यदि मां नाधिगच्छेथा युद्धाय कृतनिश्चयः । शपेयं त्वां महाराज परीभावाय वै रणे
If, O great king, you, firmly resolved on battle, do not obtain me, I would curse you in the fight for your disgrace.
तुष्टोऽस्मि पूजितश्चास्मि यत्काङ्क्षसि तदस्तु ते । अनुजानामि चैव त्वां युध्यस्व जयमाप्नुहि
I am pleased and honored; whatever you desire, let it be granted to you. I also give you permission—fight and win victory.
ब्रूहि चैष परं वीर केनार्थः किं ददामि ते। एवं गते महाराज युद्धादन्यत्किमिच्छसि
Tell me, O hero, what is your highest purpose? What shall I give you? In this situation, O great king, what do you wish besides battle?
अर्थस्य पुरुषो दासो दासस्त्वर्थो न कस्यचित्। इति सत्यं महाराज बद्धोस्म्यर्थेन कौरवैः
A man is a servant to wealth; wealth is servant to none. This is the truth, O great king—I am bound by wealth to the Kauravas.
करिष्यामि हि ते कामं भागिनेय यथेप्सितम्। ब्रवीम्यतः क्लीबवत्त्वां युद्धादन्यत्किमिच्छसि
I will indeed do whatever you, O son of my sister, desire. Therefore, speak—what do you wish besides battle, that you do not seem unmanly?
मन्त्रयस्व महाराज नित्यं मद्धितमुत्तमम्। कामं युद्ध्य परस्यार्थे वरमेतं वृणोम्यहम्
Always consult, O great king, for my highest benefit. Freely fight for another's sake; I choose this boon.
किमत्र ब्रूहि साह्यं ते करोमि नृपसत्तम। कामं योत्स्ये परस्यार्थे बद्धोऽस्म्यर्थेन कौरवैः
Speak—what here can I do to assist you, O best of kings? Freely will I fight for another's sake; I am bound by wealth to the Kauravas.
स एव मे वरः शल्य उद्योगे यस्त्वया कृतः। सूतपुत्रस्य संग्रामे कार्यस्तेजोवधस्त्वया
That very boon, O Shalya, which you granted in the preparations—that is your task in battle: to restrain the prowess of the son of the charioteer.
संपत्स्यत्येष ते कामः कुन्तीपुत्र यथेप्सितम् । गच्छ युध्यस्व विस्रब्धः प्रतिजाने वचस्तव
This desire of yours, O son of Kunti, will be fulfilled as you wish. Go, fight with confidence—I pledge you my word.
अनुमान्याथ कौन्तेयो मातुलं मद्रकेश्वरम् । निर्जगाम महासैन्याद्भ्रतृभिः परिवारितः
Then, having taken leave of his maternal uncle, the king of Madra, the son of Kunti departed from the great army, surrounded by his brothers.
वासुदेवस्तु राधेयमाहवेऽभिजगाम वै। तत एनमुवाचेदं पाण्डवार्थे गदाग्रजः
But Vāsudeva approached Radheya on the battlefield; then the elder of the Gada-bearers spoke these words to him for the sake of the Pandavas.
श्रुतं मे कर्ण भीष्मस्य द्वोषात्किल न योत्स्यसे। अस्मान्वरय राधेय यावद्भीष्मो न हन्यते
I have heard, Karna, that because of Bhishma's reproach you will not fight. Therefore, O son of Radha, choose a boon from us until Bhishma is slain.
हते तु भीष्मे राधेय पुनरेष्यसि संयुगम् । धार्तराष्ट्रस्य साहाय्यं यदि पश्यसि चेत्समम्
But when Bhishma is slain, O son of Radha, you may return to battle, if you see fit to aid the son of Dhritarashtra.
न विप्रियं करिष्यामि धार्तराष्ट्रस्य केशव । त्यक्तप्राणं हि मां विद्धि दुर्योधनहितैषिणम्
I will do nothing displeasing to the son of Dhritarashtra, O Keśava. Know me as one who seeks Duryodhana's good, even at the cost of my life.
तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं कृष्णः संन्यवर्तत भारत । युधिष्ठिरपुरोगैश्च पाण्डवैः सह संगतः
Hearing these words, Krishna withdrew, O Bharata, and joined the Pandavas, led by Yudhishthira.
अथ सैन्यस्य मध्ये तु प्राक्रोशत्पाण्डवाग्रजः । योऽस्मान्वृणोति तमहं वरये साह्यकारणात्
Then, in the midst of the army, the eldest of the Pandavas proclaimed: 'Whoever chooses us, him I choose, for the sake of alliance.'
अथ तान्समभिप्रेक्ष्य युयुत्सुरिदमब्रवीत् । प्रीतात्मा धर्मराजानं कुन्तीपुत्रं युधिष्ठिरम्
Then, seeing them, Yuyutsu, his heart glad, spoke these words to Yudhishthira, the righteous son of Kunti.
अहं योत्स्यामि भवतः संयुगे धृतराष्ट्रजान् । युष्मदर्थं महाराज यदि मां वृणुषेऽनघ
I will fight for you in battle against the sons of Dhritarashtra, O great king, for your sake, if you choose me, O sinless one.
एह्येहि सर्वे योत्स्यामस्तव भ्रातॄनपण्डितान्। युयुत्सो वासुदेवश्च वयं च ब्रूम सर्वशः
Come, let us all fight against your brothers, who are not wise; Yuyutsu, Vāsudeva, and all of us declare this completely.
वृणोमि त्वां महाबाहो युध्यस्व मम कारणात्। त्वयि पिण्डश्च तन्तुश्च धृतराष्ट्रस्य दृश्यते
I choose you, mighty-armed one; fight for my sake. In you, both the lineage and the thread of Dhṛtarāṣṭra are seen.
भजस्वास्मान्राजपुत्र भजमानान्महाद्युते । न भविष्यति दुर्बुद्धिर्धार्तराष्ट्रोऽत्यमर्षणः
Join us, prince, as we join you, O greatly illustrious one. The evil-minded, excessively wrathful son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra will not prevail.
ततो युयुत्सुः कौरव्यान्परित्यज्य सुतांस्तव। जगाम पाण्डुपुत्राणां सेनां विश्राव्य दुन्दुभिं
Then Yuyutsu, abandoning your sons, O Kaurava, went to the army of the sons of Pāṇḍu, having the drum sounded aloud.
ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा संप्रहृष्टःक सहानुजः । जग्राह कवचं भूयो दीप्तिमत्कनकोञ्ज्वलम्
Then King Yudhiṣṭhira, rejoicing with his brothers, again took up his armor, blazing and adorned with gold.
प्रत्यपद्यन्त ते सर्वे स्वरथान्पुरुषर्षभाः । ततो व्यूहं यथापूर्वं प्रत्यव्यूहन्त ते पुनः
All those best of men mounted their own chariots; then they arrayed their formation again as before.
अवादयन्दुन्दुभींश्च शतशश्चैव पुष्करान् । सिंहनादांश्च विविधान्विनेदुः पुरुषर्षभाः
They sounded hundreds of drums and many kinds of trumpets; the best of men uttered various lion-roars.
रथस्थान्पुरुषव्याघ्रान्पाण्डवान्प्रेक्ष्य पार्थिवाः । धृष्टद्युम्नादयः सर्वे पुनर्जहृषिरे तदा
Seeing the Pāṇḍavas, tigers among men, standing on their chariots, all the leaders like Dhṛṣṭadyumna rejoiced once more.
गौरवं पाण्डुपुत्राणां मान्यान्मानयतां च तान्। दृष्ट्वा महीक्षितस्तत्र पूजयांचक्रिरे भृशम्
There, seeing the honor and respect shown to the Pāṇḍavas by those who were worthy of honor, the kings honored them greatly.
सौहृदं च कृपां चैव प्राप्तकालं महात्मनाम् । दयां च ज्ञातिषु परां कथयांचक्रिरे नृपाः
The kings spoke of the timely friendship, compassion, and supreme kindness among kinsmen shown by the great souls.
साधुसाध्विति सर्वत्र निश्चेरुः स्तुतिसंहिताः। वाचः पुण्याः कीर्तिमतां मनोहृदयहर्षणाः
Everywhere, voices joined in praise, exclaiming 'Well done, well done!'—holy words, full of fame, delighting hearts and minds.
म्लेच्छाश्चार्याश्च ये तत्र ददृशुः शुश्रुवुस्तथा । वृत्तं तत्पाण्डुपुत्राणां रुरुदुस्ते सगद्गदाः
The foreigners and those who were amazed there saw and heard of the conduct of the sons of Pāṇḍu, and wept with choked voices.