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.
असान्निध्यं तु कौरव्य ममानर्तेष्वभूत्तदा। येनेदं व्यसनं प्राज्ञा भवन्तो द्यूतकारितम्
But, O Kaurava, my absence at that time from these calamities is the reason why, O wise ones, you have suffered this disaster caused by gambling.
सोहमेत्य कुरुश्रेष्ठ द्वारकां पाण्डुनन्दन। अश्रौषं त्वां व्यसनिनं युयुधानाद्यथातथम्
Therefore, O best of Kurus, having come to Dvārakā, O son of Pāṇḍu, I heard from Yuyudhāna and others, just as it happened, that you were afflicted by misfortune.
श्रुत्वैव चाहं राजेन्द्र परमोद्विग्रमानसः। तूर्णमभ्यागतोस्मित्वां द्रष्टुकामो विशंपते
And having heard this, O king, my mind became greatly disturbed; I quickly came, desiring to see you, O lord of men.
अहो कृच्छ्रमनुप्राप्ताः सर्वे स्म भरतर्षभ। सोऽहं त्वां व्यसने मग्नं पश्यामि सह सोदरैः
Alas, O bull among the Bharatas, you have all encountered great hardship; thus I see you, plunged in misfortune together with your brothers.
असान्निध्यं कथं कृष्ण तवासीद्वृष्णिनन्दन। क्व चासीद्विप्रवासस्ते किंचाकार्षीः प्रवासतः
How was it, O Kṛṣṇa, delight of the Vṛṣṇis, that you were absent? Where had you gone in exile, and what did you do during your stay away?
साल्वस्य नगरं सौभं गतोऽहं भरतर्षभ। निहन्तुं कौरवश्रेष्ठ तत्र मे शृणु कारणम्
I had gone, O bull among the Bharatas, to the city of Śālva called Saubha, O best of the Kurus, to destroy it; hear from me the reason for this.
महातेजा महांवाहुर्यः स राजा महायशाः। दमघोषात्मजो वीरः शिशुपालो मया हतः
That king of great energy and mighty arms, the illustrious son of Damaghoṣa, the heroic Śiśupāla, was slain by me.
यज्ञे ते भरतश्रेष्ठ राजसूयेऽर्हणां प्रति। स रोषवशमापन्नो नामृष्यत दुरात्मवान्
At your Rājasūya sacrifice, O best of the Bharatas, when you were being honored, he, overcome by anger, could not endure it, being wicked in mind.
श्रुत्वा तं निहतं साल्वस्तीव्ररोषसमन्वितः। उपायाद्द्वारकां शून्यामिहस्थे मयि भारत
Hearing that he had been slain, Śālva, filled with intense anger, approached Dvārakā, which was empty, O Bhārata, while I was present here.
स तत्र युद्धमकरोद्बालकैर्वृष्णिपुङ्गवैः। निवृत्तः कामगं सौभमारुह्यैव नृशंसवत्
There he fought with the young foremost Vṛṣṇis, and then, ceasing, he ascended the Saubha, acting cruelly.
चिरजीवी नृपः सोऽपि प्रसादात्पद्मजन्मनः।' ततो वृष्णिप्रवीरांस्तान्बालान्हत्वा बहूंस्तदा। पुरोद्यानानि सर्वाणि भेदयामास दुर्भतिः
That king, long-lived by the grace of the lotus-born, then killed many of those young Vṛṣṇi heroes, and that wicked one devastated all the gardens in front of the city.
उक्तवांश्च महाबाहो क्वासौ वृष्णिकुलाधमः। वासुदेवः स मन्दात्मा वसुदेवसुतो गतः
And he cried out: 'Where is that lowest of the Vṛṣṇi clan, that weak-minded Vāsudeva, son of Vasudeva—where has he gone?'
तस्य युद्धार्थिनो दर्पं युद्धेनाशयिताऽस्म्यहम्। आनर्ताः सत्यमाख्यात तत्र गन्ताऽस्मि यत्र सः
'I will humble his pride in battle, for he desires to fight with me. Tell me truly, O Ānartas, where he is—I will go there.'
तं हत्वा विनिवर्तिष्ये कंसकेशिनिषूदनम्। अहत्वा न निवर्तिष्ये सत्येनायुधमालभे
'Having slain Kaṃsa's and Keśin's killer, I will return; without killing him, I will not turn back—by truth I take up arms.'
क्वासौ क्वासाविति पुनस्तत्रतत्र प्रधावति। मया सह रणे योद्धुं काङ्क्षमाणः स सौभराट्
Again and again he ran here and there, crying, 'Where is he? Where is he?'—the king of Saubha, longing to fight me in battle.
अद्यतं पापकर्माणं क्षुद्रं विश्वासघातिनम्। शिशुपालवधामर्षाद्गमयिष्ये यमक्षयम्
'Today, out of wrath for Śiśupāla's death, I will send to Yama's abode that wicked, petty betrayer of trust.'
मम पापस्वभावेन भ्राता येन निपातितः। शिशुपालो महीपालस्तं वधिष्ये महीतले
'Because my brother, King Śiśupāla, was slain by his sinful nature, I will kill him on this earth.'
भ्राता बालश्च राजा च न च संग्रामकोविदः। प्रमत्तश्च हतो वीरस्तं हनिष्ये जनार्दनम्
'My brother was a child, a king, unskilled in battle, and inattentive—he was slain, that hero; I will kill Janārdana.'
एकमादि महाराज विलप्यदिवमास्थितः। कामगेन स सौभेन क्षिप्त्वा मां कुरुनन्दन
Lamenting thus alone, O great king, he ascended the Saubha at will, and hurled me away, O joy of the Kurus.
तमश्रौषमहं गत्वा यथा वृत्तः स दुर्मतिः। मयि कौरव्य दुष्टात्मा मार्तिकावतको नृपः
I heard, O Kauravya, how that evil-minded king of Mārtikāvata acted when I was away.