The Pandavas and the City Mourn

Verse 1 (15.23.1)

वनं गते कौरवेन्द्रे दुःखशोकसमन्विताः । बभूवुः पाण्डवा राजन्मातृशोकेन चान्विताः ॥

vanaṃ gate kauravendre duḥkhaśokasamanvitāḥ | babhūvuḥ pāṇḍavā rājanmātṛśokena cānvitāḥ

When the Kuru king had gone to the forest, the Pandavas, O king, were overcome with sorrow and grief, and with grief for their mother as well.

Note on the text: Corrected मातृशोकेनि → मातृशोकेन (misprint in Wikisource; stray ि; the instrumental is मातृशोकेन, CE mātṛśokena).

Verse 2 (15.23.2)

तथा पौरजनः सर्वः शोचन्नास्ते जनाधिपम् । कुर्वाणाश्च कथास्तत्र ब्राह्मणा नृपतिं प्रति ॥

tathā paurajanaḥ sarvaḥ śocannāste janādhipam | kurvāṇāśca kathāstatra brāhmaṇā nṛpatiṃ prati

And all the townspeople sat grieving for the lord of men, and the brahmins there talked about the king among themselves.

Verse 3 (15.23.3)

कथं न राजा वृद्धः स वने वसति निर्जने । गान्धारी च महाभागा सा च कुन्ती पृथा कथम् ॥

kathaṃ na rājā vṛddhaḥ sa vane vasati nirjane | gāndhārī ca mahābhāgā sā ca kuntī pṛthā katham

"How does the aged king live in that lonely forest? And how are the greatly fortunate Gandhari and Kunti, Pritha?

Note on the text: These verses give the talk of the townspeople and brahmins introduced in verse 2; the page prints no heading, and the talk is reported rather than introduced by a speaking verb, so it stays with the narrator.

Verse 4 (15.23.4)

सुखार्हः स हि राजर्षिरसुखी तद्वनं महत् । किमवस्थः समासाद्य प्रज्ञाचक्षुर्महामनाः ॥

sukhārhaḥ sa hi rājarṣirasukhī tadvanaṃ mahat | kimavasthaḥ samāsādya prajñācakṣurmahāmanāḥ

That royal sage, who deserves comfort, now comfortless, having reached that great forest, in what state is he, the great-minded one whose eye is wisdom?

Note on the text: These verses give the talk of the townspeople and brahmins introduced in verse 2; the page prints no heading, and the talk is reported rather than introduced by a speaking verb, so it stays with the narrator. Line 1 differs from CE 15.28.4ab (…na sukhaṃ tan mahāvanam) and line 2 ends महामनाः against CE hatātmajaḥ; recension variants, kept.

Verse 5 (15.23.5)

सुदुष्करं कृतवती कुन्ती पुत्रानपास्य सा । राज्यश्रियं परित्यज्य वनं सा समरोचयत् ॥

suduṣkaraṃ kṛtavatī kuntī putrānapāsya sā | rājyaśriyaṃ parityajya vanaṃ sā samarocayat

Kunti has done a very hard thing: leaving her sons, giving up the glory of kingship, she chose the forest.

Note on the text: These verses give the talk of the townspeople and brahmins introduced in verse 2; the page prints no heading, and the talk is reported rather than introduced by a speaking verb, so it stays with the narrator. Wikisource's lines differ from CE 15.28.5 (…putrān apaśyatī / …vanavāsam arocayat); recension variant, kept.

Verse 6 (15.23.6)

विदुरः किमवस्थश्च भ्रातृशुश्रूषुरात्मवान् । स च गावल्गणिर्धीमान्भर्तृपिण्डानुपालकः ॥

viduraḥ kimavasthaśca bhrātṛśuśrūṣurātmavān | sa ca gāvalgaṇirdhīmānbhartṛpiṇḍānupālakaḥ

And in what state is Vidura, self-controlled and eager to serve his brother, and the wise son of Gavalgana, Sanjaya, faithful to the master whose bread he has eaten?"

Note on the text: These verses give the talk of the townspeople and brahmins introduced in verse 2; the page prints no heading, and the talk is reported rather than introduced by a speaking verb, so it stays with the narrator.

Verse 7 (15.23.7)

आकुमारं च पौरास्ते चिन्ताशोकसमाहताः । तत्रतत्र कथाश्चक्रुः समासाद्य परस्परम् ॥

ākumāraṃ ca paurāste cintāśokasamāhatāḥ | tatratatra kathāścakruḥ samāsādya parasparam

From the youngest up, the citizens, stricken with worry and grief, met together and talked about this here and there.

Verse 8 (15.23.8)

पाण्डवाश्चैव ते सर्वे भृशं शोकपरायणाः । शोचन्तो मातरं वृद्धामूषुर्नातिचिरं पुरे ॥

pāṇḍavāścaiva te sarve bhṛśaṃ śokaparāyaṇāḥ | śocanto mātaraṃ vṛddhāmūṣurnāticiraṃ pure

And all those Pandavas, given over to grief, mourning their aged mother, stayed in the city for no great while.

Verse 9 (15.23.9)

तथैव वृद्धं पितरं हतपुत्रं जनेश्वरम् । गान्धारीं च महाभागां विदुरं च महामतिम् ॥

tathaiva vṛddhaṃ pitaraṃ hataputraṃ janeśvaram | gāndhārīṃ ca mahābhāgāṃ viduraṃ ca mahāmatim

So too they mourned their aged father, the lord of men who had lost his sons, and the greatly fortunate Gandhari, and the very wise Vidura.

Verse 10 (15.23.10)

नैषां बभूव सम्प्रीतिस्तान्विचिन्तयतां तदा । न राज्ये न च नारीषु न वेदाध्ययनेषु च ॥

naiṣāṃ babhūva samprītistānvicintayatāṃ tadā | na rājye na ca nārīṣu na vedādhyayaneṣu ca

As they thought of them, they took no delight then in kingship, nor in women, nor in the study of the Vedas.

Verse 11 (15.23.11)

परं निर्वेदमगमंश्चिन्तयन्तः नराधिपम् । तं च ज्ञातिवधं घोरं संस्मरन्तः पुनःपुनः ॥

paraṃ nirvedamagamaṃścintayantaḥ narādhipam | taṃ ca jñātivadhaṃ ghoraṃ saṃsmarantaḥ punaḥpunaḥ

Thinking of the king, they fell into deep despondency, remembering again and again that terrible slaughter of kinsmen.

Note on the text: Corrected चिन्तयन्ता → चिन्तयन्तः (misprint in Wikisource; the nominative plural participle agreeing with the Pandavas is चिन्तयन्तः, CE cintayantaḥ).

Verse 12 (15.23.12)

अभिमन्योश्च बालस्य विनाशं रणमूर्धनि । कर्णस्य च महाबाहोः सङ्ग्रामेष्वपलायिनः ॥

abhimanyośca bālasya vināśaṃ raṇamūrdhani | karṇasya ca mahābāhoḥ saṅgrāmeṣvapalāyinaḥ

They remembered the death of the boy Abhimanyu at the head of the battle, and of the mighty-armed Karna, who never fled in any fight.

Verse 13 (15.23.13)

तथैव द्रौपदेयानामन्येषां सुहृदामपि । वधं संस्मृत्य ते वीरा नातिप्रमनसोऽभवन् ॥

tathaiva draupadeyānāmanyeṣāṃ suhṛdāmapi | vadhaṃ saṃsmṛtya te vīrā nātipramanaso'bhavan

And remembering the slaying of the sons of Draupadi and of their other friends as well, those heroes were not at all cheerful.

Verse 14 (15.23.14)

हतप्रवीरां पृथिवीं हृतरत्नां च भारत । सदैव चिन्तयन्तस्ते न शमं चोपलेभिरे ॥

hatapravīrāṃ pṛthivīṃ hṛtaratnāṃ ca bhārata | sadaiva cintayantaste na śamaṃ copalebhire

Thinking constantly of the earth whose heroes were slain and whose jewels were taken, O Bharata, they found no peace.

Verse 15 (15.23.15)

द्रौपदी हतपुत्रा च सुभद्रा चैव भामिनी । नातिप्रीतियुते देव्यौ तदास्तामप्रहृष्टवत् ॥

draupadī hataputrā ca subhadrā caiva bhāminī | nātiprītiyute devyau tadāstāmaprahṛṣṭavat

Draupadi, who had lost her sons, and the radiant Subhadra, the two ladies, with little joy in them, remained then as though without gladness.

Verse 16 (15.23.16)

वैराट्यास्तनयं दृष्ट्वा पितरं ते परिक्षितम् । धारयन्ति स्म ते प्राणांस्तव पूर्वपितामहाः ॥

vairāṭyāstanayaṃ dṛṣṭvā pitaraṃ te parikṣitam | dhārayanti sma te prāṇāṃstava pūrvapitāmahāḥ

Seeing the son of Virata's daughter, Parikshit, your father, your forefathers held on to their lives.