कुले जन्म प्रशंसन्ति वैद्याः साधु सुनिष्ठिताः। बलेन सदृशं नास्ति वीर्यं तु मम रोचते
Physicians, skilled and well-trained, praise noble birth in a family; but for me, strength is what I value, for nothing compares to it.
कृतवीर्यकुले जातो निर्वीर्यः किं करिष्यति। निर्वीर्ये तु कुले जातो वीर्यवांस्तु विशिष्यते
What can one born in the line of Krtavirya do if he lacks strength? But one born in a weak family, if endowed with strength, surpasses the rest.
क्षत्रियः सर्वशो राजन्यस्य वृत्तिर्द्विषज्जये। सर्वैगुणैर्विहीनोऽपि वीर्यवान्हि तरेन्द्रिपून्
For a Kshatriya, the whole duty of a king is victory over enemies; even if lacking all virtues, a man of strength overcomes the best of foes.
सर्वैरपि गुणैर्युक्तो निर्वीर्यः किं करिष्यति। जयस्य हेतुः सिद्धिर्हि कर्म दैवं च संश्रितम्
What can one endowed with all virtues accomplish if he lacks strength? Success in victory depends on action and on fate.
संयुक्तो हि बलैः कश्चित्प्रमादान्नोपयुज्यते
Even someone well-supported by forces may, through negligence, fail to make use of them.
तेन द्वारेण शत्रुभ्यः क्षीयते सबलो रिपुः
Through that very opening, the enemy, along with his forces, is diminished by foes.
दैन्यं यथा बलवति तथा मोहो बलान्विते। तावुभौ नाशकौ हेतू राज्ञा त्याज्यौ जयार्थिना
Just as dejection afflicts the strong, so too does delusion affect the powerful; both are causes of ruin and must be avoided by a king seeking victory.
जरासन्धिविनाशं च राज्ञां च परिरक्षणम्। यदि कुर्याम् यज्ञार्थं किं ततः परमं भवेत्
If we were to destroy Jarasandha and protect the kings for the sake of the sacrifice, what greater achievement could there be than that?
अनारम्भे हि नियतो भवेदगुणनिश्चयः। गुणान्निः संशयाद्राजन्नैर्गुण्यं मन्यसे कथम्
For when nothing is undertaken, the certainty of qualities remains untested; O King, how can you judge lack of merit without putting virtues to the test?
काषायं सुलभं पश्चान्मुनीनां शममिच्छताम्। साम्राज्यं तु भवेच्छक्यं वयं योत्स्यामहे परान्
The ochre robe is easily attained later by sages seeking tranquility; but an empire is possible now—we shall fight against our foes.
जातस्य भारते वंशे तथा कुन्त्याः सुतस्य च। या वै युक्ता मतिः सेयमर्जुनेन प्रदर्शिता
Such is the resolve shown by Arjuna, born in the Bharata line and son of Kunti, as is fitting.
न स्म मृत्युं वयं विद्म रात्रौ वा यदि वा दिवा। न चापि कञ्चिदमरमयुद्धेनानुशुश्रुम
We do not know death, whether by night or by day; nor have we ever heard of anyone becoming immortal through avoidance of battle.
एतावदेव पुरुषैः कार्यं हृदयतोषणम्। नयेन विधिदृष्टेन यदुपक्रमते परान्
A man should act only to the extent that his heart is satisfied, by means of the proper policy prescribed by law, when he undertakes action against others.
सुनयस्यानपायस्य संयोगे परमः क्रमः। सङ्गत्या जायतेऽसाम्यं साम्यं च न भवेद्द्वयोः
The highest outcome in a contest joined with sound and unfailing policy is inequality; through alliance, inequality arises, and equality does not occur between two parties.
अनयस्यानुपायस्य संयुगे परमः क्षयटः। संशयो जायते साम्याज्जयश्च न भवेद्द्वयोः
The greatest loss comes in a contest joined with unsound and improper policy; from equality arises uncertainty, and victory does not come to either side.
ते वयं नयमास्थाय शत्रुदेशसमीपगाः। कथमन्तं न गच्छेम वृक्षस्येव नदीरयाः।। पररन्ध्रे पराक्रान्ताः स्वरन्ध्रावरणे स्थिताः
We, having adopted policy, are near the enemy’s territory; how can we not reach the end, like a river’s current to a tree, attacking the enemy’s weak points while guarding our own?
व्यूढानीकैरतिबलैर्न युद्व्येदरिभिः सह। इति बुद्धिमतां नीतिस्तन्ममापीह रोचते
Not with arrayed troops or great forces should we fight openly with the enemy; this is the policy that pleases the wise, and so it appeals to me here.
अनवद्या ह्यसम्बुद्धाः प्रविष्टाः शत्रुसद्म तत्। शत्रुदेशमुपाक्रम्य तं कामं प्राप्नुयामहे
For, entering the enemy’s house undetected and blameless, having reached the enemy’s land, we may indeed obtain our desired aim.
एको ह्येव श्रियं नित्यं बिभर्ति पुरुषर्षभः। अन्तरात्मेव भूतानां तत्क्षयं नैव लक्षये
For only one man, O best of men, always bears fortune; like the inner self of beings, I do not see its destruction.
अथवैनं निहत्याजौ शेषेणापि समाहताः। प्राप्नुयाम ततः स्वर्गं ज्ञातित्राणपरायणाः
Or, having slain him in battle, even if only a few of us survive, we shall attain heaven, devoted as we are to the protection of our kin.
कृष्ण कोऽयं जरासन्धः किंवीर्यः किम्पराक्रमः। यस्त्वां स्पृष्ट्वाऽग्निसदृशं न दग्धः शलभो यथा
Krishna, who is this Jarasandha? What is his strength, what his prowess, that, having touched you—like fire—he was not burned, like a moth?
शृणु राजञ्जरासन्धो यद्वीर्यो यत्पराक्रमः। यथा चोपेक्षितोऽस्माभिर्बहुशः कृतविप्रियः
Hear, O King, of Jarasandha’s strength and valor, and how he, having often wronged us, was long disregarded by us.
अक्षौहिणीनां तिसृणां पतिः समरदर्पितः। राजा बृहद्रथो नाम मगधाधिपतिर्बली
He is the lord of three akshauhinis, proud in battle, the mighty king named Brihadratha, ruler of Magadha.
रूपवान्वीर्यसम्पन्नः श्रीमानतुलविक्रमः। नित्यं दीक्षाङ्किततनुः शतक्रतुरिवापरः
Handsome, endowed with valor, glorious, unequalled in might, his body ever marked by vows, he is like another Indra.
तेजसा सूर्यसङ्काशः क्षमया पृथिवीसमः। यश्चान्तकसमः क्रोधे श्रिया वैश्रवणोपमः
In brilliance he is like the sun, in forbearance like the earth; in wrath he is like Death, and in wealth he is like Kubera.
स्वराज्यं कारयामास मगधेषु गिरिव्रजे'। तस्याभिजनसंयुक्तैर्गणैर्भरतसत्तम। व्याप्तेयं पृथिवी सर्वा सूर्यस्येव गभस्तिभिः
He established his own sovereignty in Magadha, at Girivraja; with his noble allies, O best of Bharatas, he spread his power over all the earth, like the sun with its rays.
स काशिराजस्य सुते यमजे भरतर्षभः। उपयेमे महावीर्यो रूपद्रविणसंयुते। तयोश्चकार समयं मिथः स पुरुषर्षभः
That mighty man, O bull among the Bharatas, married the twin daughters of the king of Kashi, both endowed with beauty and wealth; and he made a mutual agreement with them.
नातिवर्तिष्य इत्येवं पत्नीभ्यां सन्निधौ तदा। स ताभ्यां शुशुभे राजा पत्नीभ्यां वसुधाधिपः
In their presence, he vowed never to violate that agreement; and the king, lord of the earth, shone with his two wives.
प्रियाम्भामनुरूपाभ्यां करेणुभ्यामिव द्विपः। तयोर्मध्यगतश्चापि रराज वसुधाधिपः
Like an elephant with two fitting and beloved female companions, the lord of the earth shone, standing between his two wives.
गङ्गायमुनयोर्मध्ये मूर्तिमानिव सागरः। विषयेषु निमग्रस्य तस्य यौवनमत्यगात्
Like the ocean embodied between the Ganga and Yamuna, so, immersed in his domains, his youth passed away.