अथार्तिजं महाशब्दं ब्राह्मणस्य निवेशने। भृशमुत्पतितं घोरं कुन्ती शुश्राव भारत
O Bharata, at that time Kunti heard a loud and terrible cry of distress rising intensely from the house of a Brahmin.
रोरुयमाणांस्तान्दृष्ट्वा परिदेवयतश्च सा। कारुण्यात्साधुभावाच्च कुन्ती राजन्न चक्षमे
Seeing them weeping and lamenting, Kunti, moved by compassion and virtue, could not bear it, O King.
मथ्यमानेव दुःखेन हृदयेन पृथा तदा। उवाच भीमं कल्याणी कृपान्वितमिदं वचः
Then Pritha, her heart as if churned by sorrow, spoke these words full of pity to Bhima, her noble son.
वसामः सुसुखं पुत्र ब्राह्मणस्य निवेशने। अज्ञाता धार्तराष्ट्रस्य सत्कृतां वीतमन्यवः
Son, we live very happily in the Brahmin's house, unknown to the sons of Dhritarashtra, honored and free from anger.
सा चिन्तये सदा पुत्र ब्राह्मणस्यास्य किं न्वहम्।। कदा प्रियं करिष्यामि यत्कुर्युरुषिताः सुखम्
Son, I always think what I might do for this Brahmin; when will I do something dear to him, something that will bring happiness to those who dwell here?
एतावान्पुरुषस्तात कृतं यस्मिन्न नश्यति। यावच्च कुर्यादन्योऽस्य कुर्यादभ्यधिकं ततः
O child, a man is called accomplished when nothing is lost in what he does; but if another does more than him, then that is greater.
तदिदं ब्राह्मणस्यास्य दुःखमापतितं ध्रुवम्। न तत्र यदि साहाय्यं कुर्याम सुकृतं भवेत्
This sorrow has surely come upon this Brahmin; if we do not help him, no good deed will be accomplished.
ज्ञायतामस्य यद्दुःखं यतश्चैव समुत्थितम्। विदित्वा व्यवसिष्यामि यद्यपि स्यात्सुदुष्करम्
Let us find out what his suffering is and from where it has arisen; once I know, I will decide what to do, even if it is very difficult.
एवं तौ कथयन्तौ च भूयः सुश्रुवतुः स्वनम्। आर्तिजं तस्य विप्रस्य सभार्यस्य विशांपते
As they were talking thus, they again heard the sound of distress from that Brahmin and his wife, O lord of the people.
अन्तःपुरं ततस्तस्य ब्राह्मणस्य महात्मनः। विवेश त्वरिता कुन्ती बद्धवत्सेव सौरभी
Then Kunti, swift as a cow to her calf, entered the inner chambers of that great-souled Brahmin.
ततस्तं ब्राह्मणं तत्र भार्यया च सुतेन च। दुहित्रा चैव सहितं ददर्श विकृताननम्
There she saw the Brahmin, together with his wife, son, and daughter, all with faces distorted by grief.
धिगिदं जीवितं लोके गतसारमनर्थकम्। दुःखमूलं पराधीनं भृशमप्रियभागि च
Fie upon this life in the world, which is devoid of essence and useless, rooted in sorrow, dependent on others, and full of unpleasantness.
जीविते परमं दुःखं जीविते परमो ज्वरः। जीविते वर्तमानस्य द्वन्द्वानामागमो ध्रुवः
In life there is the greatest sorrow, in life the greatest fever; for one who lives, the arrival of opposites is certain.
आत्मा ह्येको हि धर्मार्थौ कामं चैव निषेवते। एतैश्च विप्रयोगोऽपि दुःखं परमनन्तकम्
The self alone pursues righteousness, wealth, and desire; and separation from these brings endless and supreme suffering.
आहुः केचित्परं मोक्षं स च नास्ति कथंचन। अर्थप्राप्तौ तु नरकः कृत्स्न एवोपपद्यते
Some say that liberation is supreme, but it is never attained; and in the pursuit of wealth, complete hell arises.
अर्थेप्सुता परं दुःखमर्थप्राप्तौ ततोऽधिकम्। जातस्नेहस्य चार्थेषु विप्रयोगे महत्तरम्
Those who desire wealth suffer greatly, and even more so when they attain it; but for one who has become attached to possessions, separation brings the greatest pain.
यावन्तो यस्य संयोगा द्रव्यैरिष्टैर्भवन्त्युत। तावन्तोऽस्य निख्यन्ते हृदये शोकशङ्कवः
As many are a person's attachments to desired objects, so many are the darts of sorrow that lodge in his heart.
तदिदं जीवितं प्राप्य अल्पकालं महाभयम्। त्यागो हि न मया प्राप्तो भार्यया सहितेन च
Having attained this life, which is brief and full of great fear, I have not yet achieved renunciation, even together with my wife.
न हि योगं प्रपश्यामि येन मुच्येयमापदः। पुत्रदारेण वा सार्धं प्राद्रवेयमनामयम्
Indeed, I do not see any means by which I could escape this calamity, nor could I flee safely together with my son and wife.
यतितं वै मया पूर्वं वेत्थ ब्राह्मणि तत्तथा। क्षेमं यतस्ततो गन्तुं त्वया तु मम न श्रुतम्
You know, O Brahmani, that I have previously made every effort to go wherever safety could be found; but you did not heed me.
इह जाता विवृद्धाऽस्मि पिता माता ममेति वै। उक्तवत्यसि दुर्मेधे याच्यमाना मयाऽसकृत्
You have said, 'Here I was born and raised; these are my father and mother,' O foolish one, though I have often begged you.
स्वर्गतोऽपि पिता वृद्धस्तथा माता चिरं तव। बन्धवा भूतपूर्वाश्च तत्र वासे तु का रतिः
Even if your father and mother, now aged, have gone to heaven, and your former relatives as well, what pleasure is there in dwelling there?
न भोजनं विरुद्धं स्यान्न स्त्रीदेशो निबन्धनः। सुदूरमपि तं देशं व्रजेद्गरुडहंसवत्
There is no conflict in food, nor is a woman's place a binding tie; one should go even to a distant land, like Garuda or a swan.
सोऽयं ते बन्धुकामाया अशृण्वन्त्या वचो मम। बन्धुप्रणाशः संप्राप्तो भृशं दुःखकरो मम
Now, because you, desiring kin, did not listen to my words, the destruction of our relatives has come, causing me great pain.
अथवा मद्विनाशो यं न हि शक्ष्यामि कंचन। परित्यक्तुमहं बन्धुं स्वयं जीवन्नृशंसवत्
Or, if I cannot bear my own destruction, I would be cruel to abandon a relative while I myself still live.
सहधर्मचरीं दान्तां नित्यं मातृसमां मम। सखायं विहितां देवैर्नित्यं परमिकां गतिम्
My wife, ever devoted to duty, self-controlled, always like a mother to me, appointed by the gods as my companion and supreme goal—
पित्रा मात्रा च विहितां सदा गार्हस्थ्यभागिनीम्। वरयित्वा यथान्यायं मन्त्रवत्परिणीय च
Assigned by my father and mother to always share in household life, properly chosen and married with sacred rites—
कुलीनां शीलसंपन्नामपत्यजननीमपि। त्वामहं जीवितस्यार्थे साध्वीमनपकारिणीम्
You, noble and blameless, of good family and character, fit to bear children, I have taken as my wife for the sake of life itself.
परित्यक्तुं न शक्ष्यामि भार्यां नित्यमनुव्रताम्। कुत एव परित्यक्तुं सुतां शक्ष्याम्यहं स्वयम्
I could never abandon my wife, ever faithful; how then could I, of my own will, abandon my daughter?
बालामप्राप्तवयसमजातव्यञ्जनाकृतिम्। भर्तुरर्थाय निक्षिप्तां न्यासं धात्रा महात्मना
A child, not yet come of age, her features not yet developed, entrusted to me by the great-souled Creator for the sake of her husband—