कथं समभवद्भेदस्तेषामक्लिष्टकर्मणाम्। तच्च युद्धं कथं वृत्तं भूतान्तकरणं महत्
How did division arise among those who acted without fault? And how did that great war, which brought destruction, take place?
पितामहानां सर्वेषां दैवेनाविष्टचेतसाम्। कार्त्स्न्येनैतन्ममाचक्ष्व यथा वृत्तं द्विजोत्तम। `इच्छामि तत्त्वतः श्रोतुं भगवन्कुशलो ह्यसि
Tell me in full about all the ancestors, whose minds were seized by fate, as it happened, O best of twice-born; I wish to hear the truth, O revered one, for you are skilled.
तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा कृष्णद्वैपायनस्तदा। शशास शिष्यमासीनं वैशंपायनमन्तिके
Hearing his words, Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana then instructed his disciple Vaiśampāyana, who was seated nearby.
कुरूणां पाण्डवानां च यथा भेदोऽभवत्पुरा। तदस्मै सर्वमाचक्ष्व यन्मत्तः श्रुतवानसि
Tell him everything about how the division arose between the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas in ancient times, as you have heard it from me.
गुरोर्वचनमाज्ञाय स तु विप्रर्षभस्तदा। आचचक्षे ततः सर्वमितिहासं पुरातनम्
Obeying the teacher's command, that foremost of Brāhmaṇas then recounted the entire ancient history.
राज्ञे तस्मै सदस्येभ्यः पार्थिवेभ्यश्च सर्वशः। भेदं सर्वविनाशं च कुरुपाण्डवयोस्तदा
To the king, to the members of the assembly, and to all the rulers, he narrated the division and total destruction of the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas.
शृणु राजन्यथा वीरा भ्रातरः पञ्च पाण्डवाः। विरोधमन्वगच्छन्त धार्तराष्ट्रैर्दुरात्मभिः
Hear, O King, how the five heroic sons of Pandu came into conflict with the evil-hearted sons of Dhritarashtra.
गुरवे प्राङ्नमस्कृत्य मनोबुद्धिसमाधिभिः। संपूज्य च द्विजान्सर्वांस्तथान्यान्विदुषो जनान्
Having first bowed to the teacher with mind and intellect composed, and having duly honored all the Brahmanas and other learned men,
महर्षेर्विश्रुतस्येह सर्वलोकेषु धीमतः। प्रवक्ष्यामि मतं कृत्स्नं व्यासस्यामिततेजसः
I shall declare in full the opinion of the illustrious sage Vyasa, renowned among all worlds for his wisdom and immeasurable brilliance.
श्रोतुं पात्रं च राजंस्त्वं प्राप्येमां भारतीं कथाम्। गुरोर्वक्त्रपरिस्पन्दो मनः प्रोत्साहतीव मे
You, O King, are worthy to hear this Bharata tale; the movement of the teacher’s lips greatly stirs my mind.
शृणु राजन्यथा भेदः कुरुपाण्डवयोरभूत्। राज्यार्थे द्यूतसंभूतो वनवासस्तथैव च
Hear, O King, how the division arose between the Kurus and the Pandavas, caused by the game of dice for the sake of the kingdom, and also their exile to the forest.
यथा च युद्धमभवत्पृथिवीक्षयकारकम्। तत्तेऽहं कथयिष्यामि पृच्छते भरतर्षभ
And how the war occurred, bringing about the destruction of the earth—this too I shall recount to you, O best of the Bharatas, as you ask.
मृते पितरि ते वीरा वनादेत्य स्वमन्दिरम्। नचिरादेव विद्वांसो वेदे धनुषि चाभवन्
After their father died, those heroes returned from the forest to their own house, and before long, they became learned in the Vedas and in archery.
तांस्तथा सत्ववीर्यौजःसंपन्नान्पौरसंमतान्। नामृष्यन्कुरवो दृष्ट्वा पाण्डवाञ्श्रीयशोभृतः
Seeing the Pandavas endowed with courage, strength, and energy, esteemed by the people and adorned with prosperity and fame, the Kurus could not tolerate them.
ततो दुर्योधनः क्रूरः कर्णश्च सहसौबलः। तेषां निग्रहनिर्वासान्विविधांस्ते समारभन्
Then Duryodhana, cruel in nature, together with Karna and the son of Subala, began various schemes to restrain and exile them.
ततो दुर्योधनः क्रूरः कुलिङ्गस्य मते स्थितः। पाम्डवान्विविधोपायै राज्यहेतोरपीडयत्
Then Duryodhana, cruel and following the counsel of Shakuni, oppressed the Pandavas with various means for the sake of the kingdom.
ददावथ विषं पापो भीमाय धृतराष्ट्रजः। जरयामास तद्वीरः सहान्नेन वृकोदरः
Then the wicked son of Dhritarashtra gave poison to Bhima; but that hero, wolf-bellied, digested it along with his food.
प्रमाणकोट्यां संसुप्तं पुनर्बद्ध्वा वृकोदरम्। तोयेषु भीमं गङ्गायाः प्रक्षिप्य पुरमाव्रजत्
When Bhima was asleep on the riverbank, they bound him again and cast him into the waters of the Ganga, then returned to the city.
यदा विबुद्धः कौन्तेयस्तदा संछिद्य बन्धनम्। उदतिष्ठन्महाबाहुर्भीमसेनो गतव्यथः
When the son of Kunti awoke, he broke his bonds; the mighty-armed Bhimasena, free from pain, rose up.
आशीविषैः कृष्णसर्पैः सुप्तं चैनमदंशयत्। सर्वेष्वेवाङ्गदेशेषु न ममार स शत्रुहा
While he slept, they made him bite by black serpents and venomous snakes in every part of his body; yet that slayer of foes did not die.
तेषां तु विप्रकारेषु तेषु तेषु महामतिः। मोक्षणे प्रतिकारे च विदुरोऽवहितोऽभवत्
In all those many acts of wrongdoing, the wise Vidura was attentive to their release and to countermeasures.
स्वर्गस्थो जीवलोकस्य यथा शक्रः सुखावहः। पाण्डवानां तथा नित्यं विदुरोऽपि सुखावहः
Just as Indra, dwelling in heaven, brings happiness to the world of the living, so Vidura always brought happiness to the Pandavas.
यदा तु विविधोपायैः संवृतैर्विवृतैरपि। नाशकद्विनिहन्तुं तान्दैवभाव्यर्थरक्षितान्
But when, by various secret and open means, they could not destroy those protected by destiny and virtue,
ततः संमन्त्र्य सचिवैर्वृषदुःशासनादिभिः। धृतराष्ट्रमनुज्ञाप्य जातुषं गृहमादिशत्
Then, after consulting with his ministers, including Vriṣasena and Duḥśāsana, and having obtained Dhritarashtra’s approval, he ordered the construction of the house of lac.
तत्र तान्वासयामास पाण्डवानमितौजसः।' सुतप्रियैषी तान्राजा पाण्डवानम्बिकासुतः। ततो विवासयामास राज्यभोगबुभुक्षया
There, the son of Ambika, the king, desiring the welfare of his own sons, settled the Pandavas, who possessed immeasurable energy; but then, out of a desire to enjoy the kingdom, he exiled them.
ते प्रातिष्ठन्त सहिता नगरान्नागसाह्वयात्। प्रस्थाने चाभवन्मन्त्री क्षत्ता तेषां महात्मनाम्
Those great-souled Pandavas, together with their mother, departed from the city of Hastinapura; and at their departure, Vidura, the wise minister, accompanied them.
तेन मुक्ता जतुगृहान्निशीथे प्राद्रवन्वनम्। ततः संप्राप्य कौन्तेया नगरं वारणावतम्
By Vidura's intervention, they escaped from the house of lac at midnight and fled into the forest; then the sons of Kunti reached the city of Varanavata.
न्यवसन्त महात्मानो मात्रा सह परन्तपाः। धृतराष्ट्रेण चाज्ञप्ता उषिता जातुषे गृहे
There, those mighty Pandavas, destroyers of foes, dwelt with their mother; commanded by Dhritarashtra, they stayed in the house made of lac.
पुरोचनाद्रक्षमाणाः संवत्सरमतन्द्रिताः। सुरुङ्गां कारयित्वा तु विदुरेण प्रचोदिताः
Carefully watched by Purochana for a year, they, prompted by Vidura, had a tunnel constructed.
आदीप्य जातुषं वेश्म दग्ध्वा चैव पुरोचनम्। प्राद्रवन्भयसंविग्ना मात्रा सह पन्तपाः
Setting fire to the house of lac and burning Purochana as well, those tormentors of enemies, seized by fear, fled with their mother.