Maitreya Curses Duryodhana

Verse 1 (3.10.1)

एवमेतन्महाप्राज्ञ यथा वदसि मां मुने । अहं चैव विजानामि सर्वे चेमे नराधिपाः ॥

evametanmahāprājña yathā vadasi māṃ mune | ahaṃ caiva vijānāmi sarve ceme narādhipāḥ

"It is just as you tell me, wise sage. I know it too, and so do all these kings."

Verse 2 (3.10.2)

भवांश्च मन्यते साधु यत्कुरूणां सुखोदयम् । तदेव विदुरोऽप्याह भीष्मो द्रोणश्च मां मुने ॥

bhavāṃśca manyate sādhu yatkurūṇāṃ sukhodayam | tadeva viduro'pyāha bhīṣmo droṇaśca māṃ mune

"You consider good whatever leads to the happiness of the Kurus; Vidura tells me the same, sage, and so do Bhishma and Drona."

Verse 3 (3.10.3)

यदि त्वहमनुग्राह्यः कौरव्येषु दया यदि । अनुशाधि दुरात्मानं पुत्रं दुर्योधनं मम ॥

yadi tvahamanugrāhyaḥ kauravyeṣu dayā yadi | anuśādhi durātmānaṃ putraṃ duryodhanaṃ mama

"If I deserve your favour, if you have compassion for the Kurus, then instruct my wicked son Duryodhana."

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (यदित्वहम् → यदि त्वहम्) and corrected अन्वशाधि → अनुशाधि (misprint in Wikisource; an imperative takes no augment; the critical edition reads anuśādhi).

Verse 4 (3.10.4)

अयमायाति वै राजन्मैत्रेयो भगवानृषिः । अन्वीक्ष्य पाण्डवान्भ्रातॄनिहैवाऽस्मद्दिदृक्षया ॥

ayamāyāti vai rājanmaitreyo bhagavānṛṣiḥ | anvīkṣya pāṇḍavānbhrātṝnihaivā'smaddidṛkṣayā

"The blessed seer Maitreya is coming here, king. He has been to see the Pandava brothers, and now he comes here wishing to see us."

Note on the text: Removed the speaker heading 'व्यास उवाच.' that had slipped into the verse text as a first line; the verse is Vyasa's. Corrected भ्रातृन् → भ्रातॄन् (misprint in Wikisource; accusative plural needs long ṝ; the critical edition reads bhrātṝn).

Verse 5 (3.10.5)

एष दुर्योधनं पुत्रं तव राजन्महानृषिः । अनुशास्ता यथान्यायं शमायास्य कुलस्य च ॥

eṣa duryodhanaṃ putraṃ tava rājanmahānṛṣiḥ | anuśāstā yathānyāyaṃ śamāyāsya kulasya ca

"This great seer will instruct your son Duryodhana as is right, king, for the peace of this family."

Verse 6 (3.10.6)

ब्रूयाद्यदेष कौरव्य तत्कार्यमविशङ्कया । अक्रियायां तु कार्यस्य पुत्रं ते शप्स्यते रुषा ॥

brūyādyadeṣa kauravya tatkāryamaviśaṅkayā | akriyāyāṃ tu kāryasya putraṃ te śapsyate ruṣā

"Whatever he says, Kauravya, must be done without hesitation; if what he asks is left undone, he will curse your son in anger."

Verse 7 (3.10.7)

एवमुक्त्वा ययौ व्यासो मैत्रेयः प्रत्यदृश्यत । पूजया प्रतिजग्राह सपुत्रस्तं नराधिपः ॥

evamuktvā yayau vyāso maitreyaḥ pratyadṛśyata | pūjayā pratijagrāha saputrastaṃ narādhipaḥ

With these words Vyasa departed, and Maitreya appeared. The king and his son received him with worship.

Verse 8 (3.10.8)

कृत्वाऽर्घ्याद्याः क्रियाः सर्वा विश्रान्तं मुनिसत्तमम् । प्रश्रयेणाब्रवीद्राजा धृतराष्ट्रोऽम्बिकासुतः ॥

kṛtvā'rghyādyāḥ kriyāḥ sarvā viśrāntaṃ munisattamam | praśrayeṇābravīdrājā dhṛtarāṣṭro'mbikāsutaḥ

When all the rites of welcome, beginning with the guest-water, had been performed and the best of sages had rested, King Dhritarashtra, son of Ambika, spoke to him with humility:

Note on the text: Corrected अर्ध्य → अर्घ्य (misprint in Wikisource; ध for घ; the critical edition reads arghya).

Verse 9 (3.10.9)

सुखेनागमनं कच्चिद्भगवन्कुरुजाङ्गले । कच्चित्कुशलिनो वीरा भ्रातरः पञ्च पाण्डवाः ॥

sukhenāgamanaṃ kaccidbhagavankurujāṅgale | kaccitkuśalino vīrā bhrātaraḥ pañca pāṇḍavāḥ

"Was your journey to Kurujangala a pleasant one, blessed one? Are the heroes well, the five Pandava brothers?"

Verse 10 (3.10.10)

समये स्थातुमिच्छन्ति कच्चिच्च भरतर्षभाः । कच्चित्कुरूणां सौभ्रात्रमव्युच्छिन्नं भविष्यति ॥

samaye sthātumicchanti kaccicca bharatarṣabhāḥ | kaccitkurūṇāṃ saubhrātramavyucchinnaṃ bhaviṣyati

"Do those bulls of the Bharatas mean to abide by the pledge? Will the brotherhood of the Kurus remain unbroken?"

Verse 11 (3.10.11)

तीर्थयात्रामनुक्रामन्प्राप्तोऽस्मि कुरुजाङ्गलान् । यदृच्छया धर्मराजं दृष्टवान्काम्यके वने ॥

tīrthayātrāmanukrāmanprāpto'smi kurujāṅgalān | yadṛcchayā dharmarājaṃ dṛṣṭavānkāmyake vane

"Travelling on a round of pilgrimage, I came to Kurujangala, and by chance I saw the King of Dharma in the Kamyaka forest."

Note on the text: Corrected दृष्ट्ववान् → दृष्टवान् (misprint in Wikisource; stray virama; the critical edition reads dṛṣṭavān).

Verse 12 (3.10.12)

तं जटाजिनसंवीतं तपोवननिवासिनम् । समाजग्मुर्महात्मानं द्रष्टुं मुनिगणाः प्रभो ॥

taṃ jaṭājinasaṃvītaṃ tapovananivāsinam | samājagmurmahātmānaṃ draṣṭuṃ munigaṇāḥ prabho

"Hosts of sages had come to see that great-souled man, my lord, who wears matted hair and deerskin and lives in the ascetics' grove."

Verse 13 (3.10.13)

तत्राश्रौषं महाराज पुत्राणां तव विग्रहम् । अनयं द्यूतरूपेण महाभयमुपस्थितम् ॥

tatrāśrauṣaṃ mahārāja putrāṇāṃ tava vigraham | anayaṃ dyūtarūpeṇa mahābhayamupasthitam

"There, great king, I heard of the quarrel among your sons — a wrong done in the form of a game of dice, a great danger now at hand."

Verse 14 (3.10.14)

ततोऽहं त्वामनुप्राप्तः कौरवाणामवेक्षया । सदा ह्यभ्यधिकः स्नेहः प्रीतिश्च त्वयि मे प्रभो ॥

tato'haṃ tvāmanuprāptaḥ kauravāṇāmavekṣayā | sadā hyabhyadhikaḥ snehaḥ prītiśca tvayi me prabho

"So I have come to you out of concern for the Kauravas, for my affection and fondness for you have always been great, my lord."

Verse 15 (3.10.15)

नैतदौपयिकं राजंस्त्वयि भीष्मे च जीवति । यदन्योन्येन ते पुत्रा विरुध्यन्ते कथंचन ॥

naitadaupayikaṃ rājaṃstvayi bhīṣme ca jīvati | yadanyonyena te putrā virudhyante kathaṃcana

"It is not fitting, king, while you and Bhishma are alive, that your sons should be at odds with one another in any way."

Verse 16 (3.10.16)

मेढीभूतः स्वयं राजन्निग्रहे प्रग्रहे भवान् । किमर्थमनयं घोरमुत्पतन्तमुपेक्षसे ॥

meḍhībhūtaḥ svayaṃ rājannigrahe pragrahe bhavān | kimarthamanayaṃ ghoramutpatantamupekṣase

"You yourself, king, are the central post, both to restrain and to favour. Why do you stand by and ignore this terrible wrong as it rises?"

Verse 17 (3.10.17)

दस्यूनामिव यद्वृत्तं सभायां कुरुनन्दन । तेन न भ्राजसे राजंस्तापसानां समागमे ॥

dasyūnāmiva yadvṛttaṃ sabhāyāṃ kurunandana | tena na bhrājase rājaṃstāpasānāṃ samāgame

"Because of what was done in the assembly hall, like the doings of robbers, joy of the Kurus, you do not shine, king, in the company of ascetics."

Verse 18 (3.10.18)

ततो व्यावृत्य राजानं दुर्योधनममर्षणम् । उवाच श्लक्ष्णया वाचा मैत्रेयो भगवानृषिः ॥

tato vyāvṛtya rājānaṃ duryodhanamamarṣaṇam | uvāca ślakṣṇayā vācā maitreyo bhagavānṛṣiḥ

Then the blessed seer Maitreya turned to the resentful King Duryodhana and spoke in a gentle voice:

Note on the text: Corrected ऋपिः → ऋषिः (misprint in Wikisource; प for ष; the critical edition reads bhagavān ṛṣiḥ).

Verse 19 (3.10.19)

दुर्योधन महाबाहो निबोध वदतां वर । वचनं मे महाभाग ब्रुवतो यद्धितं तव ॥

duryodhana mahābāho nibodha vadatāṃ vara | vacanaṃ me mahābhāga bruvato yaddhitaṃ tava

"Duryodhana, mighty-armed, best of speakers, fortunate one, listen to what I say for your own good."

Verse 20 (3.10.20)

मा द्रुहः पाण्डवान्राजन्कुरुष्व हितमात्मनः । पाण्डवानां कुरूणां च लोकस्य च नरर्षभ ॥

mā druhaḥ pāṇḍavānrājankuruṣva hitamātmanaḥ | pāṇḍavānāṃ kurūṇāṃ ca lokasya ca nararṣabha

"Do not wrong the Pandavas, king. Do what is good for yourself, bull among men, and for the Pandavas, the Kurus and the world."

Verse 21 (3.10.21)

पाण्डवान्प्राप्य तान्रात्रौ किर्मीरो नाम राक्षसः । आवृत्य मार्गं रौद्रात्मा तस्थौ गिरिरिवाचलः ॥

pāṇḍavānprāpya tānrātrau kirmīro nāma rākṣasaḥ | āvṛtya mārgaṃ raudrātmā tasthau giririvācalaḥ

"Coming upon the Pandavas by night, a Rakshasa named Kirmira, savage of spirit, blocked their road and stood there like an immovable mountain."

Note on the text: The second line matches the critical edition (3.11.23cd); the first line differs (CE: itaḥ pracyavatāṃ rātrau yaḥ sa teṣāṃ mahātmanām), a recension variant kept as printed. Corrected अवृत्य → आवृत्य and गिरिवाचलः → गिरिरिवाचलः (misprints in Wikisource; short a for ā, and a dropped रि; the critical edition reads āvṛtya, girir ivācalaḥ).

Verse 22 (3.10.22)

तं भीमः समरश्लाघी बलेन बलिनां वरः । जघान पशुमारेण व्याघ्रः क्षुद्रमृगं यथा ॥

taṃ bhīmaḥ samaraślāghī balena balināṃ varaḥ | jaghāna paśumāreṇa vyāghraḥ kṣudramṛgaṃ yathā

"Bhima, who glories in battle, strongest of the strong, killed him by main force, slaughtering him like a beast, as a tiger kills a small deer."

Note on the text: Corrected समरस्लाघी → समरश्लाघी (misprint in Wikisource; स for श; the critical edition reads samaraślāghī).

Verse 23 (3.10.23)

पश्य दिग्विजये राजन्यथा भीमेन पातितः । जरासन्धो महेष्वासो नागायुतबलो युधि ॥

paśya digvijaye rājanyathā bhīmena pātitaḥ | jarāsandho maheṣvāso nāgāyutabalo yudhi

"See, king, how in the conquest of the quarters Bhima struck down Jarasandha, the great archer who had the strength of ten thousand elephants in battle."

Verse 24 (3.10.24)

संबन्धी वासुदेवश्च श्यालाः सर्वे च पार्षताः । ते हि सर्वे नरव्याघ्राः शूरा विक्रान्तयोधिनः ॥

saṃbandhī vāsudevaśca śyālāḥ sarve ca pārṣatāḥ | te hi sarve naravyāghrāḥ śūrā vikrāntayodhinaḥ

"Vasudeva is their kinsman, and all the sons of Prishata's line are their brothers-in-law. They are all tigers among men, heroes who fight with daring."

Note on the text: Wikisource arranges these lines differently from the critical edition: the first line answers to 3.11.26ab (CE: saṃbandhī vāsudevaś ca yeṣāṃ śyālaś ca pārṣataḥ, a recension variant), the second to 3.11.21ab.

Verse 25 (3.10.25)

सर्वे नागायुतप्राणा वज्रसंहनना दृढाः । सत्यव्रतधराः सर्वे सर्वे पुरुषमानिनः ॥

sarve nāgāyutaprāṇā vajrasaṃhananā dṛḍhāḥ | satyavratadharāḥ sarve sarve puruṣamāninaḥ

"All of them have the strength of ten thousand elephants and frames hard as the thunderbolt; all are true to their vows, all proud of their manhood."

Note on the text: The first line answers to the critical edition's 3.11.21cd and the second to 3.11.22ab (CE: satyavrataparāḥ, a recension variant). Corrected दृढः → दृढाः (misprint in Wikisource; the plural is needed; the critical edition reads dṛḍhāḥ) and restored a missing word space (सर्वेसर्वे → सर्वे सर्वे).

Verse 26 (3.10.26)

हन्तारो देवशत्रूणां रक्षसां कामरूपिणाम् । हिडिम्बबकमुख्यानां किर्मीरस्य च रक्षसः । कस्तान्युधि समासीत जरामरणवान्नरः ॥

hantāro devaśatrūṇāṃ rakṣasāṃ kāmarūpiṇām | hiḍimbabakamukhyānāṃ kirmīrasya ca rakṣasaḥ | kastānyudhi samāsīta jarāmaraṇavānnaraḥ

"They are the slayers of the enemies of the gods, of shape-shifting Rakshasas — Hidimba and Baka foremost among them — and of the Rakshasa Kirmira. What man subject to old age and death could stand against them in battle?"

Note on the text: The first two lines answer to the critical edition's 3.11.22cd–ef and the third to 3.11.26cd. Corrected किर्मीरस् च → किर्मीरस्य च (misprint in Wikisource; dropped य; the critical edition reads kirmīrasya ca).

Verse 27 (3.10.27)

तस्य ते शम एवास्तु पाण्डवैर्भरतर्षभ । कुरु मे वचनं राजन्मा मृत्युवशमन्वगाः ॥

tasya te śama evāstu pāṇḍavairbharatarṣabha | kuru me vacanaṃ rājanmā mṛtyuvaśamanvagāḥ

"So let there be peace between you and the Pandavas, bull of the Bharatas. Do as I say, king; do not fall into the power of death."

Verse 28 (3.10.28)

एवं तु ब्रुवतस्तस्य मैत्रेयस्य विशांपते । ऊरुं करिकराकारं करेणाभिजघान सः ॥

evaṃ tu bruvatastasya maitreyasya viśāṃpate | ūruṃ karikarākāraṃ kareṇābhijaghāna saḥ

But while Maitreya was speaking thus, lord of the people, Duryodhana slapped his thigh, shaped like an elephant's trunk, with his hand.

Note on the text: Corrected तः → सः (misprint in Wikisource; त for स; the critical edition reads kareṇābhijaghāna saḥ).

Verse 29 (3.10.29)

दुर्योधनः स्मितं कृत्वा चरणेनोल्लिखन्महीम् । न किंचिदुक्त्वा दुर्मेधास्तस्थौ किंचिदवाङ्मुखः ॥

duryodhanaḥ smitaṃ kṛtvā caraṇenollikhanmahīm | na kiṃciduktvā durmedhāstasthau kiṃcidavāṅmukhaḥ

Duryodhana smiled and scratched the ground with his foot, and, saying nothing, the fool stood with his face turned a little downward.

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (नकिंचिदुक्त्वा → न किंचिदुक्त्वा).

Verse 30 (3.10.30)

तमशुश्रूषमाणं तु विलिखन्तं वसुंधराम् । दृष्ट्वा दुर्योधनं राजन्मैत्रेयं कोप आविशत् ॥

tamaśuśrūṣamāṇaṃ tu vilikhantaṃ vasuṃdharām | dṛṣṭvā duryodhanaṃ rājanmaitreyaṃ kopa āviśat

When Maitreya saw Duryodhana refusing to listen and scraping at the earth, king, anger entered him.

Verse 31 (3.10.31)

स कोपवशमापन्नो मैत्रेयो मुनिसत्तमः । विधिना संप्रयुक्तश्च शापायास्य मनो दधे ॥

sa kopavaśamāpanno maitreyo munisattamaḥ | vidhinā saṃprayuktaśca śāpāyāsya mano dadhe

Overcome by anger and impelled by fate, Maitreya, best of sages, set his mind on cursing him.

Verse 32 (3.10.32)

ततः स वार्युपस्पृश्य कोपसंरक्तलोचनः । मैत्रेयो धार्तराष्ट्रं तमशपद्दुष्टचेतसम् ॥

tataḥ sa vāryupaspṛśya kopasaṃraktalocanaḥ | maitreyo dhārtarāṣṭraṃ tamaśapadduṣṭacetasam

Then Maitreya touched water, his eyes red with anger, and cursed that wicked-hearted son of Dhritarashtra:

Verse 33 (3.10.33)

यस्मात्त्वं मामनादृत्य नेमां वाचं चिकीर्षसि । तस्मादस्यातिमानस्य सद्यः फलमवाप्स्यसि ॥

yasmāttvaṃ māmanādṛtya nemāṃ vācaṃ cikīrṣasi | tasmādasyātimānasya sadyaḥ phalamavāpsyasi

"Since you disregard me and will not act on my words, you will soon reap the fruit of this arrogance."

Verse 34 (3.10.34)

त्वदभिद्रोहसंयुक्तं युद्धमुत्पत्स्यते महत् । यत्र भीमो गदाघातैस्तवोरुं भेत्स्यते बली ॥

tvadabhidrohasaṃyuktaṃ yuddhamutpatsyate mahat | yatra bhīmo gadāghātaistavoruṃ bhetsyate balī

"A great war will arise from your hostility, in which mighty Bhima will break your thigh with the blows of his mace."

Verse 35 (3.10.35)

इत्येवमुक्ते वचने धृतराष्ट्रो महीपतिः । प्रसादयामास मुनिं नैतदेवं भवेदिति ॥

ityevamukte vacane dhṛtarāṣṭro mahīpatiḥ | prasādayāmāsa muniṃ naitadevaṃ bhavediti

When these words had been spoken, King Dhritarashtra, lord of the earth, tried to appease the sage, saying, "Let it not be so!"

Verse 36 (3.10.36)

शमं यास्यति चेत्पुत्रस्तव राजन्यदा तदा । शापो न भविता तात विपरीते भविष्यति ॥

śamaṃ yāsyati cetputrastava rājanyadā tadā | śāpo na bhavitā tāta viparīte bhaviṣyati

"If your son makes peace, king, whenever that may be, the curse will not take effect, my son; otherwise it will."

Note on the text: Corrected शायो → शापो (misprint in Wikisource; य for प; the critical edition reads śāpo).

Verse 37 (3.10.37)

सविलक्षस्तु राजेन्द्रो दुर्योधनपिता तदा । मैत्रेयं प्राह किर्मीरः कथं भीमेन पातितः ॥

savilakṣastu rājendro duryodhanapitā tadā | maitreyaṃ prāha kirmīraḥ kathaṃ bhīmena pātitaḥ

Then the lord of kings, Duryodhana's father, somewhat abashed, asked Maitreya how Kirmira had been killed by Bhima.

Verse 38 (3.10.38)

नाहं वक्ष्याम्यसूया ते न ते शुश्रूषते सुतः । एष ते विदुरः सर्वमाख्यास्यति गते मयि ॥

nāhaṃ vakṣyāmyasūyā te na te śuśrūṣate sutaḥ | eṣa te viduraḥ sarvamākhyāsyati gate mayi

"I will not tell you, for there is ill will in you, and your son does not care to listen. Vidura here will tell you everything once I have gone."

Verse 39 (3.10.39)

इत्येवमुक्त्वा मैत्रेयः प्रातिष्ठत यथागतम् । किर्मीरवधसंविग्नो भयं दुर्योधनो ययौ ॥

ityevamuktvā maitreyaḥ prātiṣṭhata yathāgatam | kirmīravadhasaṃvigno bhayaṃ duryodhano yayau

Having said this, Maitreya departed as he had come, and Duryodhana, shaken by the news of Kirmira's death, was seized by fear.