Bhima's Defence and Gandhari's Reproach

Verse 1 (11.14.1)

तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्या भीमसेनोऽथ भीतवत् । गान्धारीं प्रत्युवाचेदं वचः सानुनयं तदा ॥

tacchrutvā vacanaṃ tasyā bhīmaseno'tha bhītavat | gāndhārīṃ pratyuvācedaṃ vacaḥ sānunayaṃ tadā

Hearing her words, Bhimasena, as if afraid, then answered Gandhari with these conciliatory words.

Verse 2 (11.14.2)

अधर्मो यदि वा धर्मस्त्रासात्तत्र मया कृतः । आत्मानं त्रातुकामेन तन्मे त्वं क्षन्तुमर्हसि ॥

adharmo yadi vā dharmastrāsāttatra mayā kṛtaḥ | ātmānaṃ trātukāmena tanme tvaṃ kṣantumarhasi

Whether it was adharma or dharma, I did it out of fear, wishing to protect myself; you ought to forgive me for it.

Note on the text: Bhima speaks in verses 2-11 (the page prints no heading; verse 1 introduces it); the page heads his next speech «भीम उवाच» at verse 15.

Verse 3 (11.14.3)

न हि युद्धेन पुत्रस्ते धर्मेण स महाबलः । दुःशक्यः केनचिद्धर्तुमतो विषममाचरम् ॥

na hi yuddhena putraste dharmeṇa sa mahābalaḥ | duḥśakyaḥ kenaciddhartumato viṣamamācaram

In a fair fight that mighty son of yours could not be overcome by anyone; therefore I fought crookedly.

Verse 4 (11.14.4)

अधर्मेण जितः पूर्वं तेन चापि युधिष्ठिरः । निकृताश्च सदैव स्म ततो विषममाचरम् ॥

adharmeṇa jitaḥ pūrvaṃ tena cāpi yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | nikṛtāśca sadaiva sma tato viṣamamācaram

Long ago he defeated Yudhishthira by unfair means, and we were always cheated; therefore I fought crookedly.

Note on the text: Corrected तो → ततो (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped syllable; the critical edition reads tato). Not in the main text of the critical edition; it occurs there as the star passage *0040_01-02 (after 11.14.3d).

Verse 5 (11.14.5)

सैन्यस्यैकोऽवशिष्टोऽयं गदायुद्धे च वीर्यवान् । न त्यक्ष्यति हृतं राज्यमिति वै तत्कृतं मया ॥

sainyasyaiko'vaśiṣṭo'yaṃ gadāyuddhe ca vīryavān | na tyakṣyati hṛtaṃ rājyamiti vai tatkṛtaṃ mayā

He alone was left of the army, and he was strong in the mace-fight; "he will not give up the kingdom he has seized": so I did that.

Verse 6 (11.14.6)

एकपत्नीं च पाञ्चालीमेकवस्त्रां रजस्वलाम् । भवत्या विदितं सर्वमुक्तवान्यत्सुतस्तव ॥

ekapatnīṃ ca pāñcālīmekavastrāṃ rajasvalām | bhavatyā viditaṃ sarvamuktavānyatsutastava

Our one wife, Panchali, in a single garment and in her season: you know everything that your son said.

Note on the text: Corrected पाश्चालीम् → पाञ्चालीम् (misprint in Wikisource; a broken conjunct, श्च for ञ्च; the critical edition reads pāñcālīm). Wikisource's own gloss records the variant राजपुत्रीं च पाञ्चालीम् for the first quarter (the critical edition's reading, rājaputrīṃ ca pāñcālīm).

Verse 7 (11.14.7)

सुयोधनं त्वसंहृत्य न शक्या भूः ससागरा । केवला भोक्तुमस्माभिरतश्चैतत्कृतं मया ॥

suyodhanaṃ tvasaṃhṛtya na śakyā bhūḥ sasāgarā | kevalā bhoktumasmābhirataścaitatkṛtaṃ mayā

Without destroying Suyodhana, we could not have enjoyed the whole earth with its oceans undivided; that is why I did this.

Verse 8 (11.14.8)

तच्चाप्यप्रियमस्माकं पुत्रस्ते समुपाचरत् । द्रौपद्या यत्सभामध्ये सव्यमूरुमदर्शयत् ॥

taccāpyapriyamasmākaṃ putraste samupācarat | draupadyā yatsabhāmadhye savyamūrumadarśayat

And your son did us another wrong: in the midst of the assembly he showed Draupadi his left thigh.

Verse 9 (11.14.9)

तत्रैव वध्यः सोऽस्माकं दुराचारोऽम्ब ते सुतः । धर्मराजाज्ञया चैव स्थिताः स्म समये पुरा ॥

tatraiva vadhyaḥ so'smākaṃ durācāro'mba te sutaḥ | dharmarājājñayā caiva sthitāḥ sma samaye purā

Right there that ill-behaved son of yours should have been killed by us, mother; but at that time we remained within our agreement, by order of Dharmaraja.

Note on the text: Corrected दुराचारोऽप्ब → दुराचारोऽम्ब (misprint in Wikisource; a mistyped consonant (प्ब for म्ब); the critical edition reads durācāro 'mba).

Verse 10 (11.14.10)

वैरमुद्दीपितं राज्ञि पुत्रेण तव यन्महत् । क्लेशिताश्च वने नित्यं तत एतत्कृतं मया ॥

vairamuddīpitaṃ rājñi putreṇa tava yanmahat | kleśitāśca vane nityaṃ tata etatkṛtaṃ mayā

The great enmity that your son kindled, O queen, and the constant torment we suffered in the forest: that is why I did this.

Verse 11 (11.14.11)

वैरस्यास्य गताः पारं हत्वा दुर्योधनं रणे । राज्यं युधिष्ठिरे प्राप्ते वयं च गतमन्यवः ॥

vairasyāsya gatāḥ pāraṃ hatvā duryodhanaṃ raṇe | rājyaṃ yudhiṣṭhire prāpte vayaṃ ca gatamanyavaḥ

By killing Duryodhana in battle we have reached the far shore of this enmity; with the kingdom come to Yudhishthira, our anger too is gone.

Verse 12 (11.14.12)

न तस्यैवं वधस्तात यं प्रशंससि मे सुतम् । कृतवांश्चापि तत्सर्वं यदिदं भाषसे मयि ॥

na tasyaivaṃ vadhastāta yaṃ praśaṃsasi me sutam | kṛtavāṃścāpi tatsarvaṃ yadidaṃ bhāṣase mayi

It is not thus, my child, that my son should have been killed, he whom you praise; though it is true that he did everything you tell me.

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

Verse 13 (11.14.13)

हताश्वे नकुले यत्तु वृषसेनेन भारत । अपिबः शोणितं सङ्ख्ये दुःशासनशरीरजम् ॥

hatāśve nakule yattu vṛṣasenena bhārata | apibaḥ śoṇitaṃ saṅkhye duḥśāsanaśarīrajam

But when Nakula's horses were killed by Vrishasena, O Bharata, you drank, in battle, the blood from Duhshasana's body.

Verse 14 (11.14.14)

सद्भिर्विगर्हितं घोरमनार्यजनसेवितम् । क्रूरं कर्माकृथास्तस्मात्तदयुक्तं वृकोदर ॥

sadbhirvigarhitaṃ ghoramanāryajanasevitam | krūraṃ karmākṛthāstasmāttadayuktaṃ vṛkodara

That was a cruel deed, condemned by good men and practised by ignoble ones; therefore it was improper, Vrikodara.

Verse 15 (11.14.15)

हताश्वं नकुलं दृष्ट्वा वृषसेनेन संयुगे । शत्रूणां तु प्रहृष्टानां त्रासः सञ्जनितो मया ॥

hatāśvaṃ nakulaṃ dṛṣṭvā vṛṣasenena saṃyuge | śatrūṇāṃ tu prahṛṣṭānāṃ trāsaḥ sañjanito mayā

Seeing Nakula unhorsed by Vrishasena in the battle, I struck terror into the enemies, who were exulting.

Note on the text: The page heads this speech «भीम उवाच»; the critical edition heads the corresponding speech «भीमसेन उवाच» (before 11.14.14).

Verse 16 (11.14.16)

स प्रतिज्ञामकरवं पिबाम्यसृगरेरिति । रुधिरं नातिचक्राम दन्तोष्ठादम्ब मा शुचः ॥

sa pratijñāmakaravaṃ pibāmyasṛgareriti | rudhiraṃ nāticakrāma dantoṣṭhādamba mā śucaḥ

I made the vow, "I shall drink the enemy's blood"; but the blood did not pass beyond my teeth and lips, mother. Do not grieve.

Note on the text: Removed the stray backtick and closing quote mark around line 1. Line 2 is CE 11.14.15ab (rudhiraṃ na vyatikrāmad dantoṣṭhaṃ me 'mba mā śucaḥ). Line 1 corresponds to the star passage *0043_01 (after 11.14.16d: na pratijñām akaravaṃ pibāmy asṛg arer iti) and, loosely, *0042_01.

Verse 17 (11.14.17)

अन्यस्यापि न पातव्यं रुधिरं किंपुनः स्वकम् । यथैवात्मा तथा भ्राता विशेषो नास्ति कश्चन ॥

anyasyāpi na pātavyaṃ rudhiraṃ kiṃpunaḥ svakam | yathaivātmā tathā bhrātā viśeṣo nāsti kaścana

The blood even of another is not to be drunk, still less one's own; as one's self, so one's brother: there is no difference at all.

Note on the text: Removed the stray opening square bracket (it is never closed on the page).

Verse 18 (11.14.18)

वैवस्वतो हि तद्वेद यथावत्कुलनन्दिनि । मा कृथा हृदि तन्मातर्न तत्पीतं मयाऽनधे ॥

vaivasvato hi tadveda yathāvatkulanandini | mā kṛthā hṛdi tanmātarna tatpītaṃ mayā'nadhe

Vaivasvata, the god of death, knows that well, O delight of your family. Do not take it to heart, mother, sinless one: it was not drunk by me.

Note on the text: Corrected वैवस्तितो → वैवस्वतो (misprint in Wikisource; a mistyped syllable (स्ति for स्व); the critical edition reads vaivasvatas). Line 1 corresponds to CE 11.14.15c (vaivasvatas tu tad veda hastau me rudhirokṣitau); line 2 is the star passage *0041_01 (after 11.14.15d), word for word.

Verse 19 (11.14.19)

केशपक्षपरामर्शे द्रौपद्या द्यूतकारिते । क्रोधाद्यदब्रवं चाहं तच्च मे हृदि वर्तते ॥

keśapakṣaparāmarśe draupadyā dyūtakārite | krodhādyadabravaṃ cāhaṃ tacca me hṛdi vartate

At the seizing of Draupadi's hair, brought about by the dice-game, what I said in anger, that stays in my heart.

Verse 20 (11.14.20)

क्षत्रधर्माच्च्युतो राज्ञि भवेयं शाश्वतीः समाः । प्रतिज्ञां तामनिस्तीर्य ततस्तत्कृतवानहम् ॥

kṣatradharmāccyuto rājñi bhaveyaṃ śāśvatīḥ samāḥ | pratijñāṃ tāmanistīrya tatastatkṛtavānaham

Had I not fulfilled that vow, O queen, I would have fallen from the kshatriya's dharma for endless years; that is why I did it.

Verse 21 (11.14.21)

अनिगृह्य पुरा पुत्रानस्मास्वनपकारिषु । न ममार्हसि कल्याणि दोषेण परिशङ्कितुम् ॥

anigṛhya purā putrānasmāsvanapakāriṣu | na mamārhasi kalyāṇi doṣeṇa pariśaṅkitum

You did not restrain your sons in the past, when they wronged us who had done no harm; so you should not suspect me of fault, gracious lady.

Note on the text: Corrected अस्मस्वनपकारिषु → अस्मास्वनपकारिषु (misprint in Wikisource; a shortened vowel; the critical edition reads asmāsv anapakāriṣu). The two lines are in reverse order relative to the critical edition: line 1 is CE 11.14.19cd, line 2 corresponds to 11.14.19ab (na mām arhasi gāndhāri doṣeṇa pariśaṅkitum).

Verse 22 (11.14.22)

वृद्धस्यास्य शतं पुत्रान्निघ्नंस्त्वमपराजितः । कस्मानाशेषयः कञ्चिद्येनाल्पमपराधितम् ॥

vṛddhasyāsya śataṃ putrānnighnaṃstvamaparājitaḥ | kasmānāśeṣayaḥ kañcidyenālpamaparādhitam

You, unconquered one, struck down the hundred sons of this old man; why did you not leave even one, one who had offended only a little?

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

Verse 23 (11.14.23)

सन्तानमावयोस्तात वृद्धयोर्हृतराज्ययोः । नाशेषयः कथं यष्टिमेकां वृद्धयुगस्य वै ॥

santānamāvayostāta vṛddhayorhṛtarājyayoḥ | nāśeṣayaḥ kathaṃ yaṣṭimekāṃ vṛddhayugasya vai

Our line, my child, ours, aged and robbed of our kingdom: why did you not leave just one staff for this aged pair?

Note on the text: Line 1 is CE 11.14.21a; line 2 differs from CE 11.14.21cd (katham andhadvayasyāsya yaṣṭir ekā na varjitā).

Verse 24 (11.14.24)

शेषे ह्यवस्थिते तात पुत्राणामल्पकेऽपि च । मन्ददुःखं भवेदद्य यदि त्वं धर्ममाचरेः ॥

śeṣe hyavasthite tāta putrāṇāmalpake'pi ca | mandaduḥkhaṃ bhavedadya yadi tvaṃ dharmamācareḥ

If even a small remnant of my sons had been left, my sorrow today would be slight, had you acted according to dharma.