Dhritarashtra Camps on the Bank of the Ganga

Verse 1 (15.19.1)

कुन्त्यास्तु वचनं श्रुत्वा पाण्डवा राजसत्तम । व्रीडिताः संन्यवर्तन्त पाञ्चाल्या सह भारत ॥

kuntyāstu vacanaṃ śrutvā pāṇḍavā rājasattama | vrīḍitāḥ saṃnyavartanta pāñcālyā saha bhārata

Having heard Kunti's words, the Pandavas, O best of kings, turned back in shame, together with Panchali, O Bharata.

Verse 2 (15.19.2)

ततः शब्दो महानेव सर्वेषामभवत्तदा । अन्तःपुराणां रुदतां दृष्ट्वा कुन्तीं तथा गताम् ॥

tataḥ śabdo mahāneva sarveṣāmabhavattadā | antaḥpurāṇāṃ rudatāṃ dṛṣṭvā kuntīṃ tathā gatām

Then a great cry rose from all of them, as the women of the inner apartments wept on seeing Kunti gone in this way.

Verse 3 (15.19.3)

प्रदक्षिणमथावृत्त्य राजानं पाण्डवास्तदा । अभिवाद्य न्यवर्तन्त पृथां तामनिवर्त्य वै ॥

pradakṣiṇamathāvṛttya rājānaṃ pāṇḍavāstadā | abhivādya nyavartanta pṛthāṃ tāmanivartya vai

Having circled the king with their right side towards him and saluted him, the Pandavas turned back, having failed to turn Pritha back.

Verse 4 (15.19.4)

ततोऽब्रवीन्महातेजा धृतराष्ट्रोंऽबिकासुतः । गान्धारीं विदुरं चैव समाभाष्यावगृह्य च ॥

tato'bravīnmahātejā dhṛtarāṣṭroṃ'bikāsutaḥ | gāndhārīṃ viduraṃ caiva samābhāṣyāvagṛhya ca

Then the greatly radiant Dhritarashtra, son of Ambika, spoke, after addressing Gandhari and Vidura and quieting them.

Verse 5 (15.19.5)

युधिष्ठिरस्य जननी देवी साधु निवर्त्यताम् । यथा युधिष्ठिरः प्राह तत्सर्वं सत्यमेव हि ॥

yudhiṣṭhirasya jananī devī sādhu nivartyatām | yathā yudhiṣṭhiraḥ prāha tatsarvaṃ satyameva hi

Let Yudhishthira's mother, the lady, be properly sent back. All that Yudhishthira has said is true indeed.

Note on the text: Speaker: Dhritarashtra (no heading is printed; whole-verse speech to Gandhari and Vidura, so given to him; the input carried Vaishampayana over).

Verse 6 (15.19.6)

पुत्रैश्वर्यं महदिदमपास्य च महाफलम् । काऽनुगच्छेद्वनं दुर्गं पुत्रानुत्सृज्य मूढवत् ॥

putraiśvaryaṃ mahadidamapāsya ca mahāphalam | kā'nugacchedvanaṃ durgaṃ putrānutsṛjya mūḍhavat

Who, abandoning her sons like one deluded, would give up this great and fruitful lordship that comes through sons, and follow into the difficult forest?

Note on the text: Speaker: Dhritarashtra (no heading is printed; whole-verse speech to Gandhari and Vidura, so given to him; the input carried Vaishampayana over).

Verse 7 (15.19.7)

राज्यस्थया तपस्तप्तुं कर्तुं दानव्रतं महत् । अनया शक्यमेवाद्य श्रूयतां च वचो मम ॥

rājyasthayā tapastaptuṃ kartuṃ dānavrataṃ mahat | anayā śakyamevādya śrūyatāṃ ca vaco mama

Even now she can practise austerity and perform great vows of giving while living in the kingdom. Hear my words as well.

Note on the text: Speaker: Dhritarashtra (no heading is printed; whole-verse speech to Gandhari and Vidura, so given to him; the input carried Vaishampayana over). Line 1 (rājyasthayā tapas taptuṃ kartuṃ dānavrataṃ mahat) is a recension variant of CE 15.24.7ab (rājyasthayā tapas taptaṃ dānaṃ dattaṃ vrataṃ kṛtam); kept.

Verse 8 (15.19.8)

गान्धारि परितुष्टोस्मि वध्वाः शुश्रूषणेन वै । तस्मात्त्वमेनां धर्मज्ञे समनुज्ञातुमर्हसि ॥

gāndhāri parituṣṭosmi vadhvāḥ śuśrūṣaṇena vai | tasmāttvamenāṃ dharmajñe samanujñātumarhasi

Gandhari, I am well pleased with my daughter-in-law's service. Therefore, you who know dharma, you ought to give her leave.

Note on the text: Speaker: Dhritarashtra (no heading is printed; whole-verse speech to Gandhari and Vidura, so given to him; the input carried Vaishampayana over).

Verse 9 (15.19.9)

इत्युक्ता सौबलेयी तु राज्ञा कुन्तीमुवाच ह । तत्सर्वं राजवचनं स्वं च वाक्यं विशेषवत् ॥

ityuktā saubaleyī tu rājñā kuntīmuvāca ha | tatsarvaṃ rājavacanaṃ svaṃ ca vākyaṃ viśeṣavat

Thus addressed by the king, the daughter of Subala told Kunti all that the king had said, and added her own words with special force.

Verse 10 (15.19.10)

न च सा वनवासाय देवी कृतमतिं तदा । शक्नोत्युपावर्तयितुं कुन्तीं धर्मपरां सतीम् ॥

na ca sā vanavāsāya devī kṛtamatiṃ tadā | śaknotyupāvartayituṃ kuntīṃ dharmaparāṃ satīm

But the lady could not turn back Kunti, devout and virtuous, who had by then made up her mind to live in the forest.

Verse 11 (15.19.11)

तस्यास्तां तु स्थितिं ज्ञात्वा व्यवसायं कुरुस्त्रियः । निवृत्तांश्च कुरुश्रेष्ठान्दृष्ट्वा प्ररुरुदुस्तदा ॥

tasyāstāṃ tu sthitiṃ jñātvā vyavasāyaṃ kurustriyaḥ | nivṛttāṃśca kuruśreṣṭhāndṛṣṭvā prarurudustadā

Knowing her firm resolve, and seeing the Kuru chiefs turned back, the Kuru women then burst into tears.

Verse 12 (15.19.12)

उपावृत्तेषु पार्थेषु सर्वास्वेव वधूषु च । ययौ राजा महाप्राज्ञो धृतराष्ट्रो वनं तदा ॥

upāvṛtteṣu pārtheṣu sarvāsveva vadhūṣu ca | yayau rājā mahāprājño dhṛtarāṣṭro vanaṃ tadā

When the Parthas and all the daughters-in-law had turned back, the greatly wise King Dhritarashtra went on into the forest.

Verse 13 (15.19.13)

पाण्डवाश्चातिदीनास्ते दुःखशोकपरायणाः । यानैः स्त्रीसहिताः सर्वे पुरं प्रविविशुस्तदा ॥

pāṇḍavāścātidīnāste duḥkhaśokaparāyaṇāḥ | yānaiḥ strīsahitāḥ sarve puraṃ praviviśustadā

The Pandavas, utterly dejected and given over to grief and sorrow, then entered the city in carriages with their women.

Verse 14 (15.19.14)

तदहृष्टमनानन्दं गतोत्सवमिवाभवत् । नगरं हास्तिनपुरं सस्त्रीवृद्धकुमारकम् ॥

tadahṛṣṭamanānandaṃ gatotsavamivābhavat | nagaraṃ hāstinapuraṃ sastrīvṛddhakumārakam

The city of Hastinapura, with its women, its old and its children, was joyless and without delight, as though its festival had ended.

Verse 15 (15.19.15)

सर्वे चासन्निरुत्साहाः पाण्डवा जातमन्यवः । कुन्त्या हीनाः सुदुःखार्ता वत्सा इव विनाकृताः ॥

sarve cāsannirutsāhāḥ pāṇḍavā jātamanyavaḥ | kuntyā hīnāḥ suduḥkhārtā vatsā iva vinākṛtāḥ

All the Pandavas were without spirit and stirred with grief, bereft of Kunti and sorely afflicted, like calves parted from their mother.

Verse 16 (15.19.16)

धृतराष्ट्रस्तु तेनाह्ना गत्वा सुमहदन्तरम् । ततो भागीरथीतीरे निवासमकरोत्प्रभुः ॥

dhṛtarāṣṭrastu tenāhnā gatvā sumahadantaram | tato bhāgīrathītīre nivāsamakarotprabhuḥ

But Dhritarashtra, having gone a very great distance that day, the lord then made his camp on the bank of the Bhagirathi.

Verse 17 (15.19.17)

प्रादुष्कृता यथान्यायमग्नयो वेदपारगैः । व्यराजन्त द्विजश्रेष्ठैस्तत्रतत्र तपोवने । प्रादुष्कृताग्निरभवत्स च वृद्धो नराधिपः ॥

prāduṣkṛtā yathānyāyamagnayo vedapāragaiḥ | vyarājanta dvijaśreṣṭhaistatratatra tapovane | prāduṣkṛtāgnirabhavatsa ca vṛddho narādhipaḥ

Fires were duly kindled by the brahmins who had mastered the Veda, and they shone here and there in that forest of austerities, kindled by the best of the twice-born; and the aged king too had set up his fire.

Note on the text: Three-line verse, as on the page (labelled 19-17a/b/c). Line 2 differs from CE 15.24.17b only in the last word (tapovane for tapodhanaiḥ); kept as a recension variant.

Verse 18 (15.19.18)

स राजाऽग्नीन्पर्युपास्य हुत्वा च विधिवत्तदा । सन्ध्यागतं सहस्रांशुमुपातिष्ठत भारत ॥

sa rājā'gnīnparyupāsya hutvā ca vidhivattadā | sandhyāgataṃ sahasrāṃśumupātiṣṭhata bhārata

Having tended the fires and duly offered oblations, the king then worshipped the thousand-rayed sun as it reached twilight, O Bharata.

Note on the text: The page labels the two lines 19-18a and 19-18c; the verse is complete (CE 15.24.18).

Verse 19 (15.19.19)

विदुरः संजयश्चैव राज्ञः शय्यां कुशैस्ततः । चक्रतुः कुरुवीरस्य गान्धार्याश्चाविदूरतः ॥

viduraḥ saṃjayaścaiva rājñaḥ śayyāṃ kuśaistataḥ | cakratuḥ kuruvīrasya gāndhāryāścāvidūrataḥ

Vidura and Sanjaya then made the bed of kusha grass for the Kuru hero, the king, near Gandhari.

Verse 20 (15.19.20)

गान्धार्याः सन्निकर्षे तु निषसाद कुशे सुखम् । युधिष्ठिरस्य जननी कुन्ती साधुव्रते स्थिता ॥

gāndhāryāḥ sannikarṣe tu niṣasāda kuśe sukham | yudhiṣṭhirasya jananī kuntī sādhuvrate sthitā

Near Gandhari, Kunti, Yudhishthira's mother, firm in her good vows, sat down comfortably on the kusha grass.

Verse 21 (15.19.21)

तेषां संश्रवणे चापि निषेदुर्विदुरादयः । याजकाश्च यथोद्देशं द्विजा ये चानुयायिनः ॥

teṣāṃ saṃśravaṇe cāpi niṣedurvidurādayaḥ | yājakāśca yathoddeśaṃ dvijā ye cānuyāyinaḥ

Within hearing of them sat Vidura and the others, and the priests in their assigned places, and the brahmins who were their followers.

Verse 22 (15.19.22)

प्राधीतद्विजमुख्या सा संप्रज्वलितपावका । बभूव तेषां रजनी ब्राह्मीव प्रीतिवर्धिनी ॥

prādhītadvijamukhyā sā saṃprajvalitapāvakā | babhūva teṣāṃ rajanī brāhmīva prītivardhinī

That night, with the foremost brahmins reciting aloud and the fires blazing, became for them like a night of Brahma, increasing their joy.

Verse 23 (15.19.23)

ततो रात्र्यां व्यतीतायां कृतपूर्वाह्णिकक्रियाः । हुत्वाऽग्निं विधिवत्सर्वे प्रययुस्ते यथाक्रमम् । उदङ्मुखा निरीक्षन्त उपवासपरायणाः ॥

tato rātryāṃ vyatītāyāṃ kṛtapūrvāhṇikakriyāḥ | hutvā'gniṃ vidhivatsarve prayayuste yathākramam | udaṅmukhā nirīkṣanta upavāsaparāyaṇāḥ

Then, when the night had passed and they had performed their morning rites and duly made offerings to the fire, they all set out in due order, facing north, intent on fasting.

Note on the text: Three-line verse, as on the page (labelled 19-23a/b/c).

Verse 24 (15.19.24)

स तेषामतिदुःखोऽभून्निवासः प्रथमेऽहनि । शोचतां वदतां चापि पौरजानपदैर्जनैः ॥

sa teṣāmatiduḥkho'bhūnnivāsaḥ prathame'hani | śocatāṃ vadatāṃ cāpi paurajānapadairjanaiḥ

That first day of their stay was full of sorrow for them, as the people of the city and the countryside grieved and spoke among themselves.