वासुदेव उवाच शाल्वबाणादित तस्मिन् प्रद्युम्ने बलिनां वरे। वृष्णयो भग्नसंकल्पा विव्यथुः पृतनागताः॥ हाहाकृतमभूत् सर्वं वृष्ण्यन्धकबलं ततः। प्रद्युम्ने मोहिते राजन् परे च मुदिता भृशम्॥
Krishna said: O king, when Pradyumna (wounded by the arrows) became very much disheartened and aggrieved, the Vrishnis and the Andhakas began to exclaim, “Oh” and “Alas." The enemies (Shalva's men) became exceedingiy joyful.
तं तथा मोहितं दृष्ट्वा सारथिर्जवनैर्हयैः। रणादपाहरत् तूर्णं शिक्षितो दारुकिस्तदा॥
Having seen him thus unconscious, his trained charioteer, the son of Daruka, carried him off the field with the help of his fleet steed.
नातिदूरापयाते तु रथे रथवरप्रणुत्। धनुर्गृहीत्वा यन्तारं लब्धसंज्ञोऽब्रवीदिदम्॥
The chariot had not been taken far off, when that foremost of warriors (Pradyumna) regained his consciousness. Taking up his bow, he thus spoke to his charioteer.
सौते किं ते व्यवसितं कस्माद् यासि पराङ्मुखः। नैष वृष्णिप्रवीराणामाहवेधर्म उच्यते॥
Pradyumna said: O son of Suta, what have you done? Why do you go away, leaving the field of battle? This is not the usage of the Vrishni heroes in battle.
कच्चित् सौते न ते मोहः शाल्वं दृष्ट्वा महाहवे। विषादो वा रणं दृष्ट्वा ब्रूहि में त्वं यथातथम्॥
O son of Suta, have you been bewildered at the sight of Shalva in that great battle? Have you been disheartened at the sight of the battle? Tell me truly your mind.
सौतिरुवाच जानार्दने न मे मोहो नापि मां भयमाविशत्। अतिभारं तु ते मन्ये शाल्वं केशवनन्दन॥
The Charioteer said: O son of Janardana, I am not bewildered. Fear has not taken possession of me. But ( son of Keshava, I think it is difficult to defeat Shalva.
सोऽपयामि शनैर्वीर बलवानेष पापकृत्। मोहितश्च रणे शूरो रक्ष्यः सारथिना रथी॥
Therefore, O hero, I am slowly retiring from the field. This wretch is stronger than you. A charioteer ought to protect the warrior on his car when he is deprived of his senses in battle.
आयुष्मंस्त्वं मया नित्यं रक्षितव्यस्त्वयाप्यहम्। रक्षितव्यो रथी नित्यमिति कृत्वापयाम्यहम्॥
O hero of long life, you should always be protected by me, as you ought to protect me always. Thinking that a warrior on a car should always be protected by his charioteer, I am carrying you away (from the field of batile).
एकश्चासि महाबाहो बहवश्चापि दानवाः। न समं रौक्मिणेयाहं रणे मत्वापयामि वै॥
O mighty-armed hero, you are but only one, whereas the Danavas are many. O son of Rukmani, thinking that you are not equal to them in battle, I am going away (from the battle).
एवं ब्रुवति सूते तु तदा मकरकेतुमान्। उवाच सूतं कौरव्य निवर्तय रथं पुनः॥ दारुकात्मज मैवं त्वं पुनः कार्षीः कथंचन। व्यपयानं रणात् सौते जीवतो मम कर्हिचित्॥
Krishna said: O descendant of Kuru, when the son of Suta thus spoke, the Makara standard hero (Pradyumna) said to the Suta, “Turn back the chariot? O son of Daruka, never do so again. O son of Suta, never turn back from the battle till I am alive.
न स वृष्णिकुले जातो यो वै त्यजति संगरम्। यो वा निपतितं हन्ति तवास्मीति च वादिनम्॥
He is no son of a Vrishni who forsakes the field of battle, who kills the enemy fallen at his feet and crying “I am yours.'
तथा स्त्रियं च यो हन्ति बालं वृद्धं तथैव च। विरथं विप्रकीर्णं च भग्नशस्त्रायुधं तथा॥
Who kills a woman, a boy, an old man or a warrior who is in distress and who is deprived of his car or whose weapons are broken.
त्वं च सूतकुले जातो विनीतः सूतकर्मणि। धर्मज्ञश्चासि वृष्णीनामाहवेष्वपि दारुके॥
You are born in the race of Sutas (charioteers) and you are well-skilled in your profession. O son of Daruka, you know the usage of the Vrishnis in battle.
स जानंश्चरितं कृत्स्नं वृष्णीनां पृतनामुखे। अपयानं पुनः सौते मैवं कार्षीः कथंचन॥
Conversant as you are with all the usages of the Vrishnis in battle, O son of Suta, you should never again fly from the field as you have done now.
अपयातं हतं पृष्ठे भ्रान्तं रणपलायितम्। गदाचजो दुराधर्षः किं मां वक्ष्यति माधवः॥
What will the irrepressible Madhava, the elder brother of Gada, say when he will hear that I have run away from the battle in bewilderment and that I have been struck on my back?
केशवस्याचजो वापि नीलवासा मदोत्कटः। किं वक्ष्यति महाबाहुर्बलदेवः समागतः॥
What will the elder brother of Keshava, the mighty-armed Baladeva, who is clad in blue and inebriated with wine, say when he will return?
किं वक्ष्यति शिनेर्नप्ता नरसिंहो महाधनुः। अपयातं रणात् सूत साम्बश्च समितिंजयः॥
O Suta, what will that best of men, the grandson of Sini that great bowman (Satyaki), say when he will hear that I have run away from the battle? What will the ever-victorious Samba.
चारुदेष्णश्च दुर्धर्षस्तथैव गदसारणौ। अक्रूरश्च महाबाहुः किं मां वक्ष्यति सारथे॥
O charioteer and irrepressible Charudeshna, Gada, Sarana and the mighty-armed Akrura say to me?
शूरं सम्भावितं शान्तं नित्यं पुरुषमानिनम्। स्त्रियश्च वृष्णिवीराणां किं मां वक्ष्यन्ति संहताः॥
What will the wives of the Vrishni heroes when they would meet together say of me who have been hitherto considered as brave, wellconducted, respectable and possessing manly pride.
प्रद्युम्नोऽयमुपायाति भीतस्त्यक्त्वा महाहवम्। धिगेनमिति वक्ष्यन्ति न तु वक्ष्यन्ति साध्विति॥
They will say "Here comes Pradyumna, the coward, running away from the great battle. Fie on him.” They will never say “Well done?”
धिग्वाचा परिहासोऽपि मम वा मद्विधस्य वा। मृत्युनाभ्यधिकः सौते स त्वं मा व्यपयाः पुनः॥
O son of Suta, ridicule with the exclamation of fie is to me or to a person like me is more than dcath. Thereupon never again leave the field of battle.
भारं हि मयि संन्यस्य यातो मधुनिहा हरिः। यज्ञं भारतसिंहस्य न हि शक्योऽद्य मर्षितुम्॥
Giving charge (of the city) to me, the slayer of Madhu, Hari (Krishna), has gone to the sacrifice of the foremost of the Bharata race (Yudhishthira). Therefore I cannot bear to be quiet now.
कृतवर्मा मया वीरो निर्यास्यन्नेव वारितः। शाल्वं निवारयिष्येऽहं तिष्ठ त्वमिति सूतज॥
O son of Suta, when the heroic Kritavarma was coming out to meet Shalva, I made his desist, saying “I will resist him (Shalva). You better stay."
स च सम्भावयन् मां वै निवृत्तो हृदिकात्मजः। तं समेत्य रणं त्यक्त्वा किं वक्ष्यामि महारथम्॥
The son of Hridika (Kritavarma) desisted in order to honour me. Having left the field of battle, what shall I say to that great carwarrior?
उपयान्तं दुराधर्षं शङ्खचक्रगदाधरम्। पुरुपं पुण्डरीकाक्षं किं वक्ष्यामि महाभुजम्॥
When that irresistible and mighty-armed hero, that holder of the conch, the discuss and the club, will return, what shall I say to that lotus-eyed one?
सात्यकिं बलदेवं च ये चान्येऽन्धकवृष्णयः। मया स्पर्धन्ति सततं किं नु वक्ष्यामि तानहम्॥
What shall I say to Satyaki, Baladeva and others of the Vrishni and the Andhaka races who always boast of me?
त्यक्त्वा रणमिमं सौते पृष्ठतोऽभ्याहतः शरैः। त्वयापनीतो विवशो न जीवेयं कथंचन॥
O son of Suta, having left the battle and having been struck at the back with arrows and carried away by you (from the field of battle) as I was insensible, I shall by no means be able to live (any longer).
स निवर्त रथेनाशु पुनर्दारुकनन्दन। न चैतदेवं कर्तव्यमथापत्सु कथंचन॥
O son of Daruka, turn speedily the chariot back again. Never act in this way again, even not at the time of the greatest danger.
न जीवितमहं सौते बहु मन्ये कथंचन। अपयातो रणाद् भीतः पृष्ठतोऽभ्याहतः शरैः॥
O son of Suta, having fled from the field like a coward and having been wounded at the back by arrows I consider life worth nothing?
कदापि सूतपुत्र त्वं जानीषे मां भयादितम्। अपयातं रणं हित्वा यथा कापुरुषं तता॥
O son of Suta, have you ever seen me fly from the battle like a coward?
न युक्तं भवता त्यक्तुं संग्रामं दारुकात्मज' मयि युद्धार्थिनि भृशं स त्वं याहि यतो रणम्॥
O son of Daruka, you ought not to have left the battle while my desire for fight had not been gratified. Therefore, go back to the battle again.