वैशम्पायन उवाच पाण्डवास्तु वने वासमुद्दिश्य भरतर्षभाः। प्रययुर्जाह्नवीकूलात् कुरुक्षेत्रं सहानुगाः॥
Vaishampayana said : Being desirous of living in the forest, the foremost men of the Bharata race, the sons of Pandu with their followers to the banks of the Ganges to the Kurukshetra.
सरस्वतीदृषद्वत्यौ यमुनां च निषेव्य ते। ययुर्वनेनैव वनं सततं पश्चिमां दिशम्॥
Performing their ablutions in the Sarasvati, the Drisadvati and the Yamuna and went from one forest to another travelling in the westerly direction.
ततः सरस्वतीकूले समेषु मरुधन्वसु। काम्यकं नाम ददृशुर्वनं मुनिजनप्रियम्॥
Then (at last) they saw before them the forest of Kamyaka on the banks of Sarasvati and on a level and wild plain which was ever charming to the ascetics.
तत्र ते न्यवसन् वीरा वने बहुमृगद्विजे। अन्वास्यमाना मुनिभिः सान्त्व्यमानाश्च भारत॥
O descendant of Bharata, entertained and comforted by the Munis, there did they live in that forest abounding in birds and animals.
विदुरस्त्वथ पाण्डूनां सदा दर्शनलालसः। जगामैकरथेनैव काम्यकं वनमृद्धिमत्॥
Vidura, ever longing to see the Pandavas went (alone) in a single car to the forest of Kamyaka abounding in every good thing.
च्छीढरश्चैर्वाहिना स्यन्दनेन। ददर्शासीनंधर्मात्मानं विविक्ते सार्धं द्रौपद्या भातृभिर्ब्राह्मणैश्च॥
Thereupon going to the Kamyaka forest on a car drawn by swift horses, he saw Dharmaraja (Yudhishthira) at a retired part (of the forest) sitting with Draupadi and surrounded by his brothers and the Brahmanas.
दभ्यायान्तं सत्यसंधः स राजा। अथाब्रवीद् भ्रातरं भीमसेनं किं नु क्षत्ता वक्ष्यति नः समेत्य॥
Thereupon seeing Vidura coming in speed, the virtuous king spoke thus to his brother Bhimsena. “With what message Khattva (Vidura) comes to us?”
कच्चिन्नायं वचनात् सौबलस्य समाह्वाता देवनायोपयातः। कच्चित् क्षुद्रः शकुनि युधानि जेष्यत्यस्मान् पुनरेवाक्षवत्याम्॥
Does he come here, having been despatched by the son of Subala (Shakuni) to invite us again to a game at dice? Does the meanminded Shakuni desire to win our weapons by playing again at dice?
समाहूतः केनचिदाद्रवेति नाहं शक्तो भीमसेनापयातुम्। गाण्डीवे च संशयिते कथं नु राज्यप्राप्तिः संशयिता भवेन्नः॥
O Bhimasena, if challenged by one who says “Come," I am unable to stay, if our possessions of the Gandiva (bow) be doubtful, then the acquisition of our kingdom again will be (equally) doubtful.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच तत उत्थाय विदुरं पाण्डवेयाः प्रत्यगृहणन् नृपते सर्व एव। तैः सत्कृतः स च तानाजमीढो यथोचितं पाण्डुपुत्रान् समेयात्॥
Then the Pandavas all rose up and welcomed Vidura with all respects. Received by them, that descendant of Ajamira (Vidura) sat in their midst and made to the sons of Pandu the usual enquiries.
स्ततोऽपृच्छन्नागमनाय हेतुम्। स चापि तेभ्यो विस्तरतः शशंस यथावृत्तोधृतराष्ट्रोऽम्बिकेयः॥
After Vidura had taken some rest, those foremost of men (the Pandavas) asked him the reason of his coming and he related to them in detail everything with regard to the conduct of the son of Ambika, Dhritarashtra.
विदुर उवाच मजातशत्रो परिगृह्याभिपूज्य। एवं गते समतामभ्युपेत्य पथ्यं तेषां मम चैव ब्रवीहि॥
Vidura said: O Ajatashatru, Dhritarashtra summoned me, his dependent and honouring me duly, he said, “Things have thus fared. Tell me what is good for me as well as for them (the Pandavas)."
मयाप्युक्तं यत् क्षेमं कौरवाणां हितं पथ्यंधृतराष्ट्रस्य चैव।। तद् वै तस्मै न रुचामभ्युपैति ततश्चाहं क्षेममन्यन्न मन्ये॥
I told him what was good for the Kurus and for Dhritarashtra. But he did not relish what I said. I did not consider any other course to the beneficial.
परं श्रेयः पाण्डवेया मयोक्तं न मे तच्च श्रुतवानाम्बिकेयः। यथाऽऽतुरस्येव हि पथ्यमन्नं न रोचते स्मास्य तदुच्यमानम्॥
O Pandavas, what I advised was highly beneficial, but the of Ambika, (Dhritarashtra), did not care to accept it. As medicine is not acceptable to a man who is ill, so my advice failed to please the king.
न श्रेयसे नीयतेऽजातशत्रो स्त्री श्रोत्रियस्येव गृहे प्रदुष्टा। ध्रुवं न रोचेद् भरतर्षभस्य पतिः कुमार्या इव षष्टिवर्षः॥
O Ajatashatru, as an unchaste wife of a man of noble birth can never be brought back to the path of virtue, so is the case with Dhritarashtra, As a young damsel does not certainly like a husband of sixty years, so that foremost of Bharata race did not like my words.
ध्रुवं विनाशो नृप कौरवाणां न वै श्रेयोधृतराष्ट्रः परैति। यथाच पणे पुष्करस्यावसिक्तं जलं न तिष्ठेत् पथ्यमुक्तं तथास्मिन्॥
O king, the destruction of the Kurus is certain; Dhritarashtra will never meet with good fortune. As water dropped on a lotus leaf son does not remain there, so my counsels failed to have any effect on him.
ततः क्रुद्धोधृतराष्ट्रोऽब्रवीन्मां यस्मिन् श्रद्धा भारत तत्र याहि। नाहं भूयः कामये त्वां सहायं महीमिमां पालयितुं पुरं वा॥
Thereupon angry Dhritarashtra told me saying, “O descendant of Bharata, go away wherever you like. I shall never more seek your aid in ruling the earth or in ruling the city."
सोऽहं त्यक्तोधृतराष्ट्रेण राज्ञा प्रशासितुं त्वामुपयातो नरेन्द्र। तद् वै सर्वं यन्मयोक्तं सभायां तद्धार्यतां यत् प्रवक्ष्यामि भूयः॥
O ruler of men, having been (thus) abandoned by the king Dhritarashtra, I have come to you for giving you good counsel. What I said in the Sabha I shall now repeat to you. Hear and bear them in mind.
क्लेशैस्तीत्रैर्युज्यमानः सपत्नैः क्षमां कुर्वन् कालमुपासते यः। संवर्धयन् स्तोकमिवाग्निमात्मवान् स वै भुङ्क्ते पृथिवीमेक एव॥
That wise man, who patiently bearing all the wrongs done to him by his enemies, bides his time and multiplies his resources by degrees as a man makes a small fire a large one, rules alone this entire earth.
स्तस्य दुःखेऽप्यंशभाजः सहायाः। सहायानामेष संग्रहणेऽध्युपायः सहायाप्तौ पृथिवीप्राप्तिमाहुः॥
O king, he who enjoys his wealth with his adherents finds them sharers of his adversity. This is the best means of securing adherents. It is said he that has adherents wins the sovereignity of the whole world.
सत्यं श्रेष्ठं पाण्डव विप्रलापं तुल्यं चान्नं सह भोज्यं सहायैः। आत्मा चैषामग्रतो न स्म पूज्य एवंवृत्तिवर्धते भूमिपालः॥
O son of Pandu, share your wealth with your adherents; behave truthfully towards them and talk with them agreeably. Share also your food with them and never boast in their presence. This conduct increases the prosperity of kings.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच एवं करिष्यामि यथा ब्रवीषि परां बुद्धिमुपगम्याप्रमत्तः। यच्चाप्यन्यद्देशकालोपपन्नं तद् वै वाच्यं तत् करिष्यामि कृत्स्नम्॥
Yudhishthira said : Having the aid of such intelligence (as yours), undisturbed by passion as you advise in respect of time and place, I will carefully and entirely follow (your advice).