वैशम्पायन उवाच स एवमुक्तस्तु महानुभावः सत्यव्रतो भीमसेनेन राजा। अजातशत्रुस्तदनन्तरं वै धैर्यान्वितो वाक्यमिदं बभाषे॥
Vaishampayana said : Having been thus addressed by Bhimasena, the high-souled and ever devoted to truth, Ajatashatru (Yudhishthira), mastering his patience, thus spoke after a few moments.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच असंशयं भारत सत्यमेतद् यन्मां तुदन् वाक्यशल्यैः क्षिणोषि। न त्वां विगहें प्रतिकूलमेव ममानयाद्धि व्यसनं व आगात्॥
Yudhishthira said: O descendant of Bharata, no doubt all this is true. I cannot reproach you for giving me pain by piercing me with your arrow words. From my folly alone this great calamity has overtaken you all.
अहं ह्यक्षानन्वपद्यं जिहीर्षन् राज्यं सराष्ट्रधृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्रात्। तन्मां शठः कितवः प्रत्यदेवीत् सुयोधनार्थं सुबलस्य पुत्रः॥
I was engaged to play at dice with the desire of snatching from Dhritarashtra's son his kingdom with its sovereignty. It was thus that the cunning gambler, the son of Subala (Shakuni), played with me on behalf of Suyodhana (Duryodhana).
महामायः शकुनिः पर्वतीयः सभामध्ये प्रवपन्नक्षपूगान्। अमायिनं मायया प्रत्यजैषीत् ततोऽपश्यं वृजिनं भीमसेन॥
Bhimasena, that dweller of the mountainous country, Shakuni, is exceedingly artful. Plying at dice in the midst of the assembly-unacquainted as I am with the artifices of any kind, he defeated me by adopting all possible artful means. It is therefore we have been overwhelmed with this c:lamity.
अक्षांश्च दृष्ट्वा शकुनेर्यथावत् कामानुकूलानयुजो युजश्च। शक्यो नियन्तुमभविष्यदात्मा मन्युस्तु हन्यात् पुरुषस्यधैर्यम्॥
Seeing the dice obedient to the wishes of Shakuni in Ayuja and Yuja (odds and evens), I could have controlled my mind, but anger (you know) drives off a person's patience.
यन्तुं नात्मा शक्यते पौरुषेण मानेन वीर्येण च तात नद्धः। न ते वाचो भीमसेनाभ्यसूये मन्ये तथा तद् भवितव्यमासीत्॥
O child, the mind cannot be controlled when it is influenced by manliness, pride and prowess. O Bhimasena, I do not reproach you for what you have said. I consider that what have happened was preordained.
स नो राजाधृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्रो न्यपातयद् व्यसने राज्यमिच्छन्। दास्यं च नोऽगमयद् भीमसेन यत्राभवच्छरणं द्रौपदी नः॥
O Bhimasena, when the king (Duryodhana) the son of Dhritarashtra, wishing to get possession of our kingdom, plunged us into misery and even slavery, it was Draupadi who rescued us.
त्वं चापि तद् वेत्थधनंजयश्च पुन तायागतानां सभां नः। यन्माऽब्रवीद्धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्र एकग्लहार्थं भरतानां समक्षम्॥
When summoned again to the Sabha for playing once more, you as well as Arjuna know what the son of Dhritarashtra told me in the presence of the Bharatas.
वने समा द्वादश राजपुत्र यथाकामं विदितमजातशत्रो। अथापरं चाविदितं चरेथाः। सर्वैः सह भ्रातृभिश्छद्मगूढः॥
(He said), "O prince Ajatashatru, you shall have to live for twelve years with all your brothers (if defeated in the play) in the forest which you will chose to dwell in, but which must be known to all men; you shall have to spend the thirteenth year in disguise without your whereabouts being known to anybody.
मवभोत्स्यन्ते भरतानां चराश्च। अन्यांश्चरेथास्तावतोऽब्दांस्तथा त्वं निश्चित्य तत् प्रतिजानीहि पार्थ॥
O sire, O son of Pritha, (if during that period) spies of the Bharatas, hearing of you, become successful in discovering you, you shall then have again to live in the forest for the same period passing once more the last year in secrecy. Reflecting on this, pledge yourself to it.
चरेश्चेन्नोऽविदितः कालमेतं युक्तो राजन् मोहयित्वा मदीयान्। ब्रवीमि सत्यं कुरुसंसदीह तवैव ता. भारत पञ्च नद्यः॥
O king, as regards myself, I pledge myself in this assembly of the Kurus, if you can pass this period of time evading the vigilance of my spies and if you can remain undiscovered by them, then O descendant of Bharata, this kingdom of the five rivers will be once more yours.
वयं चैतद् भारत सर्व एव त्वया जिताः कालमपास्य भोगान्। वसेम इत्याह पुरा स राजा मध्ये कुरूणां स मयोक्तस्तथेति॥
O descendant of Bharata, we also, if defeated by you at play, shall all of us, abandoning all our wealth, pass other same period according to the same rules." Thus said that king in the midst of the Kurus; and I said "So Be it."
तत्र द्यूतमभवन्नो जघन्यं तस्मिञ्जिताः प्रव्रजिताश्च सर्वे। इत्थं तु देशाननुसंचरामो वनानि कृच्छ्राणि च कृच्छ्ररूपाः॥
The hateful play then began. We were defeated and we were all exiled. We are thus wandering miserably over difficult forests full of discomforts.
सुयोधनश्चापि न शान्तिमिच्छन् भूयः स मन्योर्वशमन्वगच्छत्। उद्योजयामास कुरूंश्च सर्वान् ये चास्य केचिद् वशमन्वगच्छन्॥
Suyodhana (Duryodhana), however, having been not satisfied (with what he had done), gave himself up to anger and urged the Kurus and all those who were under his away to express their joy at our distress.
को नाम जह्यादिह राज्यहेतोः। आर्यस्य मन्ये मरणाद् गरीयो यद्धर्ममुत्क्रम्य महीं प्रशासेत्॥
Having entered into such a pledge in the presence of all the pious and good men, who can now dare break it for the sake of a kingdom in this world? For in my opinion, to a respectable person death is not more serious than an act of transgression in order to gain a kingdom.
तदैव चेद् वीर कर्माकरिष्यो यदा द्यूते परिघं पर्यमृक्षः। बाहू दिधक्षन् वारितः फाल्गुनेन किं दुष्कृतं भीम तदाभविष्यत्॥
O hero, you desired to burn my hand at the time of the play; you were, however, prevented by Arjuna and you only squeezed your mace. O Bhima, if you had done it, this calamity could not then befall us.
प्रागेव चैवं समयक्रियायाः किं नाब्रवीः पौरुषमाविदानाः। प्राप्तं तु कालं त्वभिपद्य पश्चात् किं मामिदानीमतिवेलमात्य॥
O Bhima, conscious as you are of your prowess, why did you not say so before we entered into such an agreement? Having already burdened myself with the pledge made at that time what is the use of your speaking to me these harsh words (now)?
भूयोऽपि दुःखं मम भीमसेन दूये विषस्येव रसं हि पीत्वा। यद् याज्ञसेनी परिक्लिश्यमानां संदृश्य तत् क्षान्तमिति स्म भीम॥
O Bhimasena, this was my great grief that I could not do anything when I saw Yajnaseni (Draupadi) persecuted in that way. O Bhima, my heart burns on account of this, as if I have drunk some poisonous liquid.
न त्वद्य शक्यं भरतप्रवीर कृत्वा यदुक्तं कुरुवीरमध्ये। कालं प्रतीक्षस्व सुखोदयस्य पक्तिं फलानामिव बीजवापः॥
O foremost of the Bharata race, having made the pledge in the presence of the Kurus there, I am unable (now) to violate it. Wait for the return of our better days, as scatterers of seed wait for the harvest.
यदा हि पूर्वं निकृतो निकृन्तेद् वैरं सपुष्पं सफलं विदित्वा। महागुणं हरति हि पौरुषेण तदा वीरो जीवति जीवलोके॥ श्रियं च लोके लभते समग्रां मन्ये चास्मै शत्रवः संनमन्ते। मित्राणि चैनमचिराद् भजन्ते देवा इवेन्द्रमुपजीवन्ति चैनम्॥
When one that has been first injured succeeds in revenging himself upon his enemy at a time when the latter's enmity has borne fruits and flowers, he is regarded as one who has accomplished a great deed by his prowess. Such a brave man earns undying fame. Such a man obtains great prosperity. His enemies bow down to him and his friends gather round him, as the celestials cluster round Indra for protection.
मम प्रतिज्ञां च निबोध सत्यां वृणेधर्मममृताज्जीविताच्च। राज्यं च पुत्राश्च यशोधनं च सर्वं न सत्यस्य कलामुपैति॥
Know my promise cannot be made false. I regard Dharma as superior to life itself and divinity. Kingdoms, sons, fame and wealth all these do not come up even to a sixteenth part of truth.