कुन्ती उवाच एवमेतन्महाबाहो यथा वदसि पाण्डवा कृतमुद्धर्षणं पूर्वं मया वः सीदतां नृपाः॥
Kunti said-What you say, O mighty-armed son of Pandu, is indeed, true! O kings, formerly, when you were all dispirited, indeed, I cxcited you all.
द्यूतापहृतराज्यानां पतितानां सुखादपि। ज्ञातिभिः परिभूतानां कृतमुद्धर्षणं मया।॥
Seeing that your kingdom was taken away from you by a match at dice, seeing that you all fell from happiness, seeing that you were governed over by kinsmen, I instilled courage and high thoughts into your minds.
कथं पाण्डोर्न नश्येत संततिः पुरुषर्षभाः। यशश्च वो न नश्येत इति चोद्धर्षणं कृतम्॥
O foremost of men, I encouraged you so that the sons of Pandu might not be lost, so that their fame might not be lost.
यूयमिन्द्रसमाः सर्वे देवतुल्यपराक्रमाः। मा परेषां मुखप्रेक्षाः स्थेत्येवं तत् कृतं मया॥
You are all equal to Indra. Your prowess resembles that of the very celestials. I acted thus so that you might not live, depending upon others.
कथं धर्मभृतां श्रेष्ठो राजा त्वं वासवोपमः। पुनर्वने न दुःखी स्या इति चोद्धर्षणं कृतम्॥
I instilled courage into your hearts so that you who are the foremost of all righteous persons, who are equal to Vasava, might not again go into the forest and live in misery.
नागायुतसमप्राणः ख्यातविक्रमपौरुषः। नायं भीमोऽत्ययं गच्छेदिति चौद्धर्षणं कृतम्॥
I instilled courage into your hearts so that this Bhima who has the strength of ten thousand elephants and whose prowess and manliness are widely known, might not sink into insignificance and ruin.
भीमसेनादवरजस्तथायं वासवोपमः। विजयो नावसीदेत इति चोद्धर्षणं कृतम्॥
I instilled courage into your hearts so that this Vijaya, who was born after Bhimasena, and who is equal to Vasava himself, might not be cheerless.
नकुलः सहदेवश्च तथेमौ गुरुवर्तिनौ। क्षुधा कथं न सीदेतामिति चोद्धर्षणं कृतम्॥
I instilled courage into your hearts so that Nakula and Sahadeva, who are always devoted to their elders, may not be weakened and rendered cheerless by hunger.
इयं च बृहती श्यामा तथात्यायतलोचना। वृथा सभातले क्लिष्टा मा भूदिति च तत् कृतम्॥
I acted thus in order that this lady of welldeveloped forms and of large eyes might not suffer the wrongs inflicted on her in the public hall without being avenged.
प्रेक्षतामेव वो भीम वेपन्तीं कदलीमिव। स्त्रीधर्मिणीमरिष्टाङ्गी तथा द्यूतपराजिताम्॥ दुःशासनो यदा माद् दासीवत् पर्यकर्षत। तदैव विदितं मह्यं पराभूतमिदं कुलम्॥
Before you all, O Bhima, trembling all over like a plantain trce during her catamenial period, and after she had been won at dicc, Dushasana, through folly, dragged her as if she were a slave. I knew all this, Indeed, the family of Pandu had been subjugated (by focs).
निषण्णाः कुरवश्चैव तदा मे श्वशुरादयः। सा दैवं नाथमिच्छन्ती व्यलपत् कुररी यथा॥
The Kurus, viz., my father-in-law and others, were cheerless when she, desirous of a protector, bewailed like a she-osprey.
केशपक्षे परामृष्टा पापेन हतबुद्धिना। यदा दुःशासनेनैषा तदा मुह्याम्यहं नृपाः॥
When she was dragged by her fair locks by the sinful Dushasana without little intelligence, I lost my senses, O king.
युष्मत्तेजोविवृद्ध्यर्थं मया हुद्धर्षणं कृतम्। तदानीं विदुलावाक्यैरिति तद् वित्त पुत्रकाः॥
Know, that for increasing your energy, I instilled that courage into your hearts by reciting the words of Vidula, O my sons.
कथं न राजवंशोऽयं नश्येत् प्राप्य सुतान् मम्। पाण्डोरिति मया पुत्रास्तस्मादुद्धर्षणं कृतम्॥
I instilled courage into your hearts, O my sons, so that the family of Pandu, represented by my children, might not be lost.
न तस्य पुत्राः पौत्रा वा क्षतवंशस्य पार्थिव।। लभन्ते सुकृताँल्लोकान् यस्माद् वंशः प्रणश्यति।।१६।
The sons and grandsons of that person who brings a family to infamy never succeed in acquiring the regions of the righteous. Indeed, the ancestors of the Kaurava race, were in danger of losing those happy regions which had become theirs.
भुक्तं राज्यफलं पुत्रा भर्तुर्मे विपुलं पुरा। महादानानि दत्तानि पीतः सोमो यथाविधि॥
As for myself, O my sons, I have, before this, enjoyed the grcat fruits of that sovereignty which my husband had won. I have made large gifts. I have duly drunk the Soma-juice in sacrifice.
नाहमात्मफलार्थं वै वासुदेवमचूचुदम्। विदुलायाः प्रलापैस्तैः पालनार्थं च तत् कृतम्॥
It was not for my own sake that I had urged Vasudeva with the stirring words of Vidula. It was for your sake that I had asked you to follow that advice.
नाहं राज्यफलं पुत्राः कामये पुत्रनिर्जितम्। पतिलोकानहं पुण्यान् कामये तपसा विभो॥
O my sons, I do not wish for the fruits of that sovereignty which has been acquired by my children. O you of great power, I wish to attain, by my penances, to those happy regions which have been acquired by my husband.
श्वश्रूश्वशुरयोः कुत्वा शुश्रूषां वनवासिनोः। तपसा शोषयिष्यामि युधिष्ठिर कलेवरम्॥
By rendering obedient service to my fatherin-law and mother-in-law both of whom with to take up their residence in the forest, and by penances, I wish, O Yudhishthira, to exhaust my body.
निवर्तस्व कुरुश्रेष्ट भीमसेनादिभिः सह। धर्मे ते धीयतां बुद्धिर्मनस्तु महदस्तु च॥
Do you cease to follow me, O foremost one of Kuru's race, along with Bhima and others. Let your understanding be always devoted to virtue. Let your mind be always great.