युधिष्ठिर उवाच अभिमन्यौ हते बाले द्रौपद्यास्तनयेषु च। धृष्टद्युम्ने विराटे च दुपदे च महीपतौ॥ वृषसेने च धर्मज्ञे धृष्टकेतौ तु पार्थिवे। तथान्येषु नरेन्द्रेषु नानादेश्येषु संयुगे॥ न च मुञ्चति मां शोको ज्ञातिघातिनमातुरम्। राज्यकामुकमत्युग्रं स्ववंशोच्छेदकारिणम्॥
Yudhishthira said On account of the death of young Abhimanyu of the sons of Draupadi, of Draupadi, of Dhrishtadyumna, of Virata, of king Drupada, of Vasusena conversant with every duty, of the royal Dhrishtaketu, and of Various other kings coming from various, countries in battle, grief does not forsake my wretched self that am a destroyer of kinsmen! Indeed, I covet very much for kingdom and am an exterminator of my own race.
यस्माङ्के क्रीडमानेन मया वै परिवर्तितम्। स मया राज्यलुब्धेन गाङ्गेयो युधि पातितः॥
He upon whose breast and limbs I used to play, alas, that Ganga's son has been killed by me in battle out of desire for sovereignty.
यदा ह्येनं विघूर्णन्तमपश्यं पार्थसायकैः। कम्पमानं यथा वड्रैः प्रेक्ष्यमाणं शिखण्डिना॥ जीर्णसिंहमिव प्रांशुं नरसिंह पितामहम्। कीर्यमाणं शरैर्दृष्ट्वा भृशं मे व्यथितं मनः॥
When I saw that foremost of men, viz., our grandfather, assailed by Shikhandin and trembling and reeling in consequence of Partha's arrows that resembled thunder-bolts in power, when I saw his tall form cut all over with blazing arrows and himself become weak like an aged lion, my heart was greatly pained.
प्राङ्मुखं सीदमानं च रथे पररथारुजम्। घूर्णमानं यथा शैलं तदा मे कश्मलोऽभवत्॥
When I saw that destroyer of hostile cars reel like a mountain summit and drop down on the terrace of his own car with his face turned towards the east, my senses were bewildered.
यः स बाणधनुष्पाणिर्योधयामास भार्गवम्। बहून्यहानि कौरव्यः कुरुक्षेत्रे महामृधे॥ समेतं पाथिवं क्षत्रं वाराणस्यां नदीसुतः। कन्यार्थमाह्वयद् वीरो रथेनैकेन संयुगे॥ येन चोग्रायुधो राजा चक्रवर्ती दुरासदः। दग्धश्चास्त्रप्रतापेन स मया युधि घातितः॥
That foremost of Kuru's race who with bow and arrow in hand had fought in dreadful battle for inany days with Rama himself of Bhrigu's race on the field purified by Kuru, that son of Ganga, that hero, who, at Varanasi, for the sake of maidens, had, on a single car, challenged to battle the assembled Kshatriyas of the world, he who had consumed by the power of his weapons that irresistible and best of kings Ugrayudha, alas, that hero has been killed in battle by me.
स्वयं मृत्यु रक्षमाणः पाञ्चाल्यं यः शिखण्डिनम्। न बाणैः पातयामास सोऽर्जुनेन निपातितः॥
Knowing full well that Shikhandin the prince of Panchala was his slayer, that hero still refrained from killing the prince with his arrow. Alas, such a magnanimous warrior was killed by Arjuna.
यदैनं पतितं भूमावपश्यं रुधिरोक्षितम्। तदैवाविशदत्युग्रो ज्वरो मां मुनिसत्तम॥
O best of sages, when I saw the grandfather stretched on the Earth and bathed in blood, a violent fever afflicted my heart.
येन संवर्धिता बाला येन स्म परिरक्षिताः। स मया राज्यलुब्धेन पापेन गुरुघातिना॥
He who had protected and brought us up when we were children alas, he was caused to be killed by my sinful self that am covetous of kingdom, that am a slayer of reverend elders, and a perfect fool, for the sake of fickle sovereignty.
अल्पकालस्य राज्यस्य कृते मूढेन घातितः। आचार्यश्च महेष्वासः सर्वपार्थिवपूजितः॥
I gave a false statement of his son to our preceptor, the great bowman Drona, worshipped of all the kings.
अभिगम्य रणे मिथ्या पापेनोक्तः सुतं प्रति। तन्मे दहति गात्राणि यन्मां गुरुरभाषत॥ सत्यमाख्याहि राजंस्त्वं यदि जीवति मे सत्यमामर्षयन् विप्रो मयि तत् परिपृष्टवान्॥
The recollection of that act of mine is burning all my limbs. The preceptor said to me,-Tell me truly, O king, whether my son lives still,—Expecting truth from me, the Brahmana asked me only. By silently saying the word elephant, I behaved falsely towards him.
सुतः। कुञ्जरं चान्तरं कृत्वा मिथ्योपचरितं मया। सुभृशं राज्यलुब्धेन पापेन गुरुघातिना॥ सत्यकञ्चकमुन्मुच्य मया स गुरुराहवे। अश्वत्थामा हत इति निरुक्तः कुञ्जरे हते॥
Sinful that I am, highly covetous of kingdom, and a destroyer of my reverend elders, I behaved even thus towards my preceptor in battle, casting off the garb of truth-for I said to him that Ashvatthama had been slain when, in sooth, an elephant of the name had been slain.
काँल्लोकांस्तु गमिष्यामि कृत्वा कर्म सुदुष्करम्। अघातयं च यत् कर्णं समरेष्वपलायिनम्॥
To what regions shall I go (hereafter) having committed such a crime? I caused also my eldest brother Karna to be killed, that terrible warrior who never retreated from battle. Who is there more sinful than I?
ज्येष्ठभ्रातरमत्युग्रं को मत्तः पापकृत्तमः। अभिमन्युं च यद् बालं जातं सिंहमिवाद्रिषु॥ प्रावेशयमहं लुब्धो वाहिनीं द्रोणपालिताम्।
Through covetousness I caused young Abhimanyu that hero who resembled a lion born in the hills, to enter into the array that was protected by Drona himself.
तदाप्रभृति बीभत्सुं न शक्नोमि निरीक्षितुम्॥ कृष्णं च पुण्डरीकाक्षं किल्बिषी भ्रूणहा यथा।
I am guilty of infanticide. Sinful as I am, I have not, since then, been able to look at the face of Arjuna or the lotus-eyed Krishna.
द्रौपदीं चापि दुःखार्ती पञ्चपुत्रैर्विनाकृताम्॥ शोचामि पृथिवीं हीनां पञ्चभिः पर्वतैरिव।
I grieve also for Draupadi who is deprived of her five sons like the Earth shorn of her five mountains.
सोऽहमागस्करः पापः पृथिवीनाशकारकः॥ आसीन एवमेवेदं शोषयिष्ये कलेवरम्।
I am a great sinner and a destroyer of the Earth. Not rising from this seat which I now occupy, I will emaciate my body (by starvation) and meet with death.
प्रायोपविष्टं जानीध्वमथ मां गुरुघातिनम्॥ जातिष्वन्यास्वपि यथा न भवेयं कुलान्तकृत्।
Know me who am the destroyer of my preceptor as one who has sat down here observing the Praya vow. A destroyer of my family, I must do so in order that I may not be born again in any of other orders of being.
न भोक्ष्ये न च पानीयमुपभोक्ष्ये कथञ्चन॥ शोषयिष्ये प्रियान् प्राणनिहस्थोऽहं तपोधनाः।
I shall abstain from taking all food and drink, and without moving from here, O great ascetic, shall dry up my life-breaths which are sodear.
यथेष्टं गम्यतां काममनुजाने प्रसाद्य वः॥ सर्वे मामनुजानीत तयक्ष्यामीदं कलेवरम्।
I humbly pray you to grant me permission in this and go wherever you please. Let every one grant me permission. I shall renounce this body of mine."
वैशम्पायन उवाच तमेवंवादिनं पार्थं बन्धुशोकेन विह्वलम्॥ मैवमित्यब्रवीद् व्यासो निगृह्य मुनिसत्तमः।
Vaishampayana said Preventing Pritha's son, who beside himself with sorrow on account of his kinsmen, gave vent to such words, Vyasa, that best of ascetics, said, first telling him,-'This cannot be.'
व्यास उवाच अतिवेलं महाराज न शोकं कर्तुमर्हसि॥ पुनरुक्तं तु वक्ष्यामि दिष्टमेतदिति प्रभो।
Vyasa said 'You should not, O king, indulge in such painful grief. I shall again say what I have once said. All this is Destiny, O powerful one.
संयोगा विप्रयोगान्ता जातानां प्राणिनां ध्रुवम्॥ बुबुदा इव तोयेषु भवन्ति न भवन्ति च। सर्वे क्षयान्ता निचयाः पतनान्ताः समुच्छ्रयाः॥ संयोगा विप्रयोगान्ता मरणान्तं हि जीवितम्।
Forsooth, all creatures that are born show at first a union (of various ingredients and forces). Dissolution, however, overtakes them at the end. Like bubbles in water they come and go away. All things collected together are sure to be dissipated, and all things that rise must fall down. Union terininates in dissolution and life terininates in death.
सुखं दुःखान्तमालस्यं दाक्ष्यं दुःखं सुखोदयम्। भूतिः श्रीह्रीं धृतिः कीर्तिर्दक्षे वसति नालसे॥
Idleness, though pleasant for the time being, ends in misery, and skilful labour, though painful in beginning, ends in happiness. Affluence, Prosperity, Modesty, Contentment, and Fame reside in labour and skill but not in idleness.
नालं सुखाय सुहृदो नालं दुःखाय शत्रवः। न च प्रजालमर्थेभ्यो न सुखेभ्योऽप्यलं धनम्॥
Friends cannot confer happiness nor foes inflict misery. Likewise wisdom does not give wealth nor does wealth bring happiness.
यथा सृष्टोऽसि कौन्तेय धात्रा कर्मसु तत् कुरु। अत एव हि सिद्धिस्ते नेशस्त्वं कर्मणां नृप॥
O son of Kunti, you have been created by your Maker to engage yourself in action. Success originates from work, You cannot, O king, avoid Work."