यच्च त्वं मन्यसे मूढ भीष्मद्रोणकृपादयः। योत्स्यन्ते सर्वशक्त्येति नैतदद्योपपद्यते
And what you think, in your delusion, that Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, and the others will fight with all their might—this is not possible today.
समं हि राज्यं प्रीतिश्च स्थानं हि विदितात्मनाम् । पाण्डवेष्वथ युष्मासु धर्मस्त्वभ्यधिकस्ततः
For the kingdom, affection, and position are equal for those who know themselves; but in the Pandavas, righteousness is greater than in you.
राजपिण्डभयादेते यदि हास्यन्ति जीवितम् । न हि शक्ष्यन्ति राजानं युधिष्ठिरमुदीक्षितुम्
If these men abandon their lives out of fear for the king’s wrath, they will not be able to look upon King Yudhishthira in battle.
न लोभादर्थसंपत्तिर्नराणामिह दृश्यते । तदलं तात लोभेन प्रशाम्य भरतर्षभ
Among men, wealth is not seen to arise from greed; therefore, enough of greed, dear one—be calm, O bull of the Bharatas.
तत्तु वाक्यमनादृत्य सोऽर्थवन्मातृभाषितम् । पुनः प्रतस्थे संरम्भात्सकाशमकृतात्मनाम्
But disregarding those meaningful words spoken by his mother, he again set out in anger toward those who lacked self-control.
ततः सभाया निर्गम्य मन्त्रयामास कौरवः। सौबलेन मताक्षेण राज्ञा शकुनिना सह
Then, leaving the assembly, the Kaurava conferred with Saubala, whose glance revealed his thoughts, and with King Shakuni.
दुर्योधनं धार्तराष्ट्रं कर्णं दुःशासनोऽब्रवीति । नोचेत्सन्धास्यसे राजन्स्वेन कामेन पाण्डवैः । बद्ध्वैव त्वां प्रदास्यन्ति पाण्डुपुत्राय भारत
Duryodhana, son of Dhritarashtra, said to Karna and Duhshasana: 'If you do not make peace with the Pandavas according to your own desire, the sons of Pandu will bind you and hand you over.'
वैकर्तनं त्वां च मां च त्रीनेतान्भरतर्षभ । पाण्डवेभ्यः प्रदास्यन्ति भीष्मद्रोणौ पिता च ते
'They will hand over Karna, you, and me—the three of us, O bull of the Bharatas—to the Pandavas, along with Bhishma, Drona, and your father.'
दुःशासनस्य तद्वाक्यं निशम्य भरतर्षभ । दुर्योधनो धार्तराष्ट्रो निश्वस्य प्रहसन्निव
Hearing these words of Duhshasana, O bull of the Bharatas, Duryodhana, son of Dhritarashtra, sighed and laughed as if in scorn.
एकान्तमुपसृत्येह मन्त्रं पुनरमन्त्रयत् । सौबलेन मताक्षेण राज्ञा शकुनिना सह
Withdrawing to a secluded place, he again held counsel with Saubala, whose glance revealed his mind, and with King Shakuni.
दुर्योधनस्य कर्णस्य शकुनेः सौबलस्य च। दुःशासनचतुर्थानामिदमासीद्विचेष्टितम्
This was the plot devised by Duryodhana, Karna, Shakuni son of Subala, and Duhshasana as the fourth.
पुराऽयमस्मान्गृह्णाति क्षिप्रकारी जनार्दनः । सहितो धृतराष्ट्रेण राज्ञा शान्तनवेन च
'Before Janardana, swift in action, seizes us, together with Dhritarashtra and King Shantanu’s son…'
वयमेव हृषीकेशं निगृह्णीम बलादिव। प्रसह्य पुरुषव्याघ्रमिन्द्रो वैरोचनिं यथा
'We ourselves should seize Hrishikesha by force, like Indra did to Virocana’s son, overpowering this tiger among men.'
श्रुत्वा गृहीतं वार्ष्णेयं पाण्डवा हतचेतसः । निरुत्साहा भविष्यन्ति भग्नदंष्ट्रा इवोरगाः
Hearing that the Vrishni, Krishna, has been seized, the Pandavas, their spirits broken, will lose heart, like serpents with their fangs broken.
अयं ह्येषां महाबाहुः सर्वेषां शर्म वर्म च । अस्मिन्गृहीते वरदे ऋषभे सर्वसात्वताम्। निरुद्यमा भविष्यन्ति पाण्डवाः सोमकैः सह
For he is their great-armed protector and shield; if this best of the Vrishnis, this bull among the Satvatas, is captured, the Pandavas and the Somakas will lose all initiative.
तस्माद्वयमिहैवैकं केशवं क्षिप्रकारिणम् । क्रोशतो धृतराष्ट्रस्य बद्ध्वा योत्स्यामहे रिपून्
Therefore, right here, let us bind Keshava, swift in action, even as Dhritarashtra cries out, and then we shall fight our enemies.
तेषां पापमभिप्रायं पापानां दुष्टचेतसाम्। इङ्गितज्ञः कविः क्षिप्रमन्वबुद्ध्यत सात्यकिः
Sātyaki, skilled in reading intentions and a wise man, quickly understood the wicked purpose of those evil-minded men.
तदर्थमभिनिष्क्रम्य हार्दिक्येन सहास्थितः । अब्रवीत्कृतवर्माणं क्षिप्रं योजय वाहिनीम्
For that reason, going out with Hārdikya, Kṛtavarmā stood and said swiftly, 'Deploy the army.'
व्यूढानीकः सभाद्वारमुपतिष्ठस्व दंशितः । यावदाख्याम्यहं चैतत्कृष्णायाक्लिष्टकारिणे
With the troops arrayed, stand alert at the entrance to the hall until I report all this to Kṛṣṇa, the doer of blameless deeds.
स प्रविश्य सभां वीरः सिंहो गिरिगुहामिव । आचष्ट तमभिप्रायं केशवाय महात्मने
Then the hero entered the assembly, like a lion entering a mountain cave, and told that intention to Keśava, the great-souled one.
धृतराष्ट्रं ततश्चैव विदुरं चान्वभाषत । तेषामेतमभिप्रायमाचचक्षे स्मयन्निव
Afterwards, he addressed Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Vidura, and, as if with a smile, revealed to them this plan.
धर्मादर्थाच्च कामाच्च कर्म साधुविगर्हितम् । मन्दाः कर्तुमिहेच्छन्ति न चावाप्यं कथंचन
Foolish men here wish to perform a deed condemned by righteousness, profit, and desire—a deed impossible to achieve in any way.
पुरा विकुर्वते मूढाः पापात्मानः समागताः । धर्षिताः काममन्युभ्यां क्रोधलोभवशानुगाः
Long ago, these deluded, sinful souls, gathered together, were overcome by desire and anger, following the sway of wrath and greed.
इमं हि पुण्डरीकाक्षं जिघृक्षन्त्यल्पचेतसः। पटेनाग्निं प्रज्वलितं यथा बाला यथा जडाः
These small-minded ones wish to seize this lotus-eyed one, like children or fools trying to grasp blazing fire with a cloth.
सात्यकेस्तद्वचः श्रुत्वा विदुरो दीर्घदर्शिवान् । धृतराष्ट्रं महाबाहुमब्रवीत्कुरुसंसदि
Hearing those words of Sātyaki, Vidura, who sees far, spoke to mighty-armed Dhṛtarāṣṭra in the Kuru assembly.
राजन्परीतकालास्ते पुत्राः सर्वे परन्तप । असक्यमयशस्यं च कर्तुं कर्म समुद्यताः
King, your sons, scorcher of foes, are all overtaken by fate and have set out to perform a deed that cannot be accomplished and brings only disgrace.
इमं हि पुण्डरीकाक्षमभिभूय प्रसह्य च । निग्रहीतुं किलेच्छन्ति सहिता वासवानुजम्
Indeed, they wish to overpower and restrain by force this lotus-eyed one, together with the younger brother of Vāsava.
इमं पुरुषशार्दूलमप्रधृष्यं दुरसदम् । आसाद्य नभविष्यन्ति पतङ्गा इव पावकम्
But, approaching this tiger among men, unassailable and hard to reach, they will perish like moths in a flame.
अयमिच्छन्हि तान्सर्वान्युध्यमानाञ्जनार्दनः । सिंहो नागानिव क्रुद्धो गमयेद्यमसादनम्
For if Janārdana wishes, he could send all those who fight against him to the abode of Yama, like an enraged lion dispatching elephants.
न त्वयं निन्दितं कर्म कुर्यात्पापं कथंचन । न च धर्मादपक्रामदेच्युतः पुरुषोत्तमः
But this best of men, Acyuta, never performs a blameworthy or sinful act, nor does he ever stray from righteousness.