Duryodhana Rejects His Father's Counsel

Verse 1 (2.81.1)

यस्य नास्ति निजा प्रज्ञा केवलं तु बहुश्रुतः । न स जानाति शास्त्रार्थं दर्वी सूपरसानिव ॥

yasya nāsti nijā prajñā kevalaṃ tu bahuśrutaḥ | na sa jānāti śāstrārthaṃ darvī sūparasāniva

One who has no wisdom of his own but has merely heard much does not grasp the meaning of the scriptures, just as a ladle does not know the taste of the soup.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it in its apparatus as 492*, after 2.50.10 (Wikisource places it before that verse).

Verse 2 (2.81.2)

जानन्वै मोहयति मां नावि नौरिव संयता । स्वार्थे किं नावधानं ते उताहो द्वेष्टि मां भवान् ॥

jānanvai mohayati māṃ nāvi nauriva saṃyatā | svārthe kiṃ nāvadhānaṃ te utāho dveṣṭi māṃ bhavān

Though you know all this, sir, you confuse me, like one boat lashed to another. Have you no care for your own interest, or do you hate me?

Verse 3 (2.81.3)

न सन्तीमे धार्तराष्ट्रा येषां त्वमनुशासिता । भविष्यमर्थमाख्यासि सर्वदा कृत्यमात्मनः ॥

na santīme dhārtarāṣṭrā yeṣāṃ tvamanuśāsitā | bhaviṣyamarthamākhyāsi sarvadā kṛtyamātmanaḥ

Dhritarashtra's sons, whose guide you are, are as good as lost, for when you tell us what must be done now you always speak of the future.

Verse 4 (2.81.4)

परनेयोऽग्रणीर्यस्य स मार्गान्प्रतिमुह्यति । पन्थानमनुगच्छेयुः कथं तस्य पदानुगाः ॥

paraneyo'graṇīryasya sa mārgānpratimuhyati | panthānamanugaccheyuḥ kathaṃ tasya padānugāḥ

One whose leader is led by others loses his way; how can those who follow in his footsteps keep to the path?

Verse 5 (2.81.5)

राजन्परिणतप्रज्ञो वृद्धसेवी जितेन्द्रियः । प्रतिपन्नान्स्वकार्येषु संमोहयसि नो भृशम् ॥

rājanpariṇataprajño vṛddhasevī jitendriyaḥ | pratipannānsvakāryeṣu saṃmohayasi no bhṛśam

O king, you are mature in wisdom, you serve the elders and have mastered your senses; yet when we are set upon our own purposes you greatly confuse us.

Verse 6 (2.81.6)

लोकवृत्ताद्राजवृत्तमन्यदाह बृहस्पतिः । तस्माद्राज्ञाऽप्रमत्तेन स्वार्थश्चिन्त्यः सदैव हि ॥

lokavṛttādrājavṛttamanyadāha bṛhaspatiḥ | tasmādrājñā'pramattena svārthaścintyaḥ sadaiva hi

Brihaspati said that the conduct of kings is different from the conduct of the world. Therefore a king must stay vigilant and always think of his own interest.

Verse 7 (2.81.7)

क्षत्रियस्य महाराज जये वृत्तिः समाहिता । स वै धर्मस्त्वधर्मो वा स्ववृत्तौ का परीक्षणा ॥

kṣatriyasya mahārāja jaye vṛttiḥ samāhitā | sa vai dharmastvadharmo vā svavṛttau kā parīkṣaṇā

O great king, a kshatriya's livelihood rests on victory. Whether it be dharma or adharma, what scrutiny is there of one's own calling?

Verse 8 (2.81.8)

प्रकालयेद्दिशः सर्वाः प्रतोदेनेव सारथिः । प्रत्यमित्रश्रियं दीप्तां जिघृक्षुर्भरतर्षभ ॥

prakālayeddiśaḥ sarvāḥ pratodeneva sārathiḥ | pratyamitraśriyaṃ dīptāṃ jighṛkṣurbharatarṣabha

Seeking to seize the blazing fortune of his enemy, O bull of the Bharatas, he should drive all the quarters before him as a charioteer drives his horses with the goad.

Verse 9 (2.81.9)

प्रच्छन्नो वा प्रकाशो वा योगो योऽरिं प्रबाधते । तद्वै शस्त्रं शस्त्रविदां न शस्त्रं छेदनं स्मृतम् ॥

pracchanno vā prakāśo vā yogo yo'riṃ prabādhate | tadvai śastraṃ śastravidāṃ na śastraṃ chedanaṃ smṛtam

Covert or open, whatever means oppresses the foe is a weapon to those who know weapons; a weapon is not only a thing that cuts.

Verse 10 (2.81.10)

शत्रुश्चैव हि मित्रं च न लेख्यं न च मातृका । यो वै सन्तापयति यं स शत्रुः प्रोच्यते नृप ॥

śatruścaiva hi mitraṃ ca na lekhyaṃ na ca mātṛkā | yo vai santāpayati yaṃ sa śatruḥ procyate nṛpa

Enemy and friend are not fixed by any writing or written letters. Whoever causes a man distress, O king, is called his enemy.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it in its apparatus as 493*, after 2.50.17.

Verse 11 (2.81.11)

असन्तोषः श्रियो मूलं तस्मात्तं कामयाम्यहम् । समुच्छ्रये यो यतते स राजन्परमो नयः ॥

asantoṣaḥ śriyo mūlaṃ tasmāttaṃ kāmayāmyaham | samucchraye yo yatate sa rājanparamo nayaḥ

Discontent is the root of fortune; that is why I desire it. He who strives to rise higher, O king, follows the highest policy.

Verse 12 (2.81.12)

ममत्वं हि न कर्तव्यमैश्वर्ये वा धनेऽपि वा । पूर्वावाप्तं हरन्त्यन्ये राजधर्मं हि तं विदुः ॥

mamatvaṃ hi na kartavyamaiśvarye vā dhane'pi vā | pūrvāvāptaṃ harantyanye rājadharmaṃ hi taṃ viduḥ

One should not be attached to sovereignty or to wealth, for others seize what was gained before; that, they know, is the law of kings.

Note on the text: Corrected राजध्रमं → राजधर्मं (misprint in Wikisource; transposed र; the critical edition reads rājadharmaṃ).

Verse 13 (2.81.13)

अद्रोहसमयं कृत्वा चिच्छेद नमुचेः शिरः । शक्रः साऽभिमता तस्य रिपौ वृत्तिः सनातनी ॥

adrohasamayaṃ kṛtvā ciccheda namuceḥ śiraḥ | śakraḥ sā'bhimatā tasya ripau vṛttiḥ sanātanī

Having made a pact not to harm him, Shakra cut off Namuchi's head; that was held approved of him, the eternal way toward an enemy.

Note on the text: Corrected अद्रोहसमंय → अद्रोहसमयं (misprint in Wikisource; misplaced anusvara; the critical edition reads samayaṃ).

Verse 14 (2.81.14)

द्वावेतौ ग्रसते भूमिः सर्पो बिलशयानिव । राजानं चाविरोद्धारं ब्राह्मणं चाप्रवासिनम् ॥

dvāvetau grasate bhūmiḥ sarpo bilaśayāniva | rājānaṃ cāviroddhāraṃ brāhmaṇaṃ cāpravāsinam

The earth swallows these two, as a snake swallows creatures that live in holes: a king who does not fight and a brahmin who does not travel.

Verse 15 (2.81.15)

नास्ति वै जातितः शत्रुः पुरुषस्य विशाम्पते । येन साधारणी वृत्तिः स शत्रुर्नेतरो जनः ॥

nāsti vai jātitaḥ śatruḥ puruṣasya viśāmpate | yena sādhāraṇī vṛttiḥ sa śatrurnetaro janaḥ

No one is a man's enemy by birth, O lord of the people. The one who lives by the same livelihood is his enemy, and no one else.

Verse 16 (2.81.16)

शत्रुपक्षं समृध्यन्तं यो मोहात्समुपेक्षते । व्याधिराप्यायित इव तस्य मूलं छिनत्ति सः ॥

śatrupakṣaṃ samṛdhyantaṃ yo mohātsamupekṣate | vyādhirāpyāyita iva tasya mūlaṃ chinatti saḥ

Whoever, out of folly, disregards the enemy's side as it prospers, it cuts away his very root, like a disease left to flourish.

Verse 17 (2.81.17)

अल्पोऽपि ह्यरिरत्यर्थं वर्धमानः पराक्रमैः । वल्मीको मूलज इव ग्रसते वृक्षमन्तिकात् ॥

alpo'pi hyariratyarthaṃ vardhamānaḥ parākramaiḥ | valmīko mūlaja iva grasate vṛkṣamantikāt

Even a small enemy, growing great through his exploits, devours one from close at hand, as an anthill rising at the root devours a tree.

Verse 18 (2.81.18)

आजमीढ रिपोर्लक्ष्मीर्मा ते रोचिष्ट भारत । एष भारः सत्ववतां नयः शिरसि धिष्ठितः ॥

ājamīḍha riporlakṣmīrmā te rociṣṭa bhārata | eṣa bhāraḥ satvavatāṃ nayaḥ śirasi dhiṣṭhitaḥ

O descendant of Ajamidha, O Bharata, do not let the enemy's fortune please you. This policy, carried upon the head, is the burden of the strong.

Note on the text: Corrected न यः → नयः (misprint in Wikisource; a spurious word break; the critical edition reads nayaḥ).

Verse 19 (2.81.19)

जन्मवृद्धिमिवार्थानां यो वृद्धिमभिकाङ्क्षते । एधते ज्ञातिषु स वै सद्यो वृद्धिर्हि विक्रमः ॥

janmavṛddhimivārthānāṃ yo vṛddhimabhikāṅkṣate | edhate jñātiṣu sa vai sadyo vṛddhirhi vikramaḥ

He who seeks growth in his wealth as the body grows from birth prospers among his kinsmen, for valour is growth that comes at once.

Note on the text: Corrected वृद्धिमाभिकाङ्क्षते → वृद्धिमभिकाङ्क्षते (misprint in Wikisource; spurious long ā; the critical edition reads vṛddhim abhikāṅkṣate).

Verse 20 (2.81.20)

नाप्राप्य पाण्डवैश्वर्यं संशयो मे भविष्यति । अवाप्स्ये वा श्रियं तां हि शयिष्ये वा हतो युधि ॥

nāprāpya pāṇḍavaiśvaryaṃ saṃśayo me bhaviṣyati | avāpsye vā śriyaṃ tāṃ hi śayiṣye vā hato yudhi

Until I have won the Pandavas' sovereignty, I shall be in doubt. Either I shall gain that fortune, or I shall lie slain in battle.

Verse 21 (2.81.21)

एतादृशस्य किं मेऽद्य जीवितेन विशाम्पते । वर्धन्ते पाण्डवा नित्यं वयं स्वस्थिरवृद्धयः ॥

etādṛśasya kiṃ me'dya jīvitena viśāmpate | vardhante pāṇḍavā nityaṃ vayaṃ svasthiravṛddhayaḥ

As things are, what use is life to me now, O lord of the people? The Pandavas grow every day, while our own growth stands still.