Dhritarashtra Laments over the Pandavas in the Forest

Verse 1 (3.237.1)

एवं वने वर्तमाना नराग्र्याः । शीतोष्णवातातपकर्शिताङ्गाः । सरस्तदासाद्यवनं च पुण्यं । ततः परंकिमकुर्वन्त पार्थाः ॥

evaṃ vane vartamānā narāgryāḥ | śītoṣṇavātātapakarśitāṅgāḥ | sarastadāsādyavanaṃ ca puṇyaṃ | tataḥ paraṃkimakurvanta pārthāḥ

"While those foremost of men, the sons of Pritha, were living thus in the forest, their bodies worn by cold and heat, wind and sun, what did they do next, after reaching that lake and the holy forest?"

Note on the text: Speaker heading corrected from जनसेजय to जनमेजय (misprint in Wikisource; स for म; the critical edition reads janamejaya uvāca).

Verse 2 (3.237.2)

सरस्तदासाद्य तु पाण्डुपुत्रा । जनं समुत्सृज्य विधाय चेष्टम् । वनानि रम्याण्यथ पर्वतांश्च । नदीप्रदेशांश्च तदा विचेरुः ॥

sarastadāsādya tu pāṇḍuputrā | janaṃ samutsṛjya vidhāya ceṣṭam | vanāni ramyāṇyatha parvatāṃśca | nadīpradeśāṃśca tadā viceruḥ

Having reached that lake, the sons of Pandu sent away the crowd that followed them, arranged things as they wished, and wandered through lovely forests, over mountains and along the rivers.

Verse 3 (3.237.3)

तथा वने तान्वसतः प्रवीरान् । स्वाध्यायवन्तश्च तपोधनाश्च । अभ्याययुर्वेदविदः पुराणा- । स्तान्पूजयामासुरथो नराग्र्याः ॥

tathā vane tānvasataḥ pravīrān | svādhyāyavantaśca tapodhanāśca | abhyāyayurvedavidaḥ purāṇā- | stānpūjayāmāsuratho narāgryāḥ

As those heroes lived thus in the forest, ancient sages versed in the Vedas, devoted to study and rich in austerity, came to them, and those foremost of men honoured them.

Verse 4 (3.237.4)

ततः कदाचित्कुशलः कथासु । विप्रोऽभ्यगच्छद्भुवि कौरवेयान् । स तैः समेत्याथ यदृच्छयैव । वैचित्रवीर्यं नृपमभ्यगच्छत् ॥

tataḥ kadācitkuśalaḥ kathāsu | vipro'bhyagacchadbhuvi kauraveyān | sa taiḥ sametyātha yadṛcchayaiva | vaicitravīryaṃ nṛpamabhyagacchat

Then one day a brahmin skilled in storytelling came upon the Kuru princes in the forest; after meeting them he went, as chance would have it, to King Dhritarashtra, son of Vichitravirya.

Verse 5 (3.237.5)

अथोपविष्टः प्रतिसत्कृतश्च । वृद्धेन राज्ञा कुरुसत्तमेन । प्रचोदितः संकथयांबभूव । धर्मानिलेन्द्रप्रभवान्यमौ च ॥

athopaviṣṭaḥ pratisatkṛtaśca | vṛddhena rājñā kurusattamena | pracoditaḥ saṃkathayāṃbabhūva | dharmānilendraprabhavānyamau ca

When he was seated and had been honoured in turn by the aged king, best of the Kurus, he was urged on and told of the sons of Dharma, the Wind and Indra, and of the twins:

Verse 6 (3.237.6)

कृशांश्च वातातपकर्शिताङ्गान् । दुःखस्य चोग्रस्य मुखे प्रपन्नान् । तां चाप्यनाथामिव वीरनाथां । कृष्णां परिक्लेशगुणेन युक्ताम् ॥

kṛśāṃśca vātātapakarśitāṅgān | duḥkhasya cograsya mukhe prapannān | tāṃ cāpyanāthāmiva vīranāthāṃ | kṛṣṇāṃ parikleśaguṇena yuktām

how they were emaciated, their bodies worn by wind and sun, fallen into the jaws of fierce suffering; and of Krishnaa, who had heroes to protect her yet seemed unprotected, beset by hardship.

Note on the text: Corrected चोग्रस् → चोग्रस्य (misprint in Wikisource; dropped akshara; the critical edition reads cograsya).

Verse 7 (3.237.7)

ततः कथास्तस्य निशम्य राजा । वैचित्रवीर्यः कृपयाऽभितप्तः । वने तथा पार्थिवपुत्रपौत्रा- । ञ्श्रुत्वा तथा दुःखनदींप्रपन्नान् ॥

tataḥ kathāstasya niśamya rājā | vaicitravīryaḥ kṛpayā'bhitaptaḥ | vane tathā pārthivaputrapautrā- | ñśrutvā tathā duḥkhanadīṃprapannān

Hearing his tales, King Dhritarashtra, son of Vichitravirya, was consumed with pity, learning that the sons and grandsons of a king had thus fallen into a river of sorrow in the forest.

Verse 8 (3.237.8)

प्रोवाच दैन्याभिहतान्तरात्मा । निश्वासवातोपहतस्तदानीम् । वाचं कथंचित्स्थिरतामुपेत्य । तत्सर्वमात्मप्रभवं विचिन्त्य ॥

provāca dainyābhihatāntarātmā | niśvāsavātopahatastadānīm | vācaṃ kathaṃcitsthiratāmupetya | tatsarvamātmaprabhavaṃ vicintya

His inmost heart stricken with misery, choked by the breath of his sighs, he steadied his voice with difficulty and, reflecting that all of it had sprung from himself, he spoke:

Verse 9 (3.237.9)

कथंनु सत्यः शुचिरार्यवृत्तः । श्रेष्ठः सुतानां मम धर्मराजः । अजातशत्रुः पृथिवीतले स्म । शेते पुरा राङ्कवकूटशायी ॥

kathaṃnu satyaḥ śucirāryavṛttaḥ | śreṣṭhaḥ sutānāṃ mama dharmarājaḥ | ajātaśatruḥ pṛthivītale sma | śete purā rāṅkavakūṭaśāyī

"How can the Dharma King, truthful, pure and noble in conduct, the best of my sons, Ajatashatru, who once slept on a soft heap of ranku-deer fleece, now lie on the bare ground?

Note on the text: Speaker: Dhritarashtra's lament, filling whole verses (no heading in Wikisource).

Verse 10 (3.237.10)

प्रबोध्यते मागधसूतपुत्रै- । र्नित्यं स्तुवद्भिः स्वयमिन्द्रकल्पः । पतत्रिसङ्घैः स जघन्यरात्रे । प्रबोध्यते नूनमिलातलस्थः ॥

prabodhyate māgadhasūtaputrai- | rnityaṃ stuvadbhiḥ svayamindrakalpaḥ | patatrisaṅghaiḥ sa jaghanyarātre | prabodhyate nūnamilātalasthaḥ

He who, like Indra himself, was woken every day by the bards of Magadha and the sons of sutas singing his praises, is surely woken now in the last watch of the night by flocks of birds as he lies on the earth.

Verse 11 (3.237.11)

कथंनु वातातपकर्शिताङ्गो । वृकोदरः कोपपरिप्लुताङ्गः । शेते पृथिव्यामतथोचिताङ्गः । कृष्णासमक्षं वसुधातलस्थः ॥

kathaṃnu vātātapakarśitāṅgo | vṛkodaraḥ kopapariplutāṅgaḥ | śete pṛthivyāmatathocitāṅgaḥ | kṛṣṇāsamakṣaṃ vasudhātalasthaḥ

How does Vrikodara, his body worn by wind and sun, his limbs flooded with rage, lie on the bare ground in Krishnaa's sight, limbs never used to such a bed?

Verse 12 (3.237.12)

तथाऽर्जुनः सुकुमारो मनस्वी । वशे स्थितो धर्मसुतस्य राज्ञः । विदूयमानैरिव सर्वगात्रै- । र्ध्रुवं न शेते वसतीरमर्षात् ॥

tathā'rjunaḥ sukumāro manasvī | vaśe sthito dharmasutasya rājñaḥ | vidūyamānairiva sarvagātrai- | rdhruvaṃ na śete vasatīramarṣāt

And Arjuna, delicate and high-minded, obedient to the Dharma King, surely cannot sleep at night for indignation, as though every limb were burning.

Verse 13 (3.237.13)

यमौ च कृष्णां च युधिष्ठिरं च । भीमं च दृष्ट्वा सुखविप्रयुक्तान् । विनिःश्वसन्सर्प इवोग्रतेजा । ध्रुवं न शेते वसतीरमर्षात् ॥

yamau ca kṛṣṇāṃ ca yudhiṣṭhiraṃ ca | bhīmaṃ ca dṛṣṭvā sukhaviprayuktān | viniḥśvasansarpa ivogratejā | dhruvaṃ na śete vasatīramarṣāt

Seeing the twins, Krishnaa, Yudhishthira and Bhima cut off from all comfort, that hero of fierce energy, sighing like a serpent, surely cannot sleep at night for indignation.

Verse 14 (3.237.14)

तथा यमौ चाप्यसुखौ सुखार्हौ । समृद्धरूपावमरौ दिवीव । प्रजागरस्थौ ध्रुवमप्रशान्तौ । क्रोधेन सत्येन च वार्यमाणौ ॥

tathā yamau cāpyasukhau sukhārhau | samṛddharūpāvamarau divīva | prajāgarasthau dhruvamapraśāntau | krodhena satyena ca vāryamāṇau

And the twins too, unhappy though they deserve happiness, rich in beauty like immortals in heaven, surely lie awake and restless, kept wakeful by anger and held back by truth.

Note on the text: Corrected समृद्धरीपावमरौ → समृद्धरूपावमरौ (misprint in Wikisource; री for रू; the critical edition reads samṛddharūpāv amarau).

Verse 15 (3.237.15)

समीरणेनाथ समो बलेन । समीरणस्यैवसुतो बलीयान् । स धर्मपाशेन सितोऽग्रजेन । ध्रुवं विनिःश्वस्य सहत्यमर्षम् ॥

samīraṇenātha samo balena | samīraṇasyaivasuto balīyān | sa dharmapāśena sito'grajena | dhruvaṃ viniḥśvasya sahatyamarṣam

The Wind's own mighty son, equal to the Wind himself in strength, bound by his elder brother with the noose of dharma, surely sighs and endures his indignation.

Note on the text: Corrected धर्मपासेन → धर्मपाशेन (misprint in Wikisource; स for श; the critical edition reads dharmapāśena).

Verse 16 (3.237.16)

स चापिभूमौ परिवर्तमानो । वधं सुतानां मम काङ्क्षमाणः । सत्येन धर्मेण च वार्यमाणः । कालंप्रतीक्षत्यधिको रणेऽन्यैः ॥

sa cāpibhūmau parivartamāno | vadhaṃ sutānāṃ mama kāṅkṣamāṇaḥ | satyena dharmeṇa ca vāryamāṇaḥ | kālaṃpratīkṣatyadhiko raṇe'nyaiḥ

He too, tossing on the ground and longing to slay my sons, held back by truth and dharma, bides his time, he who surpasses all others in battle.

Verse 17 (3.237.17)

अजातशत्रौ तु जिते निकृत्या । दुःशासनो यत्परुषाण्यवोचत् । तानि प्रविष्टानि वृकोदराङ्गं । दहन्ति कक्षाग्निरिवेन्धनानि ॥

ajātaśatrau tu jite nikṛtyā | duḥśāsano yatparuṣāṇyavocat | tāni praviṣṭāni vṛkodarāṅgaṃ | dahanti kakṣāgnirivendhanāni

The harsh words Duhshasana spoke when Ajatashatru had been beaten by trickery have entered Vrikodara's body and burn him as a brush fire burns its fuel.

Verse 18 (3.237.18)

न पापकं ध्यास्यति धर्मपुत्रो । धनंजयश्चाप्यनुवर्त्स्यते तम् । अरण्यवासेन विवर्धते तु । भीमस्य कोपोऽग्निरिवानिलेन ॥

na pāpakaṃ dhyāsyati dharmaputro | dhanaṃjayaścāpyanuvartsyate tam | araṇyavāsena vivardhate tu | bhīmasya kopo'gnirivānilena

The son of Dharma will think no evil, and Dhananjaya will follow him; but Bhima's anger grows with the forest life, like a fire fanned by the wind.

Verse 19 (3.237.19)

स तेन कोपेन विदीर्यमाणः । करं करेणाभिनिपीड्यवीरः । विनिःश्वसत्युष्णमतीव घोरं । दहन्निवेमां मम पुत्रसेनाम् ॥

sa tena kopena vidīryamāṇaḥ | karaṃ kareṇābhinipīḍyavīraḥ | viniḥśvasatyuṣṇamatīva ghoraṃ | dahannivemāṃ mama putrasenām

Torn by that anger, the hero wrings one hand with the other and heaves hot and terrible sighs, as if to burn up this army of my sons.

Verse 20 (3.237.20)

गाण्डीवधन्वा च वृकोदरश्च । संरम्भिणावन्तककालकल्पौ । न शेषयेतां युधि शत्रुसेनां । शरान्किरन्तावशनिप्रकाशान् ॥

gāṇḍīvadhanvā ca vṛkodaraśca | saṃrambhiṇāvantakakālakalpau | na śeṣayetāṃ yudhi śatrusenāṃ | śarānkirantāvaśaniprakāśān

The wielder of Gandiva and Vrikodara, furious, like Death at the end of time, would leave nothing of the enemy's army in battle, scattering arrows like thunderbolts.

Note on the text: Corrected किरन्तावनिप्रकाशान् → किरन्तावशनिप्रकाशान् (misprint in Wikisource; dropped akshara श, which also breaks the metre; the critical edition reads kirantāv aśaniprakāśān).

Verse 21 (3.237.21)

दुर्योधनः शकुनिः सूतपुत्रो । दुःशासनश्चापि सुमन्दचेताः । मधु प्रपश्यन्ति न तु प्रपातं । वृकोदरं चैव धनंजयं च ॥

duryodhanaḥ śakuniḥ sūtaputro | duḥśāsanaścāpi sumandacetāḥ | madhu prapaśyanti na tu prapātaṃ | vṛkodaraṃ caiva dhanaṃjayaṃ ca

Duryodhana, Shakuni, the son of the suta and the dull-witted Duhshasana see the honey but not the fall; they do not see Vrikodara and Dhananjaya.

Verse 22 (3.237.22)

शुभाशुभं कर्म नरोहि कृत्वा । प्रतीक्षतेचेत्स फलंविपाके । सतेन युज्यत्यवशः फलेन । मोक्षः कथं स्यात्पुरुषस्य तस्मात् ॥

śubhāśubhaṃ karma narohi kṛtvā | pratīkṣatecetsa phalaṃvipāke | satena yujyatyavaśaḥ phalena | mokṣaḥ kathaṃ syātpuruṣasya tasmāt

When a man has done a deed, good or bad, and awaits its fruit when it ripens, he is bound helplessly to that fruit. How then can a man be released from it?

Verse 23 (3.237.23)

क्षेत्रे सुकृष्टे ह्युपिते च बीजे । देवेच वर्षत्यृतुकालयुक्तम् । न स्यात्फलंतस्य कुतः प्रसिद्धि- । रन्यत्रदैवादिति नास्ति हेतुः ॥

kṣetre sukṛṣṭe hyupite ca bīje | deveca varṣatyṛtukālayuktam | na syātphalaṃtasya kutaḥ prasiddhi- | ranyatradaivāditi nāsti hetuḥ

When the field is well ploughed and the seed sown, and the god sends rain in due season, if still no fruit comes, how could there be success? There is no cause but fate.

Verse 24 (3.237.24)

कृतं मताक्षेण यथा न साधु । साधुप्रवृत्तेन च पाण्डवेन । मया च दुष्पुत्रवशानुगेन । कृतः कुरूणामयमन्तकालः ॥

kṛtaṃ matākṣeṇa yathā na sādhu | sādhupravṛttena ca pāṇḍavena | mayā ca duṣputravaśānugena | kṛtaḥ kurūṇāmayamantakālaḥ

Shakuni, the master of the dice, did what was not right, while the Pandava acted rightly; and I, following the will of a wicked son, have brought about this end of the Kurus.

Verse 25 (3.237.25)

ध्रुवं प्रशाम्यत्यसमीरितोऽग्नि- । र्ध्रुवं प्रजास्यत्युत गर्भिणी या । ध्रुवं दिनादौ रजनीप्रणाश- । स्तथा क्षपादौ च दिनप्रणाशः ॥

dhruvaṃ praśāmyatyasamīrito'gni- | rdhruvaṃ prajāsyatyuta garbhiṇī yā | dhruvaṃ dinādau rajanīpraṇāśa- | stathā kṣapādau ca dinapraṇāśaḥ

Surely a fire left unfanned dies down; surely a woman who is with child gives birth; surely at daybreak the night ends, and at nightfall the day.

Verse 26 (3.237.26)

कृतेच कस्मान्न परेच कुर्यु- । र्दत्ते च दद्युः पुरुषाः कथंस्वित् । प्राप्यार्थकालं च भवेदनर्थः । कथंचन स्यादितितत्कुतः स्यात् ॥

kṛteca kasmānna pareca kuryu- | rdatte ca dadyuḥ puruṣāḥ kathaṃsvit | prāpyārthakālaṃ ca bhavedanarthaḥ | kathaṃcana syādititatkutaḥ syāt

When a deed has been done, why should others not do the same in return? When something has been given, how could men fail to give back? Even when the hour of gain has come, misfortune may follow; men ask "How could this be?", yet from where else could it come?

Verse 27 (3.237.27)

कथं न भिद्येत न च स्रवेत । न च प्रसिच्येदितिरक्षितव्यम् । अरक्ष्यमाणं शतधा प्रकीर्ये- । द्ध्रुवं न नाशोऽस्ति कृतस्य लोके ॥

kathaṃ na bhidyeta na ca sraveta | na ca prasicyeditirakṣitavyam | arakṣyamāṇaṃ śatadhā prakīrye- | ddhruvaṃ na nāśo'sti kṛtasya loke

A thing must be guarded so that it does not break, leak or spill; left unguarded, it would scatter into a hundred pieces. Surely no deed done in this world perishes.

Note on the text: Corrected प्रकीर्येद्भ्रुवं → प्रकीर्येद्ध्रुवं (misprint in Wikisource; भ्र for ध्र; the word is ध्रुवं, as the critical edition's dhruvaṃ confirms).

Verse 28 (3.237.28)

गतो ह्यरण्यादपिशक्रलोकं । धनंजयः पश्यत वीर्यमस्य । अस्त्राणि दिव्यानि चतुर्विधानि । ज्ञात्वा पुनर्लोकमिमं प्रपन्नः ॥

gato hyaraṇyādapiśakralokaṃ | dhanaṃjayaḥ paśyata vīryamasya | astrāṇi divyāni caturvidhāni | jñātvā punarlokamimaṃ prapannaḥ

Dhananjaya even went from the forest to the world of Indra; behold his prowess! Having learned the four kinds of celestial weapons, he has come back to this world.

Note on the text: Corrected पशय्त → पश्यत (misprint in Wikisource; transposed aksharas; the critical edition reads paśyata).

Verse 29 (3.237.29)

स्वर्गं हि गत्वा सशरीर एव । को मानुषः पुनरागन्तुमिच्छेत् । अन्यत्रकालोपहताननेका- । न्समीक्षमाणस्तुकुरून्मुमूर्षून् ॥

svargaṃ hi gatvā saśarīra eva | ko mānuṣaḥ punarāgantumicchet | anyatrakālopahatānanekā- | nsamīkṣamāṇastukurūnmumūrṣūn

For what mortal, having gone to heaven in his very body, would wish to come back, unless he saw the many Kurus struck down by Time and on the point of death?

Verse 30 (3.237.30)

धनुर्ग्राहश्चार्जुनः सव्यसाची । धनुश्च तद्गाण्डिवं भीमवेगम् । अस्त्राणि दिव्यानि च तानि तस्य । त्रयस्य तेजः प्रसहेत कोऽत्र ॥

dhanurgrāhaścārjunaḥ savyasācī | dhanuśca tadgāṇḍivaṃ bhīmavegam | astrāṇi divyāni ca tāni tasya | trayasya tejaḥ prasaheta ko'tra

Arjuna the left-handed archer as bowman, that Gandiva bow of terrible force, and those celestial weapons of his: who here could withstand the might of these three?"

Verse 31 (3.237.31)

निशम्य तद्वचनं पार्थिवस्य । दुर्योधनं रहिते सौबलोऽथ । अबोधयत्कर्णमुपेत्य सर्वं । स चाप्यहृष्टोऽभवदल्पचेताः ॥

niśamya tadvacanaṃ pārthivasya | duryodhanaṃ rahite saubalo'tha | abodhayatkarṇamupetya sarvaṃ | sa cāpyahṛṣṭo'bhavadalpacetāḥ

Hearing these words of the king, Saubala then went to Duryodhana in private and, approaching Karna as well, told them everything; and the small-minded Duryodhana was dismayed.