Vyasa Consoles Arjuna

Verse 1 (16.9.1)

प्रविश्य त्वर्जुनो राजन्नाश्रमं सत्यवादिनः । ददर्शासीनमेकान्तो मुनिं सत्यवतीसुतम् ॥

praviśya tvarjuno rājannāśramaṃ satyavādinaḥ | dadarśāsīnamekānto muniṃ satyavatīsutam

O king, Arjuna entered the hermitage of the truthful sage and saw the son of Satyavati sitting alone.

Verse 2 (16.9.2)

स तमासाद्य धर्मज्ञमुपतस्थे महाव्रतम् । अर्जुनोस्मीति नामास्मै निवेद्याभ्यवदत्ततः ॥

sa tamāsādya dharmajñamupatasthe mahāvratam | arjunosmīti nāmāsmai nivedyābhyavadattataḥ

Approaching that knower of dharma, firm in his great vows, he paid him homage; he told him his name, “I am Arjuna,” and then saluted him.

Note on the text: Corrected नामास्तै → नामास्मै (misprint in Wikisource; CE 16.9.2 reads 'nāmāsmai').

Verse 3 (16.9.3)

स्वागतं तेऽस्त्विति प्राह मुनिः सत्यवतीसुतः । आस्यतामिति होवाच प्रसन्नात्मा महामुनिः ॥

svāgataṃ te'stviti prāha muniḥ satyavatīsutaḥ | āsyatāmiti hovāca prasannātmā mahāmuniḥ

The sage, the son of Satyavati, said, “You are welcome,” and the great sage, serene in mind, added, “Be seated.”

Verse 4 (16.9.4)

तमप्रतीतमनसं निःश्वसन्तं पुनःपुनः । निर्विण्णमनसं दृष्ट्वा पार्थं व्यासोऽब्रवीदिदम् ॥

tamapratītamanasaṃ niḥśvasantaṃ punaḥpunaḥ | nirviṇṇamanasaṃ dṛṣṭvā pārthaṃ vyāso'bravīdidam

Seeing Partha dispirited, sighing again and again, his mind sunk in dejection, Vyasa spoke to him thus.

Note on the text: Corrected निर्विष्णमनसं → निर्विण्णमनसं (misprint in Wikisource; CE 16.9.4 reads 'nirviṇṇamanasaṃ').

Verse 5 (16.9.5)

नखकेशदशाकुंभवारिणा किं समुक्षितः । आवीरजानुगमनं ब्राह्मणो वा हतस्त्वया ॥

nakhakeśadaśākuṃbhavāriṇā kiṃ samukṣitaḥ | āvīrajānugamanaṃ brāhmaṇo vā hatastvayā

Have you been sprinkled with water that has touched nail-parings, hair, the fringe of a garment, or the mouth of a pot? Have you gone to a woman in her courses, or has a brahmin been killed by you?

Note on the text: Speaker: Vyasa (the page's heading 'वैशम्पायन उवाच' before verse 1 covers the narration of verses 1-4; this verse is Vyasa's direct question and is unheaded). First line = CE star line 16,009.004d*0051_01 ('nakhakeśadaśākumbhavāriṇā kiṃ samukṣitaḥ'); second line = CE 16.9.5a ('avīrajo 'bhighātas te brāhmaṇo vā hatas tvayā'), here the variant 'आवीरजानुगमनं'. Recension variant, kept.

Verse 6 (16.9.6)

युद्धे पराजितो वाऽसि गतश्रीरिव लक्ष्यसे । न त्वां प्रभिन्नं जानामि किमिदं भरतर्षभ । श्रोतव्यं चेन्मया पार्थ क्षिप्रमाख्यातुमर्हसि ॥

yuddhe parājito vā'si gataśrīriva lakṣyase | na tvāṃ prabhinnaṃ jānāmi kimidaṃ bharatarṣabha | śrotavyaṃ cenmayā pārtha kṣipramākhyātumarhasi

Or have you been defeated in battle? You look like one whose splendour has gone. I do not know you thus broken, O best of the Bharatas — what is this? If it is fit for me to hear, O Partha, tell it to me quickly.

Note on the text: Speaker: Vyasa (unheaded direct speech). Three-line verse (page labels 6a, 6b, 6c). Line 1 = CE 16.9.5c, line 2 = CE 16.9.6a (here 'न त्वां प्रभिन्नं जानामि' for 'na tvā pratyabhijānāmi'; recension variant, kept), line 3 = CE 16.9.6c. Corrected दतश्रीरिव → गतश्रीरिव (misprint in Wikisource; CE reads 'gataśrīr iva') and क्षश्रिप्रमाख्यातुमर्हसि → क्षिप्रमाख्यातुमर्हसि (misprint; extra akshara; CE reads 'kṣipram ākhyātum arhasi').

Verse 7 (16.9.7)

यः स मेघवपुः श्रीमान्बृहत्पङ्कजलोचनः । स कृष्णः सह रामेण त्यक्त्वा देहं दिवं गतः ॥

yaḥ sa meghavapuḥ śrīmānbṛhatpaṅkajalocanaḥ | sa kṛṣṇaḥ saha rāmeṇa tyaktvā dehaṃ divaṃ gataḥ

He whose body was dark as a cloud, the glorious one with great lotus-like eyes — that Krishna, together with Rama, has cast off his body and gone to heaven.

Verse 8 (16.9.8)

तदनुस्मृत्य संमोहं तदा शोकं महामते । प्रयामि सर्वदा मह्यं मुमूर्षा चोपजायते ॥

tadanusmṛtya saṃmohaṃ tadā śokaṃ mahāmate | prayāmi sarvadā mahyaṃ mumūrṣā copajāyate

Remembering that bewilderment, and that grief, O wise one, I am borne down by it at all times, and a longing to die rises in me.

Note on the text: Removed a stray backtick before तदनुस्मृत्य (wiki mark). Not in the critical edition's numbered text: this couplet is star passage 16,009.007d*0054_01-02.

Verse 9 (16.9.9)

तद्वाक्यस्पर्शनालोकसुखं चामृतसन्निभम् । संस्मृत्य देवदेवस्य प्रमुह्याम्यमृतात्मनः ॥

tadvākyasparśanālokasukhaṃ cāmṛtasannibham | saṃsmṛtya devadevasya pramuhyāmyamṛtātmanaḥ

Remembering the joy, sweet as nectar, of the touch of his words and the sight of him — of that god of gods, immortal in soul — I am utterly bewildered.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (the closing '।।'' after अमृतात्मनः). Corrected प्रमुह्यित्यमृतात्मनः → प्रमुह्याम्यमृतात्मनः (misprint in Wikisource: 'यित्य' for 'याम्य'; CE star line reads 'pramuhyāmi mahātmanaḥ'; the corrected form keeps the page's अमृतात्मनः and restores the verb). Not in the critical edition's numbered text: star passage 16,009.007d*0054_03-04 (CE has 'tvadvākya…' for the page's 'तद्वाक्य…'; recension variant, kept).

Verse 10 (16.9.10)

मौसले वृष्णिवीराणां विनाशो ब्रह्मशापजः । बभूव वीरान्तकरः प्रभासे रोमहर्षणः ॥

mausale vṛṣṇivīrāṇāṃ vināśo brahmaśāpajaḥ | babhūva vīrāntakaraḥ prabhāse romaharṣaṇaḥ

At Prabhasa, the destruction of the heroes of the Vrishnis, brought about by a brahmin’s curse, took place through the pestle — a dreadful ending of heroes that makes the hair stand on end.

Verse 11 (16.9.11)

एते शूरा महात्मानः सिंहदर्पा महाबलाः । भोजवृष्ण्यन्धका ब्रह्मन्नन्योन्यं तैर्हतं युधि ॥

ete śūrā mahātmānaḥ siṃhadarpā mahābalāḥ | bhojavṛṣṇyandhakā brahmannanyonyaṃ tairhataṃ yudhi

Those heroes, great-souled and mighty, proud as lions — the Bhojas, Vrishnis and Andhakas — O brahmin, were killed in battle by one another.

Verse 12 (16.9.12)

गदापरिघशक्तीनां सहाः परिघबाहवः । त एरकाभिर्निहताः पश्य कालस्य पर्ययम् ॥

gadāparighaśaktīnāṃ sahāḥ parighabāhavaḥ | ta erakābhirnihatāḥ paśya kālasya paryayam

Those who could bear clubs, iron-bound maces and spears, whose arms were like iron bars, were struck down with eraka reeds — behold how time turns!

Verse 13 (16.9.13)

हतं पञ्चशतं तेषां सहस्रं बाहुशालिनाम् । निधनं समनुप्राप्तं समासाद्येतरेतरम् ॥

hataṃ pañcaśataṃ teṣāṃ sahasraṃ bāhuśālinām | nidhanaṃ samanuprāptaṃ samāsādyetaretaram

Five hundred thousand of those mighty-armed men were slain; they met their end by closing with one another.

Verse 14 (16.9.14)

पुनःपुनर्न मृष्यामि विनाशममितौजसाम् । चिन्तयानो यदूनां च कृष्णस्य च यशस्विनः ॥

punaḥpunarna mṛṣyāmi vināśamamitaujasām | cintayāno yadūnāṃ ca kṛṣṇasya ca yaśasvinaḥ

Again and again I cannot bear the destruction of those of boundless might, when I think of the Yadavas and of glorious Krishna.

Verse 15 (16.9.15)

शोषणं सागरस्येव मन्दरस्येव चालनम् । नभसः पतनं चैव शैत्यमग्नेस्तथैव च ॥

śoṣaṇaṃ sāgarasyeva mandarasyeva cālanam | nabhasaḥ patanaṃ caiva śaityamagnestathaiva ca

It is like the drying up of the ocean, the shaking of the mountain, the falling of the sky, or coldness in fire.

Verse 16 (16.9.16)

अश्रद्धेयमहं मन्ये विनाशं शार्ङ्गधन्वनः । न चेह स्थातुमिच्छामि लोके कृष्णविनाकृतः ॥

aśraddheyamahaṃ manye vināśaṃ śārṅgadhanvanaḥ | na ceha sthātumicchāmi loke kṛṣṇavinākṛtaḥ

I think the destruction of the wielder of the Sharnga bow beyond belief, and I do not wish to remain in this world bereft of Krishna.

Verse 17 (16.9.17)

इतः कष्टतरं चान्यच्छृणु तद्वै तपोधन । मनो मे दीर्यते येन चिन्तयानस्य वै मुहुः ॥

itaḥ kaṣṭataraṃ cānyacchṛṇu tadvai tapodhana | mano me dīryate yena cintayānasya vai muhuḥ

Hear, O ascetic, of another thing, harder to bear than this, by which my mind is torn as I brood on it again and again.

Verse 18 (16.9.18)

पश्यतो वृष्णिदाराश्च मम ब्रह्मन्सहस्रशः । आभीरैरभिभूयाजौ हृताः पञ्चनदालयैः ॥

paśyato vṛṣṇidārāśca mama brahmansahasraśaḥ | ābhīrairabhibhūyājau hṛtāḥ pañcanadālayaiḥ

O brahmin, while I looked on, thousands of the Vrishni women were overpowered in the fight and carried off by the Abhiras, who dwell in the land of the five rivers.

Verse 19 (16.9.19)

धनुरादाय तत्राहं नाशकं तस्य पूरणे । यथापुरा च मे वीर्यं भुजयोर्न तथाऽभवत् ॥

dhanurādāya tatrāhaṃ nāśakaṃ tasya pūraṇe | yathāpurā ca me vīryaṃ bhujayorna tathā'bhavat

I took up my bow there but could not draw it to the full, and the strength of my arms was not what it had been before.

Verse 20 (16.9.20)

अस्त्राणि मे प्रनष्टानि विविधानि महामुने । शराश्च क्षयमापन्नाः क्षणेनैव समन्ततः ॥

astrāṇi me pranaṣṭāni vividhāni mahāmune | śarāśca kṣayamāpannāḥ kṣaṇenaiva samantataḥ

My many weapons were lost, O great sage, and my arrows were used up in an instant on every side.

Verse 21 (16.9.21)

पुरुषश्चाप्रमेयात्मा शङ्खचक्रगदाधरः । चतुर्भुजः पीतवासाः श्यामः पद्मदलेक्षणः ॥

puruṣaścāprameyātmā śaṅkhacakragadādharaḥ | caturbhujaḥ pītavāsāḥ śyāmaḥ padmadalekṣaṇaḥ

The Person of immeasurable soul, bearing conch, discus and mace, four-armed, clad in yellow, dark-hued, with eyes like lotus petals —

Note on the text: Corrected पुरुषस्चाप्रमेयात्मा → पुरुषश्चाप्रमेयात्मा (misprint in Wikisource; CE 16.9.19 reads 'puruṣaś cāprameyātmā').

Verse 22 (16.9.22)

यश्च याति पुरस्तान्मे रथस्य सुमहाद्युतिः । प्रदहन्रिपुसैन्यानि न पश्याम्यहमद्य तम् ॥

yaśca yāti purastānme rathasya sumahādyutiḥ | pradahanripusainyāni na paśyāmyahamadya tam

he of great radiance who used to go before my chariot, burning up the enemy armies — I do not see him today.

Verse 23 (16.9.23)

येन पूर्वं प्रदग्धानि शत्रुसैन्यानि तेजसा । शरैर्गाण्डीवनिर्मुक्तैरहं पश्चादशातयम् ॥

yena pūrvaṃ pradagdhāni śatrusainyāni tejasā | śarairgāṇḍīvanirmuktairahaṃ paścādaśātayam

By his radiance the enemy armies had first been burnt up, and afterwards I struck them down with arrows loosed from the Gandiva.

Verse 24 (16.9.24)

तमपश्यन्विषीदामि घूर्णामीव च सत्तम । परिनिर्विण्णचेताश्च शान्तिं नोपलभेऽपि च ॥

tamapaśyanviṣīdāmi ghūrṇāmīva ca sattama | parinirviṇṇacetāśca śāntiṃ nopalabhe'pi ca

Not seeing him, O best of men, I sink in sorrow and seem to reel; my heart wholly weary, I find no peace.

Verse 25 (16.9.25)

देवकीनन्दनं देवं वासुदेवमजं प्रभुम् । विना जनार्दनं वीरं नाहं जीवितुमुत्सहे ॥

devakīnandanaṃ devaṃ vāsudevamajaṃ prabhum | vinā janārdanaṃ vīraṃ nāhaṃ jīvitumutsahe

Devaki’s son, the god Vasudeva, the unborn Lord — without the heroic Janardana I cannot bear to live.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (backtick and closing quote around the first line). First line = CE star line 16,009.022d*0057_01 ('devakīnandanaṃ devaṃ vāsudevam ajaṃ prabhum'); second line = CE 16.9.23a.

Verse 26 (16.9.26)

श्रुत्वैव हि गतं विष्णुं ममापि मुमुहुर्दिशः । प्रनष्टज्ञातिवीर्यस्य शून्यस्य परिधावतः ॥

śrutvaiva hi gataṃ viṣṇuṃ mamāpi mumuhurdiśaḥ | pranaṣṭajñātivīryasya śūnyasya paridhāvataḥ

Only on hearing that Vishnu had gone, the quarters spun before me as well; with my strength and my kinsmen lost, empty, I wander about distracted.

Note on the text: Lines = CE 16.9.23c ('śrutvaiva hi gataṃ viṣṇuṃ …') and CE 16.9.24a ('pranaṣṭajñātivīryasya …').

Verse 27 (16.9.27)

उपदेष्टुं मम श्रेयो भवानर्हति सत्तम ॥

upadeṣṭuṃ mama śreyo bhavānarhati sattama

O best of men, you should instruct me in what is best for me.

Note on the text: A single line on the page (labelled 27a only); it is CE 16.9.24c, the second half of the CE verse whose first half closes the previous Wikisource verse. Nothing is lost.

Verse 28 (16.9.28)

देवांशा देवभूतेन सम्भूतास्ते गतास्सह । धर्मव्यवस्थारक्षार्थं देवेन समुपेक्षिताः ॥

devāṃśā devabhūtena sambhūtāste gatāssaha | dharmavyavasthārakṣārthaṃ devena samupekṣitāḥ

Those who were portions of the gods were born together with the god and have gone together with him; for the protection of dharma’s order they were allowed by the god to go unhindered.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (leading backtick and closing quote). Not in the critical edition's numbered text: star passage 16,009.025*0058_01-02 ('devāṃśā devadevena …'; CE 'devadevena', page 'देवभूतेन', recension variant, kept).

Verse 29 (16.9.29)

ब्रह्मशापविनिर्दग्धा वृष्ण्यन्धकसमहारथाः । विनष्टाः कुरुशार्दूल न ताञ्शोचितुमर्हसि ॥

brahmaśāpavinirdagdhā vṛṣṇyandhakasamahārathāḥ | vinaṣṭāḥ kuruśārdūla na tāñśocitumarhasi

The great chariot-warriors of the Vrishnis and Andhakas, burnt up by a brahmin’s curse, have perished, O tiger of the Kurus; you should not grieve for them.

Verse 30 (16.9.30)

भवितव्यं तथा तच्च दिष्टमेतन्महात्मनाम् । उपेक्षितं च कृष्णेन शक्तेनापि व्यपोहितुम् ॥

bhavitavyaṃ tathā tacca diṣṭametanmahātmanām | upekṣitaṃ ca kṛṣṇena śaktenāpi vyapohitum

It was bound to be so; this was the destiny of those great ones. Krishna, though able to turn it aside, let it pass.

Note on the text: wikisource_number corrected 9 → 30: the page labels this row '16-9-9' by mistake (verse 9 is already used above); its place between verses 29 and 31 makes it verse 30. This is why the parser saw the numbers run backwards.

Verse 31 (16.9.31)

त्रैलोक्यमपि गोविन्दः कृत्स्नं स्थावरजङ्गमम् । प्रसहेदन्यथा कर्तुं कुतः शापं महात्मनाम् ॥

trailokyamapi govindaḥ kṛtsnaṃ sthāvarajaṅgamam | prasahedanyathā kartuṃ kutaḥ śāpaṃ mahātmanām

Govinda could make the whole three worlds, moving and unmoving, otherwise — how much more the curse of the great-souled.

Verse 32 (16.9.32)

स्त्रियश्च ताः पुरा शप्ताः प्रभासे कुपितेन वै । अष्टावक्रेण मुनिना तदर्थं त्वद्बलक्षयम् ॥

striyaśca tāḥ purā śaptāḥ prabhāse kupitena vai | aṣṭāvakreṇa muninā tadarthaṃ tvadbalakṣayam

And those women were cursed long ago at Prabhasa by the angry sage Ashtavakra; it was for that reason that your strength failed.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (leading backtick, closing '।।''). Not in the critical edition's numbered text: star passage 16,009.027d*0059_01-02 (CE 'prahāsakupitena' for the page's 'कुपितेन'; recension variant, kept).

Verse 33 (16.9.33)

रथस्य पुरतो याति यः स चक्रगदाधरः । तव स्नेहात्पुराणर्षिर्वासुदेवश्चतुर्भुजः ॥

rathasya purato yāti yaḥ sa cakragadādharaḥ | tava snehātpurāṇarṣirvāsudevaścaturbhujaḥ

He who goes before your chariot bearing discus and mace — out of affection for you, he, the ancient seer Vasudeva, the four-armed one.

Verse 34 (16.9.34)

कृत्वा भारावतरणं पृथिव्याः पृथुलोचनः । मोक्षयित्वा तनुं प्राप्तः कृष्णः स्वस्थानमुत्तमम् ॥

kṛtvā bhārāvataraṇaṃ pṛthivyāḥ pṛthulocanaḥ | mokṣayitvā tanuṃ prāptaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ svasthānamuttamam

Having accomplished the lifting of the earth’s burden, the broad-eyed Krishna has released his body and reached his own supreme abode.

Verse 35 (16.9.35)

त्वयाऽपीह महत्कर्म देवानां पुरुषर्षभ । कृतं भीमसहायेन यमाभ्यां च महाभुज ॥

tvayā'pīha mahatkarma devānāṃ puruṣarṣabha | kṛtaṃ bhīmasahāyena yamābhyāṃ ca mahābhuja

You too, O best of men, together with Bhima and the twins, have done a great work here for the gods, O mighty-armed one.

Verse 36 (16.9.36)

कृतकृत्यांश्च वो मन्ये संसिद्धान्कुरुपुङ्गव । गमनं प्राप्तकालं व इदं श्रेयस्करं विभो ॥

kṛtakṛtyāṃśca vo manye saṃsiddhānkurupuṅgava | gamanaṃ prāptakālaṃ va idaṃ śreyaskaraṃ vibho

I consider you all to have done what you came to do and to be fulfilled, O best of the Kurus; the time has come for your departure, and this is best for you, O lord.

Verse 37 (16.9.37)

बलं बुद्धिश्च तेजश्च प्रतिपत्तिश्च भारत । भवन्ति भवकालेषु विपद्यन्ते विपर्यये ॥

balaṃ buddhiśca tejaśca pratipattiśca bhārata | bhavanti bhavakāleṣu vipadyante viparyaye

Strength, intelligence, brilliance and judgment, O Bharata, arise in times of prosperity and fail when the reversal comes.

Verse 38 (16.9.38)

कालमूलमिदं सर्वं जगद्बीजं धनंजय । काल एव समादत्ते पुनरेव यदृच्छया ॥

kālamūlamidaṃ sarvaṃ jagadbījaṃ dhanaṃjaya | kāla eva samādatte punareva yadṛcchayā

All this is rooted in Time, O Dhananjaya — the seed of the world; Time alone gathers it in again, as it wills.

Verse 39 (16.9.39)

स एव बलवान्भूत्वा पुनर्भवति दुर्बलः । स एवेशश्च भूत्वेह परैराज्ञाप्यते पुनः ॥

sa eva balavānbhūtvā punarbhavati durbalaḥ | sa eveśaśca bhūtveha parairājñāpyate punaḥ

The very one who has become strong becomes weak again; the very one who has been a lord is commanded again by others.

Verse 40 (16.9.40)

कृतकृत्यानि चास्त्राणि गतान्यद्य यथागतम् । पुनरेष्यन्ति ते हस्तं यदा कालो भविष्यति ॥

kṛtakṛtyāni cāstrāṇi gatānyadya yathāgatam | punareṣyanti te hastaṃ yadā kālo bhaviṣyati

Your weapons, their work done, have gone today as they came; they will return to your hand when the time comes.

Verse 41 (16.9.41)

कालो गन्तुं गतिं मुख्यां भवतामपि भारत । एतच्छ्रेयो हि वो मन्ये परमं भरतर्षभ ॥

kālo gantuṃ gatiṃ mukhyāṃ bhavatāmapi bhārata | etacchreyo hi vo manye paramaṃ bharatarṣabha

The time has come for you also to go to the highest goal, O Bharata; this, O best of the Bharatas, I consider supremely good for you.

Verse 42 (16.9.42)

एतद्वचनमाज्ञाय व्यासस्यामिततेजसः । अनुज्ञातो ययौ पार्थो नगरं नागसाह्वयम् ॥

etadvacanamājñāya vyāsasyāmitatejasaḥ | anujñāto yayau pārtho nagaraṃ nāgasāhvayam

Having understood these words of Vyasa of boundless splendour, and with his leave, Partha went to the city called Nagasahvaya (Hastinapura).

Verse 43 (16.9.43)

प्रविश्य च पुरीं वीरः समासाद्य युधिष्ठिरम् । आचष्ट तद्यथावृत्तं वृष्ण्यन्धककुलं प्रति ॥

praviśya ca purīṃ vīraḥ samāsādya yudhiṣṭhiram | ācaṣṭa tadyathāvṛttaṃ vṛṣṇyandhakakulaṃ prati

The hero entered the city, came to Yudhishthira, and told him just as it had happened all that concerned the Vrishni and Andhaka families.