Vidura Brings the Pandavas' Answer to Dhritarashtra

Verse 1 (15.14.1)

एवमुक्तस्तु राज्ञा स विदुरो बुद्धिसत्तमः । धृतराष्ट्रमुपेत्यैव वाक्यमाह महार्थवत् ॥

evamuktastu rājñā sa viduro buddhisattamaḥ | dhṛtarāṣṭramupetyaiva vākyamāha mahārthavat

Thus addressed by the king, Vidura, the best of the wise, approached Dhritarashtra and spoke words full of meaning.

Verse 2 (15.14.2)

उक्तो युधिष्ठिरो राजा भवद्वचनमादितः । स च संश्रुत्य वाक्यं ते प्रशशंस महाद्युतिः ॥

ukto yudhiṣṭhiro rājā bhavadvacanamāditaḥ | sa ca saṃśrutya vākyaṃ te praśaśaṃsa mahādyutiḥ

Vidura said: "King Yudhishthira has been told your message from the beginning, and having heard your words, that greatly radiant one praised them.

Note on the text: Speaker: Wikisource's single heading (Vaishampayana) is carried through; verses 2–14 are Vidura's report to Dhritarashtra (verse 1 introduces it), so they are given to Vidura.

Verse 3 (15.14.3)

बीभत्सुश्च महातेजा निवेदयति ते गृहान् । वसु तस्य गृहे यच्च प्राणानपि च केवलान् ॥

bībhatsuśca mahātejā nivedayati te gṛhān | vasu tasya gṛhe yacca prāṇānapi ca kevalān

And the greatly radiant Bibhatsu offers you his houses, and whatever wealth is in his house, and even his bare life.

Verse 4 (15.14.4)

धर्मराजश्च पुत्रस्ते राज्यं प्राणान्धनानि च । अनुजानाति राजर्षे यच्चान्यदपि किञ्चन ॥

dharmarājaśca putraste rājyaṃ prāṇāndhanāni ca | anujānāti rājarṣe yaccānyadapi kiñcana

And your son Dharmaraja gives you leave to take the kingdom, his life, his wealth, and anything else there may be, O royal sage.

Verse 5 (15.14.5)

भीमस्तु सर्वदुःखानि संस्मृत्य बहुलान्युत । कृच्छ्रादिव महाबाहुरनुजज्ञे विनिःश्वसन् ॥

bhīmastu sarvaduḥkhāni saṃsmṛtya bahulānyuta | kṛcchrādiva mahābāhuranujajñe viniḥśvasan

But Bhima, recalling all his many sorrows, consented sighing, as if with difficulty, though mighty-armed.

Verse 6 (15.14.6)

राजन्धर्मशीलेन राज्ञा बीभत्सुना तथा । अनुनीतो महाबाहुः सौहृदे स्थापितोऽपि च ॥

rājandharmaśīlena rājñā bībhatsunā tathā | anunīto mahābāhuḥ sauhṛde sthāpito'pi ca

O king, the mighty-armed one was won over by the righteous king and likewise by Bibhatsu, and was set again in friendliness.

Note on the text: Corrected र राजन् → राजन् (misprint in Wikisource; stray syllable र at the start (CE has sa rājñā dharmaśīlena bhrātrā bībhatsunā tathā; the second half-line is a recension variant, kept)). Corrected स्थापितोपि → स्थापितोऽपि (misprint in Wikisource; missing avagraha).

Verse 7 (15.14.7)

न च मन्युस्त्वया कार्य इति त्वां प्राह धर्मराट् । संस्मृत्य भीमस्तद्वैरं यदन्यायवदाचरत् ॥

na ca manyustvayā kārya iti tvāṃ prāha dharmarāṭ | saṃsmṛtya bhīmastadvairaṃ yadanyāyavadācarat

And Dharmaraja bids you: "You must not harbour anger" — for Bhima, remembering that enmity, had behaved as though unjustly.

Verse 8 (15.14.8)

एवंप्रायो हि धर्मोऽयं क्षत्रियाणां नराधिप । युद्धे क्षत्रियधर्मे च निरतोऽयं वृकोदरः ॥

evaṃprāyo hi dharmo'yaṃ kṣatriyāṇāṃ narādhipa | yuddhe kṣatriyadharme ca nirato'yaṃ vṛkodaraḥ

Such, O lord of men, is the way of this duty of kshatriyas; and this Vrikodara is devoted to war and to the kshatriya's dharma.

Note on the text: Corrected शुद्धे क्षत्रियधर्मे न निरतोऽयं → युद्धे क्षत्रियधर्मे च निरतोऽयं (misprint in Wikisource; the printed reading would say Bhima is not devoted to kshatriya duty, against the sense of the verse; CE yuddhe kṣatriyadharme ca nirato 'yaṃ vṛkodaraḥ).

Verse 9 (15.14.9)

वृकोदरकृते चाहमर्जुनश्च पुनः पुनः । प्रसीद याचे नृपते भवान्प्रभुरिहास्ति यत् ॥

vṛkodarakṛte cāhamarjunaśca punaḥ punaḥ | prasīda yāce nṛpate bhavānprabhurihāsti yat

On Vrikodara's behalf Arjuna and I entreat you again and again: be gracious, O king; you are the master of whatever there is here.

Note on the text: Wikisource reads प्रसीद याचे where the critical edition has प्रसादयाव (recension variant, kept).

Verse 10 (15.14.10)

तद्ददातु भवान्वित्तं यावदिच्छसि पार्थिव । त्वमीश्वरो नो राज्यस्य प्राणानामपि भारत ॥

taddadātu bhavānvittaṃ yāvadicchasi pārthiva | tvamīśvaro no rājyasya prāṇānāmapi bhārata

So give wealth as much as you wish, O king; you are our lord, of the kingdom and even of our lives, O Bharata.

Note on the text: Corrected यावदिच्छसि पार्थिवः → यावदिच्छसि पार्थिव (misprint in Wikisource; the vocative पार्थिव is required; CE yāvad icchasi pārthiva).

Verse 11 (15.14.11)

ब्रह्मदेयाग्रहारांश्च पुत्राणामौर्ध्वदेहिकम् । इतो रत्नानि गाश्चैव दासीदासमजाविकम् ॥

brahmadeyāgrahārāṃśca putrāṇāmaurdhvadehikam | ito ratnāni gāścaiva dāsīdāsamajāvikam

Let the gifts to Brahmins, the grants of land, and the funeral gifts for your sons be given from here; jewels, cows, male and female servants, goats and sheep —

Verse 12 (15.14.12)

अर्चयित्वा कुरुश्रेष्ठो ब्राह्मणेभ्यः प्रयच्छतु । दीनान्धकृपणेभ्यश्च तत्रतत्र नृपाज्ञया ॥

arcayitvā kuruśreṣṭho brāhmaṇebhyaḥ prayacchatu | dīnāndhakṛpaṇebhyaśca tatratatra nṛpājñayā

let the best of the Kurus, having honoured them, give these to the Brahmins, and to the poor, the blind and the wretched, in each place, by the king's command.

Verse 13 (15.14.13)

बह्वन्नरसपानाढ्याः सभा विदुर कारय । गवां निपानान्यन्यच्च विविधं पुण्यकं कुरु ॥

bahvannarasapānāḍhyāḥ sabhā vidura kāraya | gavāṃ nipānānyanyacca vividhaṃ puṇyakaṃ kuru

Vidura, have halls built that abound in food, savoury dishes and drink, and watering places for cattle, and do other meritorious works of many kinds.

Verse 14 (15.14.14)

इति मामब्रवीद्राजा पार्थश्चैव धनंजयः । यदत्रानन्तरं कार्यं तद्भवान्वक्तुमर्हति ॥

iti māmabravīdrājā pārthaścaiva dhanaṃjayaḥ | yadatrānantaraṃ kāryaṃ tadbhavānvaktumarhati

So the king and Partha Dhananjaya told me; as for what should be done next, you are the one to say."

Note on the text: Corrected तद्भवम्ववक्तुमर्हति → तद्भवान्वक्तुमर्हति (misprint in Wikisource; garbled syllables; CE tad bhavān vaktum arhati).

Verse 15 (15.14.15)

इत्युक्ते विदुरेणाथ धृतराष्ट्रोऽभिनन्द्य तान् । मनश्चक्रे महादाने कार्तिक्यां जनमेजय ॥

ityukte vidureṇātha dhṛtarāṣṭro'bhinandya tān | manaścakre mahādāne kārtikyāṃ janamejaya

When Vidura had spoken, Dhritarashtra welcomed their words and set his mind on a great gift on the Kartika full moon, O Janamejaya.

Note on the text: Wikisource reads धृतराष्ट्रोऽभिनन्द्य तान् where the critical edition has अभिनन्द्य तत् (recension variant, kept).