जातरूपस्य मुख्यस्य नार्घो यस्य हि भारत। एतद्राजन्मम धनं तेन दीव्याम्यहं त्वया
Of pure and excellent gold, whose value is beyond estimation, O Bharata—this, O King, is my wealth, and with it I play against you.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा व्यवसितो निकृतिं समुपाश्रितः। जितमित्येव शकुनिर्युधिष्ठिरमभापतः
Hearing this, resolved upon deceit, Shakuni declared to Yudhishthira in the game, 'You are defeated.'
एवं प्रवर्तिते द्यूते घोरे सर्वापहारिणि। सर्वसंशयनिर्मोक्ता विदुरो वाक्यमब्रवीत्
As the dreadful game proceeded, stripping all of everything, Vidura spoke these words, removing all doubts.
महाराज विजानीहि यत्त्वां वक्ष्यामि भारत। मुमूर्षोरौषधमिव न रोचेतापि ते श्रुतम्
Great King, know well what I am about to say to you, O Bharata. Though you may not like to hear it, as a dying man dislikes medicine, listen.
यद्वै पुरा जातमात्रो रुराव गोमायुवद्विस्वरं पापचेताः। दुर्योधनो भारतानां कुलघ्नः सोऽयं युक्तो भवतां कालहेतुः
When he was just born, Duryodhana, the destroyer of the Bharata line, howled with a jackal’s cry, wicked-hearted; he is now the cause of your ruin.
गृहे वसन्तं गोमायुं त्वं वै मोहान्न बुध्यसे। दुर्योधनस्य रूपेण शृणु काव्यां गिरं मम
You do not realize, out of delusion, that you are keeping a jackal in your house in the form of Duryodhana. Hear now my words of wisdom.
मधु वै माध्विको लब्ध्वा प्रपातं नैव बुध्यते। आरुह्य तं मज्जति वा पतनं चाधिगच्छति
A bee, having found honey, does not notice the precipice; climbing up, it falls and meets its destruction.
सोऽयं मत्तोऽक्षद्यूतेन मधुवन्न पीरक्षते। प्रपातं बुध्यते नैव वैरं कृत्वा महारथैः
So too, intoxicated by the game of dice, he does not see the fall ahead, nor does he heed the enmity he has created with mighty warriors.
विदितं मे महाप्राज्ञ भोजेष्वेवासमञ्जसम्। पुत्रं संत्यक्तवान्पूर्वं पौराणां हितकाम्यया
I know, O wise one, that among the Bhojas, there was once a similar injustice; for the good of the people, they abandoned their own son.
अन्धका यादवा भोजाः समेताः कंसमत्यजन्। नियोगात्तु हते तस्मिन्कृष्णेनामित्रघातिना
The Andhakas, Yadavas, and Bhojas together cast out Kamsa; by command, when he was slain by Krishna, the destroyer of foes.
एवं ते ज्ञातयः सर्वे मोदमानाः शतं समाः। त्वन्नियुक्तः सव्यसाची निगृह्णातु सुयोधनम्
Thus, all your kinsmen rejoiced for a hundred years; let Savyasachi, at your command, restrain Suyodhana.
निग्रहादस्य पादस्य मोदन्तां कुरवः सुखम्। काकेनेमांश्चित्रवर्हाञ्शार्दूलान्क्रोष्टुकेन च। क्रीणीष्व पाण्डवान्राजन्मा मज्जीः शोकसागरे
By restraining this foot, let the Kurus rejoice in happiness; buy the Pandavas, O King, as a crow buys peacocks, a tiger buys jackals—do not drown in the sea of sorrow.
त्यजेत्कुलार्थे पुरुषं ग्रामस्यार्थे कुलं त्यजेत्। ग्रामं जनपदस्यार्थे आत्मार्थे पृथिवीं त्यजेत्
For the sake of the clan, one should abandon a man; for the sake of the village, abandon the clan; for the sake of the country, abandon the village; for the sake of the self, abandon the earth.
सर्वज्ञः सर्वभावज्ञः सर्वशत्रुभयङ्करः। इति स्म भाषते काव्यो जम्भत्यागे महाऽसुरान्
He who knows all, who knows the nature of all beings, who is the terror of all enemies—thus spoke Kavya when he abandoned the great Asuras.
हिरण्यष्ठीविनः कांश्चित्पक्षिणो वनगोचरान्। गृहे किल कृतावासाँल्लोभाद्राजा न्यपीडयत्। स चोपभोगलोभान्धो हिरण्यार्थी परन्तप
The king, blinded by greed for enjoyment and gold, oppressed certain birds of the forest—golden-plumed, it is said—who had made their home in his house.
आयतिं च तदात्वं च उभे सद्यो व्यनाशयत्। तदर्थकामस्तद्वत्त्वं माद्रुहः पाण्डवान्नृप
Desiring their wealth, he destroyed both their future and their present at once; O king, do not act toward the sons of Pandu as he did.
मोहात्मा तप्स्यसे पश्चात्पत्रिहा पुरुषो यथा। जातञ्जातं पाण्डवेभ्यः पुष्पमादत्स्व भारत
Deluded in mind, you will suffer later, just as a man who kills birds does; O Bharata, keep taking what blossoms from the Pandavas, as it arises.
मालाकार इवारामे स्नेहं कुर्वन्पुनः पुनः। वृक्षानङ्गारकारीव मैनाद्याक्षीः समूलकान्। मा गमः समुतामात्यः सबलश्च यमक्षयम्
Like a garland-maker in a garden, again and again showing affection, or like a charcoal-burner who cuts down trees with their roots, do not, O chief minister, go with your forces to the abode of Yama.
समवेतान्हि कः पार्थान्प्रतियुध्येत भारत। मरुद्भिः सहितो राजन्नपि साक्षान्मरुत्पतिः
O Bharata, who could withstand the assembled sons of Pritha in battle—even the lord of the Maruts himself, joined by the Maruts?
द्यूतं मूलं कलहस्याभ्युपैति मिथो भेदं महते दारुणाय। तदा स्थितोऽयं धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्रो दुर्योधनः सृजते वैरमुग्रम्
Gambling is the root of conflict; it leads to harsh division and great calamity. Thus, Duryodhana, son of Dhritarashtra, stands here, sowing fierce enmity.
प्रातिपेयाः शान्तनवा भीमसेनाः सबाह्निकाः। दुर्योधनापराधेन कृच्छ्रं प्राप्स्यन्ति सर्वशः
The sons of Shantanu and Bhimasena with their forces will all suffer hardship because of Duryodhana’s offense.
दुर्योधनो मदेनैव क्षेमं व्यपोहति। विषाणं गौरिव मदात्स्वयमारुजतेत्मनः
Duryodhana, intoxicated by arrogance, destroys his own welfare, like a bull maddened by rut who breaks his own horn.
यश्चित्तमन्वेति परस्य राजन् वीरः कविः स्वामवमत्य दृष्टिम्। नावं समुद्र इव बालनेत्रा- मारुह्य घोरे व्यसने निमज्जेत्
O king, a hero or wise man who follows another’s mind, disregarding his own judgment, is like a boat on the ocean steered by a child’s eyes—he sinks in terrible disaster.
दुर्योधनो ग्लहते पाण्डवेन प्रीयायसे त्वं जयतीति तच्च। अतिनर्मा जायते संप्रहारो यतो विनाशः समुपैति पुंसाम्
Duryodhana gambles with the Pandava, and you rejoice, thinking, ‘He will win!’ But excessive jest leads to conflict, and from that, destruction comes upon men.
आकर्षस्तेऽवाक्फलः सुप्रणीतो हृदि प्रौढो मन्त्रपदः समाधिः। युधिष्ठिरेण कलहस्तवाय- मचिन्तितोऽभिमतः स्वबन्धुना
Your attraction is fruitless, though well-guided; the counsel, deeply lodged in your heart, is fixed on strife with Yudhishthira, unconsidered, yet desired by your own kin.
प्रातिपेयाः शान्तनवाः शृणुध्वं काव्यां वाचं संसदि कौरवाणाम्। वैश्वानरं प्रज्वलितं सुघोरं मा यास्यध्वं मन्दमनुप्रपन्नः
O sons of Shantanu, listen to the poetic speech spoken in the Kaurava assembly; do not, moving slowly, enter the blazing, dreadful fire.
यदा मन्युं पाण्डवोऽजातशत्रु- र्न संयच्छेदक्षमदाभिभूतः। वृकोदरः सव्यसाची यमौ च कोऽत्र द्वीपः स्यात्तुमुले वस्तदानीम्
When the Pandava, Ajatashatru, cannot restrain his wrath, overpowered by anger, and Bhimasena, Savyasachi, and the twins join him—who then could stand firm in the tumult of battle?
महाराज प्रभवस्त्वं धनानां पुरा द्यूतान्मनसा यावदिच्छेः। बहुवित्तान्पाण्डवांश्चेज्जयस्त्वं किं ते तत्स्याद्वसु विन्देह पार्थान्
O great king, you are the source of wealth; as long as you wish for gambling in your mind, even if you win the Pandavas’ great riches, what would that wealth be to you? Win over the sons of Pritha instead.
जानीमहे देवितं सौबलस्य वेद द्यूते निकृतिं पार्वतीयः। यतः प्राप्तः शकुनिस्तत्र यातु मा यूयुधो भारत पाण्डवेयान्
We know the cunning of Saubala’s dice; the son of Parvati knows the deceit in gambling. Since Shakuni has come for this, let him go; do not, O Bharata, fight with the sons of Pandu.
परेषामेव यशसा श्लोघसे त्वं सदा क्षत्तः कुत्सयन्धार्तराष्ट्रान्। जानीमहे विदुर यत्प्रियस्त्वं बालानिवास्मानवमन्यसे नित्यमेव
You always praise the fame of others, O Kshatta, while belittling the sons of Dhritarashtra; we know, Vidura, that you are partial, and you always treat us like children.