शालस्कन्धो महाबहुस्त्वां स्वजानो वृकोदरः । साम्नाऽभिवदतां चापि शान्तये भरतर्षभ
Let Vṛkodara, broad-shouldered and mighty-armed, your kinsman, greet you with gentle words for peace, O bull among the Bharatas.
अर्जुनेन यमाभ्यां च त्रिभिस्तैरभिवादितः। मूर्ध्नि तान्समुपाघ्राय प्रेम्णाऽभिवद पार्थिव
When you are greeted by Arjuna and the two sons of Yama, bow your head to them and greet them with affection, O king.
दृष्ट्वा त्वां पाण्डवैर्वीरैर्भ्रातृभिः सह संगतम् । यावदानन्दजाश्रूणि प्रन्मुञ्चन्तु नराधिपाः
When the kings see you united with your heroic brothers, the sons of Pandu, let them shed tears of joy.
घुष्यतां राजधानीषु सर्वसंपन्महीक्षिताम् । पृथिवी भ्रातृभावेन भुज्यतां विज्वरो भव
Let it be proclaimed in the capitals of all the mighty kings: let the earth be enjoyed in brotherhood, and be free from anxiety.
श्रुत्वा दुर्योधनो वाक्यमप्रियं कुरुसंसदि। प्रत्युवाच महाबाहुं वासुदेवं यशस्विनम्
Hearing Duryodhana's harsh words in the Kuru assembly, the illustrious Vasudeva, strong-armed, replied to him.
प्रसमीक्ष्य भवानेतद्वक्तुमर्हति केशव। मामेव हि विशेषेण विभाष्य परिगर्हसे
You, O Kesava, ought to consider this carefully before speaking; for you single me out and reproach me in particular.
भक्तिवादेन पार्थानामकस्मान्मधुसूदन। भवान्गर्हयति नित्यं किं समीक्ष्य बलाबलम्
Why, O slayer of Madhu, do you always censure me, praising the sons of Pritha with words of devotion, without considering strength and weakness?
भवान्क्षत्ता च राजा वाऽप्याचार्यो वा पितामहः । मामेव परिगर्हन्ते नान्यं कंचन पाण्डवम्
You, the charioteer, the king, the teacher, and the grandsire—all of you reproach only me, and not any of the Pandavas.
न चाहं लक्षये कंचिद्व्यभिचारमिहात्मनः । अथ सर्वे भवन्तो मां विद्विषन्ति सराजकाः
I do not perceive any fault in myself here; yet all of you, along with the kings, bear enmity towards me.
न चाहं कंचिदत्यर्थमपराधमरिन्दम । विचिन्तयन्प्रपश्यामि सुसूक्ष्ममपि केशव
Nor, O subduer of foes, do I see in myself any excessive wrongdoing, even upon careful and subtle reflection, O Kesava.
प्रियाभ्युपगते द्यूते पाण्डवा मधूसूदन। जिताः शकुनिना राज्यं तत्र किं मम दुष्कृतम्
When the Pandavas, having accepted the invitation to dice, were defeated by Shakuni and lost their kingdom, what wrong did I commit there, O slayer of Madhu?
यत्पुनर्द्रविणं किंचित्तत्राजीयन्त पाण्डवाः । तेभ्य एवाभ्यनुज्ञातं तत्तद मधुसूदन
And whatever wealth the Pandavas staked again in that game, it was with their own consent, O slayer of Madhu.
अपराधो न चास्माकं यत्ते ह्यक्षैः पराजिताः। अजेया जयतां श्रेष्ठ पार्थाः प्रव्राजिता वनम्
There is no fault of ours in their defeat at dice; the Pandavas, though unconquerable and foremost among victors, went to the forest.
केन वाऽप्यपवादेन विरुद्ध्यन्त्यरिभिः सह। अशक्ताः पाण्डवाः कृष्ण प्रहृष्टाः प्रत्यमित्रवत्
By what accusation do the Pandavas, though powerless, oppose us along with their allies, O Krishna, rejoicing as if facing an enemy?
किमस्माभिः कृतं तेषां कस्मिन्वा पुनरागसि। धार्तराष्ट्राञ्जिघांसन्ति पाण्डवाः सृञ्जयैः सह
What have we done to them, or in what matter, that the Pandavas, along with the Srinjayas, seek to destroy the sons of Dhritarashtra?
न चापि वयमुग्रेण कर्मणा वचनेन वा। प्रभ्रष्टाः प्रणमामेह भयादपि शतक्रतुम्
Neither by harsh deed nor by word have we been cast down, nor do I bow here to Indra, even out of fear.
न च तं कृष्ण पश्यामि क्षत्रधर्ममनुष्ठितम् । उत्सहेत युधा जेतुं यो नः शत्रुनिबर्हण
Nor do I see, O Krishna, any warrior who upholds the duty of a kshatriya and could hope to defeat us in battle, who are destroyers of foes.
न हि भीष्मकृपद्रोणाः सकर्णा मधुसूदन। देवैरपि युधा जेतुं शक्याः किमुत पाण्डवैः
For Bhishma, Kripa, Drona, and Karna, O slayer of Madhu, cannot be conquered in battle even by the gods—how much less by the Pandavas.
स्वधर्ममनुपश्यन्तो यदि माधव संयुगे। अस्त्रेण निधनं काले प्राप्स्यामः स्वर्ग्यमेव तत्
If, O Madhava, we kshatriyas, disregarding our own duty, should meet our end in battle by weapons at the appointed time, that itself would be heaven for us.
मुख्यश्चैवैष नो धर्मः क्षत्रियाणां जनार्दन । यच्छयीमहि सङ्ग्रामे शरतल्पगता वयम्
Indeed, this is our foremost duty as kshatriyas, O Janardana: that we should lie upon a bed of arrows in battle.
ते वयं वीरशयनं प्राप्स्यामो यदि संयुगे। अप्रणम्यैव शत्रूणां न नस्तप्स्यन्ति माधव
We shall attain the hero's bed in battle, O Mādhava, but we will not bow to our enemies; they will not torment us.
कश्च जातु कुले जातः क्षत्रधर्मेण वर्तयन् । भयाद्वृत्तिं समीक्ष्यैवं प्रणमेदिह कर्हिचित्
Who, being born in a noble family and following the duty of a warrior, would ever bow here out of fear, seeing the course of events?
उद्यच्छेदेव न नमेदुद्यमो ह्येव पौरुषम् । अप्यपर्वणि भज्येत न नमेदिह कर्हिचित्
One should rise up, not bow down; for effort is indeed manliness. Even if broken on an unfit day, one should never bow here.
इति मातङ्गवचनं परिप्सन्ति हितेप्सवः । धर्माय चैव प्रणमेद्ब्राह्मणेभ्यश्च मद्विधः
Those who desire welfare approve the words of the elephant (Mātaṅga); one should bow for righteousness and to Brāhmaṇas like me.
अचिन्तयन्कंचिदन्यं यावज्जीवं तथा चरेत्। एष धर्मः क्षत्रियाणां मतमेतच्च मे सदा
Without thinking of anyone else, one should act thus as long as one lives; this is the duty of Kṣatriyas, and this has always been my view.
राज्यांशश्चाभ्यनुज्ञातो यो मे पित्रा पुराऽभवत्। न स लभ्यः पुनर्जातु मयि जीवति केशव
The share of the kingdom once granted to me by my father, O Keśava, is not to be regained again while I live.
यावच्च राजा ध्रियते धृतराष्ट्रो जनार्दन । न्यस्तशस्त्रा वयं ते वाऽप्युपजीवाम माधव । अप्रदेयं पुरा दत्तं राज्यं परवतो मम
As long as King Dhṛtarāṣṭra is maintained, O Janārdana, we, having laid down our weapons, or they, may subsist, O Mādhava; the kingdom once given to me cannot be given away again to others.
अज्ञानाद्वा भयाद्वाऽपि मयि बाले जनार्दन । न तदद्य पुनर्लभ्यं पाण्डवैर्वृष्णिनन्दन
Whether through ignorance or fear, O Janārdana, when I was a child, that which was once lost cannot now be regained by the Pāṇḍavas, O delight of the Vṛṣṇis.
ध्रियमाणे महाबाहौ मयि संप्रति केशव । यावद्धि तीक्ष्णया सूच्या विद्ध्येदग्रेण केशव । तावदप्यपरित्याज्यं भूमेर्नः पाण्डवान्प्रति
As long as I, mighty-armed, am upheld, O Keśava, even if pierced at the tip by a sharp needle, still, for the Pāṇḍavas, the earth is not to be abandoned by us.
ततः प्रहस्य दाशार्हः क्रोधपर्याकुलेक्षणः । दुर्योधनमिदं वाक्यमब्रवीत्कुरुसंसदि
Then Dāśārha, laughing, his eyes filled with wrath, spoke these words to Duryodhana in the Kuru assembly.