Karna Urges Duryodhana to Rise

Verse 1 (3.251.1)

राजन्नद्यावगच्छामि तवैव लघुसत्वताम् । अल्पत्वं च तथा बुद्धेः कार्याणामविवेकिताम् ॥

rājannadyāvagacchāmi tavaiva laghusatvatām | alpatvaṃ ca tathā buddheḥ kāryāṇāmavivekitām

O king, today I see how light your spirit is, how small your judgement, and how little you can tell what ought to be done.

Note on the text: Removed the backtick and quote marks (Wikisource's marks for an added line) around the second line. The first line is CE 3.238.38a; the second line is not in the critical edition's constituted text (found in the vulgate recension; it appears in the apparatus as 3.238.38b*1145).

Verse 2 (3.251.2)

किमत्र चित्रं धर्मज्ञ मोक्षितः पाण्डवैरसि । सद्यो वशं समापन्नः शत्रूणां शत्रुकर्शन ॥

kimatra citraṃ dharmajña mokṣitaḥ pāṇḍavairasi | sadyo vaśaṃ samāpannaḥ śatrūṇāṃ śatrukarśana

What is so strange here, O knower of dharma, that you were freed by the Pandavas, when you had suddenly fallen into the power of your enemies, O tormentor of foes?

Note on the text: Matches the second and third lines of CE 3.238.38 (Wikisource divides the verse differently).

Verse 3 (3.251.3)

सेनाजीवैश्च कौरव्य तथा विषयवासिभिः । अज्ञातैर्यदि वा ज्ञातैः कर्तव्यं नृपतेः प्रियम् ॥

senājīvaiśca kauravya tathā viṣayavāsibhiḥ | ajñātairyadi vā jñātaiḥ kartavyaṃ nṛpateḥ priyam

Those who live by soldiering, O Kauravya, and those who dwell in the realm, whether the king knows them or not, must do what pleases the king.

Verse 4 (3.251.4)

प्रायः प्रधानाः पुरुषाः क्षोभयित्वाऽरिवाहिनीम् । निगृह्यन्ते च युद्धेषु मोक्ष्यन्ते च स्वसैनिकैः ॥

prāyaḥ pradhānāḥ puruṣāḥ kṣobhayitvā'rivāhinīm | nigṛhyante ca yuddheṣu mokṣyante ca svasainikaiḥ

It often happens in battle that leading men, after throwing the enemy's army into turmoil, are captured, and are then set free by their own soldiers.

Note on the text: Corrected चयुद्धेषु → च युद्धेषु (misprint in Wikisource; missing word break; CE ca yuddheṣu).

Verse 5 (3.251.5)

सेनाजीवाश्च ये राज्ञां विषये सन्ति मानवाः । तैः संगम्य नृपार्थाय यतितव्यं यथातथम् ॥

senājīvāśca ye rājñāṃ viṣaye santi mānavāḥ | taiḥ saṃgamya nṛpārthāya yatitavyaṃ yathātatham

The men who live by soldiering in a king's realm should band together and strive as best they can for the king's cause.

Verse 6 (3.251.6)

यद्येवं पाण्डवै राजन्भवद्विषयवासिभिः । यदृच्छया मोक्षितोऽसि तत्र का परिदेवना ॥

yadyevaṃ pāṇḍavai rājanbhavadviṣayavāsibhiḥ | yadṛcchayā mokṣito'si tatra kā paridevanā

If, then, O king, the Pandavas, who live in your realm, happened to set you free, what is there to lament in that?

Note on the text: Corrected कतत्रका → तत्र का (misprint in Wikisource; stray क and missing word break; CE tatra kā, as in verse 11).

Verse 7 (3.251.7)

न चैतत्साधु यद्राजन्पाण्डवास्त्वां नृपोत्तमम् । स्वसेनया संप्रयान्तं नानुयान्ति स्म पृष्ठतः ॥

na caitatsādhu yadrājanpāṇḍavāstvāṃ nṛpottamam | svasenayā saṃprayāntaṃ nānuyānti sma pṛṣṭhataḥ

Nor was it right of the Pandavas, O king, that when you, the best of kings, marched out with your army, they did not follow behind you.

Verse 8 (3.251.8)

शूराश्च बलवन्तश्च संयुगेष्वपलायिनः । भवतस्ते सभायां वै प्रेष्यतां पूर्वमागताः ॥

śūrāśca balavantaśca saṃyugeṣvapalāyinaḥ | bhavataste sabhāyāṃ vai preṣyatāṃ pūrvamāgatāḥ

Brave and mighty as they are, never fleeing in battle, they had already become your servants in the assembly hall.

Verse 9 (3.251.9)

पाण्डवेयानि रत्नानि त्वमद्याप्युपभुञ्जसे । सत्वस्थान्पाण्डवान्पश्य न ते प्रायमुपाविशन् ॥

pāṇḍaveyāni ratnāni tvamadyāpyupabhuñjase | satvasthānpāṇḍavānpaśya na te prāyamupāviśan

You still enjoy the Pandavas' treasures today. See how steadfast the Pandavas are: they did not sit down to fast unto death.

Note on the text: Matches the first two lines of CE 3.238.45.

Verse 10 (3.251.10)

तदलं ते महाबाहो विषादं कर्तुमीदृशम् । उत्तिष्ठ राजन्भद्रं ते न चिन्तां कर्तुमर्हसि ॥

tadalaṃ te mahābāho viṣādaṃ kartumīdṛśam | uttiṣṭha rājanbhadraṃ te na cintāṃ kartumarhasi

So enough of such despair, mighty-armed one. Rise, O king, good fortune to you; you should not brood.

Note on the text: Removed the backtick and quote marks (Wikisource's marks for an added line) around the first line. Corrected रराजन्भद्रं → राजन्भद्रं (misprint in Wikisource; doubled र; CE rājan bhadraṃ). The first line is not in the critical edition's constituted text (found in the vulgate recension; the apparatus has a variant of it as 3.238.45d*1146); the second line is CE 3.238.45e.

Verse 11 (3.251.11)

अवश्यमेव नृपते राज्ञो विषयवासिभिः । प्रियाण्याचरितव्यानि तत्र का परिदेवना ॥

avaśyameva nṛpate rājño viṣayavāsibhiḥ | priyāṇyācaritavyāni tatra kā paridevanā

Those who live in a king's realm must by all means do what pleases the king; what is there to lament in that?

Verse 12 (3.251.12)

मद्वाक्यमेतद्राजेन्द्र यद्येवं न करिष्यसि । स्थास्यामीह भवत्पादौ शुश्रूषन्नरिमर्दन ॥

madvākyametadrājendra yadyevaṃ na kariṣyasi | sthāsyāmīha bhavatpādau śuśrūṣannarimardana

This is my word, O lord of kings: if you do not do as I say, I will stay here, serving at your feet, O crusher of foes.

Verse 13 (3.251.13)

नोत्सहे जीवितुमहं त्वद्विहीनो नरर्षभ । प्रायोपविष्टस्तु तथा राज्ञां हास्यो भविष्यसि ॥

notsahe jīvitumahaṃ tvadvihīno nararṣabha | prāyopaviṣṭastu tathā rājñāṃ hāsyo bhaviṣyasi

I cannot live without you, O bull among men. And if you sit fasting unto death like this, you will become a laughingstock among kings.

Note on the text: Corrected नरर्षभः → नरर्षभ (misprint in Wikisource; the vocative is needed; CE nararṣabha).

Verse 14 (3.251.14)

एवमुक्तस्तु कर्णेन राजा दुर्योधनस्तदा । नैवोत्थातुं मनश्चक्रे स्वर्गाय कृतनिश्चयः ॥

evamuktastu karṇena rājā duryodhanastadā | naivotthātuṃ manaścakre svargāya kṛtaniścayaḥ

Addressed thus by Karna, King Duryodhana still would not make up his mind to rise; he had resolved on reaching heaven.