Bhima Taunts Karna, and Duryodhana Defends Him

Verse 1 (1.147.1)

ततः स्रस्तोत्तरपटः सप्रस्वेदः सवेपथुः । विवेशाधिरथो रङ्गं यष्टिप्राणो ह्वयन्निव ॥

tataḥ srastottarapaṭaḥ saprasvedaḥ savepathuḥ | viveśādhiratho raṅgaṃ yaṣṭiprāṇo hvayanniva

Then Adhiratha entered the arena, his upper cloth slipping, sweating and trembling, leaning on his staff as though his life hung on it, and seeming to call out as he came.

Verse 2 (1.147.2)

तमालोक्य धनुस्त्यक्त्वा पितृगौरवयन्त्रितः । कर्णोऽभिषेकार्द्रशिराः शिरसा समवन्दत ॥

tamālokya dhanustyaktvā pitṛgauravayantritaḥ | karṇo'bhiṣekārdraśirāḥ śirasā samavandata

Seeing him, Karna, bound by reverence for his father, laid down his bow and, his head still wet from the anointing, bowed his head to him.

Verse 3 (1.147.3)

ततः पादाववच्छाद्य पटान्तेन ससंभ्रमः । पुत्रेति परिपूर्णार्थमब्रवीद्रथसारथिः ॥

tataḥ pādāvavacchādya paṭāntena sasaṃbhramaḥ | putreti paripūrṇārthamabravīdrathasārathiḥ

Then the charioteer hastily covered his feet with the hem of his cloth and, his heart full, said, "My son!"

Note on the text: Corrected रथसारथिम् → रथसारथिः (misprint in Wikisource; the charioteer Adhiratha is the subject who covers his feet and says "son", as verse 4 confirms — the critical edition reads rathasārathiḥ).

Verse 4 (1.147.4)

परिष्वज्य च तस्याथ मूर्धानं स्नेहविक्लवः । अङ्गराज्याभिषेकार्द्रमश्रुभिः सिषिचे पुनः ॥

pariṣvajya ca tasyātha mūrdhānaṃ snehaviklavaḥ | aṅgarājyābhiṣekārdramaśrubhiḥ siṣice punaḥ

And, overcome with love, he embraced him and drenched once more with his tears the head still wet from the anointing as king of Anga.

Verse 5 (1.147.5)

तं दृष्ट्वा सूतपुत्रोऽयमिति संचिन्त्य पाण्डवः । भीमसेनस्तदा वाक्यमब्रवीत्प्रहसन्निव ॥

taṃ dṛṣṭvā sūtaputro'yamiti saṃcintya pāṇḍavaḥ | bhīmasenastadā vākyamabravītprahasanniva

Seeing him, the Pandava Bhimasena concluded, "This is a charioteer's son," and spoke, as if laughing:

Verse 6 (1.147.6)

न त्वमर्हसि पार्थेन सूतपुत्र रणे वधम् । कुलस्य सदृशस्तूर्णं प्रतोदो गृह्यतां त्वया ॥

na tvamarhasi pārthena sūtaputra raṇe vadham | kulasya sadṛśastūrṇaṃ pratodo gṛhyatāṃ tvayā

"Son of a charioteer, you are not worthy to die in battle at Partha's hands. Quick, take up the goad: that befits your family.

Verse 7 (1.147.7)

अङ्गराज्यं च नार्हस्त्वमुपभोक्तुं नराधम । श्वा हुताशसमीपस्थं पुरोडाशमिवाध्वरे ॥

aṅgarājyaṃ ca nārhastvamupabhoktuṃ narādhama | śvā hutāśasamīpasthaṃ puroḍāśamivādhvare

"Nor are you fit to enjoy the kingdom of Anga, lowest of men, any more than a dog is fit to eat the sacrificial cake set beside the fire at a sacrifice."

Verse 8 (1.147.8)

एवमुक्तस्ततः कर्णः किंचित्प्रस्फुरिताधरः । गगनस्थं विनिःश्वस्य दिवाकरमुदैक्षत ॥

evamuktastataḥ karṇaḥ kiṃcitprasphuritādharaḥ | gaganasthaṃ viniḥśvasya divākaramudaikṣata

Addressed thus, Karna, his lip trembling a little, sighed and looked up at the Sun standing in the sky.

Verse 9 (1.147.9)

ततो दुर्योधनः कोपादुत्पपात महाबलः । भ्रातृपद्मवनात्तस्मान्मदोत्कट इव द्विपः ॥

tato duryodhanaḥ kopādutpapāta mahābalaḥ | bhrātṛpadmavanāttasmānmadotkaṭa iva dvipaḥ

Then mighty Duryodhana sprang up in anger from that lotus grove of his brothers, like an elephant maddened with rut.

Verse 10 (1.147.10)

सोऽब्रवीद्भीमकर्माणं भीमसेनमवस्थितम् । वृकोदर न युक्तं ते वचनं वक्तुमीदृशम् ॥

so'bravīdbhīmakarmāṇaṃ bhīmasenamavasthitam | vṛkodara na yuktaṃ te vacanaṃ vaktumīdṛśam

He said to Bhimasena of terrible deeds, who stood there: "Vrikodara, it is not right for you to speak such words.

Verse 11 (1.147.11)

क्षत्रियाणां बलं ज्येष्ठं योक्तव्यं क्षत्रबन्धुना । शूराणां च नदीनां च प्रभवो दुर्विभावनः ॥

kṣatriyāṇāṃ balaṃ jyeṣṭhaṃ yoktavyaṃ kṣatrabandhunā | śūrāṇāṃ ca nadīnāṃ ca prabhavo durvibhāvanaḥ

"Among Kshatriyas, strength is what counts most, and even a Kshatriya of low standing must be met with it. The sources of heroes, like the sources of rivers, are hard to trace.

Note on the text: Corrected ज्यष्ठं → ज्येष्ठं (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped vowel sign े — the critical edition reads jyeṣṭhaṃ). The critical edition reads yoddhavyaṃ for योक्तव्यं and prabhavā durvidāḥ kila for प्रभवो दुर्विभावनः.

Verse 12 (1.147.12)

सलिलादुत्थितो वह्निर्येन व्याप्तं चराचरम् । दधीचस्यास्थितो वज्रं कृतं दानवसूदनम् ॥

salilādutthito vahniryena vyāptaṃ carācaram | dadhīcasyāsthito vajraṃ kṛtaṃ dānavasūdanam

"Fire, which pervades all that moves and all that is still, arose from the waters; and the thunderbolt that slays the Danavas was made from the bones of Dadhicha.

Verse 13 (1.147.13)

आग्नेयः कृत्तिकापुत्रो रौद्रो गाङ्गेय इत्यपि । श्रूयते भगवान्देवः सर्वगुह्यमयो गुहः ॥

āgneyaḥ kṛttikāputro raudro gāṅgeya ityapi | śrūyate bhagavāndevaḥ sarvaguhyamayo guhaḥ

"The blessed god Guha, who embodies every mystery, is spoken of as the son of Agni, the son of the Krittikas, the son of Rudra and the son of Ganga as well.

Verse 14 (1.147.14)

क्षत्रियेभ्यश्च ये जाता ब्राह्मणास्ते च ते श्रुताः । विश्वामित्रप्रभृतयः प्राप्ता ब्रह्मत्वमव्ययम् ॥

kṣatriyebhyaśca ye jātā brāhmaṇāste ca te śrutāḥ | viśvāmitraprabhṛtayaḥ prāptā brahmatvamavyayam

"You have heard, too, of those born of Kshatriyas who became Brahmins: Vishvamitra and others attained an imperishable Brahminhood.

Note on the text: The first line = CE 1.127.14ab (which reads kṣatriyābhyaś … viśrutāḥ); the second line is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 15 (1.147.15)

आचार्यः कलशाज्जातो द्रोणः शस्त्रभृतां वरः । गौतमस्यान्ववाये च शरस्तम्बाच्च गौतमः ॥

ācāryaḥ kalaśājjāto droṇaḥ śastrabhṛtāṃ varaḥ | gautamasyānvavāye ca śarastambācca gautamaḥ

"Our teacher Drona, foremost of those who bear arms, was born from a pitcher; and Gautama (Kripa), of Gautama's line, from a clump of reeds.

Note on the text: = CE 1.127.14cd in the expanded form of the vulgate recension; the critical edition reads ācāryaḥ kalaśāj jātaḥ śarastambād guruḥ kṛpaḥ.

Verse 16 (1.147.16)

भवतां च यथा जन्म तदप्यागमितं मया । सकुण्डलं सकवचं सर्वलक्षणलक्षितम् । कथमादित्यसदृशं मृगी व्याघ्रं जनिष्यति ॥

bhavatāṃ ca yathā janma tadapyāgamitaṃ mayā | sakuṇḍalaṃ sakavacaṃ sarvalakṣaṇalakṣitam | kathamādityasadṛśaṃ mṛgī vyāghraṃ janiṣyati

"And how you yourselves were born, that too I have learned. How could a doe give birth to a tiger like the sun, born with earrings and armour and marked with every auspicious sign?

Note on the text: = CE 1.127.14ef + 15ab–cd, aligned by hand; the critical edition reads nṛpaiḥ for मया and divyalakṣaṇa- for सर्वलक्षण-.

Verse 17 (1.147.17)

पृथिवीराज्यमर्होऽयं नाङ्गराज्यं नरेश्वरः । अनेन बाहुवीर्येण मया चाज्ञानुवर्तिना ॥

pṛthivīrājyamarho'yaṃ nāṅgarājyaṃ nareśvaraḥ | anena bāhuvīryeṇa mayā cājñānuvartinā

"By the strength of his arms, and with me to follow his commands, this lord of men deserves the kingship of the whole earth, not merely of Anga.

Verse 18 (1.147.18)

यस्य वा मनुजस्येदं न क्षान्तं मद्विचेष्टितम् । रथमारुह्य पद्भ्यां स विनामयतु कार्मुकम् ॥

yasya vā manujasyedaṃ na kṣāntaṃ madviceṣṭitam | rathamāruhya padbhyāṃ sa vināmayatu kārmukam

"And if there is any man who cannot bear what I have done, let him climb into his chariot, or stand on his feet, and bend his bow."

Verse 19 (1.147.19)

ततः सर्वस्य रङ्गस्य हाहाकारो महानभूत् । साधुवादानुसंबद्धः सूर्यश्चास्तमुपागमत् ॥

tataḥ sarvasya raṅgasya hāhākāro mahānabhūt | sādhuvādānusaṃbaddhaḥ sūryaścāstamupāgamat

Then a great clamour rose from the whole arena, mixed with cries of applause; and the sun set.

Verse 20 (1.147.20)

ततो दुर्योधनः कर्णमालम्ब्याग्रकरे नृपः । दीपिकाभिः कृतालोकस्तस्माद्रङ्गाद्विनिर्ययौ ॥

tato duryodhanaḥ karṇamālambyāgrakare nṛpaḥ | dīpikābhiḥ kṛtālokastasmādraṅgādviniryayau

Then King Duryodhana took Karna by the hand and, lit by torches, left the arena.

Verse 21 (1.147.21)

पाण्डवाश्च सहद्रोणाः सकृपाश्च विशांपते । भीष्मेण सहिताः सर्वे ययुः स्वं स्वं निवेशनम् ॥

pāṇḍavāśca sahadroṇāḥ sakṛpāśca viśāṃpate | bhīṣmeṇa sahitāḥ sarve yayuḥ svaṃ svaṃ niveśanam

The Pandavas too, with Drona and Kripa and together with Bhishma, O lord of the people, all went each to his own dwelling.

Verse 22 (1.147.22)

अर्जुनेति जनः कश्चित्कश्चित्कर्णेति भारत । कश्चिद्दुर्योधनेत्येवं ब्रुवन्तः प्रस्थितास्तदा ॥

arjuneti janaḥ kaścitkaścitkarṇeti bhārata | kaścidduryodhanetyevaṃ bruvantaḥ prasthitāstadā

As the people departed, O Bharata, some were saying "Arjuna!", some "Karna!", and some "Duryodhana!"

Verse 23 (1.147.23)

कुन्त्याश्च प्रत्यभिज्ञाय दिव्यलक्षणसूचितम् । पुत्रमङ्गेश्वरं स्नेहाच्छन्ना प्रीतिरजायत ॥

kuntyāśca pratyabhijñāya divyalakṣaṇasūcitam | putramaṅgeśvaraṃ snehācchannā prītirajāyata

Kunti, recognising by his divine marks that the lord of Anga was her son, felt a secret joy for love of him.

Verse 24 (1.147.24)

दुर्योधनस्यापि तदा कर्णमासाद्य पार्थिव । भयमर्जुनसंजातं क्षिप्रमन्तरधीयत ॥

duryodhanasyāpi tadā karṇamāsādya pārthiva | bhayamarjunasaṃjātaṃ kṣipramantaradhīyata

And Duryodhana too, O king, having won Karna, quickly lost the fear that Arjuna had roused in him.

Verse 25 (1.147.25)

स चापि वीरः कृतशस्त्रनिश्रमः । परेण साम्नाऽभ्यवदत्सुयोधनम् । युधिष्ठिरस्याप्यभवत्तदा मति- । र्न कर्णतुल्योऽस्ति धनुर्धरः क्षितौ ॥

sa cāpi vīraḥ kṛtaśastraniśramaḥ | pareṇa sāmnā'bhyavadatsuyodhanam | yudhiṣṭhirasyāpyabhavattadā mati- | rna karṇatulyo'sti dhanurdharaḥ kṣitau

That hero, who had laboured hard at arms, spoke to Suyodhana with the greatest friendliness; and Yudhishthira too came to believe that there was no bowman on earth equal to Karna.