Vyasa Calms Gandhari's Anger

Verse 1 (11.13.1)

धृतराष्ट्राभ्यनुज्ञातास्ततस्ते कुरुपुङ्गवाः । अभ्ययुर्भ्रातरः सर्वे गान्धारीं सहकेशवाः ॥

dhṛtarāṣṭrābhyanujñātāstataste kurupuṅgavāḥ | abhyayurbhrātaraḥ sarve gāndhārīṃ sahakeśavāḥ

Having received Dhritarashtra's leave, those bulls of the Kuru line, the brothers, all together with Keshava, then went to Gandhari.

Verse 2 (11.13.2)

ततो ज्ञात्वा हतामित्रं धर्मराजं युधिष्ठिरम् । गान्धारी पुत्रशोकार्ता शप्तुमैच्छदनिन्दिता ॥

tato jñātvā hatāmitraṃ dharmarājaṃ yudhiṣṭhiram | gāndhārī putraśokārtā śaptumaicchadaninditā

Then Gandhari, blameless but tormented by grief for her sons, knowing that Yudhishthira, king of dharma, had destroyed his enemies, wished to curse him.

Verse 3 (11.13.3)

तस्याः पापमभिप्रायं विदित्वा पाण्डवान्प्रति । ऋषिर्गन्धवतीपुत्रः प्रागेव समबुध्यत ॥

tasyāḥ pāpamabhiprāyaṃ viditvā pāṇḍavānprati | ṛṣirgandhavatīputraḥ prāgeva samabudhyata

Knowing her sinful intention toward the Pandavas, the sage, son of Gandhavati, understood it beforehand.

Verse 4 (11.13.4)

स गङ्गायामुपस्पृश्य ब्रह्मर्षिः प्रयतः शुचिः । तं देशमुपसंपेदे पाराशर्यो मनोजवः ॥

sa gaṅgāyāmupaspṛśya brahmarṣiḥ prayataḥ śuciḥ | taṃ deśamupasaṃpede pārāśaryo manojavaḥ

That pure, self-controlled brahmin-sage, son of Parashara, swift as thought, bathed in the Ganga and came to that place.

Verse 5 (11.13.5)

दिव्येन चक्षुषा ज्ञात्वा मनसाऽनुद्धतेन च । सर्वप्राणभृतां भावं सततं स तु बुध्यति ॥

divyena cakṣuṣā jñātvā manasā'nuddhatena ca | sarvaprāṇabhṛtāṃ bhāvaṃ satataṃ sa tu budhyati

Knowing by divine sight and with an untroubled mind, he is ever aware of the inner state of all living beings.

Note on the text: Corrected बृध्यति → बुध्यति (misprint in Wikisource; a mistyped vowel sign (बृ for बु); the critical edition reads samabudhyata).

Verse 6 (11.13.6)

स स्नुषामब्रवीत्काले कल्याणानि महातपाः । शापकालमवाक्षिप्य शमकालमुदीरयन् ॥

sa snuṣāmabravītkāle kalyāṇāni mahātapāḥ | śāpakālamavākṣipya śamakālamudīrayan

That great ascetic, in due time, spoke gentle words to his daughter-in-law, putting aside the hour for cursing and speaking of the hour for peace.

Verse 7 (11.13.7)

न कोपः पाण्डवे कार्यो गान्धारि शममाप्नुहि । रजो निगृह्यतां चैव शृणु चेदं वचो मम ॥

na kopaḥ pāṇḍave kāryo gāndhāri śamamāpnuhi | rajo nigṛhyatāṃ caiva śṛṇu cedaṃ vaco mama

You must not be angry with the Pandava, Gandhari; find peace. Let your passion be restrained, and hear these words of mine.

Note on the text: Verses 7-13 are Vyasa's speech (the page prints no heading; verse 6 introduces it); the page prints the heading for Gandhari at verse 14.

Verse 8 (11.13.8)

पुरोक्ता युद्धकाले त्वं पुत्रेण जयमिच्छता । जयमाशास्व मे मातर्युध्यमानस्य शत्रुभिः ॥

puroktā yuddhakāle tvaṃ putreṇa jayamicchatā | jayamāśāsva me mātaryudhyamānasya śatrubhiḥ

Earlier, at the time of the war, your son, who desired victory, said to you: "Mother, wish me victory as I fight my enemies."

Verse 9 (11.13.9)

सा तथा याच्यमाना त्वं युद्धकाले जयैषिणा । उक्तवत्यसि कल्याणि यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः ॥

sā tathā yācyamānā tvaṃ yuddhakāle jayaiṣiṇā | uktavatyasi kalyāṇi yato dharmastato jayaḥ

Thus entreated by him at the time of war, when he sought victory, you said, O fair lady, "Where there is dharma, there is victory."

Verse 10 (11.13.10)

वाचाऽप्यतीते मा क्रोधे मनः कुरु यशस्विनि । स्मरामि भाषमाणां हि त्वामहं सत्यवादिनीम् ॥

vācā'pyatīte mā krodhe manaḥ kuru yaśasvini | smarāmi bhāṣamāṇāṃ hi tvāmahaṃ satyavādinīm

Since it has already passed through your own words, do not turn your mind to anger, O glorious lady; I remember how you spoke, for you speak the truth.

Note on the text: Not in the main text of the critical edition. Line 1 corresponds to the star passage *0036_01 (after 11.13.10b: vācā vyatīte …) and line 2 loosely to *0037_01 (after 11.13.10d). The critical edition's own 11.13.10 (na cāpy atītāṃ gāndhāri vācaṃ te vitathām aham …) is the alternative reading that Wikisource's commentary gives as the झ-variant.

Verse 11 (11.13.11)

विग्रहे तुमुले राज्ञां गत्वा परमसंशयम् । जितं पाण्डुसुतैर्युद्धे नूनं धर्मस्ततोऽधिकः ॥

vigrahe tumule rājñāṃ gatvā paramasaṃśayam | jitaṃ pāṇḍusutairyuddhe nūnaṃ dharmastato'dhikaḥ

In the tumultuous clash of kings, the sons of Pandu, having gone through the gravest peril, have won the battle; surely dharma was the greater on their side.

Note on the text: Not in the main text of the critical edition; it occurs there as the star passage *0038_01-02 (after 11.13.10d).

Verse 12 (11.13.12)

क्षमाशीला पुरा भूत्वा साऽद्य न क्षमसे कथम् । अधर्मे जहि धर्मज्ञे यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः ॥

kṣamāśīlā purā bhūtvā sā'dya na kṣamase katham | adharme jahi dharmajñe yato dharmastato jayaḥ

You were once of forbearing nature; why do you not forbear today? Put away unrighteousness, O knower of dharma: where there is dharma, there is victory.

Note on the text: Not in the main text of the critical edition; it occurs there as the star passage *0039_01-02 (after 11.13.10d).

Verse 13 (11.13.13)

सा त्वं धर्मं परिस्मृत्य वाचं चोक्तां मनस्विनी । कोपं संयच्छ गान्धारि पाण्डवेषु सुतेषु ते ॥

sā tvaṃ dharmaṃ parismṛtya vācaṃ coktāṃ manasvinī | kopaṃ saṃyaccha gāndhāri pāṇḍaveṣu suteṣu te

Remembering dharma and the word you spoke, O woman of high mind, restrain your anger, Gandhari, toward the Pandavas, who are as your sons.

Verse 14 (11.13.14)

भगवन्नाभ्यसूयामि नैतानिच्छामि नश्यतः । पुत्रशोकेन तु बलान्मनो विह्वलतीव मे ॥

bhagavannābhyasūyāmi naitānicchāmi naśyataḥ | putraśokena tu balānmano vihvalatīva me

Blessed sage, I bear them no ill will, and I do not wish them to perish; but through grief for my sons my mind is forcibly shaken.

Note on the text: The page heads this speech «गान्धार्युवाच».

Verse 15 (11.13.15)

यथैव कुन्त्या कौन्तेया रक्षितव्यास्तथा मया । तथैव धृतराष्ट्रेण रक्षितव्या यथा त्वया ॥

yathaiva kuntyā kaunteyā rakṣitavyāstathā mayā | tathaiva dhṛtarāṣṭreṇa rakṣitavyā yathā tvayā

Just as the sons of Kunti are to be protected by Kunti, so they are to be protected by me; and likewise by Dhritarashtra, as by you.

Verse 16 (11.13.16)

दुःशासनापराधेन शकुनेः सौबलस्य च । कर्णदुर्योधनाभ्यां च कृतोऽयं कुरुसंक्षयः ॥

duḥśāsanāparādhena śakuneḥ saubalasya ca | karṇaduryodhanābhyāṃ ca kṛto'yaṃ kurusaṃkṣayaḥ

This destruction of the Kurus was brought about by the fault of Duhshasana, of Shakuni the son of Subala, and of Karna and Duryodhana.

Note on the text: Corrected कृरुसंक्षयः → कुरुसंक्षयः (misprint in Wikisource; a mistyped vowel sign (कृ for कु); the critical edition reads kurusaṃkṣayaḥ).

Verse 17 (11.13.17)

नापराध्यति बीभत्सुर्न च पार्थो वृकोदरः । नकुलः सहदेवश्च नैव राजा युधिष्ठिरः ॥

nāparādhyati bībhatsurna ca pārtho vṛkodaraḥ | nakulaḥ sahadevaśca naiva rājā yudhiṣṭhiraḥ

Arjuna does no wrong, nor does Partha Vrikodara, nor Nakula and Sahadeva, nor King Yudhishthira.

Note on the text: Corrected सदेवश्च → सहदेवश्च (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped ह; the critical edition reads sahadevo vā).

Verse 18 (11.13.18)

युध्यमाना हि कौरव्याः कृतमानाः परस्परम् । निहताः सहिताश्चान्यैस्तत्र नास्त्यप्रियं मम ॥

yudhyamānā hi kauravyāḥ kṛtamānāḥ parasparam | nihatāḥ sahitāścānyaistatra nāstyapriyaṃ mama

The Kauravas, fighting one another in their pride, were slain together with the others; in that I find nothing to resent.

Note on the text: Corrected कृतमामाः → कृतमानाः (misprint in Wikisource; a mistyped consonant (मा for ना); the critical edition reads kṛntamānāḥ, and Wikisource's own gloss reads कृतमानाः "puffed up with pride").

Verse 19 (11.13.19)

किं तु कर्माकरोद्भीमो वासुदेवस्य पश्यतः । दुर्योधनं समाहूय गदायुद्धे महामनाः ॥

kiṃ tu karmākarodbhīmo vāsudevasya paśyataḥ | duryodhanaṃ samāhūya gadāyuddhe mahāmanāḥ

But what Bhima did, with Vasudeva looking on, after calling the great-minded Duryodhana to a mace-fight —

Note on the text: Corrected गदायुर्द्ध → गदायुद्धे (misprint in Wikisource; a garbled ending (युर्द्ध for युद्धे); the critical edition reads gadāyuddhe).

Verse 20 (11.13.20)

शिक्षयाऽभ्यधिकं ज्ञात्वा चरन्तं बहुधा रणे । अधो नाभ्याः प्रहृतवांस्तन्मे कोपमवर्धयत् ॥

śikṣayā'bhyadhikaṃ jñātvā carantaṃ bahudhā raṇe | adho nābhyāḥ prahṛtavāṃstanme kopamavardhayat

knowing him to be superior in skill as he moved about in many ways in the fight, he struck below the navel; that made my anger grow.

Verse 21 (11.13.21)

कथं नु धर्मं धर्मज्ञाः समुद्दिष्टं महात्मभिः । त्यजेयुराहवे शूराः प्राणहेतोः कथञ्चन ॥

kathaṃ nu dharmaṃ dharmajñāḥ samuddiṣṭaṃ mahātmabhiḥ | tyajeyurāhave śūrāḥ prāṇahetoḥ kathañcana

How could heroes who know dharma ever abandon in battle a dharma laid down by great souls, for the sake of their lives?

Note on the text: Corrected कथञ्चनः → कथञ्चन (misprint in Wikisource; a stray visarga; the critical edition reads kathaṃ cana).