Vidula Urges Her Son to Fight

Verse 1 (5.134.1)

अथैतस्यामवस्थायां पौरुषं हातुमिच्छसि । निहीनसेवितं मार्गं गमिष्यस्यचिरादिव ॥

athaitasyāmavasthāyāṃ pauruṣaṃ hātumicchasi | nihīnasevitaṃ mārgaṃ gamiṣyasyacirādiva

And yet, in such a plight as this, you wish to give up your manhood! Soon, it seems, you will walk the path that the lowly tread.

Verse 2 (5.134.2)

यो हि तेजो यथाशक्ति न कर्शयति विक्रमात् । क्षत्रियो जीविताकाङ्क्षी स्तेन इत्येव तं विदुः ॥

yo hi tejo yathāśakti na karśayati vikramāt | kṣatriyo jīvitākāṅkṣī stena ityeva taṃ viduḥ

A kshatriya who clings to life and does not spend his fiery energy in valour as far as his strength allows is called a thief.

Verse 3 (5.134.3)

अर्थवन्त्युपपन्नानि वाक्यानि गुणवन्ति च । नैव संप्राप्नुवन्ति त्वां मुमूर्षुमिव भेषजम् ॥

arthavantyupapannāni vākyāni guṇavanti ca | naiva saṃprāpnuvanti tvāṃ mumūrṣumiva bheṣajam

Words full of meaning, fitting and wholesome, do not reach you at all, just as medicine does not reach a dying man.

Verse 4 (5.134.4)

सन्ति वै सिन्धुराजस्य सन्तुष्टा न तथा जनाः । दौर्बल्यादासते मूढा व्यसनौघप्रतीक्षिणः ॥

santi vai sindhurājasya santuṣṭā na tathā janāḥ | daurbalyādāsate mūḍhā vyasanaughapratīkṣiṇaḥ

The people of the king of Sindhu are not so content. Out of weakness they sit by, bewildered, waiting for a flood of misfortunes to overtake him.

Note on the text: Corrected व्यसतौघपतीक्षिणः → व्यसनौघप्रतीक्षिणः (misprints in Wikisource; त for न and प for प्र, the critical edition reads vyasanaughapratīkṣiṇaḥ). The first line differs from the critical edition (saṃtuṣṭā bahavo janāḥ).

Verse 5 (5.134.5)

सहायोपचितिं कृत्वा व्यवसाय्य ततस्ततः । अनुदुष्येयुरपरे पश्यन्तस्तव पौरुषम् ॥

sahāyopacitiṃ kṛtvā vyavasāyya tatastataḥ | anuduṣyeyurapare paśyantastava pauruṣam

Gather allies and rouse them to action here and there; others too, seeing your manliness, may turn against him.

Verse 6 (5.134.6)

तैः कृत्वा सह संघातं गिरिदुर्गालयं चर । काले व्यसनमाकाङ्क्षन्नैवायमजरामरः ॥

taiḥ kṛtvā saha saṃghātaṃ giridurgālayaṃ cara | kāle vyasanamākāṅkṣannaivāyamajarāmaraḥ

Band together with them and make your home in mountain strongholds, waiting for the time of his misfortune; he is not free from old age and death.

Verse 7 (5.134.7)

सञ्जयो नामतश्च त्वं न च पश्यामि तत्त्वयि । अन्वर्थनामा भव मे पुत्र मा व्यर्थनामकः ॥

sañjayo nāmataśca tvaṃ na ca paśyāmi tattvayi | anvarthanāmā bhava me putra mā vyarthanāmakaḥ

You are Sanjaya, 'the Victor', by name, yet I do not see that in you. Be true to your name, my son; do not bear your name in vain.

Verse 8 (5.134.8)

सम्यग्दृष्टिर्महाप्राज्ञो बालं त्वां ब्राह्मणोऽब्रवीत् । अयं प्राप्य महत्कृच्छ्रं पुनर्वृद्धिं गमिष्यति ॥

samyagdṛṣṭirmahāprājño bālaṃ tvāṃ brāhmaṇo'bravīt | ayaṃ prāpya mahatkṛcchraṃ punarvṛddhiṃ gamiṣyati

When you were a child, a brahmin of true vision and great wisdom said of you: "This one will fall into great hardship and then rise again."

Verse 9 (5.134.9)

तस्य स्मरन्ती वचनमाशंसे विजयं तव । तस्मात्तात ब्रवीमि त्वां वक्ष्यामि च पुनःपुनः ॥

tasya smarantī vacanamāśaṃse vijayaṃ tava | tasmāttāta bravīmi tvāṃ vakṣyāmi ca punaḥpunaḥ

Remembering his words, I hope for your victory. That is why I speak to you, my son, and will speak again and again.

Verse 10 (5.134.10)

यस्य ह्यर्थाभिनिर्वृत्तौ भवन्त्याप्यायिताः परे । तस्यार्थसिद्धिर्नियता नयेष्वर्थानुसारिणः ॥

yasya hyarthābhinirvṛttau bhavantyāpyāyitāḥ pare | tasyārthasiddhirniyatā nayeṣvarthānusāriṇaḥ

He whose success in his aims sustains others too, and who keeps his goal in view while following sound policy, is certain to achieve his purpose.

Verse 11 (5.134.11)

समृद्धिरसमृद्धिर्वा पूर्वेषां मम सञ्जय । एवं विद्वान्युद्धमना भव मा प्रत्युपाहरः ॥

samṛddhirasamṛddhirvā pūrveṣāṃ mama sañjaya | evaṃ vidvānyuddhamanā bhava mā pratyupāharaḥ

Sanjaya, both success and failure came to my forefathers. Knowing this, set your mind on battle; do not draw back.

Verse 12 (5.134.12)

नातः पापीयसीं कांचिदवस्थां शम्बरोऽब्रवीत् । यत्र नैवाद्य न प्रातर्भोजनं प्रतिदृश्यते ॥

nātaḥ pāpīyasīṃ kāṃcidavasthāṃ śambaro'bravīt | yatra naivādya na prātarbhojanaṃ pratidṛśyate

Shambara said there is no state more wretched than one in which no meal is in sight, either for today or for tomorrow.

Verse 13 (5.134.13)

पतिपुत्रवधादेतत्परमं दुःखमब्रवीत् । दारिद्र्यमिति यत्प्रोक्तं पर्यायमरणं हि तत् ॥

patiputravadhādetatparamaṃ duḥkhamabravīt | dāridryamiti yatproktaṃ paryāyamaraṇaṃ hi tat

He said this was a greater sorrow than the death of husband and sons. What is called poverty is only another name for death.

Verse 14 (5.134.14)

अहं महाकुले जाता ह्रदाद्ध्रदमिवागता । ईश्वरी सर्वकल्याणी भर्त्रा परमपूजिता ॥

ahaṃ mahākule jātā hradāddhradamivāgatā | īśvarī sarvakalyāṇī bhartrā paramapūjitā

I was born in a great family and came, as it were, from one lake to another; I was mistress of the house, blessed in every way and highly honoured by my husband.

Verse 15 (5.134.15)

महार्हमाल्याभरणां सुमृष्टाम्बरवाससम् । पुरा हृष्टः सुहृद्वर्गो मामपश्यत्सुहृद्गताम् ॥

mahārhamālyābharaṇāṃ sumṛṣṭāmbaravāsasam | purā hṛṣṭaḥ suhṛdvargo māmapaśyatsuhṛdgatām

In former days my friends, rejoicing, saw me decked in costly garlands and ornaments, dressed in fine clean clothes, surrounded by friends.

Verse 16 (5.134.16)

यदा मां चैव भार्यां च द्रष्टासि भृशदुर्बलाम् । न तदा जीवितेनार्थो भविता तव सञ्जय ॥

yadā māṃ caiva bhāryāṃ ca draṣṭāsi bhṛśadurbalām | na tadā jīvitenārtho bhavitā tava sañjaya

When you see me and your wife grown very weak, then, Sanjaya, your life will be of no use to you.

Verse 17 (5.134.17)

दासकर्मकरान्भृत्यानाचार्यर्त्विक्पुरोहितान् । अवृत्त्याऽस्मान्प्रजहतो दृष्ट्वा किं जीवितेन ते ॥

dāsakarmakarānbhṛtyānācāryartvikpurohitān | avṛttyā'smānprajahato dṛṣṭvā kiṃ jīvitena te

When you see our slaves, workmen and servants, our teachers, officiating priests and family priests leaving us for want of a living, what will your life be worth?

Verse 18 (5.134.18)

यदि कृत्यं न पश्यामि तवाद्याहं यथा पुरा । श्लाघनीयं यशस्यं च का शान्तिर्हृदयस्य मे ॥

yadi kṛtyaṃ na paśyāmi tavādyāhaṃ yathā purā | ślāghanīyaṃ yaśasyaṃ ca kā śāntirhṛdayasya me

If today I do not see you do some praiseworthy and glorious deed as before, what peace can my heart have?

Verse 19 (5.134.19)

नेति चेद्ब्राह्मणं ब्रूयां दीर्येत हृदयं मम । न ह्यहं न च मे भर्ता नेति ब्राह्मणमुक्तवान् ॥

neti cedbrāhmaṇaṃ brūyāṃ dīryeta hṛdayaṃ mama | na hyahaṃ na ca me bhartā neti brāhmaṇamuktavān

If I had to say "No" to a brahmin, my heart would break. For neither I nor my husband ever said "No" to a brahmin.

Note on the text: Corrected ह्यद → ह्यहं (misprint in Wikisource; द for हं, the critical edition reads hy ahaṃ).

Verse 20 (5.134.20)

वयमाश्रयणीयाः स्म न श्रोतारः परस्य च । अन्यमासाद्य जीवन्ती परित्यक्ष्यामि जीवितम् ॥

vayamāśrayaṇīyāḥ sma na śrotāraḥ parasya ca | anyamāsādya jīvantī parityakṣyāmi jīvitam

We are those on whom others depend, not those who take orders from others. If I must live by depending on someone else, I shall give up my life.

Verse 21 (5.134.21)

अपारे भव नः पारमप्लवे भव नः प्लवः । कुरुष्व स्थानमस्थाने मृतान्सञ्जीवयस्व नः ॥

apāre bhava naḥ pāramaplave bhava naḥ plavaḥ | kuruṣva sthānamasthāne mṛtānsañjīvayasva naḥ

Be our far shore where there is no shore, our boat where there is no boat. Make a place for us where there is no place; bring us, who are as good as dead, back to life.

Verse 22 (5.134.22)

सर्वे ते शत्रवः शक्या न चेज्जीवितुमर्हसि । अथ चेदीदृशीं वृत्तिं क्लीबामभ्युपपद्यसे ॥

sarve te śatravaḥ śakyā na cejjīvitumarhasi | atha cedīdṛśīṃ vṛttiṃ klībāmabhyupapadyase

All your enemies can be overcome; if not, you are not fit to live. But if you take up this unmanly way of life,

Note on the text: Corrected चेञ्जीवितुम् → चेज्जीवितुम् (misprint in Wikisource; the sandhi of चेत् + जीवितुम् gives ज्ज, as the critical edition reads cej jīvitum). The critical edition reads sahyā … icchasi for शक्या … अर्हसि.

Verse 23 (5.134.23)

निर्विण्णात्मा हतमना मुञ्चैतां पापजीविकाम् । एकशत्रुवधेनैव शूरो गच्छति विश्रुतिम् ॥

nirviṇṇātmā hatamanā muñcaitāṃ pāpajīvikām | ekaśatruvadhenaiva śūro gacchati viśrutim

with a heart sick and a will broken, then give up this sinful way of living! By slaying even a single enemy a hero wins renown.

Verse 24 (5.134.24)

इन्द्रो वृत्रवधेनैव महेन्द्रः समपद्यत । माहेन्द्रं च ग्रहं लेभे लोकानां चेश्वरोऽभवत् ॥

indro vṛtravadhenaiva mahendraḥ samapadyata | māhendraṃ ca grahaṃ lebhe lokānāṃ ceśvaro'bhavat

Indra became Mahendra, the great Indra, only by slaying Vritra; he won the Mahendra cup of soma and became lord of the worlds.

Verse 25 (5.134.25)

नाम विश्राव्य वै सङ्ख्ये शत्रूनाहूय दंशितान् । सेनाग्रं चापि विद्राव्य हत्वा वा पुरुषं वरम् ॥

nāma viśrāvya vai saṅkhye śatrūnāhūya daṃśitān | senāgraṃ cāpi vidrāvya hatvā vā puruṣaṃ varam

Proclaiming his name in battle, challenging his armoured enemies, putting the front of their army to flight or slaying their foremost warrior:

Note on the text: Corrected शङ्ख्ये → सङ्ख्ये (misprint in Wikisource; श for स, the word is सङ्ख्य "battle", as the critical edition reads saṃkhye).

Verse 26 (5.134.26)

यदैव लभते वीरः सुयुद्धेन महद्यशः । तदैव प्रव्यथन्तेऽस्य शत्रवो विनमन्ति च ॥

yadaiva labhate vīraḥ suyuddhena mahadyaśaḥ | tadaiva pravyathante'sya śatravo vinamanti ca

when a hero wins great fame by fighting well, then his enemies tremble and bow down to him.

Verse 27 (5.134.27)

त्यक्त्वात्मानं रणे दक्षं शूरं कापुरुषा जनाः । अवशास्तर्पयन्ति स्म सर्वकामसमृद्धिभिः ॥

tyaktvātmānaṃ raṇe dakṣaṃ śūraṃ kāpuruṣā janāḥ | avaśāstarpayanti sma sarvakāmasamṛddhibhiḥ

Cowardly men, having no choice, gratify with riches that fulfil every desire the skilful hero who has staked his life in battle.

Verse 28 (5.134.28)

राज्यं चाप्युग्रविभ्रंशं संशयो जीवितस्य वा । न लब्धस्य हि शत्रोर्वै शेषं कुर्वन्ति साधवः ॥

rājyaṃ cāpyugravibhraṃśaṃ saṃśayo jīvitasya vā | na labdhasya hi śatrorvai śeṣaṃ kurvanti sādhavaḥ

At stake is a kingdom, or a terrible fall, or the risk of life itself; and the good leave nothing remaining of an enemy they have overcome.

Note on the text: Removed a stray space inside उग्रविभ्रंशं ("a terrible fall"; the critical edition reads ugravibhraṃśaṃ and the commentary glosses the compound). The critical edition reads pralabdhasya for न लब्धस्य.

Verse 29 (5.134.29)

स्वर्गद्वारोपमं राज्यमथवाप्यमृतोपमम् । रुद्धमेकायनं मत्वा पतोल्मुक इवारिषु ॥

svargadvāropamaṃ rājyamathavāpyamṛtopamam | ruddhamekāyanaṃ matvā patolmuka ivāriṣu

Thinking of the kingdom as the gate of heaven, or as nectar itself, and seeing the one way to it blocked, fall upon your enemies like a blazing firebrand.

Verse 30 (5.134.30)

जहि शत्रून्रणे राजन्स्वधर्ममनुपालय । मा त्वा दृशं सुकृपणं शत्रूणां भयवर्धनम् ॥

jahi śatrūnraṇe rājansvadharmamanupālaya | mā tvā dṛśaṃ sukṛpaṇaṃ śatrūṇāṃ bhayavardhanam

Slay your enemies in battle, O king, and uphold your own dharma. Let me not see you so wretched, you who should make your enemies afraid.

Note on the text: Corrected स्वधर्मनुपालय → स्वधर्ममनुपालय (misprint in Wikisource; dropped म, the critical edition reads svadharmam anupālaya). The second line differs from the critical edition (mā tvā paśyet sukṛpaṇaṃ śatruḥ śrīmān kadā cana).

Verse 31 (5.134.31)

अस्मदीयैश्च शोचद्भिर्नदद्भिश्च परैर्वृतम् । अपि त्वां नानुपश्येयं दीनाद्दीनमिवास्थितम् ॥

asmadīyaiśca śocadbhirnadadbhiśca parairvṛtam | api tvāṃ nānupaśyeyaṃ dīnāddīnamivāsthitam

May I never see you hemmed in by our own people grieving and by enemies roaring, standing there more wretched than the wretched.

Note on the text: Corrected शोचिद्भिः → शोचद्भिः (misprint in Wikisource; stray i-sign in the participle, the critical edition reads śocadbhiḥ).

Verse 32 (5.134.32)

हृष्य सौवीरकन्याभिः श्लाघस्वार्थैर्यथा पुरा । मा च सैन्धवकन्यानामवसन्नो वशं गमः ॥

hṛṣya sauvīrakanyābhiḥ ślāghasvārthairyathā purā | mā ca saindhavakanyānāmavasanno vaśaṃ gamaḥ

Rejoice with the maidens of Sauvira and take pride in your wealth as before. Do not sink down and fall into the power of the daughters of Sindhu.

Note on the text: Corrected हृप्य → हृष्य (misprint in Wikisource; प for ष, the commentary reads हृष्य हर्षं प्राप्नुहि; the critical edition has uṣya).

Verse 33 (5.134.33)

युवा रूपेण संपन्नो विद्ययाभिजनेन च । यत्त्वादृशो विकुर्वीत यशस्वी लोकविश्रुतः ॥

yuvā rūpeṇa saṃpanno vidyayābhijanena ca | yattvādṛśo vikurvīta yaśasvī lokaviśrutaḥ

That one like you, young, handsome, rich in learning and noble birth, famous and renowned in the world, should turn back

Note on the text: The critical edition's 5.132.33ab–cd; its third line, 5.132.33ef, appears in a variant form as the first line of the next verse. From here to verse 37 Wikisource's verses straddle two critical-edition verses (Wikisource's own division).

Verse 34 (5.134.34)

अधुर्यवच्च वोढव्ये मन्ये मरणमेव तत् । यदि त्वामनुपश्यामि परस्य प्रियवादिनम् ॥

adhuryavacca voḍhavye manye maraṇameva tat | yadi tvāmanupaśyāmi parasya priyavādinam

like an untamed ox when there is a load to be drawn: that, I think, is death itself. If I see you speaking sweet words to another

Note on the text: Line 1 is a variant of the critical edition's 5.132.33ef (voḍhavye dhury anaḍuvan manye maraṇam eva tat); line 2 is 5.132.34ab.

Verse 35 (5.134.35)

पृष्ठतोऽनुव्रजन्तं वा का शान्तिर्हृदयस्य मे । नास्मिञ्जातु कुले जातो गच्छेद्योन्यस्य पृष्ठतः ॥

pṛṣṭhato'nuvrajantaṃ vā kā śāntirhṛdayasya me | nāsmiñjātu kule jāto gacchedyonyasya pṛṣṭhataḥ

or following at his back, what peace can my heart have? No one born in this family would ever walk behind another.

Note on the text: Line 1 is the critical edition's 5.132.34cd; line 2 is 5.132.35ab.

Verse 36 (5.134.36)

न त्वं परस्यानुचरस्तात जीवितुमर्हसि । अहं हि क्षत्रहृदयं वेद यत्परिशाश्वतम् ॥

na tvaṃ parasyānucarastāta jīvitumarhasi | ahaṃ hi kṣatrahṛdayaṃ veda yatpariśāśvatam

You should not live as another man's follower, my son. For I know the heart of the kshatriya, which endures for ever,

Note on the text: Line 1 is the critical edition's 5.132.35cd (it reads parasyānudhuraṃ for परस्यानुचरस्); line 2 is 5.132.36ab.

Verse 37 (5.134.37)

पूर्वैः पूर्वतरैः प्रोक्तं परैः परतरैरपि । शाश्वतं चाव्ययं चैव प्रजापतिविनिर्मितम् ॥

pūrvaiḥ pūrvataraiḥ proktaṃ paraiḥ paratarairapi | śāśvataṃ cāvyayaṃ caiva prajāpativinirmitam

as the ancients and those more ancient still declared it, and those who came after and later still: eternal, undecaying, fashioned by Prajapati.

Note on the text: Line 1 is the critical edition's 5.132.36cd; line 2 is its star passage 5.132.36d*0506, not in the constituted text.

Verse 38 (5.134.38)

यो वै कश्चिदिहाजातः क्षत्रियः क्षत्रधर्मवित् । भयाद्वृत्तिसमीक्षो वा न नमेदिह कस्यचित् ॥

yo vai kaścidihājātaḥ kṣatriyaḥ kṣatradharmavit | bhayādvṛttisamīkṣo vā na namediha kasyacit

Whoever is born here a true kshatriya, knowing the kshatriya's dharma, should never bow to anyone, whether out of fear or with an eye to his livelihood.

Verse 39 (5.134.39)

उद्यच्छेदेव न नमेदुद्यमो ह्येव पौरुषम् । अप्यपर्वणि भज्येत न नमेतेह कस्यचित् ॥

udyacchedeva na namedudyamo hyeva pauruṣam | apyaparvaṇi bhajyeta na nameteha kasyacit

He should stand up and not bow; striving alone is manhood. He may break, even where there is no joint, but he should not bow to anyone here.

Verse 40 (5.134.40)

मातङ्गो मत्त इव च परीयात्स महामनाः । ब्राह्मणेभ्यो नमेन्नित्यं धर्मायैव च सञ्जय ॥

mātaṅgo matta iva ca parīyātsa mahāmanāḥ | brāhmaṇebhyo namennityaṃ dharmāyaiva ca sañjaya

The high-minded man should range about like an elephant in rut. He should bow only to brahmins, always, and to dharma alone, Sanjaya.

Verse 41 (5.134.41)

नियच्छन्नितरान्वर्णान्विनिघ्नन्सर्वदुष्कृतः । ससहायोऽसहायो वा यावज्जीवं तथा भवेत् ॥

niyacchannitarānvarṇānvinighnansarvaduṣkṛtaḥ | sasahāyo'sahāyo vā yāvajjīvaṃ tathā bhavet

Keeping the other varnas in check and striking down all evil-doers, with allies or without them, he should remain so as long as he lives.