भवांश्च पुनराहूतो द्यूतेनैवापनेष्यति। स तथाऽक्षेषु कुशलो निश्चितो गतचेतनः
And you, when called again to the game of dice, will surely be defeated; for he is skilled and determined in dice, with his mind set on trickery.
चरिष्यसि महाराज वनेषु वसतीः पुनः
You will again, O King, have to dwell in the forests, living in exile once more.
यद्यस्मान्सुमहाराज कृपणान्कर्तुमर्हसि। यावज्जीवमवेक्षस्व वेदधर्मांश्च कृत्स्नशः। निकृत्या निकृतिप्रज्ञो हन्तव्य इति निश्चयः
If you, O great king, wish to make us wretched, then for your whole life observe the Vedic duties in their entirety; but one who is skilled in deceit and acts with treachery must, it is certain, be destroyed.
अनुज्ञातस्त्वया गत्वायावच्छक्ति सुयोधनम्। यथैव कक्षमुत्सृष्टो दहेदनिलसारथिः। हनिष्यामि तथा मन्दमनुजानातु मे भवान्
If you permit me, I will go and destroy Suyodhana to the best of my ability, just as the wind-driven fire burns up the dry grass; let me, with your approval, slay that wicked one.
एवं ब्रुवाणं भीमं तु धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः। उवाच सान्त्वयन्राजा मूर्न्ध्युपाघ्राय पाण्डवम्
To Bhima, who spoke thus, King Yudhishthira, the righteous king, consoled him, placing his hand on Bhima’s head.
असशयं महाबाहो हनिष्यसि सुयोधनम्। वर्षात्रयोदशादूर्ध्वं सह गाण्डीवधन्वना
Without doubt, mighty-armed one, you will slay Suyodhana after thirteen years, together with the wielder of Gandiva.
यत्त्वमाभाषसे पार्थ प्राप्तः काल इति प्रभो। अनृतं नत्सहे वक्तुं न ह्येतन्मयि विद्यते
What you say, O Partha, that the time has come, O lord, I cannot bear to utter a falsehood; such a thing does not exist in me.
अन्तरेणापि कौन्तेय निकृतिंपापनिश्चयम्। हन्ता त्वमसि दुर्धर्ष सानुबन्धं सुयोधनम्
Even without resorting to deceit, O son of Kunti, you are capable of slaying Suyodhana and his allies, who are fixed in evil.
एवं ब्रुवति भीमं तु धर्मराजे युधिष्ठिरे। आजगाम महाभागो बृहदश्वो महानृषिः
As Yudhishthira, the king of dharma, spoke thus to Bhima, the illustrious and great sage Brihadasva arrived.
तमभिप्रेक्ष्यधर्मात्मा संप्राप्तं धर्मचारिणम्। शास्त्रवन्मधुपर्केण पूजयामास धर्मराट्
Seeing that righteous sage, devoted to dharma, approach, King Yudhishthira honored him with the customary offering of hospitality and sweet words.
आश्वस्तं चैनमासीनमुपासनो युधिष्ठिरः। अभिप्रेक्ष्य महाबाहुः कृपणं बह्वभाषत
When the sage was seated and had been welcomed, Yudhishthira, the mighty-armed, gazed at him and, deeply troubled, spoke at length.
अक्षद्यूते च भगवन्धनं राज्यं च मे हृतम्। आहूय निकृतिप्रज्ञैः कितवैरक्षकोविदैः
O revered one, in the game of dice, my wealth and kingdom were taken from me, summoned by those skilled in deceit and dice, those cunning gamblers.
अनक्षज्ञस्य हि सतो निकृत्या पापनिश्चयैः। भार्या च मे सभां नीता प्राणेभ्योपि गरीयसी
For one unskilled in dice, who is upright, to be cheated by those fixed in evil—my wife, dearer to me than life, was dragged into the assembly.
पुनर्द्यूतेन मां जित्वा वनवासां सुदारुणम्। प्राव्राजयन्मंहारण्यमजिनैः परिवारितम्
Then, having defeated me again at dice, they exiled me to the terrible forest, to dwell in the wilderness, clad in deerskin.
अहं वने दुर्वसतीर्वसन्परमदुःखितः। अक्षद्यूताभिषङ्गेण गिरः शृण्वन्सुदारुणाः
Living in the forest, enduring harsh hardships, I, deeply afflicted, hear cruel words because of the disgrace of the dice.
आर्तानां सुहृदां वाचो द्यूतप्रभृति शंसताम्। अहं हृदि श्रिताः स्मृत्वा सर्वरात्रीर्विचिन्तयन्
Remembering, night after night, the words of my suffering friends, who lament the outcome of the dice, I hold their pain in my heart and ponder it constantly.
यस्मिंश्च वयमायत्ताः सदा गाण्डीवधन्वनि। `स चेन्द्रलोकं गतवानस्त्रहेतोर्महाबलः
And upon whom we are always dependent, the wielder of the Gandiva bow—he, mighty in strength, has gone to the world of Indra for the sake of weapons.
विना महात्मना तेन गतसत्व इवास्महे। कदा द्रक्ष्यामि बीभत्सुं कृतास्त्रं पुनरागतम्
Without that great-souled one, we are as if lifeless; when will I see Arjuna, skilled in arms, returned once more?
इति सर्वे महेष्वासं चिन्तयाना धनंजयम्। अनेन तु विषण्णोऽहं कारणेन सहानुजः
Thus, all of us, thinking of Dhananjaya, the great archer, are filled with concern; and for this reason, along with my brothers, I am despondent.
वनवासान्निवृत्तं मां पुनस्ते पापबुद्धयः। जानन्तः प्रीयमाणा वै देवने भ्रातृभिः सह। द्यूतेनैवाह्वयिष्यन्ति बलादक्षेषु तद्विदः
When I return from exile, those wicked-minded men, knowing I rejoice with my brothers in the forest, will surely invite me again to dice, by force, as before.
आहूतश्च पुनर्द्यूते नास्मि शक्तो निवर्तितुम्। पणे च मम नात्यर्थं वसु किंचन विद्यते
And if I am summoned again to dice, I will not be able to refuse; yet I have no great wealth left to stake.
एतत्सर्वमनुध्यायंश्चिन्तयानो दिवानिशम्। न मत्तो दुःखिततरः पुमानस्तीह कश्चन
Thinking over all this, pondering day and night, I believe there is no man here more afflicted than I am.
नास्ति राजा मया कश्चिदल्पभाग्यतरो भुवि। भवता दृष्टपूर्वो वा श्रुतपूर्वोपि वा क्वचित्। न मत्तो दुःखिततरः पुमानस्तीति मे मतिः
There is no king on earth less fortunate than I; have you ever seen or heard of anyone more sorrowful than I am? This is my conviction.
एवं ब्रुवन्तं दुःखार्तमुवाच भगवानृषिः। शोकं व्यपनुदन्राज्ञो धर्मराजस्य धीमतः
As he spoke thus, overwhelmed by sorrow, the blessed sage addressed the wise king Yudhishthira, dispelling his grief.
न विषादे मनः त्वया बुद्धिमतांवर। आगमिष्यति बीभत्सुरमित्रांश्च विजेष्यते
Let not your mind be cast down, O best of the wise; Arjuna will return, and he will conquer your enemies.
यद्ब्रवीषि महाराज न मत्तो विद्ते क्वचित्। अल्पभाग्यतरः कश्चित्पुमानस्तीति पाण्डव
What you say, O great king—that there is no one less fortunate than you, O Pandava—
अत्र ते वर्णयिष्यामि यदि शुश्रूषसेऽनघ। यस्त्वत्तो दुःखिततरो राजाऽऽसीत्पृथिवीपते
Here I will tell you, if you wish to listen, O sinless one, of a king who was more afflicted than you, O lord of the earth.
अथैनमब्रवीद्राजा ब्रवीतु भगवानिति। इमामवस्थां संप्राप्तं श्रोतुमिच्छामि पार्थिवम्
Then the king said to him, 'Let the blessed one speak; I wish to hear of the king who came to such a state.'
शृणु राजन्नवहितः सह भ्रातृभिरच्युत। यस्त्वत्तो दुःखिततरो राजाऽऽसीत्पृथिवोपते
Hear attentively, O king, together with your brothers and Krishna, of the king who was more afflicted than you, O lord of the earth.
निषधेषु महीपालो वीरसेन इति श्रुतः। तस्य पुत्रोऽभवन्नाम्ना नलो धर्मार्तकोविदः
Among the Nishadhas there was a king named Virasena, it is said; his son was Nala, renowned for righteousness and knowledge of duty.