अस्मिन्नपि महारण्ये विजने दस्युसेविते। राष्ट्रादपेत्य वसतो धर्मस्ते नावसीदति
Even here in this great and lonely forest, haunted by robbers, though you dwell far from your kingdom, your righteousness does not decline.
अश्वमेधो राजसूयः पौण्डरीकोऽथ गोसवः। इष्टास्त्वया महायज्ञाबहवोऽन्ये सदक्षिणाः
The Aśvamedha, Rājasūya, Pauṇḍarīka, and Gosava sacrifices, and many other great sacrifices with abundant gifts, have been performed by you.
राजन्परीतया बुद्ध्या विषमेऽक्षपराजये। पार्थ मित्राणि चास्मांश्च वसूनि च पराजितः
O king, through a moment of clouded judgment in the defeat at dice, O Pārtha, you lost your friends, us, and your wealth.
ऋजोर्मृदोर्बदान्यस्य धीमतः सत्यवादिनः। कथमक्षव्यसनजा बुद्धिरापतिता तव
How has such a thought, born of the misfortune at dice, come to you—who are upright, gentle, generous, wise, and truthful?
अतीव मोह आयाति मनश् परिदूयते। निशाम्य व्यसनं पार्थ तवेदमतिदुःसहम्
A deep confusion arises, and my mind is greatly troubled, hearing of this misfortune of yours, O Pārtha, which is so hard to endure.
अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्। ईश्वरस्य वशे लोकस्तिष्ठते नात्मनो यथा
Here too, they recite this ancient story: the world stands under the power of the Lord, not under its own.
धातैव खलु भूतानां सुखदुःखे प्रियाप्रिये। ददाति सर्वमीशानः पुरस्ताच्छुक्रमुच्चरन्
Indeed, the Creator alone gives to beings happiness and sorrow, what is dear and what is not; the Lord bestows all, having uttered the pure syllable at the beginning.
यथा दारुमयीं योषां नरो धीरः समाहितः। इङ्ग्यत्यङ्गमङ्गानि तथा राजन्निमाः प्रजाः
Just as a wise and attentive man moves the limbs of a wooden doll, so, O king, does the Lord move these creatures.
आकाश इव भूतानि व्याप्य सर्वाणि भारत। ईश्वरो विदधातीह कल्याणं यच्च पापकम्
Like space pervading all beings, O Bhārata, the Lord here ordains both what is auspicious and what is evil.
शकुनिस्तन्तुबद्धो वा नीयतेऽयमनीश्वरः। ईश्वरस्य वशे तिष्ठन्नान्येषामात्मनः प्रभुः
Like a bird bound by a string, this powerless being is led; standing under the Lord's control, he is not master of himself or others.
मणिः सूत्र इव प्रोतो नस्योत इव गोवृषः। धातुरादेशमन्वेति तन्मयो हि तदर्पणः
Like a jewel strung on a thread, or an ox bound to the yoke, he follows the command of the Creator, being made of that and offered to that.
नात्माथीनो मनुष्योऽयं कालं भजतिं कंचन। स्रोतसो मध्यमापन्नः कूलवृक्ष इव च्युतः
A person is not independent, nor does he attain any time of his own choosing; like a tree fallen into the middle of a stream, he is carried away.
अज्ञो जन्तुरनीशोऽयमात्मनः सुखदुःखयोः। ईश्वरप्रेरितो गच्छेत्स्वर्गं नरकमेव च
This ignorant creature is powerless over his own happiness and suffering; driven by the Lord, he goes to heaven or to hell.
यथा वायोस्तृणाग्राणि वशं यान्ति बलीयसः। धातुरेवं वशं यान्ति सर्वभूतानि भारत
Just as blades of grass are swept along by the forceful wind, so too, O Bharata, all beings are brought under the sway of the Creator.
आर्ये कर्मणि युञ्जानः पापे वा पुनरीश्वः। व्याप्य भूतानि चरते न चायमिति लक्ष्यते
Whether engaged in noble deeds or in sin, the Lord pervades all beings and moves among them, yet he is not recognized as such.
हेतुमात्रमिदं धातुः शरीरं क्षेत्रसंज्ञितम्। येन कारयते कर्म शुभाशुभफलं विभुः
This body, called the field, is merely an instrument of the Creator; through it, the Supreme causes actions that yield good or bad results.
पश्य मायाप्रभावोऽयमीश्वरेण यथा कृतः। यो हन्ति भूतैर्भूतानि मोहयित्वाऽऽत्ममायया
Behold this power of illusion, wrought by the Lord: after deluding beings through his own maya, he destroys them by means of other beings.
अन्यथा परिदृष्टानि मुनिभिस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः। अन्यथा परिवर्तन्ते वेगा इव नभस्वतः
Things are perceived one way by sages who see the truth, but they turn out differently, like the shifting gusts of the wind.
अन्यथैव हि वर्तन्ते पुरुषास्तानि तानि च। अन्यथैव प्रभुस्तानि करोति विकरोति च
Indeed, people act in one way, and those very things unfold differently; the Lord makes and unmakes them in yet another way.
यथा काष्ठेन वा काष्ठमश्मानं चाश्मना पुनः। अयसा चाप्ययश्छिन्द्यान्निर्विचेष्टमचेतनम्
Just as wood may break wood, or stone break stone, or iron cut iron—though all are inert and lifeless—
एवं स भगवान्देवः स्वयंभूः प्रपितामहः। निहन्ति भूतैर्भूतानि छद्म कृत्वा युधिष्ठिर
So too does the blessed, self-born Lord, the great grandsire, destroy beings by means of other beings, concealing himself, O Yudhishthira.
संप्रयोज्य वियोज्यायं कामकारकरः प्रभुः। क्रीडते भगवान्भूतैर्बालः क्रीडनकैरिव
Bringing together and separating beings at will, the Lord plays with them as a child plays with toys.
न मातृपितृवद्राजन्धाता भूतेषु वर्तते। रोषादिव प्रवृत्तो।़यं यथाऽयमितरो जनः
O King, the Creator does not act among beings like a mother or father, nor is he moved by anger or such impulses, as ordinary people are.
आर्याञ्शीलवो दृष्ट्वा हीमतो वृत्तिकर्शितान्। अनार्यान्सुखिनश्चैव विह्वलानिव चिन्तये
Seeing the noble, virtuous, and self-restrained suffering, and the ignoble living happily, I am troubled, as if bewildered.
तवेमामापदं दृष्ट्वा समृद्धिं च सुयोधने। धातारं गर्हये पार्थ विषमं योऽनुपश्यति
Seeing your misfortune and Duryodhana's prosperity, I reproach the Creator, O Partha, who observes this injustice.
आर्यशास्त्रातिगे क्रूरे लुब्धे धर्मापचायिनि। धार्तराष्ट्रे श्रियं दत्त्वा धाता किं फलमश्नुते
What fruit does the Creator gain by granting fortune to the cruel, greedy, and unrighteous son of Dhritarashtra, who transgresses noble law?
कर्मचेत्कृतमन्वेति कर्तारं नान्यमृच्छति। कर्मणा तेन पापेन लिप्यते नूनमीश्वरः
If an action follows its doer and does not reach anyone else, then surely the Lord is tainted by that sinful act.
अथ कर्मकृतं पापं न चेत्कर्तारमृच्छति। कारणं बलमेवेह जनाञ्शोचामि दुर्बलान्
But if the sin produced by action does not reach the doer, then only force is the cause here; for this, I pity the weak.
वल्गु चित्रपदं श्लक्ष्णं याज्ञसेनि त्वया वचः। उक्तं तच्छ्रुतमस्माभिर्नास्तिक्यं तु प्रभाषसे
O Yajnaseni, you have spoken words that are charming, varied, and gentle; we have heard them, but you speak in a manner of disbelief.
नाहं धर्मफलाकाङ्क्षी राजपुत्रि चराम्भुत। ददामि देयमित्येव यजे यष्टव्यमित्युत
O princess, I do not act for the sake of the fruits of righteousness; I give because it should be given, and I perform sacrifice because it should be performed.