शत्रुहस्तगतां राजन्कथंस्विन्नाहरेर्महीम्। इह यत्नमुपाहृत्य बलेन महताऽन्वितः
How could we reclaim the earth, O king, now held by the enemy, unless we exert ourselves here with great strength?
स एवमुक्तस्तु महानुभावः सत्यव्रतो भीमसेनेन राजा। अजातशत्रुस्तदनन्तरं वै धैर्यान्वितो वाक्यमिदं बभाषे
Thus addressed, the great-souled, truth-abiding king, Ajatasatru, fortified with patience, spoke these words to Bhimasena.
असंशयं भारत सत्यमेत- द्यन्मां तुदन्वाक्यशल्यैः क्षिणोषि। न त्वां विगर्हे प्रतिकूलमेत- न्ममानयाद्धि व्यसनं व आगात्
Without doubt, O Bharata, it is true that your words, piercing me like arrows, wear me down; yet I do not blame you, for this adversity has come upon us because of me.
अहं ह्यक्षानन्वपद्यं जिहीर्षन् राज्यंसराष्ट्रं धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्रात्। तन्मां शठः कितव प्रत्यदेवी- त्सुयोधनार्थं सुबलस्य पुत्रः
Desiring to win the kingdom and realm from Dhritarashtra's son, I entered the dice game; but the deceitful gambler, Subala's son, opposed me for Duryodhana's sake.
महामायः शकुनिः पार्वतीयः सभामध्ये प्रवपन्नक्षपूगान्। अमायिनं मायया प्रत्यजैषी- त्ततोऽपश्यं वृजिनं भीमसेन
The great trickster, Shakuni of the mountains, cast the dice in the assembly; by his cunning, he defeated me, who was guileless, and then I saw calamity, Bhimasena.
अक्षांश्च दृष्ट्वा शकुनेर्यथावत् कामानुकूलानयुजो युजश्च। शक्यो नियन्तुमभविष्यदात्मा मन्युस्तु हन्यात्पुरुषस्य धैर्यम्
Seeing Shakuni's dice, some favorable, some unfavorable, and some neutral, it was possible to restrain oneself; but anger destroys a man's patience.
यन्तुं नात्मा शक्यते पौरुषेण मानेन वीर्येण च तात नद्धः। न ते वाचो भीमसेनाभ्यसूये मन्ये तथा तद्भवितव्यमासीत्
One's self cannot be controlled by strength, pride, or valor, O father; therefore, Bhimasena, I do not resent your words, for I think it was destined to be so.
स नो राजा धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्रो न्यपातयद्व्यसने राज्यमिच्छन्। दास्यं च नोऽगमयद्भीमसेन यत्राभवच्छरणं द्रौपदी नः
The king, Dhritarashtra's son, cast us into misfortune, desiring the kingdom; and made us slaves, Bhimasena, when Draupadi became our refuge.
त्वं चापि तद्वेत्थ धनंजयश्च पुनर्द्यूतायागतास्तां सभां नः। यन्माऽब्हवीद्धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्र एकग्लहार्थं भरतानां समक्षम्
You and Dhananjaya know this well: we returned to that assembly for another game of dice, as ordered by Dhritarashtra's son, before all the Bharatas, for the sake of a single wager.
वने समा द्वादश राजपुत्र यथाकामं विदितमजातशत्रो। अथापरं चाविदितश्चरेथाः सर्वैः सह भ्रातृभिश्छद्मरूपः
O prince, we spent twelve years in the forest as known to all, free to act as we wished, and then another period, unknown, wandering with all our brothers in disguise.
त्वां चेच्छ्रुत्वा तात तथा चरन्त- मवभोत्स्यन्ते भारतानां चराश्च। अन्यांश्चरेथास्तावतोऽब्दांस्तथात्वं निश्चित्य तत्प्रतिजानीहि पार्थ
If, O son, the spies of the Bharatas hear of you living thus, you must then live in disguise for an equal number of years; decide this and pledge it, O Partha.
चरैश्चेन्नो विदितः कालमेतं युक्तो राजन्मोहयित्वा मदीयान्। ब्रवीमि सत्यं कुरुसंसदीह तवैव ता भारत पञ्च नद्यः
If, through spies, we are discovered during this time, O king, after deceiving my people, I declare in the Kuru assembly here: those five rivers, O Bharata, belong to you alone.
वयं चैतद्भारत सर्व एव त्वया जिताः कालमपास्य भोगान्। चरेम इत्याह पुरा स राजा मध्ये कुरूणां स मयोक्तस्तथेति
We all, O Bharata, were defeated by you, and after giving up pleasures for the allotted time, we wandered; so spoke the king before the Kurus, and I agreed to it.
तत्र द्यूतमभवन्नो जघन्यं यस्मिञ्जिताः प्रव्रजिताश् सर्वे। इत्थं तु देशाननुसंचरामो वनानि कृच्छ्राणि च कृच्छ्ररूपाः
There, the game of dice occurred, most ruinous, in which we were defeated and all sent into exile; thus we roam the lands and forests, enduring hardships of every kind.
सुयोधनश्चापि न शान्तिमिच्छत् भूयः स मन्योर्वशमन्वगच्छत्। उद्योजयामास कुरूंश्च सर्वान् येचास्य केचिद्वशमन्वगच्छन्
And Suyodhana did not seek peace, but pursued his anger further; he mobilized all the Kurus, and those who were under his sway followed him.
तां सिद्धिमास्थाय सतां सकाशे को नाम जह्यादिह राज्यहेतोः। आर्यस्य मन्ये मरणाद्गरीयो यद्धर्ममुत्क्रम्य महीं प्रशासेत्
Who, having attained success among the virtuous, would abandon it here for the sake of a kingdom? I believe for an Arya, death is better than ruling the earth by violating dharma.
तदैव चेद्वीरकर्माकरिष्यो यदा द्यूते परिघं पर्यमृक्षः। बाहू दिधक्षन्वारितः फल्गुनेन किं दुष्कृतंभीम तदाऽभविष्यत्
If you had performed a heroic deed then, when you reached for the club during the game, and were restrained by Phalguna as you tried to burn with your arms, what wrong would Bhima have committed at that time?
प्रागेव चैवं समयक्रियायाः किं नाब्रवीः पौरुषमाविदानः। प्राप्तं तु कालं त्वभिपद्यपश्चात् किं मामिदानीमतिवेलमात्थ
Why did you not speak of your strength earlier, at the time of the agreement? Now, after the time has passed and you have come forward, why do you speak to me beyond the proper moment?
भूयोपि दुःखं मम भीमसेन दूये विषस्येव रसं हि पीत्वा। यद्याज्ञसेनीं परिक्लिश्यमानां संदृश्य तत्क्षान्तमिति स्म भीम
Once again, Bhimasena, I suffer great pain, as if drinking poison; seeing Yajnaseni tormented, Bhima endured it, saying, 'Let it be.'
न त्वद्य शक्यं भरतप्रवीर कृत्वा यदुक्तं कुरुवीरमध्ये। कालं प्रतीक्षस्व सुखोदयाय पाकं फलानामिव बीजवापः
But today, O foremost of Bharatas, it is not possible to do what you said among the Kurus; wait for the right time for happiness to arise, as seeds sown ripen into fruit.
यदा हि पूर्वं निकृतोनिकृन्ते- द्वैरं सपुष्पं सफलं विदित्वा। महागुणं हरति हि पौरुषेण तदा वीरो जीवति जीवलोके
When, having been deceived and deceiving in turn, enmity is known to be full-blown and fruitful, then by his own prowess a hero wins great merit and truly lives in the world.
श्रियं च लोके लभते समग्रां मन्ये चास्मै शत्रवः सन्नमन्ते। मित्राणि चैनमतिरागाद्भजन्ते देवा इवेनद्रमुपजीवन्ति चैनम्
He gains complete prosperity in the world, and I believe even his enemies bow to him; friends, out of deep affection, serve him, and like gods, people depend upon him.
मम प्रतिज्ञां च निबोध सत्यां वृणे सत्यममृतीज्जीविताच्च। राज्यं च पुत्राश्च यशो धनं च सर्वं न सत्यस्य कलामुपैति
Hear my true vow: I choose truth over immortality and life; kingdom, sons, fame, and wealth—all these do not equal even a fraction of truth.
सन्धिं कृत्वैव कालेन ह्यन्तकेन पतत्रिणा। अनन्तेनाप्रमेयेण स्रोतसा सर्वहारिणा
By making peace, in time, with the end brought by the winged one, with the infinite, immeasurable current that sweeps away all things.
प्रत्यक्षं मन्यसे कालं मर्त्यः सन्कालबन्धनः। फेनधर्मा महाराज फलधर्मा तथैव च
You think time is visible, O mortal bound by time; O great king, like foam and like fruit, so is your nature.
निमेषादपि कौन्तेय यस्यायुरपचीयते। सूच्येवाञ्जनचूर्णानि किमिति प्रतिपालयेत्
O son of Kunti, even in the blink of an eye, one's lifespan diminishes; just as collyrium powder falls from a needle, why should one delay?
यो नूनममितायुः स्यादथवाऽऽयुःप्रमाणवित्। स कालं वै प्रतीक्षेत सर्वप्रत्यक्षदर्शिवान्
Whoever might possess an immeasurable lifespan, or knows the measure of life, such a one, seeing all things directly, should indeed wait for the proper time.
प्रतीक्ष्यमाणः कालो नः समा राजंस्त्रयोदश। आयुषोपचयं कृत्वा मरणायोपनेष्यति
While we wait for the proper time, O King, thirteen years will pass; after increasing our lifespan, time will bring us to death.
शरीरिणां हि मरणं शरीरे नित्यमाश्रितम्। प्रागेव मरणात्तस्माद्राज्यायैव घटामहे
For death is ever inherent in the body of embodied beings; therefore, before death comes, let us strive for the kingdom.
यो न याति प्रसंख्यानमस्पष्टो भूमिवर्धनः। अयातयित्वा वैराणि सोऽवसीदति गौरिव
He who does not make a reckoning, who is unclear, who increases the earth, if he does not resolve enmities, sinks down like a cow.