यावन्न ते चमूः सर्वाः शरैः सन्नतपर्वभिः । नाशयत्यर्जुनस्तावत्संधिस्ते तात य्रुज्यताम्
Before Arjuna destroys all your troops with his sharp-tipped arrows, O dear one, make peace.
यावत्तिष्ठन्ति समरे हतशेषाः सहोदराः । नृपाश्च बहवो राजंस्तावत्संधिः प्रयुज्यताम्
As long as the surviving brothers and many kings still stand on the battlefield, O King, let peace be made.
न निर्दहति ते यावत्क्रोधदीप्तेक्षणश्चमूम् । युधिष्ठिरो रणे तावत्संधिस्ते तात युज्यताम्
Before Yudhishthira, his eyes blazing with wrath, burns your army in battle, O dear one, make peace.
नकुलः सहदेवश्च भीमसेनश्च पाण्डवः। यावच्चमूं महाराज नाशयन्ति न सर्वशः
So long as Nakula, Sahadeva, and Bhimasena, the Pandavas, have not utterly destroyed your army, O great King—
तावत्ते पाण्डवैर्वीरैः सौहार्दं मम रोचते। युद्धं मदन्तमेवास्तु तात संशाम्य पाण्डवैः
Until then, I prefer friendship with the heroic Pandavas; let the battle end, O dear one, and make peace with them.
एतत्ते रोचतां वाक्यं यदुक्तोऽसि मयाऽनघ। एतत्क्षममहं मन्ये तव चैव कुलस्य च
Let this advice I have given you, O faultless one, be pleasing to you; I believe it is fitting for you and your lineage.
त्यक्त्वा मन्युं व्युपशाम्यस्व पार्थैः पर्याप्तमेतद्यत्कृतं फल्गुनेन । भीष्मस्यान्तादस्तु वः सौहृदं च जीवन्तु शेषाः साधु राजन्प्रसीद
Abandon your anger and be reconciled with the sons of Pandu; what Phalguna has done is enough. Let there be friendship after Bhishma's end, and let the survivors live—be gracious, O King.
राज्यस्यार्दं दीयतां पाण्डवाना- मिन्द्रप्रस्थं धरमराजोऽभियातु। मा मित्रध्रुक्पार्थिवानां जघन्यः पापां कीर्तिं प्राप्स्यसे कौरवेन्द्र
Let half the kingdom be given to the Pandavas; let Dharmaraja go to Indraprastha. Do not become the most reviled among kings, betraying your kin, O Kaurava lord, and gaining evil fame.
ममावसानाच्छान्तिरस्तु प्रजानां संगच्छन्तां पाण्डवाः प्रीतिमन्तः। पिता पुत्रं मातुलं भागिनेयो भ्राता चैव भ्रातरं प्रैतु राजन्
Let there be peace among the people at my end; let the Pandavas unite in harmony. Let fathers go to sons, maternal uncles to nephews, and brothers to brothers, O King.
न चेदेवं प्राप्तकालं वचो मे मोहाविष्टः प्रतिपत्स्यस्यबुद्ध्या । तप्स्यस्यन्ते एतदन्ताः स्थ सर्वे सत्यामेतां भारतीमीरयामि
But if, deluded, you do not accept my timely words with understanding, you will suffer in the end; all of you will meet your destruction. I speak this truthfully, O Bharata.
एतद्वाक्यं सौहृदादापगेयो मध्ये राज्ञां भारतं श्रावयित्वा। तूष्णीमासीच्छल्यसंतप्तमर्मा योज्यात्मानं वेदनां संनियम्य
Having spoken these words out of friendship to the descendant of the river, and making the Bharata kings listen in their midst, he sat in silence, his vital points afflicted by Shalya, restraining his own pain.
धर्मार्थसहितं वाक्यं श्रुत्वा हितमनामयम् । नारोचयत पुत्रस्ते मुमूर्षुरिव भेषजम्
Hearing these words, which were righteous, beneficial, and free from harm, your son did not accept them, like a dying man refusing medicine.
ततस्ते पार्थिवाः सर्वे जग्मुः स्वानालयान्पुनः । तूष्णींभूते महाराज भीष्मे शन्तनुनन्दने
Then all the kings departed again to their own dwellings, O great king, when Bhishma, son of Shantanu, had become silent.
श्रुत्वा तु निहतं भीष्मं राधेयः पुरुषर्षभः । ईषदागतसंत्रासस्त्वरयोपजगाम ह
Hearing that Bhishma had been slain, Radheya, the foremost among men, approached swiftly, a little fearful.
स ददर्श महात्मानं शरतल्पगतं तदा। जन्मशय्यागतं वीरं कार्तिकेयमिव प्रभुम्
He saw the great-souled one lying upon a bed of arrows, that heroic lord resting upon his birth-bed, like Kartikeya.
निमीलिताक्षं तं वीरं साश्रुकण्ठस्तदा वृषा । अभ्येत्य पादयोस्तस्य निपपात महाद्युतिः
With eyes closed, that hero, his throat choked with tears, the radiant bull approached and fell at his feet.
राधेयोऽहं कुरुश्रेष्ठ नित्यमक्षिगतस्तव । द्वेष्योऽत्यन्तमनागाः सन्निति चैनमुवाच ह
I am Radheya, O best of Kurus, always hostile to you; I am exceedingly hated and innocent—thus he spoke to him.
तच्छ्रुत्वा कुरुवृद्धो हि शरैः संवृतलोचनः। रहितं धिष्ण्यमालोक्य समुत्सार्य च रक्षिणः
Hearing this, the elder of the Kurus, his eyes covered by arrows, saw the throne empty and dismissed the guards.
पितेव पुत्रं गाङ्गेयः परिरभ्यैकपाणिना । शनैरुद्वीक्ष्य सस्नेहमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्
Like a father to a son, Gāṅgeya embraced him with one hand, and slowly, with affection, spoke these words.
न विप्रियं ममैवेह यत्स्पर्धेथा मया सह । यदि मां नाधिगच्छेथा न ते श्रेयो ध्रुवं भवेत्
There is nothing displeasing to me here, that you should compete with me; if you do not attain me, surely there will be no benefit for you.
कौन्तेयस्त्वं न राधेयो न तवाधिरथः पिता। सूर्यजस्त्वं महाबाहो विदितो नारदान्मया
You are a son of Kunti, not Radheya, nor is Adhiratha your father; you are born of Surya, mighty-armed one, known to me through Narada.
कृष्णद्वैपायनाच्चैव तेजसा च न संशयः । न च द्वेषोस्ति मे तात त्वयि सत्यं ब्रवीमि ते
And from Krishna Dvaipayana, and by your radiance, there is no doubt; nor is there hatred in me, dear one, I speak the truth to you.
तेजोवधनिमित्तं तु परुषं त्वाहमब्रुवम्। अकस्मात्पाण्डवान्हि त्वं द्विषसीति मतिर्मम
For the sake of restraining your energy, I spoke harshly to you; suddenly, my mind thought you hated the Pandavas.
येनासि बहुशो राज्ञा चोदितः सूतनन्दन । जातोऽसि धर्मलोपेन ततस्ते बुद्धिरीदृशी
Because you were often urged by the king, O son of the charioteer, you were born through a lapse in dharma, and thus your mind became so.
नीचाश्रयान्मत्सरेण द्वेषिणी गुमिनामपि । तेनासि बहुशो रूक्षं श्रावितः कुरुसंसदि
From lowly association, from envy, and from hatred even of the virtuous, you were often spoken to harshly in the Kuru assembly.
जानामि समरे वीर्यं शत्रुभिर्दुःसहं भुवि । ब्रह्मण्यतां च शौर्यं च दाने च परमां स्थितिम्
I know your valor in battle, intolerable to enemies on earth, your devotion to Brahmins, your courage, and your supreme standing in generosity.
न त्वया सदृशः कश्चित्पुरुषेष्वमरोपम। कुलभेदभयाच्चाहं सदा परुषमुक्तवान्
No one among men is equal to you, O peerless one; out of fear of disrupting the lineage, I always spoke harshly.
इष्वस्त्रे भारसंधाने लाघवेऽस्त्रबले तथा । सदृशः फल्गुनेनासि कृष्णेन च महात्मना
In archery, in fixing the weight of arrows, in swiftness, and in the strength of weapons, you are equal to Phalguna and the great-souled Krishna.
कर्ण काशिपुरं गत्वा त्वयैकेन धनुष्मता । कन्यार्थे कुरुराजस्य राजानो मृदिता युधि
Karna, when you alone, armed with your bow, went to Kashi, you defeated the assembled kings in battle for the sake of the Kuru king’s daughter.
तथा च बलवान्राजा जरासन्धो दुरासदः। समरे समरश्लाघिन्न त्वया सदृशोऽभवत्
And likewise, the mighty king Jarasandha, formidable and proud in battle, was not your equal in combat.