Krishna Soothes Yudhishthira

Verse 1 (8.74.1)

एतच्छ्रुत्वा पाण्डवो धर्मराजो । भ्रातुर्वाक्यं परुषं फल्गुनस्य । उत्थाय तस्माच्छयनादुवाच । पार्थं ततो दुःखपरीतचेताः ॥

etacchrutvā pāṇḍavo dharmarājo | bhrāturvākyaṃ paruṣaṃ phalgunasya | utthāya tasmācchayanāduvāca | pārthaṃ tato duḥkhaparītacetāḥ

Hearing this harsh speech of his brother Phalguna, the Pandava Dharmaraja Yudhishthira rose from that couch, his mind overwhelmed with grief, and said to Partha:

Verse 2 (8.74.2)

कृतं मया पार्थ न साधुकर्म । येन प्राप्तं व्यसनं वः सुघोरम् । तस्माच्छिरश्छिन्धि ममैतदद्य । कुलान्तकस्याधमपूरुषस्य ॥

kṛtaṃ mayā pārtha na sādhukarma | yena prāptaṃ vyasanaṃ vaḥ sughoram | tasmācchiraśchindhi mamaitadadya | kulāntakasyādhamapūruṣasya

"I have done what is not good, Partha, and because of it a most dreadful calamity has come upon you all. So cut off this head of mine today, the head of a base man, the destroyer of his family.

Note on the text: Corrected पार्थं → पार्थ (misprint in Wikisource; a vocative given a stray anusvara, which also spoils the metre; the critical edition has pārtha). Line 1 reads मया पार्थ न साधुकर्म where the critical edition has mayā pārtha yathā na sādhu (recension variant, kept). Speaker: Yudhishthira's own words, no heading printed; the previous verse ends by introducing them.

Verse 3 (8.74.3)

पापस्य पाप्मोपहतस्य वीर । विमूढबुद्धेरलसस्य भीरोः । वृद्धावमन्तुः परुषस्य चैव । किं ते चिरं मामनुसृज्य रूक्षम् ॥

pāpasya pāpmopahatasya vīra | vimūḍhabuddheralasasya bhīroḥ | vṛddhāvamantuḥ paruṣasya caiva | kiṃ te ciraṃ māmanusṛjya rūkṣam

O hero, I am a sinner, one struck down by evil, confused in mind, lazy and timid, one who slights his elders and is harsh. Why have you followed me so long, rough as I am?

Note on the text: Corrected पाप्मोहतस्य → पाप्मोपहतस्य (misprint in Wikisource; dropped प, giving a non-word and a short line; the critical edition has a different wording here, pāpavyasanānvitasya, so the smallest fix was made); वृद्धावमन्सुः → वृद्धावमन्तुः (misprint; स for त, giving a non-word; the critical edition has vṛddhāvamantuḥ); परुषत्य → परुषस्य (misprint; त for स; the critical edition has paruṣasya). Speaker: Yudhishthira, continuing his unheaded speech.

Verse 4 (8.74.4)

गच्छाम्यहं वनमद्यैव पापः । सुखं भवान्वर्ततां मद्विहीनः । योग्यो राजा भीमसेनो महात्मा । क्लीबस्य किं वा मम राज्यकृत्यम् ॥

gacchāmyahaṃ vanamadyaiva pāpaḥ | sukhaṃ bhavānvartatāṃ madvihīnaḥ | yogyo rājā bhīmaseno mahātmā | klībasya kiṃ vā mama rājyakṛtyam

I am going to the forest this very day, sinner that I am. Live happily without me. The great-souled Bhimasena is fit to be king; what use is the kingdom to me, a weakling?

Verse 5 (8.74.5)

न चापि शक्तः परुषाणि सोढुं । पुनस्तवेमानि रुषान्वितस्य । भीमोऽस्तु राजा मम जीवितेन । न कार्यमद्यावमतस्य वीर ॥

na cāpi śaktaḥ paruṣāṇi soḍhuṃ | punastavemāni ruṣānvitasya | bhīmo'stu rājā mama jīvitena | na kāryamadyāvamatasya vīra

Nor can I bear to hear these harsh words from you again, spoken in anger. Let Bhima be king. What use is life to me now, O hero, when I have been so slighted?"

Verse 6 (8.74.6)

इत्येवमुक्त्वा सहसोत्पपात । रुषान्वितस्तच्छयनं विहाय । इयेष निर्गन्तुमथो वनाय । तं वासुदेवः प्रणतोऽभ्युवाच ॥

ityevamuktvā sahasotpapāta | ruṣānvitastacchayanaṃ vihāya | iyeṣa nirgantumatho vanāya | taṃ vāsudevaḥ praṇato'bhyuvāca

Having spoken thus, he suddenly leapt up in anger, leaving that couch, and wished to go off to the forest. Vasudeva, bowing low, said to him:

Note on the text: Not matched by the alignment: this is CE 8.49.106 (lines 1–2 are the unmatched row listed there). Line 2 reads रुषान्वितस्तच्छयनं विहाय where the critical edition has rājā tatas tac chayanaṃ vihāya (recension variant, kept); lines 3–4 agree with CE 106c.

Verse 7 (8.74.7)

न राजन्विदितं तत्ते यथा गाण्डीवधन्वनः । प्रतिज्ञा सत्यसन्धस्य गाण्डीवं प्रति विश्रुता ॥

na rājanviditaṃ tatte yathā gāṇḍīvadhanvanaḥ | pratijñā satyasandhasya gāṇḍīvaṃ prati viśrutā

"O king, you have not grasped that vow, so well known, of the Gandiva-bowman, true to his word, concerning the Gandiva.

Note on the text: Speaker: Vasudeva (Krishna), whose speech is introduced by the last line of the previous verse; no heading is printed. Line 1 begins न राजन्विदितं तत्ते where the critical edition has rājan viditam etat te (recension variant, kept; read as a question or reproach).

Verse 8 (8.74.8)

ब्रूयाद्य एनं गाण्डीवं देह्यन्यस्मै त्वमित्युत । वध्योऽस्य स पुमाँल्लोके त्वया चोक्तोऽयमीदृशम् ॥

brūyādya enaṃ gāṇḍīvaṃ dehyanyasmai tvamityuta | vadhyo'sya sa pumām̐lloke tvayā cokto'yamīdṛśam

Whoever says to him, 'Give your Gandiva to someone else,' is to be slain by him in this world; and you have said exactly that to him.

Note on the text: Corrected चोक्तोयमीदृशम् → चोक्तोऽयमीदृशम् (misprint in Wikisource; missing avagraha; the critical edition has cokto 'yam īdṛśam). Speaker: Vasudeva, continuing.

Verse 9 (8.74.9)

ततः सत्यां प्रतिज्ञां तां पार्थेन प्रतिरक्षता । मच्छन्दादवमानोऽयं कृतस्तव महीपते ॥

tataḥ satyāṃ pratijñāṃ tāṃ pārthena pratirakṣatā | macchandādavamāno'yaṃ kṛtastava mahīpate

So it was to protect that true vow that Partha, at my wish, did you this dishonour, O lord of the earth.

Note on the text: Not matched by the alignment: lines are CE 8.49.109a and 109c (ataḥ satyāṃ pratijñāṃ tāṃ pārthena parirakṣatā / macchandād avamāno 'yaṃ kṛtas tava mahīpate); Wikisource has ततः for ataḥ and प्रतिरक्षता for parirakṣatā (recension variants, kept).

Verse 10 (8.74.10)

गुरूणामवमानो हि वध इत्यभिधीयते । तस्मात्क्षम महाबाहो मम पार्थस्य चोभयोः ॥

gurūṇāmavamāno hi vadha ityabhidhīyate | tasmātkṣama mahābāho mama pārthasya cobhayoḥ

For dishonouring one's elders is called their slaying. Therefore forgive, O mighty-armed one, both me and Partha.

Note on the text: Not matched by the alignment: line 1 is CE 8.49.109e (gurūṇām avamāno hi vadha ity abhidhīyate); line 2 corresponds to CE 8.49.110a (tasmāt tvaṃ vai mahābāho mama pārthasya cobhayoḥ), Wikisource having तस्मात्क्षम महाबाहो (recension variant, kept).

Verse 11 (8.74.11)

व्यतिक्रममिमं राजन्सत्यसंरक्षणं प्रति । शरणं त्वां महाराज प्रतिपन्नावुभावपि ॥

vyatikramamimaṃ rājansatyasaṃrakṣaṇaṃ prati | śaraṇaṃ tvāṃ mahārāja pratipannāvubhāvapi

For this transgression, committed to keep a truth, O king — we two both come to you for refuge, O great king.

Note on the text: Not matched by the alignment: line 1 corresponds to CE 8.49.110c (vyatikramam imaṃ rājan saṃkṣamasvārjunaṃ prati), Wikisource reading सत्यसंरक्षणं प्रति for saṃkṣamasvārjunaṃ prati; line 2 is CE 8.49.111a (śaraṇaṃ tvāṃ mahārāja prapannau sva ubhāv api), with प्रतिपन्नावुभावपि. Recension variants, kept.

Verse 12 (8.74.12)

क्षन्तुमर्हसि मे राजन्प्रणतस्याभियाचतः । राधेयस्याद्य पापस्य भूमिः पास्यति शोणितम् ॥

kṣantumarhasi me rājanpraṇatasyābhiyācataḥ | rādheyasyādya pāpasya bhūmiḥ pāsyati śoṇitam

You should forgive me, O king, who bow before you and plead. Today the earth will drink the blood of the sinful son of Radha.

Note on the text: Not matched by the alignment: line 1 is CE 8.49.111c (kṣantum arhasi me rājan praṇatasyābhiyācataḥ); line 2 is CE 8.49.112a (rādheyasyādya pāpasya bhūmiḥ pāsyati śoṇitam).

Verse 13 (8.74.13)

सत्यं ते प्रतिजानामि हतं विद्ध्यद्य सूतजम् । यस्येच्छसि वधं तस्य गतमेवाद्य जीवितम् ॥

satyaṃ te pratijānāmi hataṃ viddhyadya sūtajam | yasyecchasi vadhaṃ tasya gatamevādya jīvitam

I promise you truly: know the Suta's son to be as good as slain today. Of him whose death you desire, the life has already gone this very day."

Note on the text: Not matched by the alignment: lines are CE 8.49.112c and 112e. Corrected विद्व्यद्य → विद्ध्यद्य (misprint in Wikisource; broken conjunct, ध्य for व्य; the critical edition has viddhy adya) and जिवीतम् → जीवितम् (misprint; a wrong vowel order giving a non-word; the critical edition has jīvitam).

Verse 14 (8.74.14)

इति कृष्णवचः श्रुत्वा धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः । ससम्भ्रमं हृषीकेशमुत्थाप्य प्रणतं तदा । कृताञ्जलिमुवाचेदं वाक्यं यत्समनन्तरम् ॥

iti kṛṣṇavacaḥ śrutvā dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | sasambhramaṃ hṛṣīkeśamutthāpya praṇataṃ tadā | kṛtāñjalimuvācedaṃ vākyaṃ yatsamanantaram

Hearing these words of Krishna, Dharmaraja Yudhishthira hastily raised up Hrishikesha, who had bowed before him, and with joined palms spoke the words that followed:

Verse 15 (8.74.15)

एवमेव यथात्थ त्वमस्त्येषोऽतिक्रमो मम । अनुनीतोऽस्मि गोविन्द तारितश्चास्मि माधव ॥

evameva yathāttha tvamastyeṣo'tikramo mama | anunīto'smi govinda tāritaścāsmi mādhava

"It is just as you say; this transgression is mine. You have won me over, O Govinda, and rescued me, O Madhava.

Note on the text: Speaker: Yudhishthira's own reply, no heading printed (introduced by the last line of the previous verse). Lines are CE 8.49.114a and 114c.

Verse 16 (8.74.16)

मोचिता व्यसनाद्घोराद्वयमद्य त्वयाच्युत । भवन्तं नावमासाद्य ह्यावां व्यसनसागरात् । घोरादद्य समुत्तीर्णावुभावज्ञानमोहितौ ॥

mocitā vyasanādghorādvayamadya tvayācyuta | bhavantaṃ nāvamāsādya hyāvāṃ vyasanasāgarāt | ghorādadya samuttīrṇāvubhāvajñānamohitau

Today, O Achyuta, you have freed us from a dreadful calamity. Having found you as our boat, we two, bewildered by ignorance, have today crossed over that fearful ocean of calamity.

Note on the text: Corrected व्यसनाद्धोराद्वयमद्य → व्यसनाद्घोराद्वयमद्य (misprint in Wikisource; ध for घ, giving a non-word; the critical edition has vyasanād ghorād vayam adya). Line 1 is CE 8.49.114e; lines 2–3 correspond to CE 115a and 115c, Wikisource reading नावम् ("boat") where the critical edition reads nātham ("protector"), a recension variant, kept.

Verse 17 (8.74.17)

त्वद्बुद्धिप्लवमासाद्य दुःखशोकार्णवाद्वयम् । समुत्तीर्णाः सहामात्याः सनाथाः स्म त्वयाच्युत ॥

tvadbuddhiplavamāsādya duḥkhaśokārṇavādvayam | samuttīrṇāḥ sahāmātyāḥ sanāthāḥ sma tvayācyuta

Reaching the raft of your counsel, we have crossed, with our counsellors, the ocean of grief and sorrow; and we have a protector in you, O Achyuta."