वैशम्पायन उवाच हतेषु सर्वसैन्येषु धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः। शुश्रुवे पितरं वृद्धं निर्यान्तं गजसाह्वयात्॥
Vaishampayana said "After all the warriors had been massacred, king Yudhishthira heard that his uncle Dhritarashtra had left the city of Hastinapura.
सोऽभ्ययात् पुत्रशोकार्तः पुत्रशोकपरिप्लुतम्। शोचमानं महाराज भ्रातृभिः सहितस्तदा॥
Afflicted with grief consequent on the death of his sons, Yudhishthira, O king, accompanied by his brothers, set out for meeting his uncle who was filled with sorrow for the death of his (hundred) sons.
अन्वीयमानो वीरेण दाशार्हेण महात्मना। युयुधानेन च तथा तथैव च युयुत्सुना॥
The son of Kunti was followed by the great and heroic Krishna of Dasharha's race, by Yuyudhana, as also by Yuyutsu.
तमन्वगात् सुदुःखार्ता द्रौपदी शोककर्शिता। सह पाञ्चालयोषिद्भिर्यास्तत्रासन् समागताः॥
The princess Draupadi also, laden with grief, and accompanied by those Panchala ladies that were with her, sorrowfully followed her husband.
स गङ्गामनु वृन्दानि स्त्रीणां भरतसत्तम। कुररीणामिवार्तानां क्रोशन्तीनां ददर्श ह॥
Yudhishthira saw near the banks of the Ganges, O king, the crowd of Bharata ladies afflicted with sorrow and crying like a light of she-ospreys.
ताभिः परिवृतो राजा क्रोशन्तीभिः सहस्रशः। ऊर्ध्वबाहुभिरार्ताभी रुदतीभिः प्रियाप्रियैः॥
The king was soon surrounded by those thousands of ladies who with arms raised up in grief, were bewailing aloud and uttering all sorts of words, agreeable and disagreeable.
व नु धर्मज्ञता राज्ञः क्व नु साद्यानृशंसता। यचावधीत् पितॄन् भ्रातॄन् गुरुपुत्रान् सखीनपि।॥
Where, indeed, in that righteousness of the king, where his truth and pity, since he has killed sires and brothers and preceptors and sons and friends.
घातयित्वा कथं द्रोणं भीष्मं चापि पितामहम्। मनस्तेऽभून्महाबाहो हत्वा चापि जयद्रथम्॥
How, O mighty-armed one, had your heart become tranquil after killing Drona, and your grandsire Bhishma, and Jayadratha.
किं नु राज्येन ते कार्यं पितॄन् भ्रातृनपश्यतः। अभिमन्युं च दुर्धर्षं द्रौपदेयांश्च भारत॥
What is the use of sovereignty to you, after have your seen your sires and brothers, O Bharata, and the irresistible Abhimanyu and the sons of Draupadi, thus killed.
अतीत्य ता महाबाहुः क्रोशन्तीः कुररीरिव। ववन्दे पितरं ज्येष्ठं धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः॥
Leaving those ladies crying like a fight of she-ospreys, the mighty-armed king Yudhishthira the just bowed to the feet of his eldest uncle.
ततोऽभिवाद्य पितरं धर्मेणामित्रकर्षणाः। न्यवेदयन्त नामानि पाण्डवास्तेऽपि सर्वशः॥
Having saluted their sire duly, those slayer of foes, viz., the Pandavas, announced themselves to him, each uttering his own name.
तमात्मजान्तकरणं पिता पुत्रवधार्दितः। अप्रीयमाणाः शोकातः पाण्डवं परिषस्वजे॥
Greatly stricken with grief for the slaughter of his sons, Dhritarashtra unwillingly embraced the eldest son of Pandu, who was the cause of that slaughter.
धर्मराजं परिष्वज्य सान्त्वयित्वा च भारत। दुष्टात्मा भीममन्वैच्छद् दिधक्षुरिव पावकः॥
Having embraced Yudhishthira and spoken a few solacing words to him, O Bharata, the wicked Dhritarashtra sought for Bhima, like a burning fire ready to burn everything that would approach it.
स कोपपावकस्तस्य शोकवायुसमीरितः। भीमसेनमयं दावं दिधक्षुरिव दृश्यते॥
Indeed, the fire of his anger, fanned by the wind of his grief, seemed then to be ready to consume the Bhima-forest.
तस्य संकल्पमाज्ञाय भीमं प्रत्यशुभं हरिः। भीममाक्षिप्य पाणिभ्यां प्रददौ भीममायसम्॥
Understanding the wicked intentions towards Bhima, Krishna, dragging away the real Bhima, prusented an iron statue of the second son of Pandu to the old king.
प्रागेव तु महाबुद्धिर्बुद्ध्वा तस्येङ्गितं हरिः। संविधानं महाप्राज्ञस्तत्र चक्रे जनार्दनः॥
The highly intelligent, Krishna had, in the very beginning understood the object of Dhritarashtra, and had, therefore, kept such a contrivance ready for baffling them.
तं गृहीत्वैव पाणिभ्यां भीमसेनमयस्मयम्। बभञ्ज बलवान् राजा मन्यमानो वृकोदरम्॥
Holding with his two arms that iron Bhima, the power king Dhritarashtra, endued with great strength, broke it into pieces, taking it for the real Bhima.
नागायुतबलप्राणः स राजा भीममायसम्। भक्त्वा विमथितोरस्कः सुनाव रुधिरं मुखात्॥
Possessed of the strength of ten thousands elephants, the king broke that statue into pieces. His own breast, however, was considerably bruised and he began to vomit blood.
ततः पपात मेदिन्यां तथैव रुधिरोक्षितः। प्रपुष्पिताग्रशिखरः पारिजात इव दुमः॥
Covered with blood the king dropped down on the ground like a blossoming Parijata tree.
प्रत्यगृह्णाच तं विद्वान् सूतो गावल्गणिस्तदा। मैवमित्यब्रवीच्चैनं शमयन् सान्त्वयन्निव॥
His learned charioteer, Sanjaya the son of Gavalgana raised the king and soothing and comforting him, said'Do not act so.'
स तु कोपं समुत्सृज्य गतमन्युर्महामनाः। हा हा भीमेति चुक्रोश नृपः शोकसमन्वितः॥
Having cast off his wrath and regained his true nature the king then became filled with grief and began to weep aloud, saying, 'Alas, Oh Bhima, Alas, Oh Bhima!'
तं विदित्वा गतक्रोधं भीमसेनवधार्दितम्। वासुदेवो वरः पुंसामिदं वचनमब्रवीत्॥ मा शुचो धृतराष्ट्रं त्वं नैष भीमस्त्वया हतः। आयसी प्रतिमा ह्येषा त्वया निष्पातिता विभो॥
Knowing that he was no longer under the influence of anger, and that he was truly sorry for having (as he believed) slain Bhima, Vasudeva, that foremost of men, said,-'Do not grieve, O Dhritarashtra, for you have not killed Bhimasena. That is an iron statue, O king, whica has been broken by you.
त्वां क्रोधवशमापन्नं विदित्वा भरतर्षभ। मयापकृष्टः कौन्तेयो मृत्योर्दष्ट्रान्तरं गतः॥
Knowing that you were filled with anger, O foremost of Bharata's race, I dragged Bhima away from within the jaws of Death.
न हि ते राजशार्दूल बले तुल्योऽस्ति कश्चन। कः सहेत महाबाहो बाह्वेर्विग्रहणं नरः॥
O best of kings, there is none equal to you in physical strength. Who is there, O mightyarmed one, that would bear pressure of your arms.
यथान्तकमनुप्राप्य जीवन् कश्चिन्न मुच्यते। एवं बाह्वन्तरं प्राप्य तव जीवेन कश्चन॥
As no one can escape alive from a struggle with Death himself, so no body can come out safe from within your embrace.
तस्मात्पुत्रेण या तेऽसौ प्रतिमा कारिताऽऽयसी। भीमस्य सेयं कौरव्य तवैवोपहता मया।॥
Therefore that iron statue of Bhima, which had been made by your son, had been kept ready for you.
पुत्रशोकाभिसंतप्तं धर्मादपकृतं मनः। तव राजेन्द्र तेव त्वं भीमसेनं जिघांससि॥
On account of the sorrow for the death of your sons, your mind has been filled with spite. Therefore, O great king, you seek kill Bhimasena.
न त्वेतत् ते क्षमं राजन् हन्यास्त्वं यद् वृकोदरम्। न हि पुत्रा महाराज जीवेयुस्ते कथंचन॥
The destruction of Bhima, however, O king, would do you no good. Your sons, O king, would not be revived by it.
तस्माद् यत् कृतमस्माभिर्मन्यमानैः शमं प्रति। अनुमन्यस्व तत् सर्वं मा च शोके मनः कृथाः॥
Therefore, approve of what we have done to secure peace, and do not grieve any longer."