अयमस्मि महाबाहो ब्रूहि यत्ते विवक्षितम् । करिष्यामि हि तत्सर्वं यत्त्वं वक्ष्यसि भारत
Here I am, O mighty-armed one; speak what you wish to say. I will do everything you command, O descendant of Bharata.
श्रुतं ते धृतराष्ट्रस्य सपुत्रस्य चिकीर्षितम्। एतद्धि सकलं कृष्ण सञ्जयो मां यदब्रवीत्
You have heard what Dhritarashtra and his sons intend; all this, O Krishna, Sanjaya told me.
मृदुपूर्वं साममिश्रं सममुग्रं च माधव । न कतृं न्यायमास्थाय गर्हिताश्च ततो वयम्
With gentle words mixed with diplomacy, and also harsh ones, O Madhava, we did not act according to justice, and thus we are blamed.
तन्मतं धृतराष्ट्रस्य सोऽस्यात्मा विवृतान्तरः। यथोक्तं दूत आचष्टे वध्यः स्यादन्यथा ब्रुवन्
Such is Dhritarashtra's opinion; his inner self is revealed. As the messenger declares, anyone who speaks otherwise is to be killed.
अप्रदानेन राज्यस्य शान्तिमस्मासु मार्गति। लुब्धः पापेन मनसा चरन्नसममात्मनः
By refusing to give us the kingdom, he seeks peace with us; greedy, acting with sinful intent, and not impartial in his heart.
यत्तद्द्वादशवर्षाणि वनेषु ह्युषिता वयम्। छद्मना शरदं चैकां धृतराष्ट्रस्य शासनात्
For twelve years we lived in the forests, and one year in disguise, by the order of Dhritarashtra.
स्थाता नः समये तस्मिन्धृतराष्ट्र इति प्रभो। नाहास्म समयं कृष्ण तद्धि नो ब्राह्मणा विदुः
Dhritarashtra promised to abide by the agreement, O lord; but we did not break it, Krishna, and the Brahmanas know this.
गृद्धो राजा धृतराष्ट्रः स्वधर्मं नानुपश्यति । वश्यत्वात्पुत्रगृद्धित्वान्मन्दस्यान्वेति शासनं
King Dhritarashtra, greedy, does not see his own duty; because he is controlled by his son, blinded by affection, and follows his son's commands.
सुयोधनमते तिष्ठन्राजाऽस्मासु जनार्दन। मिथ्याचरति लुब्धः संश्चरन्हि प्रियमात्मनः
Standing by Suyodhana's opinion, the king acts falsely towards us, greedy, pursuing only what pleases himself.
इतो दुःखतरं किं नु यदहं मातरं ततः। संविधातुं न शक्नोमि मित्राणां वा जनार्दन
What could be more painful than this, O Janardana, that I am unable to comfort my mother or my friends?
काशिभिश्चेदिपाञ्चालैर्मत्स्यैश्च मधुसूदन। भवता चैव नाथेन पञ्च ग्रामा वृता मया
O Madhusudana, with the Kasis, the Cedis, the Panchalas, the Matsyas, and with you as our protector, I have requested five villages.
अविस्थलं वृकस्थलं माकन्दी वारणावतम्। अवसानं च गोविन्द कंचिदेवात्र पञ्चम्
Avisthala, Vrikasthala, Makandi, Varanavata, and, O Govinda, any one other place as the fifth.
पञ्च नस्तात दीयन्तां ग्रामा वा नगराणि वा। वसेम सहिता येषु मा च नो भरता नशन्
Let five villages or cities be given to us, O father, where we may live together, so that the Bharatas may not be destroyed.
न च तानपि दुष्टात्मा धार्तराष्ट्रोऽनुमन्यते। स्वाम्यमात्मनि मत्वाऽसावतो दुःखतरं नु किं
But even these, the wicked-hearted son of Dhritarashtra does not consent to give, thinking sovereignty belongs to himself—what could be more painful than this?
कुले जातस्य वृद्धस्य परवित्तेषु गृद्ध्यतः। लोभः प्रज्ञानमाहन्ति प्रज्ञा हन्ति हता ह्रियं
For one born in a noble family, advanced in years, who covets others' wealth, greed destroys wisdom, and when wisdom is destroyed, it destroys modesty.
ह्रीर्हता बाधते धर्मं धर्मो हन्ति हतः श्रियम् । श्रीर्हता पुरुषं हन्ति पुरुषस्याधं वधः
When modesty is destroyed, it harms righteousness; when righteousness is destroyed, it harms prosperity; when prosperity is destroyed, it destroys the man, and the destruction of a man is utter ruin.
अधनाद्धि निवर्तन्ते ज्ञातयः सुहृदो द्विजाः। अपुष्पादफलाद्वृक्षाद्यथा कृष्ण पतत्रिणः
For, O Krishna, relatives, friends, and twice-born ones turn away from the destitute, just as birds leave a tree that is without flowers or fruit.
एतच्च मरणं तात उन्मत्तपतितादिव। ज्ञातयो विनिवर्तन्ते प्रेतसत्वादिवासवः
And this, O father, is like death: relatives turn away as if from one mad or fallen, or as from one who has become a ghost.
नातः पापीयसीं कांचिदवस्थां शम्बरोऽब्रवीत् । यत्र नैवाऽद्य न प्रातर्भोजनं प्रतिदृश्यते
Shambara never spoke of any state more wretched than this, where today or tomorrow not even a meal is to be seen.
धनमाहुः परं धर्मं धने सर्वं प्रतिष्ठितम्। जीवन्ति धनिनो लोके मृता ये त्वधना नराः
They say wealth is the highest righteousness; upon wealth everything rests. In this world, those with wealth live; those without wealth are as if dead.
ये धनादपकर्षन्ति नरं स्वबलमास्थिताः। ते धर्ममर्थं कामं च प्रमथ्नन्ति नरं च तम्
Those who, relying on their own strength, take away a man's wealth, destroy his righteousness, purpose, and desire, and also the man himself.
एतामवस्थां प्राप्यैके मरणं वव्रिरे जनाः। ग्रामायैके वनायैके नाशायैके प्रवव्रजुः
Having reached such a state, some people chose death; some went to villages, some to forests, and some to destruction.
उन्मादमेके पुष्यन्ति यान्त्यन्ये द्विषतां वशम्। दास्यमेके च गच्छन्ति परेषामर्थहेतुना
Some fall into madness, others come under the power of enemies, and some, for the sake of wealth, enter into servitude to others.
आपदेवास्य मरणात्पुरुषस्य गरीयसी। श्रियो विनाशस्तद्ध्यस्य निमित्तं धर्मकामयोः
For a man, disgrace is worse than death; the loss of prosperity is the cause of the ruin of both righteousness and desire.
यदस्य धर्म्यं मरणं शाश्वतं लोकवर्त्मवत्। समन्तात्सर्वभूतानां न तदत्येति कश्चन
If his death is righteous and in accordance with the eternal path of the world, then no being anywhere can escape it.
न तथा बाध्यते कृष्ण प्रकृत्या निर्धनो जनः। यथा भद्रां श्रियं प्राप्य तया हीनः सुखैधितः
O Krishna, a man who is poor by nature does not suffer as much as one who, having attained good fortune, is deprived of it and afflicted by misery.
स तदाऽऽत्मापराधेन संप्राप्तो व्यसनं महत्। सेन्द्रान्गर्हयते देवान्नात्मानं च कथंचन
Then, having reached such great misfortune through his own fault, he blames the gods, even Indra, but never himself.
न चास्य सर्वशास्राणि प्रभवन्ति निबर्हणे । सोऽभिक्रुध्याति भृत्यानां सुहृदश्चाभ्यसूयति
Nor do all the scriptures have power to restrain him; he becomes angry with his servants and bears ill-will toward his friends.
तत्तदा मन्युरेवैति स भूयः संप्रमुह्यति। स मोहवशमापन्नः क्रूरं कर्म निषेवते
Then, anger alone arises in him, and again he becomes bewildered; falling under the sway of delusion, he engages in cruel deeds.
पापकर्मतया चैव सङ्करं तेन पुष्यति। सङ्करो नरकायैव सा काष्ठा पापकर्मणाम्
And through such sinful actions, he fosters confusion of castes; that confusion leads only to hell—this is the ultimate result of evil deeds.