Sahadeva's Challenge to the Kings

Verse 1 (2.42.1)

गाङ्गेयेनैवमुक्तस्तु शिशुपालश्चुकोप तम् । क्रुद्धं सुनीथं दृष्ट्वाऽथ सहदेवोऽब्रवीत्तदा ॥

gāṅgeyenaivamuktastu śiśupālaścukopa tam | kruddhaṃ sunīthaṃ dṛṣṭvā'tha sahadevo'bravīttadā

Spoken to in this way by the son of Ganga, Shishupala grew angry with him. Seeing Sunitha enraged, Sahadeva then said:

Note on the text: Removed the speaker heading "वैशम्पायन उवाच" (with a stray wiki mark `) that had slipped into the Sanskrit as its first line; it is now the verse's speaker. Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition gives this passage only in Appendix I, No. 21, after 2.35.29 (lines 1–2).

Verse 2 (2.42.2)

मतिपूर्वमिदं सर्वं चेदिराज मया कृतम् । तन्मे निगदतस्तत्त्वं कारणादत्र मे शृणु ॥

matipūrvamidaṃ sarvaṃ cedirāja mayā kṛtam | tanme nigadatastattvaṃ kāraṇādatra me śṛṇu

"I did all this deliberately, king of Chedi. Hear from me the truth of it as I tell it, and my reason.

Note on the text: Speaker: Sahadeva's direct speech, which fills the verse (Wikisource prints no heading; Appendix I No. 21 heads it sahadevaḥ). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition gives this passage only in Appendix I, No. 21, after 2.35.29 (lines 3–4).

Verse 3 (2.42.3)

स पार्थिवानां सर्वेषां गुरुः कृष्णोऽपरो न हि । तस्मादभ्यर्चितोऽस्माभिः सर्वे संमन्तुमर्हथ ॥

sa pārthivānāṃ sarveṣāṃ guruḥ kṛṣṇo'paro na hi | tasmādabhyarcito'smābhiḥ sarve saṃmantumarhatha

Krishna is the guru of all the kings; there is no other. That is why we have honoured him, and all of you should consent to it.

Note on the text: Speaker: Sahadeva's direct speech, which fills the verse (Wikisource prints no heading; Appendix I No. 21 heads it sahadevaḥ). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition gives this passage only in Appendix I, No. 21, after 2.35.29 (lines 5–6).

Verse 4 (2.42.4)

यो वा न सहते कश्चिद्राज्ञां सबलवाहनः । क्षिप्रं युद्धाय निर्यातु तस्य मूर्ध्न्याहितं पदम् ॥

yo vā na sahate kaścidrājñāṃ sabalavāhanaḥ | kṣipraṃ yuddhāya niryātu tasya mūrdhnyāhitaṃ padam

If there is any king, with his army and his mounts, who cannot bear it, let him come out quickly to fight. On his head I have set my foot.

Note on the text: Corrected यो वा सहते → यो वा न सहते (misprint in Wikisource; the negative न was dropped, which leaves the line a syllable short and reverses the sense; Appendix I No. 21 reads yo vā na sahate). Speaker: Sahadeva's direct speech, which fills the verse (Wikisource prints no heading; Appendix I No. 21 heads it sahadevaḥ). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition gives this passage only in Appendix I, No. 21, after 2.35.29 (lines 7–9; Wikisource's second line condenses lines 8–9).

Verse 5 (2.42.5)

एवमुक्तो मया हेतुरुत्तरं प्रब्रवीतु मे ॥

evamukto mayā heturuttaraṃ prabravītu me

I have stated my reason; now let him give me his answer."

Note on the text: Wikisource prints the heading "वैशम्पायन उवाच" between the two lines of verse 5; the verse is split at it and both halves keep Wikisource number 5. This half is Sahadeva's. Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition gives this passage only in Appendix I, No. 21, after 2.35.29 (lines 10).

Verse 6 (2.42.6)

ततो न व्याजहारैषां कश्चिद्बुद्धिमतां सताम् ॥

tato na vyājahāraiṣāṃ kaścidbuddhimatāṃ satām

Then not one of those wise and good men answered,

Note on the text: Second half of Wikisource verse 5, split at the printed "वैशम्पायन उवाच" heading. Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition gives this passage only in Appendix I, No. 21, after 2.35.29 (lines 11).

Verse 7 (2.42.7)

मानिनां बलिनां राज्ञां मध्ये सन्दर्शिते पदे । एवमुक्ते सुनीथस्य सहदेवेन केशवे ॥

mānināṃ balināṃ rājñāṃ madhye sandarśite pade | evamukte sunīthasya sahadevena keśave

when he had shown his foot in the midst of those proud and mighty kings. When Sahadeva had spoken thus about Keshava, Sunitha's

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition gives this passage only in Appendix I, No. 21, after 2.35.29 (lines 12, 14).

Verse 8 (2.42.8)

स्वभावरक्ते नयने कोपाद्रक्ततरे कृते । तस्य कोपं समुद्भूतं ज्ञात्वा भीष्मः प्रतापवान् ॥

svabhāvarakte nayane kopādraktatare kṛte | tasya kopaṃ samudbhūtaṃ jñātvā bhīṣmaḥ pratāpavān

eyes, red by nature, grew redder still with anger. Seeing the rage that had risen in him, mighty Bhishma

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition gives this passage only in Appendix I, No. 21, after 2.35.29 (lines 15–16).

Verse 9 (2.42.9)

आचचक्षे पुनस्तस्मै कृष्णस्यैवोत्तरान्गुणान् । स सुनीथं समामन्त्र्य तांश्च सर्वान्महीक्षितः ॥

ācacakṣe punastasmai kṛṣṇasyaivottarānguṇān | sa sunīthaṃ samāmantrya tāṃśca sarvānmahīkṣitaḥ

once more set out to him the highest virtues of Krishna himself. Addressing Sunitha and all those lords of the earth,

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition gives this passage only in Appendix I, No. 21, after 2.35.29 (lines 17–18).

Verse 10 (2.42.10)

उवाच वदतां श्रेष्ठ इदं मतिमतां वरः । सहदेवेन राजानो यदुक्तं केशवं प्रति । तत्तथेति विजानीध्वं भूयश्चात्र विबोधत ॥

uvāca vadatāṃ śreṣṭha idaṃ matimatāṃ varaḥ | sahadevena rājāno yaduktaṃ keśavaṃ prati | tattatheti vijānīdhvaṃ bhūyaścātra vibodhata

he, the best of speakers and foremost of the wise, said this: "O kings, know that what Sahadeva has said about Keshava is true; and learn more of it here."

Note on the text: Corrected श्रेष्ठं इदं → श्रेष्ठ इदं (misprint in Wikisource; an anusvara cannot stand before a vowel here, the word is the nominative śreṣṭhaḥ in sandhi; Appendix I No. 21 reads śreṣṭha idaṃ). Wikisource prints this verse with three lines; Bhishma's speech begins mid-verse without a heading, so the verse stays with the narrator. Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition gives this passage only in Appendix I, No. 21, after 2.35.29 (lines 19–21).