Arjuna Urges the Warrior's Duty

Verse 1 (12.22.1)

अस्मिन्नेवान्तरे वाक्यं पुनरेवार्जुनोऽब्रवीत् । निर्विण्णमनसं ज्येष्ठमिदं भ्रातरमच्युतम् ॥

asminnevāntare vākyaṃ punarevārjuno'bravīt | nirviṇṇamanasaṃ jyeṣṭhamidaṃ bhrātaramacyutam

Meanwhile Arjuna spoke again, to his elder brother, firm in dharma, whose mind was weary with despair.

Note on the text: Recension variant, kept: Wikisource निर्विण्णमनसं ज्येष्ठमिदं भ्रातरमच्युतम् against CE viṣaṇṇamanasaṃ jyeṣṭham idaṃ bhrātaram īśvaram.

Verse 2 (12.22.2)

क्षत्रधर्मेण धर्मज्ञ प्राप्य राज्यं सुदुर्लभम् । जित्वा चारीन्नरश्रेष्ठ तप्यते किं भृशं भवान् ॥

kṣatradharmeṇa dharmajña prāpya rājyaṃ sudurlabham | jitvā cārīnnaraśreṣṭha tapyate kiṃ bhṛśaṃ bhavān

O knower of dharma, having won a kingdom so hard to gain by the dharma of a warrior, and having conquered your enemies, O best of men, why do you grieve so deeply?

Note on the text: Speaker: verse 1 only introduces Arjuna; the page has no new heading, but verses 2–15 are Arjuna's own address to Yudhishthira (the input carried Vaishampayana over).

Verse 3 (12.22.3)

क्षत्रियाणां महाराज संग्रामे निधनं मतम् । विशिष्टं बहुभिर्यज्ञैः क्षत्रधर्ममनुस्मर ॥

kṣatriyāṇāṃ mahārāja saṃgrāme nidhanaṃ matam | viśiṣṭaṃ bahubhiryajñaiḥ kṣatradharmamanusmara

For Kshatriyas, great king, death in battle is ordained; it is better than many sacrifices. Remember the duty of a warrior.

Verse 4 (12.22.4)

ब्राह्मणानां तपस्त्यागः प्रेत्य धर्मविधिः स्मृतः । क्षत्रियाणां च निधनं संग्रामे विहितं प्रभो ॥

brāhmaṇānāṃ tapastyāgaḥ pretya dharmavidhiḥ smṛtaḥ | kṣatriyāṇāṃ ca nidhanaṃ saṃgrāme vihitaṃ prabho

For Brahmins, austerity and renunciation are laid down as the rule for the life beyond; and for Kshatriyas, O lord, death in battle is ordained.

Verse 5 (12.22.5)

क्षात्रधर्मो महारौद्रः शस्त्रनित्य इति स्मृतः । वधश्च भरतश्रेष्ठ काले शस्त्रेण संयुगे ॥

kṣātradharmo mahāraudraḥ śastranitya iti smṛtaḥ | vadhaśca bharataśreṣṭha kāle śastreṇa saṃyuge

The Kshatriya's dharma is very terrible, always bound up with weapons, it is said; and killing, best of the Bharatas, comes in its time by weapon in battle.

Verse 6 (12.22.6)

ब्राह्मणस्यापि चेद्राजन्क्षत्रधर्मेण वर्ततः । प्रशस्तं जीवितं लोके क्षत्रं हि ब्रह्मसंभवम् ॥

brāhmaṇasyāpi cedrājankṣatradharmeṇa vartataḥ | praśastaṃ jīvitaṃ loke kṣatraṃ hi brahmasaṃbhavam

Even for a Brahmin, O king, who lives by the Kshatriya's dharma, life in the world is praised, for the warrior order is born of Brahman.

Note on the text: Recension variants, kept: Wikisource वर्ततः (against CE tiṣṭhataḥ) and क्षत्रं हि ब्रह्मसंभवम् (against CE brahmasaṃsthitam).

Verse 7 (12.22.7)

न त्यागो न पुनर्यज्ञो न तपो मनुजेश्वर । क्षत्रियस्य विधीयन्ते न परस्वोपजीवनम् ॥

na tyāgo na punaryajño na tapo manujeśvara | kṣatriyasya vidhīyante na parasvopajīvanam

Neither renunciation, nor again any inward sacrifice, nor austerity, O lord of men, is prescribed for a Kshatriya, nor living on another's goods.

Note on the text: Recension variant, kept: Wikisource न पुनर्यज्ञः ('nor again sacrifice'; Wikisource's gloss takes यज्ञ here as the inner sacrifice, 'meditation') against CE na punar yācñā ('nor begging').

Verse 8 (12.22.8)

स भवान्सर्वधर्मज्ञो धर्मात्मा भरतर्षभ । राजा मनीषी निपुणो लोके दृष्टपरावरः ॥

sa bhavānsarvadharmajño dharmātmā bharatarṣabha | rājā manīṣī nipuṇo loke dṛṣṭaparāvaraḥ

You are such a one, knower of all dharma, righteous in spirit, bull of the Bharatas; a king, wise and skilled, who has seen the high and the low of the world.

Verse 9 (12.22.9)

त्यक्त्वा संतापजं शोकं दंशितो भव कर्मणि । क्षत्रियस्य विशेषेण हृदयं वज्रसन्निभम् ॥

tyaktvā saṃtāpajaṃ śokaṃ daṃśito bhava karmaṇi | kṣatriyasya viśeṣeṇa hṛdayaṃ vajrasannibham

Cast off the grief born of anguish and gird yourself for action. The Kshatriya's heart above all is hard as the thunderbolt.

Verse 10 (12.22.10)

जित्वाऽरीन्क्षत्रधर्मेण प्राप्य राज्यमकण्टकम् । विजितात्मा मनुष्येन्द्र यज्ञदानपरो भव ॥

jitvā'rīnkṣatradharmeṇa prāpya rājyamakaṇṭakam | vijitātmā manuṣyendra yajñadānaparo bhava

Having conquered your foes by the Kshatriya's dharma and won a kingdom without thorns, O lord of men, with your self mastered, devote yourself to sacrifice and giving.

Verse 11 (12.22.11)

इन्द्रो वै ब्रह्मणः पुत्रः क्षत्रियः कर्मणाऽभवत् । ज्ञातीनां पापवृत्तीनां जघान नवतीर्नव ॥

indro vai brahmaṇaḥ putraḥ kṣatriyaḥ karmaṇā'bhavat | jñātīnāṃ pāpavṛttīnāṃ jaghāna navatīrnava

Indra, the son of Brahma, became a Kshatriya by his deeds, and slew his evil-doing kinsmen, nine times ninety.

Verse 12 (12.22.12)

तच्चास्य कर्म पूज्यं च प्रशस्यं च विशांपते । तेनेन्द्रत्वं समापेदे देवानामिति नः श्रुतम् ॥

taccāsya karma pūjyaṃ ca praśasyaṃ ca viśāṃpate | tenendratvaṃ samāpede devānāmiti naḥ śrutam

That deed of his is honoured and praised, lord of the people; by it, we have heard, he gained the rank of Indra among the gods.

Verse 13 (12.22.13)

स त्वं यज्ञैर्महाराज यजस्व बहुदक्षिणैः । यथैवेन्द्रो मनुष्येन्द्र चिराय विगतज्वरः ॥

sa tvaṃ yajñairmahārāja yajasva bahudakṣiṇaiḥ | yathaivendro manuṣyendra cirāya vigatajvaraḥ

So you too, great king, should sacrifice with sacrifices of abundant gifts, just as Indra did, O lord of men, and be free of anguish for a long time.

Verse 14 (12.22.14)

मा त्वमेवं गते किंचिच्छोचेथाः क्षत्रियर्षभ । गतास्ते क्षत्रधर्मेण शस्त्रपूताः परां गतिम् ॥

mā tvamevaṃ gate kiṃcicchocethāḥ kṣatriyarṣabha | gatāste kṣatradharmeṇa śastrapūtāḥ parāṃ gatim

Do not grieve at all, bull among Kshatriyas, over what has happened. They have gone, purified by weapons, to the highest state through the Kshatriya's dharma.

Verse 15 (12.22.15)

भवितव्यं तथा तच्च यद्वृत्तं भरतर्षभ । दिष्टं हि राजशार्दूल न शक्यमतिवर्तितुम् ॥

bhavitavyaṃ tathā tacca yadvṛttaṃ bharatarṣabha | diṣṭaṃ hi rājaśārdūla na śakyamativartitum

What was to be has come to pass, best of the Bharatas. Fate, O tiger among kings, cannot be overcome.