Vyasa Counsels Yudhishthira

Verse 1 (15.5.1)

युधिष्ठिर महाबाहो यदाह कुरुनन्दनः । धृतराष्ट्रो महातेजास्तत्कुरुष्वाविचारयन् ॥

yudhiṣṭhira mahābāho yadāha kurunandanaḥ | dhṛtarāṣṭro mahātejāstatkuruṣvāvicārayan

Yudhishthira, mighty-armed, do without hesitation what Dhritarashtra, delight of the Kurus, of great radiance, has said to you.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (15,008.001a 'yudhiṣṭhira mahābāho yad āha kurunandanaḥ'): Wikisource prints a row of asterisks ('**********') where the word was lost; the evident word 'यदाह' is supplied.

Verse 2 (15.5.2)

अयं हि वृद्धो नृपतिर्हतपुत्रो विशेषतः । नेदं कृच्छ्रं चिरतरं सहेदिति मतिर्मम ॥

ayaṃ hi vṛddho nṛpatirhataputro viśeṣataḥ | nedaṃ kṛcchraṃ cirataraṃ sahediti matirmama

This king is old, and above all he has lost his sons; my judgment is that he cannot bear this hardship for long.

Verse 3 (15.5.3)

गान्धारी च महाभागा प्राज्ञा करुणवेदिनी । पुत्रशोकं महाराज धैर्येणोद्वहते भृशम् ॥

gāndhārī ca mahābhāgā prājñā karuṇavedinī | putraśokaṃ mahārāja dhairyeṇodvahate bhṛśam

And the greatly fortunate Gandhari, wise and tender-hearted, bears her grief for her sons with great fortitude, O great king.

Verse 4 (15.5.4)

अहमप्येतदेव त्वां ब्रवीमि कुरु मे वचः । अनुज्ञां लभतां राजा मां वृथेह मरिष्यति ॥

ahamapyetadeva tvāṃ bravīmi kuru me vacaḥ | anujñāṃ labhatāṃ rājā māṃ vṛtheha mariṣyati

I too say just this to you; do as I ask. Let the king receive leave, or he will die here for nothing.

Verse 5 (15.5.5)

स्वस्थो भवत्वयं धीमान्वनेषु मधुगन्धिषु । राजर्षीणां पुराणानामनुयातु गतिं नृपः । राजर्षीणां हि सर्वेषामन्ते वनमुपाश्रयः ॥

svastho bhavatvayaṃ dhīmānvaneṣu madhugandhiṣu | rājarṣīṇāṃ purāṇānāmanuyātu gatiṃ nṛpaḥ | rājarṣīṇāṃ hi sarveṣāmante vanamupāśrayaḥ

Let this wise king be at ease in the honey-scented forests. Let him follow the path of the ancient royal sages; for the forest is the last refuge of all royal sages.

Note on the text: Three-line verse as printed on the page (15-5-5a,b plus the unnumbered continuation row 'राजर्षीणां हि सर्वेषामन्ते वनमुपाश्रयः'); the input had dropped this third line, which is restored from the page and matches CE 15,008.005c. Removed the stray backtick and closing quote mark from line 1 (`…।'). Line 1 = CE star line 15,008.004d*0023_01 ('svastho bhavatv ayaṃ dhīmān vaneṣu madhugandhiṣu'); lines 2-3 = CE 15,008.005a, 005c.

Verse 6 (15.5.6)

इत्युक्तः स तदा राजा व्यासेनाद्भुतकर्मणा । प्रत्युवाच महातेजा धर्मराजो महामुनिम् ॥

ityuktaḥ sa tadā rājā vyāsenādbhutakarmaṇā | pratyuvāca mahātejā dharmarājo mahāmunim

Thus addressed by Vyasa of wondrous deeds, the greatly radiant king Dharmaraja replied to the great sage.

Verse 7 (15.5.7)

भगवानेव नो मान्यो भगवानेव नो गुरुः । भगवानस्य राज्यस्य कुलस्य च परायणम् ॥

bhagavāneva no mānyo bhagavāneva no guruḥ | bhagavānasya rājyasya kulasya ca parāyaṇam

You alone are our honoured one, you alone our teacher; you are the refuge of this kingdom and of our family.

Verse 8 (15.5.8)

अहं तु पुत्रो भगवन्पिता राजा गुरुश्च मे । निदेशवर्ती च पितुः पुत्रो भवति धर्मतः ॥

ahaṃ tu putro bhagavanpitā rājā guruśca me | nideśavartī ca pituḥ putro bhavati dharmataḥ

But I am a son, revered sir; the king is my father and my teacher; and by dharma a son is one who obeys his father's command.

Note on the text: Corrected निदेशवती → निदेशवर्ती (misprint in Wikisource; dropped र्; CE reads 'nideśavartī').

Verse 9 (15.5.9)

इत्युक्तः स तु तं प्राह व्यासो वेदविदांवरः । युधिष्ठिरं महातेजाः पुनरेव महाकविः ॥

ityuktaḥ sa tu taṃ prāha vyāso vedavidāṃvaraḥ | yudhiṣṭhiraṃ mahātejāḥ punareva mahākaviḥ

Thus addressed, Vyasa, best of the knowers of the Veda, the great poet of great radiance, spoke again to Yudhishthira.

Verse 10 (15.5.10)

एवमेतन्महाभाग यथा वदसि भारत । राजाऽयं वृद्धतां प्राप्तः प्रमाणे परमे स्थितः ॥

evametanmahābhāga yathā vadasi bhārata | rājā'yaṃ vṛddhatāṃ prāptaḥ pramāṇe parame sthitaḥ

It is as you say, great and fortunate one, O Bharata. This king has reached old age and stands at the utmost limit of life.

Note on the text: Corrected वदसिं → वदसि (misprint in Wikisource; stray anusvara).

Verse 11 (15.5.11)

सोयं मयाऽभ्यनुज्ञातस्त्वया च पृथिवीपतिः । करोतु स्वमभिप्रायं मा स्म विघ्नकरो भव ॥

soyaṃ mayā'bhyanujñātastvayā ca pṛthivīpatiḥ | karotu svamabhiprāyaṃ mā sma vighnakaro bhava

I have given him leave, and so must you; let the king follow his own wish, and do not be an obstacle to him.

Note on the text: Corrected त्वथा → त्वया (misprint in Wikisource; ya misprinted as tha; CE reads 'tvayā').

Verse 12 (15.5.12)

एष एव परो धर्मो राजर्षीणां युधिष्ठिर । समरे वा भवेन्मृत्युर्वने वा विधिपूर्वकम् ॥

eṣa eva paro dharmo rājarṣīṇāṃ yudhiṣṭhira | samare vā bhavenmṛtyurvane vā vidhipūrvakam

This is the highest dharma of royal sages, Yudhishthira: death in battle, or death in the forest according to rule.

Verse 13 (15.5.13)

पित्रा तु तव राजेन्द्र पाण्डुना पृथिवीक्षिता । शिष्यभूतेन राजाऽयं गुरुवत्पर्युपासितः ॥

pitrā tu tava rājendra pāṇḍunā pṛthivīkṣitā | śiṣyabhūtena rājā'yaṃ guruvatparyupāsitaḥ

Your father Pandu, ruler of the earth, served this king like a teacher, as his disciple.

Verse 14 (15.5.14)

क्रतुभिर्दक्षिणावद्भिः रत्नपर्वतशोभितैः । महद्भिरिष्टं गौर्भुक्ता प्रजाश्च परिपालिताः ॥

kratubhirdakṣiṇāvadbhiḥ ratnaparvataśobhitaiḥ | mahadbhiriṣṭaṃ gaurbhuktā prajāśca paripālitāḥ

Great sacrifices with abundant gifts, adorned with mountains of jewels, were performed; the earth was enjoyed and the people were protected.

Note on the text: Corrected दक्षिणावद्भी → दक्षिणावद्भिः (misprint in Wikisource; instrumental plural needs the final visarga).

Verse 15 (15.5.15)

पुत्रसंस्थं च विपुलं राज्यं विप्रोषिते त्वयि । त्रयोदशसमा भुक्तं दत्तं च विविधं वसु ॥

putrasaṃsthaṃ ca vipulaṃ rājyaṃ viproṣite tvayi | trayodaśasamā bhuktaṃ dattaṃ ca vividhaṃ vasu

While you were away, this vast kingdom, resting with his sons, was enjoyed for thirteen years, and wealth of many kinds was given away.

Note on the text: Corrected पुत्रसंस्यं → पुत्रसंस्थं (misprint in Wikisource; sthā misprinted as syā; CE reads 'putrasaṃsthaṃ').

Verse 16 (15.5.16)

त्वया चायं नरव्याघ्र गुरुशुश्रूषयाऽनघ । आराधितः स भृत्येन गान्धारी च यशस्विनी ॥

tvayā cāyaṃ naravyāghra guruśuśrūṣayā'nagha | ārādhitaḥ sa bhṛtyena gāndhārī ca yaśasvinī

And you, tiger among men, sinless one, have served this king and the glorious Gandhari with obedience to your elders, as a servant would.

Verse 17 (15.5.17)

अनुजानीहि पितरं समयोऽस्य तपोविधौ । न मन्युर्विद्यते चास्य सुसूक्ष्मोऽपि युधिष्ठिर ॥

anujānīhi pitaraṃ samayo'sya tapovidhau | na manyurvidyate cāsya susūkṣmo'pi yudhiṣṭhira

Give your father leave; it is the time for him to practise austerity. Not even the faintest anger is left in him, Yudhishthira.

Note on the text: Corrected समयोऽस्म → समयोऽस्य (misprint in Wikisource; CE reads 'samayo asya'; the sense requires the genitive).

Verse 18 (15.5.18)

एतावदुक्त्वा वचनमनुमान्य च पार्थिवम् । तथाऽस्त्विति च तेनोक्तः कौन्तेयेन ययौ वनम् ॥

etāvaduktvā vacanamanumānya ca pārthivam | tathā'stviti ca tenoktaḥ kaunteyena yayau vanam

Having said this much and having honoured the king, and told by the son of Kunti, "So be it," he departed for the forest.

Note on the text: Corrected कौतेयेन → कौन्तेयेन (misprint in Wikisource; dropped conjunct; CE reads 'kaunteyena').

Verse 19 (15.5.19)

गते भगवति व्यासे राजा पाण्डुसुतस्तदा । प्रोवाच पितरं वृद्धं मन्दंमन्दमिवानतः ॥

gate bhagavati vyāse rājā pāṇḍusutastadā | provāca pitaraṃ vṛddhaṃ mandaṃmandamivānataḥ

When the blessed Vyasa had gone, the Pandava king then spoke to his aged father, very softly and with bowed head.

Verse 20 (15.5.20)

यदाह भगवान्व्यासो यच्चापि भवतो मतम् । यथाऽऽह च महेष्वासः कृपो विदुर एव च ॥

yadāha bhagavānvyāso yaccāpi bhavato matam | yathā''ha ca maheṣvāsaḥ kṛpo vidura eva ca

"What the blessed Vyasa has said, what you yourself wish, and what the great archer Kripa and Vidura have said,

Verse 21 (15.5.21)

युयुत्सुः संजयश्चैव तत्कर्तास्म्यहमञ्जसा । सर्व एव हि मान्या मे कुलस्य हि हितैषिणः ॥

yuyutsuḥ saṃjayaścaiva tatkartāsmyahamañjasā | sarva eva hi mānyā me kulasya hi hitaiṣiṇaḥ

and Yuyutsu and Sanjaya as well — I shall do it at once. For all of them are to be honoured by me, being well-wishers of our family.

Verse 22 (15.5.22)

इदं तु याचे नृपते त्वामहं शिरसा नतः । क्रियतां तावदाहारस्ततो गच्छाश्रमं प्रति ॥

idaṃ tu yāce nṛpate tvāmahaṃ śirasā nataḥ | kriyatāṃ tāvadāhārastato gacchāśramaṃ prati

But this I ask of you, O king, bowing my head: let food be taken first, and then go to the hermitage."