Bhishma and Drona Plead for Peace

Verse 1 (5.126.1)

धृतराष्ट्रवचः श्रुत्वा भीष्मद्रोणौ समव्यथौ । दुर्योधनमिदं वाक्यमूचतुः शासनातिगम् ॥

dhṛtarāṣṭravacaḥ śrutvā bhīṣmadroṇau samavyathau | duryodhanamidaṃ vākyamūcatuḥ śāsanātigam

Hearing Dhritarashtra's words, Bhishma and Drona, equally distressed, spoke these words to Duryodhana, who had set all instruction at naught:

Verse 2 (5.126.2)

यावत्कृष्णावसन्नद्धौ यावत्तिष्ठति गाण्डिवम् । यावद्धौम्यो न मेधाग्नौ जुहोतीह द्विषद्बलम् ॥

yāvatkṛṣṇāvasannaddhau yāvattiṣṭhati gāṇḍivam | yāvaddhaumyo na medhāgnau juhotīha dviṣadbalam

"While the two Krishnas are not yet armed, while the Gandiva still lies at rest, while Dhaumya has not yet offered the enemy's host as oblation into the fire of battle,

Note on the text: Speaker set to Bhishma and Drona: verse 1 announces that the two spoke together (ऊचतुः), and their joint speech runs to the end of the adhyaya with no printed heading (the input carried Vaishampayana over).

Verse 3 (5.126.3)

यावन्न प्रेक्षते क्रुद्धः सेनां तव युधिष्ठिरः । ह्रीनिषेवो महेष्वासस्तावच्छाम्यतु वैशसम् ॥

yāvanna prekṣate kruddhaḥ senāṃ tava yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | hrīniṣevo maheṣvāsastāvacchāmyatu vaiśasam

while Yudhishthira, the great archer who lives by modesty, does not look in anger upon your army — until then, let this enmity be stilled.

Note on the text: Corrected क्रूद्धः → क्रुद्धः (misprint in Wikisource; long ू for short ु; critical edition kruddhaḥ).

Verse 4 (5.126.4)

यावन्न दृश्यते पार्थः स्वेऽप्यनीके व्यवस्थितः । भीमसेनो महेष्वासस्तावच्छाम्यतु वैशसम् ॥

yāvanna dṛśyate pārthaḥ sve'pyanīke vyavasthitaḥ | bhīmaseno maheṣvāsastāvacchāmyatu vaiśasam

While Partha Bhimasena, the great archer, is not yet seen standing in his own ranks — until then, let this enmity be stilled.

Verse 5 (5.126.5)

यावन्न चरते मार्गान्पृतनामभिधर्षयन् । भीमसेनो गदापाणिस्तावत्संशाम्य पाण्डवैः ॥

yāvanna carate mārgānpṛtanāmabhidharṣayan | bhīmaseno gadāpāṇistāvatsaṃśāmya pāṇḍavaiḥ

While Bhimasena, mace in hand, is not yet ranging the paths of battle and assailing the army — until then, make peace with the Pandavas.

Note on the text: Line 1 is the critical edition's 5.124.5ab (reading abhiharṣayan for अभिधर्षयन्); line 2 is not in its constituted text (found in the vulgate recension) but is recorded in its apparatus as star passage 5.124.5b*0476.

Verse 6 (5.126.6)

यावन्न शातयत्याजौ शिरांसि गजयोधिनाम् । गदया वीरघातिन्या फलानीव वनस्पतेः । कालेन परिपक्वानि तावच्छाम्यतु वैशसम् ॥

yāvanna śātayatyājau śirāṃsi gajayodhinām | gadayā vīraghātinyā phalānīva vanaspateḥ | kālena paripakvāni tāvacchāmyatu vaiśasam

While he does not, with his hero-slaying mace, strike down in battle the heads of the elephant-riders like the fruit of a tree ripened in its season — until then, let this enmity be stilled.

Note on the text: Line 1 is the critical edition's 5.124.5cd; lines 2–3 are 5.124.6.

Verse 7 (5.126.7)

नकुलः सहदेवश्च धृष्टद्युम्नश्च पार्षतः । विराटश्च शिखण्डी च शैशुपालिश्च दंशिताः ॥

nakulaḥ sahadevaśca dhṛṣṭadyumnaśca pārṣataḥ | virāṭaśca śikhaṇḍī ca śaiśupāliśca daṃśitāḥ

Nakula and Sahadeva, Dhrishtadyumna the son of Prishata, Virata, Shikhandin and the son of Shishupala, all clad in armour —

Verse 8 (5.126.8)

यावन्न प्रविशन्त्येते नक्रा इव महार्णवम् । कृतास्त्राः क्षिप्रमस्यन्तस्तावच्छाम्यतु वैशसम् ॥

yāvanna praviśantyete nakrā iva mahārṇavam | kṛtāstrāḥ kṣipramasyantastāvacchāmyatu vaiśasam

while these masters of weapons, loosing their shafts swiftly, do not plunge into your army like crocodiles into the great ocean — until then, let this enmity be stilled.

Verse 9 (5.126.9)

यावन्न सुकुमारेषु शरीरेषु महीक्षिताम् । गार्ध्रपत्राः पतन्त्युग्रास्तावच्छाम्यतु वैशसम् ॥

yāvanna sukumāreṣu śarīreṣu mahīkṣitām | gārdhrapatrāḥ patantyugrāstāvacchāmyatu vaiśasam

While fierce vulture-feathered arrows do not fall upon the tender bodies of kings — until then, let this enmity be stilled.

Verse 10 (5.126.10)

चन्दनागुरुदिग्धेषु हारनिष्कधरेषु च । नोरस्सु यावद्योधानां महेष्वासैर्महेषवः ॥

candanāgurudigdheṣu hāraniṣkadhareṣu ca | norassu yāvadyodhānāṃ maheṣvāsairmaheṣavaḥ

While upon the chests of warriors, smeared with sandal and aloe and decked with necklaces and gold ornaments, the great iron arrows of great archers —

Verse 11 (5.126.11)

कृतास्त्रैः क्षिप्रमस्यद्भिर्दूरपातिभिरायसाः । अभिलक्ष्यैर्निपात्यन्ते तावच्छाम्यतु वैशसम् ॥

kṛtāstraiḥ kṣipramasyadbhirdūrapātibhirāyasāḥ | abhilakṣyairnipātyante tāvacchāmyatu vaiśasam

archers skilled in weapons, who shoot swiftly, strike from afar and hit what they aim at — are not yet falling, until then let this enmity be stilled.

Note on the text: Corrected कृतस्त्रैः → कृतास्त्रैः (misprint in Wikisource; dropped vowel sign ा in कृत-अस्त्र, "skilled in weapons", as in verse 8; critical edition kṛtāstraiḥ).

Verse 12 (5.126.12)

अभिवादयमानं त्वां शिरसा राजकुञ्जरः । पाणिभ्यां प्रतिगृह्णातु धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः ॥

abhivādayamānaṃ tvāṃ śirasā rājakuñjaraḥ | pāṇibhyāṃ pratigṛhṇātu dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ

Let Yudhishthira the Dharma King, an elephant among kings, take you in his two hands as you bow your head to greet him.

Verse 13 (5.126.13)

ध्वजाङ्कुशपताकाङ्कं दक्षिणं ते सुदक्षिणः । स्कन्धे निक्षिपतां बाहुं शान्तये भरतर्षभ ॥

dhvajāṅkuśapatākāṅkaṃ dakṣiṇaṃ te sudakṣiṇaḥ | skandhe nikṣipatāṃ bāhuṃ śāntaye bharatarṣabha

Let that most generous man lay on your shoulder his right arm, marked with the banner, the goad and the flag, for the sake of peace, bull of the Bharatas.

Note on the text: Corrected बहुं → बाहुं (misprint in Wikisource; dropped vowel sign ा in बाहु, "arm"; critical edition bāhuṃ).

Verse 14 (5.126.14)

रत्नौषधिसमेतेन रत्नाङ्गुलितलेन च । उपविष्टस्य पृष्ठं ते पाणिना परिमार्जतु ॥

ratnauṣadhisametena ratnāṅgulitalena ca | upaviṣṭasya pṛṣṭhaṃ te pāṇinā parimārjatu

As you sit, let him stroke your back with his hand, which bears jewels and healing herbs, its fingers and palm adorned with gems.

Verse 15 (5.126.15)

शालस्कन्धो महाबाहुस्त्वां स्वजानो वृकोदरः । साम्नाऽभिवदतां चापि शान्तये भरतर्षभ ॥

śālaskandho mahābāhustvāṃ svajāno vṛkodaraḥ | sāmnā'bhivadatāṃ cāpi śāntaye bharatarṣabha

Let mighty-armed Vrikodara, with shoulders like a shala tree, embrace you and speak to you gently, for the sake of peace, bull of the Bharatas.

Note on the text: Corrected महाबहुस्त्वां → महाबाहुस्त्वां (misprint in Wikisource; dropped vowel sign ा in महाबाहु; critical edition mahābāhus tvāṃ).

Verse 16 (5.126.16)

अर्जुनेन यमाभ्यां च त्रिभिस्तैरभिवादितः । मूर्ध्नि तान्समुपाघ्राय प्रेम्णाऽभिवद पार्थिव ॥

arjunena yamābhyāṃ ca tribhistairabhivāditaḥ | mūrdhni tānsamupāghrāya premṇā'bhivada pārthiva

When Arjuna and the twins, those three, greet you, smell their heads with affection, king, and speak to them lovingly.

Verse 17 (5.126.17)

दृष्ट्वा त्वां पाण्डवैर्वीरैर्भ्रातृभिः सह संगतम् । यावदानन्दजाश्रूणि प्रमुञ्चन्तु नराधिपाः ॥

dṛṣṭvā tvāṃ pāṇḍavairvīrairbhrātṛbhiḥ saha saṃgatam | yāvadānandajāśrūṇi pramuñcantu narādhipāḥ

Seeing you united with your heroic brothers the Pandavas, let the kings shed tears of joy.

Note on the text: Corrected प्रन्मुञ्चन्तु → प्रमुञ्चन्तु (misprint in Wikisource; stray न्; critical edition pramuñcantu).

Verse 18 (5.126.18)

घुष्यतां राजधानीषु सर्वसंपन्महीक्षिताम् । पृथिवी भ्रातृभावेन भुज्यतां विज्वरो भव ॥

ghuṣyatāṃ rājadhānīṣu sarvasaṃpanmahīkṣitām | pṛthivī bhrātṛbhāvena bhujyatāṃ vijvaro bhava

Let it be proclaimed in the capitals of the kings that all is well; let the earth be enjoyed in brotherhood; be free of this fever."