Kunti's Message to Her Sons; Krishna Departs

Verse 1 (5.137.1)

अर्जुनं केशव ब्रूयास्त्वयि जाते स्म सूतके । उपोपविष्टा नारीभिराश्रमे परिवारिता ॥

arjunaṃ keśava brūyāstvayi jāte sma sūtake | upopaviṣṭā nārībhirāśrame parivāritā

Tell Arjuna, Keshava: when you were born, as I sat in the lying-in chamber at the hermitage, surrounded by women,

Verse 2 (5.137.2)

अथान्तरिक्षे वागासीद्दिव्यरूपा मनोरमा । सहस्राक्षसमः कुन्ति भविष्यत्येष ते सुतः ॥

athāntarikṣe vāgāsīddivyarūpā manoramā | sahasrākṣasamaḥ kunti bhaviṣyatyeṣa te sutaḥ

a voice rang out in the sky, divine and delightful: 'Kunti, this son of yours will be the equal of thousand-eyed Indra.

Verse 3 (5.137.3)

एष जेष्यति सङ्ग्रामे कुरून्सर्वान्समागतान् । भीमसेनद्वितीयश्च लोकमुद्वर्तयिष्यति ॥

eṣa jeṣyati saṅgrāme kurūnsarvānsamāgatān | bhīmasenadvitīyaśca lokamudvartayiṣyati

He will conquer in battle all the Kurus gathered together, and with Bhimasena at his side he will throw the world into upheaval.

Verse 4 (5.137.4)

पुत्रस्ते पृथिवीं जेता यशश्चास्य दिवं स्पृशेत् । हत्वा कुरूंश्च सङ्ग्रामे वासुदेवसहायवान् ॥

putraste pṛthivīṃ jetā yaśaścāsya divaṃ spṛśet | hatvā kurūṃśca saṅgrāme vāsudevasahāyavān

Your son will conquer the earth, and his fame will touch heaven; with Vasudeva as his ally he will slay the Kurus in battle,

Verse 5 (5.137.5)

पित्र्यमंशं प्रनष्टं च पुनरप्युद्धरिष्यति । भ्रातृभिः सहितः श्रीमांस्त्रीन्मेधानाहरिष्यति ॥

pitryamaṃśaṃ pranaṣṭaṃ ca punarapyuddhariṣyati | bhrātṛbhiḥ sahitaḥ śrīmāṃstrīnmedhānāhariṣyati

and will win back his father's lost share of the kingdom; and, glorious, together with his brothers, he will perform three horse-sacrifices.'

Verse 6 (5.137.6)

स सत्यसन्धो बीभत्सुः सव्यसाची यथाच्युत । तथा त्वमेव जानासि बलवन्तं दुरासदम् ॥

sa satyasandho bībhatsuḥ savyasācī yathācyuta | tathā tvameva jānāsi balavantaṃ durāsadam

What Bibhatsu the Savyasachin, true to his word, is like, Achyuta, you yourself know — mighty and hard to withstand.

Note on the text: Corresponds to the first two lines (ab–cd) of 5.135.6, a three-line verse in the critical edition.

Verse 7 (5.137.7)

तथा तदस्तु दाशार्ह यथा वागभ्यभाषत । धर्मश्चेदस्ति वार्ष्णेय तथा सत्यं भविष्यति ॥

tathā tadastu dāśārha yathā vāgabhyabhāṣata | dharmaścedasti vārṣṇeya tathā satyaṃ bhaviṣyati

May it be so, Dasharha, just as the voice declared. If there is such a thing as dharma, Varshneya, it will come true.

Note on the text: Corresponds to 5.135.6ef + 5.135.7ab.

Verse 8 (5.137.8)

त्वं चापि तत्तथा कृष्ण सर्वं संपादयिष्यसि । नाहं तदभ्यसूयामि यथा वागभ्यभाषत ॥

tvaṃ cāpi tattathā kṛṣṇa sarvaṃ saṃpādayiṣyasi | nāhaṃ tadabhyasūyāmi yathā vāgabhyabhāṣata

And you too, Krishna, will bring all of it about just so. I do not doubt what the voice declared.

Note on the text: Corresponds to 5.135.7cd + 5.135.8ab.

Verse 9 (5.137.9)

नमो धर्माय महते धर्मो धारयति प्रजाः । एतद्धनञ्जयो वाच्यो नित्योद्युक्तो वृकोदरः ॥

namo dharmāya mahate dharmo dhārayati prajāḥ | etaddhanañjayo vācyo nityodyukto vṛkodaraḥ

Homage to great Dharma; it is Dharma that upholds all creatures. Say this to Dhananjaya, and to Vrikodara, who is always ready for action:

Note on the text: Corresponds to 5.135.8cd + 5.135.9ab.

Verse 10 (5.137.10)

यदर्थं क्षत्रिया सूते तस्य कालोऽयमागतः । न हि वैरं समासाद्य सीदन्ति पुरुषर्षभाः ॥

yadarthaṃ kṣatriyā sūte tasya kālo'yamāgataḥ | na hi vairaṃ samāsādya sīdanti puruṣarṣabhāḥ

'The time has come for that for which a kshatriya woman bears a son. Bulls among men do not lose heart once they have entered upon a feud.'

Note on the text: Corresponds to the last two lines (cd–ef) of 5.135.9, a three-line verse in the critical edition.

Verse 11 (5.137.11)

विदिता ते सदा बुद्धिर्भीमस्य न स शाम्यति । यावदन्तं न कुरुते शत्रूणां शत्रुकर्शनः ॥

viditā te sadā buddhirbhīmasya na sa śāmyati | yāvadantaṃ na kurute śatrūṇāṃ śatrukarśanaḥ

You have always known Bhima's mind: that scourge of his foes will not be at peace until he has made an end of his enemies.

Verse 12 (5.137.12)

तावदेव महाबाहुर्निशासु न सुखं लभेत् । सर्वधर्मविशेषज्ञां स्नुषां पाण्डोर्महात्मनः । ब्रूया माधव कल्याणीं कृष्ण कृष्णां यशस्विनीम् ॥

tāvadeva mahābāhurniśāsu na sukhaṃ labhet | sarvadharmaviśeṣajñāṃ snuṣāṃ pāṇḍormahātmanaḥ | brūyā mādhava kalyāṇīṃ kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇāṃ yaśasvinīm

Until then the mighty-armed one finds no rest at night. And to the noble daughter-in-law of great-souled Pandu, who knows the finer points of every dharma, to the illustrious and gracious Krishnaa, say, Madhava, Krishna:

Note on the text: Corrected महापबाहुर् → महाबाहुर् (stray akshara), सर्वधऱ्म → सर्वधर्म (wrong ra character) and व्रूया → ब्रूया (व for ब) — misprints in Wikisource; the critical edition reads mahābāhur, sarvadharma- and brūyā. The first line (तावदेव महाबाहुर् …) is not in the critical edition text; it appears in its apparatus (*0516) and the vulgate. The other two lines = 5.135.11.

Verse 13 (5.137.13)

युक्तमेतन्महाभागे कुले जाते यशस्विनि । यन्मे पुत्रेषु सर्वेषु यथावत्त्वमवर्तिथाः ॥

yuktametanmahābhāge kule jāte yaśasvini | yanme putreṣu sarveṣu yathāvattvamavartithāḥ

'Fortunate lady, born of a noble house, renowned one, it is worthy of you that you have behaved as you should towards all my sons.'

Verse 14 (5.137.14)

माद्रीपुत्रौ च वक्तव्यौ क्षत्रधर्मरतावुभौ । विक्रमेणार्जितान्भोगान्वृणीतं जीवितादपि ॥

mādrīputrau ca vaktavyau kṣatradharmaratāvubhau | vikrameṇārjitānbhogānvṛṇītaṃ jīvitādapi

And the two sons of Madri, both devoted to the dharma of kshatriyas, should be told: 'Prize pleasures won by valour above life itself.

Verse 15 (5.137.15)

विक्रमाधिगता ह्यर्थाः क्षत्रधर्मेण जीवतः । मनो मनुष्यस्य सदा प्रीणन्ति पुरुषोत्तम ॥

vikramādhigatā hyarthāḥ kṣatradharmeṇa jīvataḥ | mano manuṣyasya sadā prīṇanti puruṣottama

For wealth won by valour always gladdens the heart of a man who lives by the dharma of kshatriyas,' O best of men.

Verse 16 (5.137.16)

यच्च वः प्रेक्षमाणानां सर्वधर्मोपचायिनाम् । पाञ्चाली परुषाण्युक्ता को नु तत्क्षन्तुमर्हति ॥

yacca vaḥ prekṣamāṇānāṃ sarvadharmopacāyinām | pāñcālī paruṣāṇyuktā ko nu tatkṣantumarhati

And that the Panchala princess was spoken to so harshly while all of you, who uphold every dharma, looked on — who could forgive that?

Note on the text: Corrected उक्तका → उक्ता (misprint in Wikisource; a doubled akshara, the critical edition reads uktā).

Verse 17 (5.137.17)

न राज्यहरणं दुःखं द्यूते चापि पराजयः । प्रव्राजनं सुतानां वा न मे तद्दुःखकारणम् ॥

na rājyaharaṇaṃ duḥkhaṃ dyūte cāpi parājayaḥ | pravrājanaṃ sutānāṃ vā na me tadduḥkhakāraṇam

The seizure of the kingdom does not grieve me, nor the defeat at dice; nor is the banishment of my sons the cause of my sorrow.

Verse 18 (5.137.18)

यत्र सा बृहती श्यामा सभायां रुदती तदा । अश्रौषीत्परुषा वाचस्तन्मे दुःखतरं महत् ॥

yatra sā bṛhatī śyāmā sabhāyāṃ rudatī tadā | aśrauṣītparuṣā vācastanme duḥkhataraṃ mahat

That the tall, dark lady, weeping in the assembly then, had to hear such harsh words — that is the greater and deeper grief to me.

Verse 19 (5.137.19)

स्त्रीधर्मिणी वरारोहा क्षत्रधर्मरता सदा । नाध्यगच्छत्तदा नाथं कृष्णा नाथवती सती ॥

strīdharmiṇī varārohā kṣatradharmaratā sadā | nādhyagacchattadā nāthaṃ kṛṣṇā nāthavatī satī

The lovely woman, ever devoted to the dharma of kshatriyas, who was then in her season, found no protector at that time — Krishnaa, though she had protectors.

Verse 20 (5.137.20)

तं वै ब्रूहि महाबाहो सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वरम् । अर्जुनं पुरुषव्याघ्रं द्रौपद्याः पदवीं चर ॥

taṃ vai brūhi mahābāho sarvaśastrabhṛtāṃ varam | arjunaṃ puruṣavyāghraṃ draupadyāḥ padavīṃ cara

Tell him, mighty-armed one — Arjuna, tiger among men, best of all who bear weapons: 'Follow the path that Draupadi points out.'

Verse 21 (5.137.21)

विदितं हि तवात्यन्तं क्रुद्धाविव यमान्तकौ । भीमार्जुनौ नयेतां हि देवानपि परां गतिम् ॥

viditaṃ hi tavātyantaṃ kruddhāviva yamāntakau | bhīmārjunau nayetāṃ hi devānapi parāṃ gatim

For you know full well that Bhima and Arjuna, when enraged, are like Yama and Antaka, and could send even the gods to their final end.

Note on the text: Corrected क्रूद्धाविव → क्रुद्धाविव (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads kruddhāv iva).

Verse 22 (5.137.22)

तयोश्चैतदवज्ञानं यत्सा कृष्णा सभागता । दुःशासनश्च यद्भीमं कटुकान्यभ्यभाषत ॥

tayoścaitadavajñānaṃ yatsā kṛṣṇā sabhāgatā | duḥśāsanaśca yadbhīmaṃ kaṭukānyabhyabhāṣata

It was an insult to them both that Krishnaa was brought into the assembly, and that Duhshasana spoke bitter words to Bhima

Note on the text: Corresponds to the first two lines (ab–cd) of 5.135.21, a three-line verse in the critical edition.

Verse 23 (5.137.23)

पश्यतां कुरुवीराणां तच्च संस्मारयेः पुनः । पाण्डवान्कुशलं पृच्छेः सपुत्रान्कृष्णया सह ॥

paśyatāṃ kuruvīrāṇāṃ tacca saṃsmārayeḥ punaḥ | pāṇḍavānkuśalaṃ pṛccheḥ saputrānkṛṣṇayā saha

while the Kuru heroes looked on. Remind them of that once more. Ask after the welfare of the Pandavas, with their sons and with Krishnaa.

Note on the text: Corresponds to 5.135.21ef + 5.135.22ab.

Verse 24 (5.137.24)

मां वै कुशलिनीं ब्रूयास्तेषु भूयो जनार्दन । अरिष्टं गच्छ पन्थानं पुत्रान्मे प्रतिपालय ॥

māṃ vai kuśalinīṃ brūyāsteṣu bhūyo janārdana | ariṣṭaṃ gaccha panthānaṃ putrānme pratipālaya

And tell them again that I am well, Janardana. Go by a safe road, and watch over my sons.

Note on the text: Corresponds to the last two lines (cd–ef) of 5.135.22, a three-line verse in the critical edition.

Verse 25 (5.137.25)

अभिवाद्याथ तां कृष्णः कृत्वा चापि प्रदक्षिणम् । निश्चक्राम महाबाहुः सिंहखेलगतिस्ततः ॥

abhivādyātha tāṃ kṛṣṇaḥ kṛtvā cāpi pradakṣiṇam | niścakrāma mahābāhuḥ siṃhakhelagatistataḥ

Then Krishna saluted her and walked around her in reverence, and the mighty-armed one went out with the easy gait of a lion.

Note on the text: Speaker printed वैशंपायन; given as वैशम्पायन, the spelling used throughout this parva.

Verse 26 (5.137.26)

ततो विसर्जयामास भीष्मादीन्कुरुपुङ्गवान् । आरोप्याथ रथे कर्णं प्रायात्सात्यकिना सह ॥

tato visarjayāmāsa bhīṣmādīnkurupuṅgavān | āropyātha rathe karṇaṃ prāyātsātyakinā saha

Then he dismissed Bhishma and the other bulls of the Kurus, and taking Karna up into his chariot, set out with Satyaki.

Verse 27 (5.137.27)

ततः प्रयाते दाशार्हे कुरवः सङ्गता मिथः । जजल्पुर्महदाश्चर्यं केशवे परमाद्भुतम् ॥

tataḥ prayāte dāśārhe kuravaḥ saṅgatā mithaḥ | jajalpurmahadāścaryaṃ keśave paramādbhutam

When the Dasharha had gone, the Kurus gathered together and talked among themselves about Keshava as a great wonder, utterly marvellous.

Verse 28 (5.137.28)

प्रमूढा पृथिवी सर्वा मृत्युपाशवशीकृता । दुर्योधनस्य बालिश्यान्नैतदस्तीति चाब्रुवन् ॥

pramūḍhā pṛthivī sarvā mṛtyupāśavaśīkṛtā | duryodhanasya bāliśyānnaitadastīti cābruvan

'The whole earth is bewildered, caught in the noose of death,' they said; 'through Duryodhana's folly, this realm will not survive.'

Verse 29 (5.137.29)

ततो निर्याय नगरात्प्रययौ पुरुषोत्तमः । मन्त्रयामास च तदा कर्णेन सुचिरं सह ॥

tato niryāya nagarātprayayau puruṣottamaḥ | mantrayāmāsa ca tadā karṇena suciraṃ saha

Then the best of men drove out of the city and went on his way, and for a long time he took counsel with Karna.

Verse 30 (5.137.30)

विसर्जयित्वा राधेयं सर्वयादवनन्दनः । ततो जवेन महता तूर्णमश्वानचोदयत् ॥

visarjayitvā rādheyaṃ sarvayādavanandanaḥ | tato javena mahatā tūrṇamaśvānacodayat

Then, having dismissed Radheya, he who gladdens all the Yadavas urged his horses on swiftly, at great speed.

Verse 31 (5.137.31)

ते पिबन्त इवाकाशं दारुकेण प्रचोदिताः । हया जग्मुर्महावेगा मनोमारुतरंहसः ॥

te pibanta ivākāśaṃ dārukeṇa pracoditāḥ | hayā jagmurmahāvegā manomārutaraṃhasaḥ

Driven by Daruka, the horses ran with great speed, swift as mind and wind, as though they were drinking up the sky.

Verse 32 (5.137.32)

ते व्यतीत्य महाध्वानं क्षिप्रं श्येना इवाशुगाः । उच्चैर्जग्मुरुपप्लाव्यं शार्ङ्गधन्वानमावहन् ॥

te vyatītya mahādhvānaṃ kṣipraṃ śyenā ivāśugāḥ | uccairjagmurupaplāvyaṃ śārṅgadhanvānamāvahan

Crossing the long road swiftly, like fast-flying hawks, they carried the wielder of the Sharnga bow onward to lofty Upaplavya.