कुले महतिजाताऽस्मि दिव्येन विधिना किल। पाण्डवानां प्रिया भार्या स्नुषा पाण्डोर्महात्मनः
Born in a great lineage by divine fate, I am the beloved wife of the Pandavas and daughter-in-law of the noble Pandu.
केशग्रहमनुप्राप्ता का नु जीवेत मादृशी। पञ्चानामिन्द्रकल्पानां प्रेक्षतां मधुसूदन
Who like me, seized by the hair, could survive while five Indra-like men look on, O Madhusudana?
इत्युक्त्वा प्रारुदत्कृष्णा मुखं प्रच्छाद्य पाणिना। पद्मकोशप्रकाशेन मृदुना मृदुभाषिणी
Having spoken thus, Krishna wept, covering her face with her hand, which was soft and shaped like a lotus bud, and spoke gently.
स्तनावपतितौ पीनौ सुजातौ शुभलक्षणौ। अभ्यवर्षत पाञ्चाली दुःखजैरश्रुबिन्दुभिः
Panchali shed tears of sorrow, which fell upon her full, well-formed, auspicious breasts.
चक्षुषी परिमार्जन्ती निःश्वसन्ती पुनःपुनः। बाष्पपूर्णेन कणअठेन क्रुद्धा वचनमब्रवीत्
Wiping her eyes and sighing again and again, with her throat choked by tears, angered, she spoke these words.
नैव मे पतयः सन्ति न पुत्रा न च बान्धवाः। न भ्रातरो न च पिता नैव त्वं मधुसूदन
I have neither husbands, nor sons, nor relatives; neither brothers nor father, nor even you, O Madhusudana.
ये मां विप्रकृतां क्षुद्रैरुपेक्षध्वं विशोकवत्। न च मे शाम्यते दुःखं कर्णो यत्प्राहसत्तदा
Those who neglect me, wronged by the wicked, as if I were carefree, do not ease my pain; especially the laughter of Karna at that time.
चतुर्भिः कारणैः कृष्ण त्वया रक्ष्याऽस्मि नित्यशः। संबन्धाद्गौरवात्सख्यात्प्रभुत्वेनैव केशव
For four reasons, Krishna, you must always protect me: by kinship, by respect, by friendship, and by your authority, O Kesava.
अथ तामब्रवीत्कृष्णस्तस्मिन्वीरसमागमे। रोदिष्यन्ति स्त्रियो ह्येवं येषां क्रुद्धासि नामिनि
Then Krishna spoke to her in that assembly of heroes: Women will weep thus for those whose names you are angry with.
बीभत्सुशरसंछन्नाञ्शोणितौघपरिप्लुतान्। निहतान्वल्लभान्वीक्ष्य शयानान्वसुधातले
When they see their beloveds slain, covered with Arjuna's arrows, drenched in streams of blood, lying on the earth.
यत्समर्थं पाण्डवनां तत्करिष्यामि मा शुचः। सत्यं ते प्रतिजानामि राज्ञां राज्ञी भविष्यसि
Whatever is possible for the Pandavas, I will do; do not grieve. I promise you truly: you will become queen among queens.
पतेद्द्यौर्हिमवाञ्शीर्येत्पृथिवी शकली भवेत्। शुष्येत्तोयनिधिः कृष्णे न मे मोघं वचो भवेत्
If the sky were to fall, the Himalaya to shatter, the earth to break apart, or the ocean to dry up, O Krishna, still my word would not be in vain.
तच्छ्रुत्वा द्रौपदी वाक्यं प्रतिवाक्यमथाच्युतात्। साचीकृतमवैक्षत्सा पाञ्चाली मध्यमं पतिम्
Hearing these words from Achyuta, Draupadi then looked at her middle husband, Panchali gazed at him intently.
आबभाषे महाराज द्रौपदीमर्जुनस्तदा। मा रोदीः शुभताम्राक्षि यदाह मधुसूदनः। तथा तद्भविता देवि नान्यथा वरवर्णिनि
Then Arjuna spoke to Draupadi, O great king: Do not weep, O beautiful, red-eyed one; whatever Madhusudana has said, so it will be, O goddess, and not otherwise, O fair-skinned lady.
अहं द्रोणं हनिष्यामि शिखण्डी तु पितामहम्। दुर्योधनं भीमसेनः कर्णं हन्ता धनिजयः
I will slay Drona; Shikhandi will kill the grandsire; Bhimasena will slay Duryodhana; Dhananjaya will kill Karna.
रामकृष्णौ व्यपाश्रित्य अजेयाः स्म रणए स्वसः। अपि वृत्रहणा युद्धे किं पुनर्धृतराष्ट्रजैः
With Rama and Krishna as our support, we are invincible in battle, sister; even the slayer of Vritra could not defeat us, let alone the sons of Dhritarashtra.
इत्युक्तेऽभिमुखा वीरा वासुदेवमुपास्थितः। तेषां मध्ये महाबाहुः केशवो वाक्यमब्रवीत्
When this was said, the heroes turned toward Vasudeva and gathered around him; among them, mighty-armed Kesava spoke these words.
नैतत्कृच्छ्रमनुप्राप्तो भवान्स्याद्वसुधाधिप। यद्यहं द्वारकायां स्यां राजन्सन्निहितः पुरा
You would not have faced this hardship nor lost your kingdom, if I had been present in Dwaraka at that time, O king.
आगच्छेयमहं द्यूतमनाहूतोऽपि कौरवैः। आम्बिकेयेन दुर्धर्ष राज्ञा दुर्योधनेन च। वारयेयमहं द्यूतं बहून्दोपान्प्रदर्शयन्
I would have come to the gambling match, even uninvited by the Kauravas, by Ambika's son, by the fierce king Duryodhana; I would have stopped the game, showing many reasons.
भीष्मद्रोणौ समानाय्य कृपं बाह्लीकमेव च। वैचित्रवीर्यं राजानमलं द्यूतेन कौरव
I would have gathered Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, and Bahlika, and the king Vaicitravirya; Kaurava, you should not have played dice.
पुत्राणां तव राजेन्द्र त्वन्निमित्तमिति प्रभो। तत्राचक्षमहं दोषान्यैर्भवान्व्यतिरोपितः
O king, regarding your sons, O ruler, I declare that because of you, faults have been attributed to you by others.
वीरसेनसुतो यैस्तु राज्यात्प्रभ्रंशितः पुरा। अतर्कितविनाशश्च देवनेन विशांपते
It was by these that the son of Vīrasena was formerly deprived of his kingdom, O lord of men, and destroyed unexpectedly by the gods.
सातत्यं च प्रसङ्गस्य वर्णयेयं यथातथम्
I shall narrate the entire course of the matter, just as it happened.
स्त्रियोऽक्षा मृगया पानमेतत्कामसमुत्थितम्। दुःखं चतुष्टय प्रोक्तं यैर्नरो भ्रश्यते श्रियः
Women, dice, hunting, and drinking—these four, arising from desire, are said to bring suffering, by which a man loses his prosperity.
तत्रसर्वत्रवक्तव्यं मन्यन्ते शास्त्रकोविदाः। विशेषतश्च वक्तव्यं द्यूते पश्यन्ति तद्विदः
On all these matters, the learned in the scriptures declare what should be said; but especially, those who know consider gambling most worthy of mention.
एकाहाद्द्रव्यनाशोऽत्र ध्रुवं व्यसनमेव च। अभुक्तनाशश्चार्थानां वाक्पारुष्यं च केवलम्
In gambling, there is certain loss of wealth in a single day, and only misfortune; the loss of unspent riches, and harsh words alone.
एतच्चान्यच्च कौरव्य प्रसङ्गिकटुकोदयम्। द्यूते ब्रूयां महाबाहो समासाद्याम्बिकासुतम्
O Kaurava, I would speak of this and other bitter consequences that arise from gambling, O mighty-armed one, when I meet the son of Ambikā.
एवमुक्तो यदि मया गृह्णीयाद्वचनं मम। अनामयं स्याद्धर्मश्च कुरूणां कुरुवर्दन
If, when thus addressed by me, he accepts my words, then there will be well-being and righteousness among the Kurus, O enhancer of the Kurus.
न चेत्स मम राजेन्द्र गृह्णीयान्मधुरं वचः। पथ्यं च भरतश्रेष्ठ निगृह्णीयां बलेन तम्
But if, O king, he does not accept my gentle and wholesome speech, O best of the Bharatas, I would restrain him by force.
अथैनमविनीतेन सुहृदो नाम दुर्हृदः। सभासदोऽनुवर्तेरंस्तांश्च इन्यां दुरोदरान्
Then, with his lack of discipline, his so-called friends are truly ill-wishers; I would turn away those companions in the assembly, and remove those evil-hearted ones.