समृद्धिरसमृद्धिर्वा पूर्वेषां मम सञ्जय । एवं विद्वान्युद्धमना भव मा प्रत्युपाहरः
Prosperity or lack of it has come to our ancestors, O Sanjaya; knowing this, be intent on battle, do not turn back.
नातः पापीयसीं कांचिदवस्थां शम्बरोऽब्रवीत्। यत्र नैवाद्य न प्रातर्भोजनं प्रतिदृश्यते
Shambara never spoke of a condition more wretched than this, where neither today nor tomorrow is food to be seen.
पतिपुत्रवधादेतत्परमं दुःखमब्रवीत् । दारिद्र्यमिति यत्प्रोक्तं पर्यायमरणं हि तत्
He said that the greatest sorrow, after the death of husband or son, is poverty, which is indeed akin to death.
अहं महाकुले जाता ह्रदाद्ध्रदमिवागता। ईश्वरी सर्वकल्याणी भर्त्रा परमपूजिता
I was born in a great family, as one lake flows into another; I was a mistress, blessed in every way, greatly honored by my husband.
महार्हमाल्याभरणां सुमृष्टाम्बरवाससम् । पुरा हृष्टः सुहृद्वर्गो मामपश्यत्सुहृद्गताम्
Once, adorned with splendid garlands and ornaments, clad in well-polished garments, my joyful circle of friends saw me, accompanied by friends.
यदा मां चैव भार्यां च द्रष्टासि भृशदुर्बलाम् । न तदा जीवितेनार्थो भविता तव सञ्जय
When you see me and my wife so greatly weakened, Sanjaya, then life will hold no value for you.
दासकर्मकरान्भृत्यानाचार्यर्त्विक्पुरोहितान्। अवृत्त्याऽस्मान्प्रजहतो दृष्ट्वा किं जीवितेन ते
Seeing us, having abandoned our servants, laborers, dependents, teachers, priests, and household priests due to lack of means—what use will life be to you then?
यदि कृत्यं न पश्यामि तवाद्याहं यथा पुरा । श्लाघनीयं यशस्यं च का शान्तिर्हृदयस्य मे
If today I do not see you acting as before, performing deeds worthy of praise and fame, what peace can there be for my heart?
नेति चेद्ब्राह्मणं ब्रूयां दीर्येत हृदयं मम। न ह्यद न च मे भर्ता नेति ब्राह्मणमुक्तवान्
If I were to say to the Brahmin, 'He is not,' my heart would break; for neither my husband nor the Brahmin has ever said, 'He is not.'
वयमाश्रयणीयाः स्म न श्रोतारः परस्य च। अन्यमासाद्य जीवन्ती परित्यक्ष्यामि जीवितम्
We are to be protected, not to listen to another; if, seeking another, I survive, I will abandon my life.
अपारे भव नः पारमप्लवे भव नः प्लवः । कुरुष्व स्थानमस्थाने मृतान्सञ्जीवयस्व नः
Be the shore for us in this boundless sea, be the raft for us in this flood; establish us where there is no footing, revive the dead among us.
सर्वे ते शत्रवः शक्या न चेञ्जीवितुमर्हसि । अथ चेदीदृशीं वृत्तिं क्लीबामभ्युपपद्यसे
All your enemies can be overcome; but if you do not deserve to live, and if you accept such a cowardly way of life—
निर्विण्णात्मा हतमना मुञ्चैतां पापजीविकाम्। एकशत्रुवधेनैव शूरो गच्छति विश्रुतिम्
With a broken spirit and defeated mind, abandon this wretched way of living; for by slaying even a single enemy, a hero attains fame.
इन्द्रो वृत्रवधेनैव महेन्द्रः समपद्यत। माहेन्द्रं च ग्रहं लेभे लोकानां चेश्वरोऽभवत्
Indra became the great Indra only by slaying Vritra; he attained the sovereignty of the gods and became lord of the worlds.
नाम विश्राव्य वै शङ्ख्ये शत्रूनाहूय दंशितान्। सेनाग्रं चापि विद्राव्य हत्वा वा पुरुषं वरम्
By proclaiming his name in battle, summoning the assembled enemies, scattering the front of their army, or by slaying a worthy man—
यदैव लभते वीरः सुयुद्धेन महद्यशः । तदैव प्रव्यथन्तेऽस्य शत्रवो विनमन्ति च
When a hero gains great fame through noble battle, then his enemies are deeply troubled and bow down before him.
त्यक्त्वात्मानं रणे दक्षं शूरं कापुरुषा जनाः । अवशास्तर्पयन्ति स्म सर्वकामसमृद्धिभिः
When the brave and capable abandon their lives in battle, the powerless people honor them with all manner of fulfilled desires.
राज्यं चाप्युग्रवि भ्रंशं संशयो जीवितस्य वा। न लब्धस्य हि शत्रोर्वै शेषं कुर्वन्ति साधवः
Whether it is the loss of a kingdom or the uncertainty of life, the virtuous do not leave any remnant for an enemy who has seized what was gained.
स्वर्गद्वारोपमं राज्यमथवाप्यमृतोपमम् । रुद्धमेकायनं मत्वा पतोल्मुक इवारिषु
Considering the kingdom as a gateway to heaven or as equal to immortality, if it is blocked and has only one path, fall upon the enemies like a blazing firebrand.
जहि शत्रून्रणे राजन्स्वधर्मनुपालय । मा त्वा दृशं सुकृपणं शत्रूणां भयवर्धनम्
Strike down your enemies in battle, O king, uphold your own duty; do not let me see you pitiable, increasing the fear of your foes.
अस्मदीयैश्च शोचिद्भिर्नदद्भिश्च परैर्वृतम् । अपि त्वां नानुपश्येयं दीनाद्दीनमिवास्थितम्
Surrounded by our lamenting kin and the cries of others, may I not see you, wretched, remaining in misery among the miserable.
हृप्य सौवीरकन्याभिः श्लाघस्वार्थैर्यथा पुरा। मा च सैन्धवकन्यानामवसन्नो वशं गमः
Delight, as before, in the praise and aims of the maidens of Sauvira; do not, dejected, fall under the sway of the maidens of Sindhu.
युवा रूपेण संपन्नो विद्ययाभिजनेन च । यत्त्वादृशो विकुर्वीत यशस्वी लोकविश्रुतः
Young, endowed with beauty, learning, and noble birth—when one such as you, renowned and celebrated in the world, acts thus—
अधुर्यवच्च वोढव्ये मन्ये मरणमेव तत्। यदि त्वामनुपश्यामि परस्य प्रियवादिनम्
To bear you, who speak pleasing words to another, would be, I think, like bearing a burden unfit for a yoke; for me, it would be death itself.
पृष्ठतोऽनुव्रजन्तं वा का शान्तिर्हृदयस्य मे। नास्मिञ्जातु कुले जातो गच्छेद्योन्यस्य पृष्ठतः
What peace could my heart have if I saw you following behind another? In our lineage, never has one born gone after another’s back.
न त्वं परस्यानुचरस्तात जीवितुमर्हसि । अहं हि क्षत्रहृदयं वेद यत्परिशाश्वतम्
You, my son, should not live as another’s attendant; for I know the eternal spirit of the warrior—
पूर्वैः पूर्वतरैः प्रोक्तं परैः परतरैरपि। शाश्वतं चाव्ययं चैव प्रजापतिविनिर्मितम्
It has been declared by those before and even earlier, by those greater and still greater, as eternal and imperishable, established by the Lord of Creatures.
यो वै कश्चिदिहाजातः क्षत्रियः क्षत्रधर्मवित् । भयाद्वृत्तिसमीक्षो वा न नमेदिह कस्यचित्
Any Kshatriya born here, who knows the duties of his order, should not bow to anyone here, whether out of fear or for the sake of livelihood.
उद्यच्छेदेव न नमेदुद्यमो ह्येव पौरुषम् । अप्यपर्वणि भज्येत न नमेतेह कस्यचित्
He should always strive upward and never bow; for effort itself is manliness. Even if he were to break at the joints, he should not bow to anyone here.
मातङ्गो मत्त इव च परीयात्स महामनाः । ब्राह्मणेभ्यो नमेन्नित्यं धर्मायैव च सञ्जय
He should move about, high-spirited, like a maddened elephant, but always bow to Brahmins and to righteousness, O Sanjaya.