लब्ध्वा वरं तु कौन्तेयो मेने विजयमात्मनः । आरुरोह ततः पार्थो रथं परमसंमतम्
Having received the boon, Kaunteya considered victory as his own; then Partha ascended the chariot, most highly esteemed.
कृष्णार्जुनावेकरथौ दिव्यौ शङ्खौः प्रदध्मतुः । य इदं पठते स्तोत्रं कल्य उत्थाय मानवः
Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, together on one chariot, blew their divine conches; whoever recites this hymn, rising in the morning, O man,
यक्षरक्षःपिशाचेभ्यो न भयं विद्यते सदा। न चापि रिपवस्तेभ्यः सर्पाद्या ये च दंष्ट्रिणः
He never has fear from Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Piśācas; nor from enemies among them, nor from serpents and other creatures with fangs.
न भयं विद्यते तस्य सदा राजकुलादपि । विवादेक जयमाप्नोति बद्धो मुच्यति बन्धनात्
He never has fear even from the royal court; in disputes he attains victory, and if bound, he is released from bondage.
दुर्गं तरति चावश्यं तथा चोरैर्विमुच्यते। संग्रामे विजयेन्नित्यं लक्ष्मीं प्राप्नोति केवलाम्
He surely crosses over fortresses and is freed from thieves; he always wins in battle and attains wealth alone.
आरोग्यबलसंपन्नो जीवेद्वर्षशतं तथा । एतद्दृष्टं प्रसादात्तु मया व्यासस्य धीमतः
Endowed with health and strength, he lives for a hundred years; this I have seen by the grace of wise Vyāsa.
मोहादेतौ न जानन्ति नरनारायणावृषी । तव पुत्रा दुरात्मानः सर्वे मन्युवशानुगाः
Out of delusion, your sons, evil-minded and all following the sway of anger, do not know the sage Nara-Nārāyaṇa.
प्राप्तकालमिदं वाक्यं कालपाशेन कुण्ठिताः । द्वैपायनो नारदश्च कण्वो रामस्तथानघः । अवारयंस्तव सुतं न चासौ तद्गृहीतवान्
This word has come at the proper time, but they are dulled by the noose of Time; Dvaipāyana, Nārada, Kaṇva, and sinless Rāma tried to restrain your son, but he did not heed them.
यत्र धर्मो द्युतिः कान्तिर्यत्र ह्रीः श्रीस्तथा मतिः। यतो धर्मस्ततः कृष्णो यतः कृष्णस्ततो जयः
Where there is Dharma, brilliance, beauty, modesty, wealth, and wisdom; where there is Dharma, there is Kṛṣṇa; where there is Kṛṣṇa, there is victory.
केषां प्रहृष्टास्तत्राग्रे योधा युध्यन्ति सञ्जय। उदग्रमनसः के वा के वा दीना विचेतसः
Which warriors are joyful and fighting in the front, Sañjaya? Who are eager, and who are dejected and confused?
के पूर्वं प्राहरंस्तत्र युद्धे हृदयकम्पने । मामकाः पाण्डवेया वा तन्ममाचक्ष्व सञ्जय
Who struck first in that battle, causing hearts to tremble? Were they mine or the sons of Pāṇḍu? Tell me, Sañjaya.
कस्य सेनासमुदये गन्धो माल्यसमुद्भवः । वायुः प्रदक्षिणश्चैव योधानामभिगर्जताम्
In whose army did the fragrance of garlands arise, and the wind circle around, as the warriors roared?
उभयोः सेनयोस्तत्र योधा जहृषिरे तदा। स्रजः समाः सुगन्धानामुभयत्र समुद्भवः
Then, the warriors in both armies rejoiced; garlands of fragrant flowers appeared equally on both sides.
संहतानामनीकानां व्यूढानां भरतर्षभ । संसर्गात्समुदीर्णानां विमर्दः सुमहानभूत्
O bull among the Bharatas, as the tightly arrayed divisions assembled and pressed together, a great clash arose from their contact.
वादित्रशब्दस्तुमुलः शङ्खभेरीविमिश्रितः। शूराणां रणशूराणां गर्जतामितरेतरम्
The tumultuous sound of instruments, mingled with conches and drums, resounded as the valiant warriors roared at one another in battle.
उभयोः सेनयो राजन्महान्व्यतिकरोऽभवत्। अन्योन्यं वीक्षमाणानां योधानां भरतर्षभ। कुञ्जराणां च नदतां सैन्यानां च प्रहृष्यताम्
O king, a great encounter took place between the two armies, as the warriors gazed at each other, the elephants trumpeted, and the troops exulted.
तं तथा कृपयाविष्टमश्रुपूर्णाकुलेक्षणम् । विषीदन्तमिदं वाक्यमुवाच मधुसूदनः
Seeing him thus overwhelmed by compassion, his eyes filled with tears and troubled, Madhusudana spoke these words to the despondent one.
कुतस्त्वा कश्मलमिदं विषमे समुपस्थितम् । अनार्यजुष्टमस्वर्ग्यमकीर्तिकरमर्जुन
From where has this dejection come upon you in this crisis, Arjuna—unworthy of the noble, leading neither to heaven nor to fame?
क्लैब्यं मा स्म गमः पार्थ नैतत्त्वय्युपपद्यते। क्षुद्रं हृदयदौर्बल्यं त्यक्त्वोत्तिष्ठ परंतप
Do not yield to weakness, Partha; it does not befit you. Cast off this petty faintness of heart and arise, scorcher of foes.
कथं भीष्ममहं सङ्ख्ये द्रोणं च मधुसूदन । इषुभिः प्रतियोत्स्यामि पूजार्हावरिसूदन
How shall I fight with arrows in battle against Bhishma and Drona, O Madhusudana, who are worthy of reverence, O destroyer of enemies?
गुरूनहत्वा हि महानुभावान् श्रेयो भोक्तुं भेक्षमपीह लोके। हत्वार्थकामांस्तु गुरूनिहैव भुञ्जीय भोगान्रुधिरप्रदिग्धान्
It would be better in this world to live on alms than to slay these great-souled teachers; by killing my teachers, even if they desire wealth, I would enjoy pleasures stained with blood.
न चैतद्वीद्मः कतरन्नो गरीयो यद्वा जयम यदि वा नो जयेयुः। यानेव हत्वा न जिजीविषाम- स्तेऽवस्थिताः प्रमुखे धार्तराष्ट्राः
Nor do we know which is better for us—whether we should conquer them or they should conquer us; those very sons of Dhritarashtra, after killing whom we would not wish to live, stand before us in battle.
कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभावः पृच्छामि त्वां धर्मसंमूढचेताः। यच्छ्रेयः स्यान्निश्चितं ब्रूहि तन्मे शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम्
My nature, afflicted by the fault of weakness, is confused about my duty; I ask you—tell me decisively what is truly best. I am your disciple; instruct me, for I have taken refuge in you.
न हि प्रपश्यामि ममापनुद्या- द्यच्छोकमुच्छोषणमिन्द्रियाणाम्। अवाप्य भूमावसपत्नमृद्धं राज्यं सुराणामपि चाधिपत्यम्
I do not see what could dispel this grief that dries up my senses, even if I were to obtain a prosperous, unrivaled kingdom on earth or sovereignty over the gods.
एवमुकत्वा हृषीकेशं गुडाकेशं परंतप । न योत्स्य इति गोविन्दमुक्त्वा तूष्णीं बभूव ह
Having spoken thus to Hrishikesha, Gudakesha, the scorcher of foes, declared, 'I will not fight,' and became silent, O Govinda.
तमुवाच हृषीकेशः प्रहसन्निव भारत। सेनयोरुभयोर्मध्ये विषीदन्तमिदं वचः
To him, Hrishikesha spoke these words, as if smiling, O Bharata, to the despondent one, standing between the two armies.
अशोच्यानन्वशोचस्त्वं प्रज्ञावादांश्च भाषसे। गतासूनगतासूंश्च नानुशोचन्ति पाण्डिताः
You grieve for those who should not be grieved for, yet you speak words of wisdom; the wise do not mourn for the living or for the dead.
नत्वेवाहं जातु नासं न त्वं नेमे जनाधिपाः। न चैव नभविष्यामः सर्वे वयमतः परम्
Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor these rulers of men; nor shall we ever cease to exist hereafter.
देहिनोऽस्मिन्यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा। तथा देहान्तरप्राप्तिर्धीरस्तत्र न मुह्यति
Just as in this body the embodied soul passes through childhood, youth, and old age, so also does it pass into another body; the wise are not deluded by this.
मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः । आगमापायिनोऽनित्स्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत
O son of Kunti, contacts with sense objects produce cold and heat, pleasure and pain; they come and go and are impermanent—endure them, O Bharata.