नाधर्मे ते धीयते पार्थ बुद्धि- र्न संरम्भात्कर्म चकर्थ पापम् । आत्थ किं तत्कारणं यस्य हेतोः प्रज्ञाविरुद्धं कर्म चिकीर्षसीदम्
Your mind is not inclined toward unrighteousness, Partha, nor have you committed evil out of anger. Tell me, then, what is the reason for which you wish to perform this act that opposes wisdom?
अव्याधिजं कटुकं शीर्षरोगि यशोमुषं पापफलोदयं वा। सतां पेयं यन्न पिबन्त्यसन्तो मन्युं महाराज पिब प्रशाम्य
That which is bitter, causes illness, brings infamy, and results in sinful fruits—good people do not drink it, but the wicked do. O great king, drink down your anger and be calm.
पापानुबन्धं को नु तं कामयेत क्षमैव ते ज्यायसी नोत भोगाः । यत्र भीष्मः शान्तनवो हतः स्या- द्यत्र द्रोणः सहपुत्रो हतः स्यात्
Who would desire that which is bound to sin? Forbearance is greater for you, not enjoyment. Where Bhishma, son of Shantanu, might be slain, where Drona and his son might be killed—
कृपः शल्यः सौमदत्तिर्विकर्णो विविंशतिः कर्णदुर्योधनौ च। एतान्हत्वा कीदृशं तत्सुखं स्या- द्यद्विन्देथास्तदनुब्रूहि पार्थ
Kripa, Shalya, Saumadatti, Vikarna, Vivimshati, Karna, and Duryodhana—after slaying these, what kind of happiness would there be? Tell me, Partha, what joy you would find in that.
लब्ध्वाऽपीमां पृथिवीं सागरान्तां जरामृत्यू नैव हि त्वं प्रजह्याः। प्रियाप्रिये सुखदुःखे च राज- न्नैवं विद्वान्नैव युद्धं कुरु त्वम्
Even if you gained this earth bounded by the ocean, you would not escape old age and death. In pleasure and pain, in what is dear and what is not, O king, the wise do not act thus; do not wage war.
अमात्यानां यदि कामस्य हेतो- रेवं युक्तं कर्म चिकीर्षसि त्वम्। अपक्रमेः स्वं प्रदायैव तेषां मागास्त्वं वै देवयानात्पथोऽद्य
If, for the sake of your ministers' desires, you wish to act in this way, then, by giving up your own interests to them, you would stray from the path of the gods today.
असंशयं सञ्जय सत्यमेत- द्धर्मो वरः कर्मणां यत्त्वमात्थ । ज्ञात्वा तु मां सञ्जय गर्हयेस्त्वं यदि धर्मं यद्यधर्मं चरामि
Without doubt, Sanjaya, what you say is true: dharma is the best of actions. But if you know me, Sanjaya, you may reproach me if I act according to dharma or adharma.
यत्राधर्मो धर्मरूपाणि धत्ते धर्मः कृत्स्नो दृश्यतोऽधर्मरूपः। बिभ्रद्धर्मो धर्मरूपं तथा च विद्वांसस्तं संप्रपश्यन्ति बुद्ध्या
Where unrighteousness takes on the form of righteousness, and righteousness appears entirely as unrighteousness, dharma may bear the guise of dharma; the wise perceive this with their intellect.
एवं तथैवापदि लिङ्गमेत- द्धर्माधर्मौ नित्यवृत्ती भजेताम्। आद्यं लिङ्गं यस्य तस्य प्रमाण- मापद्धर्मं सञ्जय तं निबोध
Thus, in adversity, this is the sign: dharma and adharma always follow their own course. The first sign is the measure for each; learn from me, Sanjaya, the dharma of adversity.
लुप्तायां तु प्रकृतौ येन कर्म निष्पादयेत्तत्परीप्सेद्विहीनः। प्रकृतिस्थश्चापदि वर्तमान उभौ गर्ह्यौ भवतः सञ्जयैतौ
When the natural order is lost, one should strive to perform the action that fulfills the purpose, even if lacking means. But one who remains in the natural order during adversity, both are to be blamed, Sanjaya.
अविनाशमिच्छतां ब्राह्मणानां प्रायश्चित्तं विहितं यद्विधात्रा। संपश्येथाः कर्मसु वर्तमानान् विकर्मस्थान्सञ्जय गर्हयेस्त्वम्
For those Brahmanas who desire immortality, atonement is prescribed by the Creator. You should observe those engaged in action, and reproach those who act wrongly, Sanjaya.
मनीषिणां सत्त्विच्छेदनाय विधियते सत्सु वृत्तिः सदैव। अब्राह्मणाः सन्ति तु ये न वैद्याः सर्वोत्सङ्गं साधु मन्येत तेभ्यः
For the wise, conduct among the virtuous is always prescribed for the sake of preserving purity. But those who are not Brahmanas and not physicians should be regarded as wholly unsuitable.
तदध्वानः पितरो ये च पूर्वे पितामहा ये च तेभ्यः परेऽन्ये। यज्ञैषिणो ये च हि कर्म कुर्यु- र्नान्यं ततो नास्तिकोऽस्मीति मन्ये
Those ancestors who followed this path, and their fathers and grandfathers, and others beyond them; those who seek sacrifice and perform actions—none other than this, I consider, is the path, not atheism.
यत्किंचनेदं वित्तमस्यां पृथिव्यां यद्देवानां त्रिदशानां परं यत्। प्राजापत्यं त्रिदिवं ब्रह्मलोकं नाधर्मतः सञ्जय कामयेयम्
Whatever wealth is found on this earth, whatever is highest among the gods, whatever belongs to Prajapati, the heavenly realm, or Brahma's world—I would not desire it, Sanjaya, by unrighteous means.
धर्मेश्वरः कुशलो नीतिमांश्चा- प्युपासिता ब्राह्मणानां मनीषी। नानाविधांश्चैव महाबलांश्च राजन्यभोजाननुशास्ति कृष्णः
Krishna is a master of righteousness, skilled in policy, and wise, having served learned Brahmins; he governs various powerful kings and princes.
यदि ह्यहं विसृजत्साम गर्ह्यो नियुध्यमानो यदि जह्यां स्वधर्मम् । महायशाः केशवस्तद्ब्रवीतु वासुदेवस्तूभयोरर्थकामः
If, while being challenged, I were to abandon the path of peace or forsake my own duty, let the illustrious Keshava declare it; for Vasudeva desires the welfare of both sides.
शैनेयोऽयं चेदयश्चान्धकाश्च वार्ष्णेयभोजाः कुकुराः सृञ्जयाश्च । उपासीना वासुदेवस्य बुद्धिं निगृह्य शत्रून्सुहृदो नन्दयन्ति
If Satyaki, Kritavarma, the Andhakas, the Vrishnis, the Bhojas, the Kukuras, and the Srinjayas, all sit attending to Vasudeva’s counsel, they subdue their enemies and gladden their friends.
वृष्ण्यन्धका ह्युग्रसेनादयो वै कृष्णप्रणीताः सर्व एवेन्द्रकल्पाः । मनस्विनः सत्यपरायणाश्च महाबला यादवा भोगवन्तः
The Vrishnis, Andhakas, Ugrasena and others, all led by Krishna and equal to Indra, are thoughtful, devoted to truth, mighty, prosperous Yadavas.
काश्यो बभ्रुः श्रियमुत्तमां गतो लब्ध्वा कृष्णं भ्रातरमीशितारम् । यस्मै कामान्वर्षति वासुदेवो ग्रीष्मात्यये मेघ इव प्रजाऽभ्यः
Kashi’s king Babhru attained supreme prosperity, having Krishna, his brother and lord, by whose favor Vasudeva showers blessings as a cloud pours rain upon people at summer’s end.
ईदृशोऽयं केशवस्तात विद्वान् विद्धि ह्येनं कर्मणां निश्चयज्ञम्। प्रियश्च नः साधुतमश्च कृष्णो नातिक्रामे वचनं केशवस्य
Such is this wise Keshava, O father; know him as one who discerns the essence of action. Krishna is dear to us, the most virtuous; I would never disobey Keshava’s word.
अविनाशं सञ्जय पाण्डवाना- मिच्छाम्यहं भूतिमेषां प्रियं च। तथा राज्ञो धृतराष्ट्रस्य सूत समाशंसे बहुपुत्रस्य वृद्धिम्
O Sanjaya, I desire the safety, prosperity, and happiness of the Pandavas, and likewise I wish for the growth of King Dhritarashtra’s many sons.
कामो हि मे सञ्जय नित्यमेव नान्यद्ब्रूयां तान्प्रति शाम्यतेति। राज्ञश्च हि प्रियमेतच्छृणोमि मन्ये चैतत्पाण्डवानां समक्षम्
Indeed, Sanjaya, my constant wish is that they should make peace; I would say nothing else to them. I hear this is pleasing to the king, and I believe it is also so before the Pandavas.
सुदुष्करस्तत्र शमो हि नूनं प्रदर्शितः सञ्जय पाण्डवेन। यस्मिन्गृद्धो धृतराष्ट्रः सपुत्रः कस्मादेषां कलहो नावमूर्च्छेत्
There, Sanjaya, the peace shown by the Pandava is truly difficult; when Dhritarashtra and his sons are greedy, why should this conflict not intensify?
न त्वं धर्मं विचरं सञ्जयेह मत्तश्च जानामि युधिष्ठिराच्च अथो कस्मात्सज्जय पाण्डवस्य उत्साहिनः पूरयतः स्वकर्म
But you, Sanjaya, do not act according to righteousness here; I know this from myself and from Yudhishthira. So why, Sanjaya, do you hinder the energetic Pandava fulfilling his own duty?
यथाख्यातमावमतः कुटुम्बे पुरा कस्मान्साधुविलोपमात्थ। अस्मिन्विधौ वर्तमाने यथाव- दुच्चावचा मतयो ब्राह्मणानाम्
As previously declared in the family, why did you, considering yourself virtuous, approve of their destruction? In this situation, as it unfolds, the opinions of Brahmins are diverse, high and low.
कर्मणाऽऽहुः सिद्धिमेके परत्र हिन्वा कर्म विद्यया सिद्धिमेके। नाभुञ्जानो भक्ष्यभोज्यस्य तृप्ये- द्विद्वानपीह विहितं ब्राह्मणानाम्
Some say success comes from action alone, others from knowledge abandoning action; yet even a learned man here does not find satisfaction without partaking of what is prescribed for Brahmins.
या वै विद्याः साधयन्तीह कर्म तासां फलं विद्यते नेतरासाम्। तत्रेह वै दृष्टफलं तु कर्म पीत्वोदकं शाम्यति तृष्णयाऽऽर्तः
Those disciplines that accomplish action here bear fruit, not the others; here, action has visible results, just as one tormented by thirst is satisfied by drinking water.
सोऽयं विधिर्विहितः कर्मणैव संवर्तते सञ्जय तत्र कर्म। तत्र योऽन्यत्कर्मणः साधु मन्ये- न्मोघं तस्यालपितं दुर्बलस्य
Thus, this is the rule: action alone brings about results, Sanjaya; there, action is supreme. If someone thinks otherwise, his words are vain, the speech of the weak.
कर्मणाऽमी भान्ति देवाः परत्र कर्मणैवेह प्लवते मातरिश्वा। अहोरात्रे विदधत्कर्मणैव अतन्द्रितो नित्यमुदेति सूर्यः
By action, the gods shine in the next world; by action alone, the wind moves here. By action, the sun tirelessly rises every day and night.
मासार्धमासानथ नक्षत्रयोगा- नतन्द्रितश्चन्द्रमाश्चाभ्युपैति। अतन्द्रितो दहते जातवेदाः समिद्ध्यमानः कर्म कुर्वन्प्रजाभ्यः
The moon, without fatigue, attains its phases and conjunctions with stars month after month; the ever-vigilant fire, when kindled, burns for the people by its action.