विदुर उवाच शकुनीनामिहार्थाय पाशं भूमावयोजयत्। कश्चिच्छाकुनिकस्तात पूर्वेषामिति शुश्रुम॥
Vidura said For the capture of birds did a certain fowler set his net in this world. O Sire, so we have heard from old men.
तस्मिन् तौ शकुनौ बद्धौ युगपत् सहचारिणौ। तावुपादाय तं पाशं जग्मतुः खचरावुभौ॥
There were two birds, companions to each other, captured in that net and they both went up into the air with that net.
तौ विहायसमाक्रान्तौ दृष्ट्वा शाकुनिकस्तदा। अन्वधावदनिर्विष्णो येन येन स्म गच्छतः॥
The fowler seeing them fly up in the air without losing his senses followed them in the direction they took.
तथा तमनुधावन्तं मृगयुं शकुनार्थिनम्। आश्रमस्थो मुनिः कश्चिद् ददर्शाथ कृताह्निकः॥
A certain Rishi living in a hermitage, who had finished his daily worship I saw that fowler following the birds, still in the hope of getting hold of the birds.
तावन्तरिक्षगौ शीघ्रमनुयान्तं महीचरम्। श्लोकेनानेन कौरव्य पप्रच्छ स मुनिस्तदा॥
Then did the anchoring address, O Kauravya, that denizen of the earth following the wanderers of the sky in this couplet.
विचित्रमिदमाश्चर्यं मृगहन् प्रतिभाति मे। प्लमानौ हि खचरौ पदातिरनुधावसि॥
Slayer of animals, it seems to me wonderfully strange that you who move by your feet in this earth are following wanderers of the sky.
शाकुनिक उवाच पाशमेकमुभावेतौ सहितौ हरतो मम। यत्र वै विवदिष्येते तत्र मे वशमेष्यतः॥
The fowler said These two united are taking that one net of mine but they will come under my control where they will quarrel.
विदुर उवाच तौ विवादमनुप्राप्तौ शकुनौ मृत्युसंधितौ। विगृह्य च सुदुर्बुद्धी पृथिव्यां संनिपेततुः॥
Vidura said The two birds who were doomed to death quarreled; and having quarrelled the two fools fell to the earth.
तौ युध्यमानौ संरब्धौ मृत्युपाशवशानुगौ। उपसृत्यापरिज्ञातो जग्राह मृगहा तदा॥
The slayer of animals then approaching those two fighting with each other, subject to the trap of death, without their knowledge caught hold of them.
एवं ये ज्ञातयोऽर्थेषु मिथो गच्छन्ति विग्रहम्। तेऽमित्रवशमायान्ति शकुनाविव विग्रहात्॥
In the same way those cousins who quarrel in matters of wealth are brought under the control of enemies like the birds owing to their quarrel.
सम्भोजनं संकथनं सम्प्रश्नोऽथ समागमः। एतानि ज्ञातिकार्याणि न विरोधः कदाचन॥
Dining in one another's company and conversing among, one another, inquiring about one another's health and living together, these are the duties of cousins and quarrel is never.
ये स्म काले सुमनसः सर्वे वृद्धानुपासते। सिंहगुप्तमिवारण्यमप्रधृष्या भवन्ति ते॥
Those who in proper season serve the old men out of pure motives, become invincible like a forest protected by lions.
येऽर्थं संततमासाद्य दीना इव समासते। श्रियं ते समप्रयच्छन्ति द्विषद्भ्यो भरतर्षभ॥
Those, who attaining to prosperity behave like the mean-minded contribute to the prosperity of their despisers, O you bull among the race of Bharata.
धूमायन्ते व्यपेतानि ज्वलन्ति सहितानि च। धृतराष्ट्रोल्मुकानीव ज्ञातयो भरतर्षभ।॥
Cousins, O you bull among the race of Bharata, smoke when quarrelling and blaze up when like charcoals.
इदमन्यत् प्रवक्ष्यामि यथा दृष्टं गिरौ मया। श्रुत्वा तदपि कौरव्य यथा श्रेयस्तथा कुरु॥
or I shall speak of something else, which was seen by me in a mountain and hearing that too, O son of Kuru, do whatever is good.
वयं किरातैः सहिता गच्छामो गिरिमुत्तरम्। ब्राह्मणैर्देवकल्पैश्च विद्याजम्भकवार्तिकैः॥
We want to the Northern mountains accompanied by hunters and godlike Brahmanas fond of conversations incantations and medicines.
कुञ्जभूतं गिरिं सर्वमभितो गन्धमादनम्। दीप्यमानौषधिगणं सिद्धगन्धर्वसेवितम्॥
The Gandhamadana mountain was like a grove (owing to tress growing on it) in every way. It was shining, as it were, with cluster of medicinal plants and inhabited by ascetics and the Gandharvas,
तत्रापश्याम वै सर्वे मधु पीतकमाक्षिकम्। मरुप्रपाते विषमे निविष्टं कुम्भसम्मितम्॥
There we all saw some honey of a yellow colour inside a pot placed at a very high point of the mountain.
आशीविषै रक्ष्यमाणं कुबैरदयितं भृशम्। यत् प्राप्य पुरुषो मर्योऽप्यमरत्वं नियच्छति॥
This was guarded by snakes, the favourite drink of Kubera, as it was drinking which even an earthy man gets immortality.
अचक्षुर्लभते चक्षुर्वृद्धो भवति वै युवा। इति ते कथयन्ति स्म ब्राह्मणा जम्भसाधकाः॥
Those without eyes get eyes, and the old become young. There was the honey described by the Brahmanas conversant with incantations.
ततः किरातास्तद् दृष्ट्वा प्रार्थयन्तो महीपते। विनेशुर्विषमे तस्मिन् ससर्प गिरिगह्वरे॥
Then did the hunters, seeing that strive to obtain it, О king and were destroyed in thai frightful mountain cavern full of snakes.
तथैव तव पुत्रोऽयं पृथिवीमेक इच्छति। मधु पश्यति सम्मोहात् प्रपातं नानुपश्यति॥
Thus does this son of yours desire to be the one supreme individual in this world; out of loss of his senses, does he see only the honey and not the fall.
दुर्योधनो यो मनाः समरे सव्यसाचिना। न च पश्यामि तेजोऽस्य विक्रमं वा तथाविधम्॥
Duryodhana is desirous of a fight with Savyasachin; but I do not see in him the strength or energy necessary for that purpose.
एकेन रथमास्थाय पृथिवी येन निर्जिता। भीष्मद्रोणप्रभृतयः संत्रस्ताः साधुयायिनः॥
That Savyasachin, who alone in his car has brought the earth under his control and who inspired dared into Bhishma, Drona and others accompanied by their hosts.
विराटनगरे भग्नाः किं तत्र तव दृश्यताम्। प्रतीक्षमाणो यो वीरः क्षमते वीक्षितं तव॥
They were routed at the city of Virata-sce what occurred there. That hero looking at your face and waiting to see your movements will forgive you still.
दुपदो मत्स्यराजश्च संक्रुद्धश्च धनंजयः। न शेषयेयुः समरे वायुयुक्ता इवाग्नयः॥
Drupada, the king of the Matsyas and Dhananjaya, fired with wrath, will leave no trace (of your army) like a conflagration urged on by the wind.
अङ्के कुरुष्व राजानं धृतराष्ट्र युधिष्ठिरम्। युध्यतोर्हि द्वयोर्युद्धे नैकान्तेन भवेज्जयः॥
0 Dhritarashtra, take the king Yudhishthira on your lap; for by a struggle between you two none can get an absolute victory.