Dhritarashtra Calls Vidura Back

Verse 1 (3.6.1)

गते तु विदुरे राजन्नाश्रमं पाण्डवान्प्रति । धृतराष्ट्रो महाप्राज्ञः पर्यतप्यत दुर्मनाः ॥

gate tu vidure rājannāśramaṃ pāṇḍavānprati | dhṛtarāṣṭro mahāprājñaḥ paryatapyata durmanāḥ

O king, when Vidura had gone to the Pandavas' hermitage, the wise Dhritarashtra was tormented and sick at heart.

Verse 2 (3.6.2)

विदुरस्य प्रभावं च सन्धिविग्रहकारितम् । विवृद्धिं च परां मत्वा पाण्डवानां भविष्यति ॥

vidurasya prabhāvaṃ ca sandhivigrahakāritam | vivṛddhiṃ ca parāṃ matvā pāṇḍavānāṃ bhaviṣyati

He thought of Vidura's influence, of his mastery of the arts of peace and war, and of the great rise that lay ahead for the Pandavas.

Note on the text: Removed the square brackets and the stray double danda with which Wikisource marks this verse as an interpolation. Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition's apparatus records it as 3.7.1d*30.

Verse 3 (3.6.3)

स सभाद्वारमागम्य विदुरस्मारमोहितः । समक्षं पार्थिवेन्द्राणां विसंज्ञः प्रापतद्भुवि ॥

sa sabhādvāramāgamya vidurasmāramohitaḥ | samakṣaṃ pārthivendrāṇāṃ visaṃjñaḥ prāpatadbhuvi

Bewildered by the memory of Vidura, he came to the door of the assembly hall and fell senseless to the ground before the assembled kings.

Note on the text: Corrected पार्थिवेनद्राणां → पार्थिवेन्द्राणां (misprint in Wikisource; broken conjunct; the critical edition reads pārthivendrāṇāṃ).

Verse 4 (3.6.4)

स तु लब्ध्वा चिरात्संज्ञां समुत्थाय महीतलात् । समीपोपस्थितं राजा संजयं वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥

sa tu labdhvā cirātsaṃjñāṃ samutthāya mahītalāt | samīpopasthitaṃ rājā saṃjayaṃ vākyamabravīt

When at last he came to his senses, the king rose from the ground and spoke to Sanjaya, who stood beside him.

Verse 5 (3.6.5)

भ्राता मम सुहृच्चैव साक्षाद्धर्म इवापरः । तस्य स्मृत्याऽद्य सुभृशं हृदयं दीर्यतीव मे ॥

bhrātā mama suhṛccaiva sākṣāddharma ivāparaḥ | tasya smṛtyā'dya subhṛśaṃ hṛdayaṃ dīryatīva me

"My brother is my friend as well, like a second Dharma in bodily form. Remembering him today, I feel as though my heart were breaking."

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (दीर्यतीवमे → दीर्यतीव मे).

Verse 6 (3.6.6)

तमानय स्वधर्मज्ञं मम भ्रातरमाशु वै । इति ब्रुवन्स नृपतिः कृपणं पर्यदेवयत् ॥

tamānaya svadharmajñaṃ mama bhrātaramāśu vai | iti bruvansa nṛpatiḥ kṛpaṇaṃ paryadevayat

"Bring my brother, who knows his duty, back to me at once." Saying this, the king lamented piteously.

Verse 7 (3.6.7)

पश्चात्तापाभिसंतप्तो विदुरस्मारमोहितः । भ्रातृस्नेहादिदं राजा संजयं वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥

paścāttāpābhisaṃtapto vidurasmāramohitaḥ | bhrātṛsnehādidaṃ rājā saṃjayaṃ vākyamabravīt

Burning with remorse and bewildered by the memory of Vidura, the king, out of love for his brother, said this to Sanjaya:

Note on the text: Corrected भ्रातृश्नेहात् → भ्रातृस्नेहात् (misprint in Wikisource; श for स; the critical edition reads bhrātṛsnehād).

Verse 8 (3.6.8)

गच्छ संजय जानीहि भ्रातरं विदुरं मम । यदि जीवति रोषेण मया पापेन निर्धुतः ॥

gaccha saṃjaya jānīhi bhrātaraṃ viduraṃ mama | yadi jīvati roṣeṇa mayā pāpena nirdhutaḥ

"Go, Sanjaya, and find out about my brother Vidura — whether he still lives, he whom I, sinner that I am, drove out in anger."

Verse 9 (3.6.9)

न हि तेन मम भ्रात्रा सुसूक्ष्ममपि किंचन । व्यलीकं कृतपूर्वं वै प्राज्ञेनामितबुद्धिना ॥

na hi tena mama bhrātrā susūkṣmamapi kiṃcana | vyalīkaṃ kṛtapūrvaṃ vai prājñenāmitabuddhinā

"Never before has that brother of mine, wise and of boundless understanding, done me the slightest wrong."

Verse 10 (3.6.10)

स व्यलीकं कथं प्राप्तो मत्तः परमबुद्धिमान् । न जह्याज्जीवितं प्राज्ञ तं गच्छानय संजय ॥

sa vyalīkaṃ kathaṃ prāpto mattaḥ paramabuddhimān | na jahyājjīvitaṃ prājña taṃ gacchānaya saṃjaya

"How has that man of supreme intelligence come to suffer wrong at my hands? Wise one, he must not give up his life — go, Sanjaya, and bring him back."

Note on the text: Corrected जह्माज्जीवितं → जह्याज्जीवितं (misprint in Wikisource; म for य; the critical edition reads jahyāj).

Verse 11 (3.6.11)

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा राज्ञस्तमनुमान्य च । संजयो बाढमित्युक्त्वा प्राद्रवत्काम्यकं प्रति ॥

tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā rājñastamanumānya ca | saṃjayo bāḍhamityuktvā prādravatkāmyakaṃ prati

Hearing the king's words and honouring his wish, Sanjaya said, "Very well," and hurried off toward the Kamyaka forest.

Verse 12 (3.6.12)

सोऽचिरेण समासाद्य तद्वनं यत्र पाण्डवाः । रौरवाजिनसंवीतं ददर्शाथ युधिष्ठिरम् ॥

so'cireṇa samāsādya tadvanaṃ yatra pāṇḍavāḥ | rauravājinasaṃvītaṃ dadarśātha yudhiṣṭhiram

Before long he reached the forest where the Pandavas were, and there he saw Yudhishthira, clad in the skin of a ruru deer,

Verse 13 (3.6.13)

विदुरेण सहासीनं ब्राह्मणैश्च सहस्रशः । भ्रातृभिश्चाभिसंगुप्तं देवैरिव पुरंदरम् ॥

vidureṇa sahāsīnaṃ brāhmaṇaiśca sahasraśaḥ | bhrātṛbhiścābhisaṃguptaṃ devairiva puraṃdaram

seated with Vidura and with brahmins in their thousands, and guarded by his brothers as Indra, breaker of cities, is guarded by the gods.

Verse 14 (3.6.14)

युधिष्ठिरमुपागम्य पूजयामास संजयः । भीमार्जुनयमाश्चापि तद्युक्तं प्रतिपेदिरे ॥

yudhiṣṭhiramupāgamya pūjayāmāsa saṃjayaḥ | bhīmārjunayamāścāpi tadyuktaṃ pratipedire

Sanjaya approached Yudhishthira and paid him honour, and Bhima, Arjuna and the twins received him as was fitting.

Verse 15 (3.6.15)

राज्ञा पृष्टः स कुशलं सुखासीनश्च संजयः । शशंसागमने हेतुमिदं चैवाब्रवीद्वचः ॥

rājñā pṛṣṭaḥ sa kuśalaṃ sukhāsīnaśca saṃjayaḥ | śaśaṃsāgamane hetumidaṃ caivābravīdvacaḥ

When the king had asked after his welfare and he was comfortably seated, Sanjaya told why he had come and spoke these words:

Verse 16 (3.6.16)

राजा स्मरति ते क्षत्तर्धृतराष्ट्रोऽम्बिकासुतः । तं पश्य गत्वा त्वं क्षिप्रं संजीवय च पार्थिवम् ॥

rājā smarati te kṣattardhṛtarāṣṭro'mbikāsutaḥ | taṃ paśya gatvā tvaṃ kṣipraṃ saṃjīvaya ca pārthivam

"King Dhritarashtra, son of Ambika, remembers you, Kshattri. Go quickly and see him, and bring the king back to life."

Verse 17 (3.6.17)

सोऽनुमान्य नरश्रेष्ठान्पाण्डवान्कुरुनन्दनान् । नियोगाद्राजसिंहस्य गन्तुमर्हसि सत्तम ॥

so'numānya naraśreṣṭhānpāṇḍavānkurunandanān | niyogādrājasiṃhasya gantumarhasi sattama

"Take leave of these best of men, the Pandavas, joy of the Kurus, and come, good sir, at the command of that lion among kings."

Note on the text: Corrected सत्तम् → सत्तम (misprint in Wikisource; a vocative takes no virama).

Verse 18 (3.6.18)

एवमुक्तस्तु विदुरो धीमान्स्वजनवत्सलः । युधिष्ठिरस्यानुमते पुनरायाद्गजाह्वयम् ॥

evamuktastu viduro dhīmānsvajanavatsalaḥ | yudhiṣṭhirasyānumate punarāyādgajāhvayam

So addressed, the wise Vidura, ever loving toward his own people, returned to Hastinapura with Yudhishthira's consent.

Verse 19 (3.6.19)

तमब्रवीन्महातेजा धृतराष्ट्रोऽम्बिकासुतः । दिष्ट्या प्राप्तोऽसि धर्मज्ञ दिष्ट्या स्मरसि मेऽनघ ॥

tamabravīnmahātejā dhṛtarāṣṭro'mbikāsutaḥ | diṣṭyā prāpto'si dharmajña diṣṭyā smarasi me'nagha

The mighty Dhritarashtra, son of Ambika, said to him: "How fortunate that you have come, knower of dharma! How fortunate that you remember me, sinless one!"

Note on the text: Restored a missing avagraha (प्राप्तोसि → प्राप्तोऽसि).

Verse 20 (3.6.20)

अद्य चाहं दिवारात्रौ त्वत्कृते भरतर्षभ । प्रजागरे प्रपश्यामि विचित्रं देहमात्मनः ॥

adya cāhaṃ divārātrau tvatkṛte bharatarṣabha | prajāgare prapaśyāmi vicitraṃ dehamātmanaḥ

"Because of you, bull of the Bharatas, I have lain awake day and night, and I find my own body strange to me."

Verse 21 (3.6.21)

सोऽङ्कमानीय विदुरं मूर्धन्याघ्राय चैव ह । क्षम्यतामिति चोवाच यदुक्तोऽसि मयाऽनघ ॥

so'ṅkamānīya viduraṃ mūrdhanyāghrāya caiva ha | kṣamyatāmiti covāca yadukto'si mayā'nagha

He drew Vidura onto his lap, kissed him on the head, and said, "Forgive me, sinless one, for what I said to you."

Note on the text: Restored missing avagrahas and a word space (सोङ्कमानीय → सोऽङ्कमानीय; चोवाचयदुक्तोसि → चोवाच यदुक्तोऽसि).

Verse 22 (3.6.22)

क्षान्तमेव मया राजन्गुरुर्मे परमो भवान् । तथाऽहमागतः शीघ्रं त्वद्दर्शनपरायणः ॥

kṣāntameva mayā rājangururme paramo bhavān | tathā'hamāgataḥ śīghraṃ tvaddarśanaparāyaṇaḥ

"I have already forgiven it, king; you are my highest elder. That is why I came so quickly, eager only to see you."

Verse 23 (3.6.23)

भवन्ति हि नरव्याघ्र पुरुषा धर्मचेतनाः । दीनानुकम्पिनो राजन्नात्र कार्या विचारणा ॥

bhavanti hi naravyāghra puruṣā dharmacetanāḥ | dīnānukampino rājannātra kāryā vicāraṇā

"Men whose minds are set on dharma, tiger among men, take pity on the wretched; there is nothing here to ponder, king."

Verse 24 (3.6.24)

पाण्डोः पुत्रा यादृशास्ते तादृशा मे सुतास्तव । दीना इतीव मे बुद्धिरभिपन्नाऽद्य तान्प्रति ॥

pāṇḍoḥ putrā yādṛśāste tādṛśā me sutāstava | dīnā itīva me buddhirabhipannā'dya tānprati

"Your sons are to me just what Pandu's sons are; but because they are in distress, my heart went out to them today."

Verse 25 (3.6.25)

अन्योन्यमनुनीयैवं भ्रातरौ द्वौ महाद्युती । विदुरो धृतराष्ट्रश्च लेभाते परमां मुदम् ॥

anyonyamanunīyaivaṃ bhrātarau dvau mahādyutī | viduro dhṛtarāṣṭraśca lebhāte paramāṃ mudam

Having thus made peace with each other, the two radiant brothers, Vidura and Dhritarashtra, felt great joy.