दुर्विनीताः श्रियं प्राप्य विद्यामैश्वर्यमेव च। तिष्ठन्ति न चिरं भद्रे यथाऽहं मदगर्वितः
Those who are undisciplined, upon attaining wealth, knowledge, and power, do not remain long, O gentle one, just as I, intoxicated with pride, have not endured.
अहो वत यथेदं मे कष्टं दुश्चरितं कृतम्। स्वयं दुर्बुद्धिना मोहाद्येन प्राप्तोस्मि संशयम्
Alas, how grievous and wicked is this deed I have done! By my own poor judgment and delusion, I have brought myself into this peril.
तस्मात्प्रायमुपासिष्ये न हिशक्ष्यामि जीवितुम्। चेतयानो हि को जीवेत्कृच्छ्राच्छत्रुभिरुद्धृतः
Therefore, I shall undertake penance, for I am unable to go on living. Who, being conscious, could survive after being so utterly defeated by enemies?
शत्रुभिश्चावहसितो मानी पौरुषवर्जितः। पाण्डवैर्विक्रमाढ्यैशच् सावमानमवेक्षितः
Mocked by my enemies, stripped of my pride and manliness, and looked down upon by the mighty Pandavas, I am left dishonored.
एवं चिन्तापरिगतो दुःशासनमथाब्रवीत्। दुःशासन निबोधेदं वचनं मम भारत
Thus, filled with such thoughts, he spoke to Duhshasana: 'Duhshasana, listen to these words of mine, O Bharata.'
प्रतीच्छ त्वं मया दत्तमभिषेकं नृपो भव। प्रशाधि पृथिवीं स्फीतांकर्णसौबलपालिताम्
Accept the royal consecration I bestow upon you; become king. Rule the prosperous earth, protected by Karna and the son of Suvala.
भ्रातॄन्पालय विस्रब्धं मरुतो वृत्रहा यथा। बान्धवाश्चोपजीवन्तु देवा इव शतक्रतुम्
Protect your brothers fearlessly, as Indra protected the Maruts; and let your kinsmen live supported by you, as the gods do by Shatakratu.
ब्राह्मणेषु सदा वृत्तिं कुर्वीथाश्चाप्रमादतः। बन्धूनां सुहृदां चैव भवेथास्त्वं गतिः सदा
Always maintain proper conduct toward the Brahmins without negligence; and be ever the refuge for your kinsmen and friends.
ज्ञातींश्चाप्यनुपश्येथा विष्णुर्देवगणान्यथा। गुरवः पालनीयास्ते गच्छ पालय मेदिनीम्
Regard your relatives as Vishnu regards the hosts of gods; your elders must be protected—go, and rule the earth.
नन्दयन्सुहृदः सर्वाञ्शात्रवांश्चावभर्त्सयन्। कण्ठे चैनं परिष्वज्यगम्यतामित्युवाच ह
Bring joy to all your friends and rebuke your enemies; and, embracing him around the neck, he said, 'Go.'
तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा दीनो दुशासनोऽब्रवीत्। अश्रुकण्ठः सुदुःखार्तः प्राञ्जलिः प्रणिपत्य च
Hearing these words, Duhshasana, stricken with grief, spoke, his throat choked with tears, deeply distressed, with joined palms and bowing down.
सगद्गदमिदं वाक्यं भ्रातरं ज्येष्ठमात्मनः। कप्रसीदेत्यपतद्भूमौ दूयमानेन चेतसा
With a faltering voice, he addressed his elder brother: 'Be gracious!' and fell to the ground, his mind tormented.
दुःखितः पादयोस्तस्य नेत्रजं जलमुत्सृजन्। उक्तवांश्च नरव्याघ्रो नैतदेवं भविष्यति
Sorrowful, at his brother's feet, shedding tears from his eyes, the tiger among men said, 'It shall not be so.'
विदीर्यत्सकला भूमिर्द्यौश्चापि शकलीभवेत्। रविरात्मप्रभां जह्यात्सोमः शीतांशुतां त्यजेत्
Let the whole earth be shattered, let the sky be broken to pieces, let the sun abandon its own brilliance, and the moon forsake its cool rays—
वायुः शैघ्र्यमथो जह्याद्धिमवांश्च हिमं त्यजेत्। शुष्येत्तोयं समुद्रेषु वह्निरप्युष्णतां त्यजेत्
Let the wind give up its swiftness, the Himalaya its snow, let the waters dry up in the oceans, and fire abandon its heat—
न चाहं त्वदृते राजन्प्रशासेयं वसुंधराम्। पुनःपुनः प्रसीदेति वाक्यं चेदमुवाच ह
But I, O king, could never rule the earth without you. Again and again, he pleaded with these words.
शत्रूणां शोककृद्राजन्सुहृदां शोकनाशनः' त्वमेव नःकुलेराजा भविष्यसि शतं समाः
O King, you are the bringer of sorrow to enemies and the destroyer of grief for friends; may you alone be king over our lineage for a hundred years.
एवमुक्त्वा स राजानं सुश्वरं प्ररुरोद ह। पादौ संस्पृश्य मानार्हौ भ्रातुर्ज्येष्ठस्य भारत
Having spoken thus, he wept aloud in a sweet voice, touching the honored feet of his elder brother, O descendant of Bharata.
तथा तौ दुःखितौ दृष्ट्वा दुःशासनसुयोधनौ। अभिगम्य व्यथाविष्टः कर्णस्तौ प्रत्यभाषत
Seeing those two so afflicted, Duḥśāsana and Suyodhana, Karṇa, filled with distress, approached and addressed them.
विषीदथः किं कौरव्यौ बालिश्यात्प्राकृताविव। न शोकः शोचमानस्य विनिवर्तेत कर्हिचित्
Why do you grieve, O Kauravas, like ordinary, childish men? Grief never departs from one who grieves.
यदा च शोचतः शोकोव्यसनं नापकर्षति। सामर्थ्यं किं ततः शोके शोचमानौ प्रपश्यथः
And when sorrow does not remove misfortune for one who grieves, what power is there in grief, as you both see?
धृतिं गृह्णीतं मा शत्रूञ्शोचन्तौ नन्दयिष्यथः। कर्तव्यं हि कृतं राजन्पाण्डवैस्तव मोक्षणम्
Take hold of fortitude; do not, by grieving, gladden your enemies. The deed that had to be done has been done, O King—your release by the Pāṇḍavas.
नित्यमेव प्रियं कार्यं राज्ञो विपयवासिभिः। पाल्यमानास्त्वया ते हि निवसन्ति गतज्वराः
Those who dwell in the king's realm must always act for his pleasure; protected by you, they live free from distress.
नार्हस्येवंगते मन्युं कर्तुं प्राकृतवत्स्वयम्। विषण्णास्तव सोदर्यास्त्वयि प्रायं समास्थिते
You should not, in such a situation, give way to anger like an ordinary man; your brothers are dispirited, with you set upon fasting.
तदलं दुःखितानेतान्कर्तुं सर्वान्नराधिप'। उत्तिष्ठ व्रज भद्रं ते समाश्वासय सोदरान्
Therefore, O lord of men, do not cause all these to be sorrowful; rise up, go forth, may it be well with you, and comfort your brothers.
राजन्नद्यावगच्छामि तवैव लघुसत्वताम्। `अल्पत्वं च तथा बुद्धेः कार्याणामविवेकिताम्
O King, now I perceive your weakness of spirit, and likewise the smallness of your judgment and lack of discernment in action.
किमत्र चित्रं धर्मज्ञ मोक्षितः पाण्डवैरसि। सद्यो वशं समापन्नः शत्रूणां शत्रुकर्शन
What is surprising here, O knower of dharma, that you were freed by the Pāṇḍavas? At once you fell into the power of your enemies, O subduer of foes.
सेनाजीवैश्च कौरव्य तथा विषयवासिभिः। अज्ञातैर्यदि वा ज्ञातैः कर्तव्यं नृपतेः प्रियम्
Whether by those known or unknown, by soldiers or by the people of the realm, what is pleasing to the king must be done.
प्रायः प्रधानाः पुरुषाः क्षोभयित्वाऽरिवाहिनीम्। निगृह्यन्ते चयुद्धेषु मोक्ष्यन्ते च स्वसैनिकैः
Often, the foremost men, after disturbing the enemy's army, are subdued in battle and then released by their own troops.
सेनाजीवाश्च ये राज्ञां विषये सन्ति मानवाः। तैः संगम्य नृपार्थाय यतितव्यं यथातथम्
Those men who are soldiers in the king's realm must strive together, as is fitting, for the king's purpose.