Karna Urges an Attack on the Pandavas

Verse 1 (3.7.1)

श्रुत्वा च विदुरं प्राप्तं राज्ञा च परिसान्त्वितम् । धृतराष्ट्रात्मजो राजा पर्यतप्यत दुर्मतिः ॥

śrutvā ca viduraṃ prāptaṃ rājñā ca parisāntvitam | dhṛtarāṣṭrātmajo rājā paryatapyata durmatiḥ

When he heard that Vidura had come back and that the king had made peace with him, King Duryodhana, Dhritarashtra's evil-minded son, was tormented.

Note on the text: Corrected धृताराष्ट्रात्मजो → धृतराष्ट्रात्मजो (misprint in Wikisource; stray long ā; the critical edition reads dhṛtarāṣṭrātmajo).

Verse 2 (3.7.2)

स सौबलेयमानाय्य कर्णदुःशासनौ तथा । अब्रवीद्वचनं राजा प्रविश्याबुद्धिजं तमः ॥

sa saubaleyamānāyya karṇaduḥśāsanau tathā | abravīdvacanaṃ rājā praviśyābuddhijaṃ tamaḥ

Sunk in the darkness born of folly, the king summoned Saubala's son Shakuni, together with Karna and Duhshasana, and said:

Verse 3 (3.7.3)

एष प्रत्यागतो मन्त्री धृतराष्ट्रस्य संमतः । विदुरः पाण्डुपुत्राणां सुहृद्विद्वान्हिते रतः ॥

eṣa pratyāgato mantrī dhṛtarāṣṭrasya saṃmataḥ | viduraḥ pāṇḍuputrāṇāṃ suhṛdvidvānhite rataḥ

"Vidura has come back — Dhritarashtra's trusted counsellor, a learned man, a friend of the sons of Pandu, devoted to their good."

Verse 4 (3.7.4)

यावदस्य पुनर्बुद्धिं विदुरो नापकर्षति । पाण्डवानयने तावन्मन्त्रयध्वं हितं मम ॥

yāvadasya punarbuddhiṃ viduro nāpakarṣati | pāṇḍavānayane tāvanmantrayadhvaṃ hitaṃ mama

"Before Vidura can turn the king's mind again toward bringing back the Pandavas, take counsel on what serves my good."

Verse 5 (3.7.5)

अथ पश्याम्यहं पार्थान्प्राप्तानिह कथंचन । पुनः शोषं गमिष्यामि निरसुर्निष्परिग्रहः ॥

atha paśyāmyahaṃ pārthānprāptāniha kathaṃcana | punaḥ śoṣaṃ gamiṣyāmi nirasurniṣparigrahaḥ

"If ever I see the sons of Pritha come back here, I will waste away again, without life and without possessions."

Verse 6 (3.7.6)

विषमुद्बन्धनं चैव शस्त्रमग्निप्रवेशनम् । करिष्ये न हि तानृद्धान्पुनर्द्रष्टुमिहोत्सहे ॥

viṣamudbandhanaṃ caiva śastramagnipraveśanam | kariṣye na hi tānṛddhānpunardraṣṭumihotsahe

"I will take poison, or hang myself, or use a weapon, or enter the fire; for I cannot bear to see them prosper here again."

Verse 7 (3.7.7)

किं बालिशमतिं राजन्नास्थितोऽसि विशांपते । गतास्ते समयं कृत्वा नैतदेवं भविष्यति ॥

kiṃ bāliśamatiṃ rājannāsthito'si viśāṃpate | gatāste samayaṃ kṛtvā naitadevaṃ bhaviṣyati

"What childish notion is this you have taken up, king, lord of the people? They left after making a pledge; it will not turn out as you fear."

Note on the text: Speaker heading misprinted in Wikisource as सुकुनिरुवाच; read शकुनि. Restored a missing avagraha (नास्थितोसि → नास्थितोऽसि).

Verse 8 (3.7.8)

सत्यवाक्ये स्थिताः सर्वे पाण्डवा भरतर्षभ । पितुस्ते वचनं तात न ग्रहीष्यन्ति कर्हिचित् ॥

satyavākye sthitāḥ sarve pāṇḍavā bharatarṣabha | pituste vacanaṃ tāta na grahīṣyanti karhicit

"All the Pandavas hold fast to their word, bull of the Bharatas. They will never accept your father's bidding, my son."

Note on the text: Corrected सत्यवाक्येः स्विताः → सत्यवाक्ये स्थिताः, भरतषभ → भरतर्षभ and कर्हिचिति → कर्हिचित् (misprints in Wikisource; the critical edition reads satyavākye sthitāḥ, bharatarṣabha, karhi cit).

Verse 9 (3.7.9)

अथवा ते ग्रहीष्यन्ति पुनरेष्यन्ति वा पुरम् । निरस्य समयं सर्वे पणोऽस्माकं भविष्यति ॥

athavā te grahīṣyanti punareṣyanti vā puram | nirasya samayaṃ sarve paṇo'smākaṃ bhaviṣyati

"Or if they do accept it and come back to the city, all of them setting the pledge aside, then they will be ours to play for once again."

Verse 10 (3.7.10)

सर्वे भवामो मध्यस्था राज्ञश्छन्दानुवर्तिनः । छिद्रं बहु प्रपश्यन्तः पाण्डवानां सुसंवृताः ॥

sarve bhavāmo madhyasthā rājñaśchandānuvartinaḥ | chidraṃ bahu prapaśyantaḥ pāṇḍavānāṃ susaṃvṛtāḥ

"Let us all stay neutral, following the king's wishes, and, keeping well hidden, watch for the Pandavas' many weak points."

Verse 11 (3.7.11)

एवमेतन्महाप्राज्ञ यथा वदसि मातुल । नित्यं हि मे कथयतस्तव बुद्धिर्विरोचते ॥

evametanmahāprājña yathā vadasi mātula | nityaṃ hi me kathayatastava buddhirvirocate

"It is just as you say, wise uncle. Whenever you speak, your understanding shines out to me."

Verse 12 (3.7.12)

काममीक्षामहे सर्वे दुर्योधन तवेप्सितम् । ऐकमत्यं हि नो राजन्सर्वेषामेव लक्षये ॥

kāmamīkṣāmahe sarve duryodhana tavepsitam | aikamatyaṃ hi no rājansarveṣāmeva lakṣaye

"We all look to what you desire, Duryodhana; I see, king, that all of us are of one mind."

Verse 13 (3.7.13)

नागमिष्यन्ति ते धीरा अकृत्वा कालसंविदम् । आगमिष्यन्ति चेन्मोहात्पुनर्द्यूतेन ताञ्जय ॥

nāgamiṣyanti te dhīrā akṛtvā kālasaṃvidam | āgamiṣyanti cenmohātpunardyūtena tāñjaya

"Those steadfast men will not come back without completing the agreed term; and if in their folly they do come back, beat them again at dice."

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); a close variant appears in the critical edition's apparatus as 3.8.11d*36, placed after Duhshasana's verse.

Verse 14 (3.7.14)

एवमुक्तस्तु कर्णेन राजा दुर्योधनस्तदा । नातिहृष्टमनाः क्षिप्रमभवत्स पराङ्मुखः ॥

evamuktastu karṇena rājā duryodhanastadā | nātihṛṣṭamanāḥ kṣipramabhavatsa parāṅmukhaḥ

Spoken to thus by Karna, King Duryodhana was far from pleased and promptly turned his face away.

Verse 15 (3.7.15)

उपलभ्य ततः कर्णो विवृत्य नयने शुभे । रोषाद्दुःशासनं चैव सौबलं च तमेव च ॥

upalabhya tataḥ karṇo vivṛtya nayane śubhe | roṣādduḥśāsanaṃ caiva saubalaṃ ca tameva ca

Perceiving this, Karna opened wide his fine eyes and in anger addressed Duhshasana, Saubala and Duryodhana himself.

Verse 16 (3.7.16)

उवाच परमक्रुद्ध उद्यम्यात्मानमात्मना । अथो मम मतं यत्तु तन्निबोधत भूमिपाः ॥

uvāca paramakruddha udyamyātmānamātmanā | atho mama mataṃ yattu tannibodhata bhūmipāḥ

Drawing himself up in towering rage, he said: "Now hear my own view, lords of the earth."

Verse 17 (3.7.17)

प्रियं सर्वे करिष्यामो राज्ञः किं करवामहे । न चास्य शक्नुमः स्थातुं प्रिये सर्वे ह्यतन्द्रिताः ॥

priyaṃ sarve kariṣyāmo rājñaḥ kiṃ karavāmahe | na cāsya śaknumaḥ sthātuṃ priye sarve hyatandritāḥ

"We all mean to do what pleases the king — what else should we do? Yet, for all our zeal, none of us is able to carry out his wish."

Verse 18 (3.7.18)

वयं तु शस्त्राण्यादाय रथानास्थाय दंशिताः । गच्छामः सहिता हन्तुं पाण्डवान्वनगोचरान् ॥

vayaṃ tu śastrāṇyādāya rathānāsthāya daṃśitāḥ | gacchāmaḥ sahitā hantuṃ pāṇḍavānvanagocarān

"Let us take up our weapons, put on our armour, mount our chariots, and go together to kill the Pandavas as they roam the forest."

Verse 19 (3.7.19)

तेषु सर्वेषु शान्तेषु गतेष्वविदितां गतिम् । निर्विवादा भविष्यन्ति धार्तराष्ट्रास्तथा वयम् ॥

teṣu sarveṣu śānteṣu gateṣvaviditāṃ gatim | nirvivādā bhaviṣyanti dhārtarāṣṭrāstathā vayam

"Once they are all laid to rest, gone the way no one knows, the sons of Dhritarashtra and we ourselves will be free of strife."

Verse 20 (3.7.20)

यावदेव परिद्यूना यावच्छोकपरायणाः । यावन्मित्रविहीनाश्च तावद्गच्छाम माचिरम् ॥

yāvadeva paridyūnā yāvacchokaparāyaṇāḥ | yāvanmitravihīnāśca tāvadgacchāma māciram

"While they are still worn down, while they are sunk in grief, while they are without allies — let us go now, without delay."

Verse 21 (3.7.21)

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा पूजयन्तः पुनः पुनः । प्रहृष्टमनसः सर्वे प्रत्यूचुः सूतजं तदा ॥

tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā pūjayantaḥ punaḥ punaḥ | prahṛṣṭamanasaḥ sarve pratyūcuḥ sūtajaṃ tadā

Hearing his words, they all praised him again and again, and with glad hearts gave their answer to the charioteer's son.

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (तस्यतद्वचनं → तस्य तद्वचनं).

Verse 22 (3.7.22)

एवमुक्त्वा सुसंरब्धा रथैः सर्वे पृथक्पृथक् । निर्ययुः पाण्डवान्हन्तुं सहिताः कृतनिश्चयाः ॥

evamuktvā susaṃrabdhā rathaiḥ sarve pṛthakpṛthak | niryayuḥ pāṇḍavānhantuṃ sahitāḥ kṛtaniścayāḥ

Having said this, all of them, in a fury, mounted their separate chariots and set out together, resolved to kill the Pandavas.

Verse 23 (3.7.23)

तान्प्रस्थितान्परिज्ञाय कृष्णद्वैपायनः प्रभुः । आजगाम विशुद्धात्मा दृष्ट्वा दिव्येन चक्षुषा ॥

tānprasthitānparijñāya kṛṣṇadvaipāyanaḥ prabhuḥ | ājagāma viśuddhātmā dṛṣṭvā divyena cakṣuṣā

Seeing with his divine sight that they had set out, the lord Krishna Dvaipayana, pure of soul, came there.

Verse 24 (3.7.24)

प्रतिषिध्याथ तान्सर्वान्भगवाँल्लोकपूजितः । प्रज्ञाचक्षुषमासीनमुवाचाभ्येत्य सत्वरम् ॥

pratiṣidhyātha tānsarvānbhagavām̐llokapūjitaḥ | prajñācakṣuṣamāsīnamuvācābhyetya satvaram

Having turned them all back, the blessed one, honoured by the worlds, went quickly to the king whose only sight was his wisdom, as he sat there, and spoke to him.