वैशम्पायन उवाच श्रुत्वा च विदुरं प्राप्तं राज्ञा च परिसान्त्वितम्। धृतराष्ट्रात्मजो राजा पर्यतप्यत दुर्मतिः॥
Vaishampayana said : Having heard that Vidura had returned and minded son of Dhritarashtra (Duryodhana) began to burn in grief.
स सौबलेयमानाय्य कर्णदुःशासनौ तथा। अब्रवीद् वचनं राजा प्रविश्याबुद्धिजं तमः॥
His intelligence, (fully) clouded by ignorance, he summoned the son of Subala (Shakuni), Karna and Dushashana and thus spoke to them.
एष प्रत्यागतो मन्त्रोधृतराष्ट्रस्यधीमतः। विदुरः पाण्डुपुत्राणां सुहृद् विद्वान् हिते रतः॥
Duryodhana said : The intelligent minister of Dhritarashtra (Vidura) has returned. The learned Vidura is the friend of the sons of Pandu and he is ever engaged in doing good to them.
यावदस्य पुनर्बुद्धिं विदुरो नापकर्षति। पाण्डवानयने तावन्मन्त्रयध्वं हितं मम॥
So long Vidura does not succeed to induce him (Dhritarashtra) to bring back the Pandavas, let us think what may benefit us.
अथ पश्याम्यहं पार्थान् प्राप्तानिह कथंचन। पुनः शोषं गमिष्यामि निरम्बुर्निरवग्रहः॥
If ever I see the sons of Pritha (the Pandavas) returned to the city, I shall again be emaciated by abandoning food and drink.
विषमुद्बन्धनं चैव शस्त्रमग्निप्रवेशनम्। करिष्ये न हि तानृद्धान् पुनर्द्रष्टुमिहोत्सहे॥
I shall either take poison or hang myself; (I shall) either enter a pyre or kill myself with my own weapon. I shall not be able to see (endure) their (the Pandavas') prosperity.
शकुनिरुवाच किं बालिशमतिं राजन्नास्थितोऽसि विशाम्पते। गतास्ते समयं कृत्वा नैतदेवं भविष्यति॥
Shakuni said: O king, O ruler of the world, what folly has taken possession of you? They have gone (to the forest) after making a pledge. Therefore what you fear can never take place.
सत्यवाक्यस्थिताः सर्वे पाण्डवा भरतर्षभ। पितुस्ते वचनं तात न ग्रहीष्यन्ति कर्हिचित्॥
O best of the Bharata race, all the Pandavas follow the path of truth. They will never accept your father's words.
अथवा ते ग्रहीष्यन्ति पुनरेष्यन्ति वा पुरम्। निरस्य समयं सर्वे पणोऽस्माकं भविष्यति॥
If however they accept thein (the words of your father) and again come to the city, violating their vow, this will be our conduct.
सर्वे भवामो मध्यस्था राज्ञश्छन्दानुवर्तिनः। छिद्रं बहु प्रपश्यन्तः पाण्डवानां सुसंवृताः॥
Assuming an aspect of neutrality and in apparent obedience to the will of the king (Dhritarashtra), we, keeping our counsels to ourselves, will closely watch the Pandavas.
दुःशासन उवाच एवमेतन्महाप्राज्ञ यथा वदसि मातुल। नित्यं हि मे कथयतस्तव बुद्धिर्विरोचते॥
Dushashana said: O greatly intelligent uncle, it is exactly as you say. The words of wisdom you utter always recommend themselves to me.
कर्ण उवाच काममीक्षामहे सर्वे दुर्योधन तवेप्सितम्। ऐकमत्यं हि नो राजन् सर्वेषामेव लक्षये।॥
Karna said: O Duryodhana, all of us scek to accomplish your wish. O king, I observe unanimity of opinion amongst us all.
नाममिष्यन्ति तेधीरा अकृत्वा कालसंविदम्। आगमिष्यन्ति चेन्मोहात् पुन तेन ताञ्जय॥
These self-controlled men (the Pandavas) will never return without living in the exile) the promised period. If however they come from delusion, defeat them again at dice.
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्तस्तु कर्णेन राजा दुर्योधनस्तदा। नातिहृष्टमनाः क्षिप्रेमभवत् स पराङ्मुखः॥
Vaishampayana said : Having been thus addressed by Karna, king Duryodhana with cheerless heart turned his face (from them).
उपलभ्य ततः कर्णो विवृत्य नयने शुभे। रोषाद् दुःशासनं चैव सौबलं च तमेव च॥ उवाच परमक्रुद्ध उद्यम्यात्मानमात्मना। अथो मम मतं यत् तु तन्निबोधत भूमिपाः॥
Marking all this, Karna expanding his beautiful eyes and vehemently moving his arms and limbs, spoke, thus in great anger to Dushashana, to the son of Subala (Shakuni) and to him (Duryodhana) "O ruler of land, know what is my opinion.
प्रियं सर्वे करिष्यामो राज्ञः किङ्करपाणयः। न चास्य शक्नुमः स्थातुं प्रिये सर्वे ह्यतन्द्रिताः॥
We all wait with joined hands like the servants of the king (Duryodhana). We must do what is agreeable to him. But we are not always able to seek his welfare with promptness and activity.
वयं तु शस्त्राण्यादाय रथानास्थाय दंशिताः। गच्छामः सहिता हन्तुं पाण्डवान् वनगोचरान्॥
Let us now, attired in our armours and armed with our weapons, mount on our chariot and go in a body to kill the Pandavas now living in the forest.
तेषु सर्वेषु शान्तेषु गतेष्वविदितां गतिम्। निर्विवादा भविष्यन्तिधार्तराष्ट्रास्तथा वयम्॥
When they (the Pandavas) will be rooted out and when will go to the unknown journey, both ourselves and the sons of Dhritarashtra will be in (eternal) peace.
यावदेव परिघूना यावच्छोकपरायणाः। यावन्मित्रविहीनाश्च तावच्छक्या मतं मम॥
As long as they are in distress, as long as they are in sorrow and as long as they are destitute of allies and friends, so long we will be able to destroy them. This is my opinion."
तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा पूजयन्तः पुनः पुनः। बाढमित्येव ते सर्वे प्रत्यूचुः सतजं तदा॥
Having heard his these words, they repeatedly applauded him and they all replied to the Suta's son (Karna) saying “Excellent”, "Excellent".
एवमुक्त्वा सुसंरब्धा रथैः सर्वे पृथक्पृथका निर्ययुः पाण्डवान् हन्तुं सहिताः कृतनिश्चयाः॥
Having said this, each of them being full of hopes of success separately mounted their chariots. They then started in a body with the resolve of killing the Pandavas.
तान् प्रस्थितान् परिज्ञाय कृष्णद्वैपायनः प्रभुः। आजगाम विशुद्धात्मा दृष्ट्वा दिव्येन चक्षुषा॥
Knowing by his spiritual eyes that they had gone away (to kill the Pandavas), that lord, the pure-souled Krishna Dvaipayana (Vyasa), came.
प्रतिषिध्याथ तान् सर्वान् भगवाँल्लोकपूजितः। प्रज्ञाचक्षुषमासीनमुवाचाभ्येत्य सत्वरम्॥
The illustrious lord, ever worshipped by all the world, commanded them to stop. He then soon appeared before the king whose knowledge was his eye sitting at his ease.