Bhishma and Drona Plead with Duryodhana

Verse 1 (5.139.1)

एवमुक्तस्तु विमनास्तिर्यग्दृष्टिरधोमुखः । संहत्य च भ्रुवोर्मध्यं न किञ्चिद्व्याजहार ह ॥

evamuktastu vimanāstiryagdṛṣṭiradhomukhaḥ | saṃhatya ca bhruvormadhyaṃ na kiñcidvyājahāra ha

Thus addressed, Duryodhana grew downcast. Looking sideways, his face turned down and his brows knitted together, he said nothing at all.

Verse 2 (5.139.2)

तं वै विमनसं दृष्ट्वा संप्रेक्ष्यान्योन्यमन्तिकात् । पुनरेवोत्तरं वाक्यमुक्तवन्तौ नरर्षभौ ॥

taṃ vai vimanasaṃ dṛṣṭvā saṃprekṣyānyonyamantikāt | punarevottaraṃ vākyamuktavantau nararṣabhau

Seeing him so dejected, the two bulls among men looked at each other from close by and spoke to him again in reply.

Verse 3 (5.139.3)

शुश्रूषुमनसूयं च ब्रह्मण्यं सत्यवादिनम् । प्रतियोत्स्यामहे पार्थमतो दुःखतरं नु किम् ॥

śuśrūṣumanasūyaṃ ca brahmaṇyaṃ satyavādinam | pratiyotsyāmahe pārthamato duḥkhataraṃ nu kim

"What could be more painful than this, that we shall have to fight against Partha, who is obedient, free of malice, devoted to brahmins and truthful in speech?"

Note on the text: Corrected शुश्रूषमनसूयं → शुश्रूषुमनसूयं (misprint in Wikisource; the accusative of शुश्रूषु is needed, as in the critical edition's śuśrūṣum). सत्यवादिनम् (critical edition satyasaṃgaram) kept as a variant.

Verse 4 (5.139.4)

अश्वत्थाम्नि यथा पुत्रे भूयो मम धनञ्जये । बहुमानः परो राजन्सन्नतिश्च कपिध्वजे ॥

aśvatthāmni yathā putre bhūyo mama dhanañjaye | bahumānaḥ paro rājansannatiśca kapidhvaje

"O king, my esteem and affection for Dhananjaya, the ape-bannered one, are even greater than for my son Ashvatthama.

Verse 5 (5.139.5)

तं चेत्पुत्रात्प्रियतमं प्रतियोत्स्ये धनञ्जयम् । क्षात्रं धर्ममनुष्ठाय धिगस्तु क्षत्रजीविकाम् ॥

taṃ cetputrātpriyatamaṃ pratiyotsye dhanañjayam | kṣātraṃ dharmamanuṣṭhāya dhigastu kṣatrajīvikām

If, keeping the Kshatriya's code, I am to fight against Dhananjaya, who is dearer to me than a son, then shame on the Kshatriya's way of life!

Note on the text: Corrected क्षत्रिजीविकाम् → क्षत्रजीविकाम् (misprint in Wikisource; क्षत्रि- is not a compound stem, the critical edition reads kṣatrajīvikām). प्रियतमं and क्षात्रं धर्मम् (critical edition priyataraṃ, kṣatradharmam) kept as variants.

Verse 6 (5.139.6)

यस्य लोके समो नास्ति कश्चिदन्यो धनुर्धरः । मत्प्रसादात्स बीभत्सुः श्रेयानन्यैर्धनुर्धरैः ॥

yasya loke samo nāsti kaścidanyo dhanurdharaḥ | matprasādātsa bībhatsuḥ śreyānanyairdhanurdharaiḥ

He has no equal anywhere in the world among bowmen; by my grace Bibhatsu surpasses all other archers.

Verse 7 (5.139.7)

मित्रध्रुग्दुष्टभावश्च नास्तिकोऽथानृजुः शठः । न सत्सु लभते पूजां यज्ञे मूर्ख इवागतः ॥

mitradhrugduṣṭabhāvaśca nāstiko'thānṛjuḥ śaṭhaḥ | na satsu labhate pūjāṃ yajñe mūrkha ivāgataḥ

One who betrays his friends, who is ill-disposed, a disbeliever, crooked and deceitful, wins no honour among the good, like a fool who turns up at a sacrifice.

Verse 8 (5.139.8)

वार्यमाणोऽपि पापेभ्यः पापात्मा पापमिच्छति । चोद्यमानोऽपि पापेन शुभात्मा शुभमिच्छति ॥

vāryamāṇo'pi pāpebhyaḥ pāpātmā pāpamicchati | codyamāno'pi pāpena śubhātmā śubhamicchati

Even when held back from wrongdoing, the sinful man still desires sin; even when urged on by sin, the good man still desires the good.

Verse 9 (5.139.9)

मिथ्योपचरिता ह्येते वर्तमाना ह्यनुप्रिये । अहितत्वाय कल्पन्ते दोषा भरतसत्तम ॥

mithyopacaritā hyete vartamānā hyanupriye | ahitatvāya kalpante doṣā bharatasattama

These Pandavas, though treated falsely by you, still act to please you; but your faults, O best of the Bharatas, lead only to harm.

Note on the text: Corrected वर्तमान → वर्तमाना (misprint in Wikisource; dropped vowel sign — the participle agrees with एते, as in the critical edition's vartamānā and the page's own commentary).

Verse 10 (5.139.10)

त्वमुक्तः कुरुवृद्धेन मया च विदुरेण च । वासुदेवेन च तथा श्रेयो नैवाभिमन्यसे ॥

tvamuktaḥ kuruvṛddhena mayā ca vidureṇa ca | vāsudevena ca tathā śreyo naivābhimanyase

You have been told what is good for you by the eldest of the Kurus, by me, by Vidura and by Vasudeva too, yet you will not accept it.

Verse 11 (5.139.11)

अस्ति मे बलमित्येव सहसा त्वं तितीर्षसि । सग्राहनक्रमकरं गङ्गावेगमिवोष्णगे ॥

asti me balamityeva sahasā tvaṃ titīrṣasi | sagrāhanakramakaraṃ gaṅgāvegamivoṣṇage

Thinking only "I have strength," you rashly set out to cross what is like the Ganga in full flood in the rainy season, teeming with crocodiles, sharks and makaras.

Verse 12 (5.139.12)

वाससैव यथा हि त्वं प्रावृण्वानोऽभिमन्यसे । स्रजं त्यक्तामिव प्राप्य लोभाद्यौधिष्ठिरीं श्रियम् ॥

vāsasaiva yathā hi tvaṃ prāvṛṇvāno'bhimanyase | srajaṃ tyaktāmiva prāpya lobhādyaudhiṣṭhirīṃ śriyam

Out of greed you have taken Yudhishthira's royal fortune as one picks up a garland someone has cast off, and you think it your own, as though you had merely wrapped yourself in a garment.

Verse 13 (5.139.13)

द्रौपदीसहितं पार्थं सायुधैर्भ्रातृभिर्वृतम् । वनस्थमपि राज्यस्थः पाण्डवं को विजेष्यति ॥

draupadīsahitaṃ pārthaṃ sāyudhairbhrātṛbhirvṛtam | vanasthamapi rājyasthaḥ pāṇḍavaṃ ko vijeṣyati

Partha, with Draupadi beside him and surrounded by his armed brothers — even while he lives in the forest, who that sits on a throne will conquer that Pandava?

Verse 14 (5.139.14)

निदेशे यस्य राजानः सर्वे तिष्ठन्ति किङ्कराः । तमैलविलमासाद्य धर्मराजो व्यराजत ॥

nideśe yasya rājānaḥ sarve tiṣṭhanti kiṅkarāḥ | tamailavilamāsādya dharmarājo vyarājata

The king of dharma went to Ailavila, whose commands all kings obey like servants, and shone in his presence.

Verse 15 (5.139.15)

कुबेरसदनं प्राप्य ततो रत्नान्यवाप्य च । स्फीतमाक्रम्य ते राष्ट्रं राज्यमिच्छन्ति पाण्डवाः ॥

kuberasadanaṃ prāpya tato ratnānyavāpya ca | sphītamākramya te rāṣṭraṃ rājyamicchanti pāṇḍavāḥ

Having reached Kubera's abode and obtained jewels there, the Pandavas now wish to overrun your prosperous realm and take back the kingdom.

Verse 16 (5.139.16)

दत्तं हुतमधीतं च ब्राह्मणास्तर्पिता धनैः । आवयोर्गतमायुश्च कृतकृत्यौ च विद्धि नौ ॥

dattaṃ hutamadhītaṃ ca brāhmaṇāstarpitā dhanaiḥ | āvayorgatamāyuśca kṛtakṛtyau ca viddhi nau

We two have given gifts, made offerings in the fire and studied the Veda, and we have satisfied brahmins with wealth. Our span of life is spent; know that we have done all we had to do.

Verse 17 (5.139.17)

त्वं तु हित्वा सुखं राज्यं मित्राणि च धनानि च । विग्रहं पाण्डवैः कृत्वा महद्व्यसनमाप्स्यसि ॥

tvaṃ tu hitvā sukhaṃ rājyaṃ mitrāṇi ca dhanāni ca | vigrahaṃ pāṇḍavaiḥ kṛtvā mahadvyasanamāpsyasi

But you, by making war on the Pandavas, will lose happiness, kingdom, friends and wealth, and meet with great disaster.

Verse 18 (5.139.18)

द्रौपदी यस्य चाशास्ते विजयं सत्यवादिनी । तपोघोरव्रता देवी कथं जेष्यसि पाण्डवम् ॥

draupadī yasya cāśāste vijayaṃ satyavādinī | tapoghoravratā devī kathaṃ jeṣyasi pāṇḍavam

How will you conquer the Pandava for whose victory Draupadi prays — that truthful queen of terrible austerities and vows?

Verse 19 (5.139.19)

मन्त्री जनार्दनो यस्य भ्राता यस्य धनञ्जयः । सर्वशस्त्रभृतां श्रेष्ठः कथं जेष्यसि पाण्डवम् ॥

mantrī janārdano yasya bhrātā yasya dhanañjayaḥ | sarvaśastrabhṛtāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ kathaṃ jeṣyasi pāṇḍavam

How will you conquer the Pandava whose counsellor is Janardana and whose brother is Dhananjaya, the best of all who bear arms?

Verse 20 (5.139.20)

सहाया ब्राह्मणा यस्य धृतिमन्तो जितेन्द्रियाः । तमुग्रतपसं वीरं कथं जेष्यसि पाण्डवम् ॥

sahāyā brāhmaṇā yasya dhṛtimanto jitendriyāḥ | tamugratapasaṃ vīraṃ kathaṃ jeṣyasi pāṇḍavam

How will you conquer that heroic Pandava of fierce austerity, whose allies are brahmins, steadfast and masters of their senses?

Verse 21 (5.139.21)

पुनरुक्तं च वक्ष्यामि यत्कार्यं भूतिमिच्छता । सुहृदा मज्जमानेषु सुहृत्सु व्यसनार्णवे ॥

punaruktaṃ ca vakṣyāmi yatkāryaṃ bhūtimicchatā | suhṛdā majjamāneṣu suhṛtsu vyasanārṇave

I will say once more what a friend who wishes for your welfare ought to say when his friends are sinking in a sea of calamity:

Note on the text: Corrected मञ्जमानेषु → मज्जमानेषु (misprint in Wikisource; ञ्ज for ज्ज, as in the critical edition's majjamāneṣu).

Verse 22 (5.139.22)

अलं युद्धेन तैर्वीरैः शाम्य त्वं कुरुवृद्धये । मा गमः ससुतामात्यः समित्रश्च यमक्षयम् ॥

alaṃ yuddhena tairvīraiḥ śāmya tvaṃ kuruvṛddhaye | mā gamaḥ sasutāmātyaḥ samitraśca yamakṣayam

Enough of war with those heroes! Make peace, for the prosperity of the Kurus. Do not go to Yama's realm with your sons, ministers and friends."

Note on the text: Corrected सतुतामात्यःसमित्रश्च → ससुतामात्यः समित्रश्च (misprint in Wikisource; त for स, as in the critical edition's sasutāmātyaḥ, and a missing word space). समित्रश्च यमक्षयम् (critical edition sabalaś ca parābhavam) kept as a variant.