O king, on consideration of my being the eldest and the foremost. I was engaged in receiving the gems and jewels (brought as tribute by the kings).
उपस्थितानां रत्नानां श्रेष्ठानामर्घहारिणाम्। नादृश्यत परः पारो नापरस्तत्र भारत॥
O descendant of Bharata, the limit and the like of the excellent and the invaluable jewels that were brought there have never been seen.
न मे हस्तः समभवद् वसु तत् प्रतिगृहणतः। अतिष्ठन्त मयि श्रान्ते गृह्य दूराहृतं वसु॥
O king, my hands were tired to receive that wealth. When I became tired they that brought that wealth from distant places waited (till I could resume my task).
कृतां विन्दुसरोरत्नैर्मयेन स्फाटिकच्छदाम्। अपश्यं नलिनी पूर्णामुदकस्येव भारत॥
Having brought jewels from Bindu lake, Maya built a lake-like ground made of crystal. O descendant of Bharata, seeing the place full of lotuses, I mistook it for waster.
वस्त्रमुत्कर्षति मयि प्राहसत् स वृकोदरः। शत्रोर्ऋद्धिविशेषेण विमूढं रत्नवर्जितम्॥
Seeing me draw up my clothes, Vrikodara (Bhima) laughed at me, considering me as destitute of jewels and deprived of my reason at the affluence of the enemy.
तत्र स्म यदि शक्तः स्यां पातयेऽहं वृकोदरम्। यदि कुर्यां समारम्भं भीमं हन्तुं नराधिप।॥
"O king, if I had the ability, I would have instantly killed Vrikodara (for his laughter), O king, if we now try to kill Bhima.
शिशुपाल इवास्माकं गतिः स्यान्नात्र संशयः। सपनेनावहासो मे स मां दहति भारत॥
Our fate will be certainly as that of Shishupala. O descendant of Bharata, that insult by the enemy burns me.
पुनश्च तादृशीमेव वापी जलजशालिनीम्। मत्वा शिलासमां तोये पतितोऽस्मि नराधिप॥
O king, again seeing a similar lake full of water, I mistook it for a crystal surface, and I fell into it.
तत्र मां प्राहसत् कृष्णः पार्थेन सह सुस्वरम्। द्रौपदी च सह स्त्रीभिर्व्यथयन्ती मनो मम॥
At this Bhima with Partha (Arjuna) laughed aloud, and Draupadi with other females laughed also. This greatly pains my heart.
क्लिन्नवस्त्रस्य तु जले किंकरा राजनोदिताः। ददुर्वासांसि मेऽन्यानि तच्च दुःखं परं मम॥
My robes having been wet, the servants gave me other clothes at the command of the king (Yudhishthira). That also is my great sorrow.
प्रलम्भं च शृणुष्वान्यद् वदतो मे नराधिप। अद्वारेण विनिर्गच्छन् द्वारसंस्थानरूपिणा। अभिहत्य शिलां भूयो ललाटेनास्मि विक्षतः॥ तत्र मां यमजौ दूरादालोक्याभिहतं तदा। बाहुभिः परिगृह्णीतां शोचन्तौ सहितावुभौ॥
O king, listen to another mistake (I made) which I speak of. In attempting to pass through what was exactly of the shape of a door, but which was not really a door, I struck my forehead against it and injured myself. Thereupon the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva), seeing from a distance that I was struck, came and supported me in their arms, and expressed great concern (for my injury).
उवाच सहदेवस्तु तत्र मां विस्मयन्निव। इदं द्वारमितो गच्छ राजनिति पुनः पुनः॥
Sahadeva then again and again told me with smiles, “O king, this is the door, Go this way.”
भीमसेनेन तत्रोक्तो धृतराष्टात्मजेति च। सम्बोध्य प्रहसित्वा च इतो द्वारं नराधिप॥
O king, Bhimasena laughed aloud, and addressing me, he spoke thus to me. "O son of Dhritarashtra, this is the doer".
नामधेयानि रत्नानां पुरस्तान्न श्रुतानि मे। यानि दृष्टानि मे तस्यां मनस्तपति तच्च मे॥
I had not even heard the names of the gems that I saw in that palace. It is for this reason my heart is so much burning.