Duryodhana Marches to Kurukshetra

Verse 1 (5.150.1)

एवमुक्ते तु भीष्मेण द्रोणेन विदुरेण च । गान्धार्या धृतराष्ट्रेण न वै मन्दोऽन्वबुद्ध्यत ॥

evamukte tu bhīṣmeṇa droṇena vidureṇa ca | gāndhāryā dhṛtarāṣṭreṇa na vai mando'nvabuddhyata

Though Bhishma, Drona, Vidura, Gandhari and Dhritarashtra had spoken to him in this way, the fool did not come to his senses.

Note on the text: Wikisource heads this adhyaya भगवानुवाच (not श्रीभगवानुवाच); the heading is kept as printed.

Verse 2 (5.150.2)

अवधूयोत्थितो मन्दः क्रोधसंरक्तलोचनः । अन्वद्रवन्त तं पश्चाद्राजानस्त्यक्तजीविताः ॥

avadhūyotthito mandaḥ krodhasaṃraktalocanaḥ | anvadravanta taṃ paścādrājānastyaktajīvitāḥ

Brushing them all aside, the fool rose, his eyes red with anger, and the kings, who had already given up their lives, ran after him.

Verse 3 (5.150.3)

आज्ञापयच्च राज्ञस्तान्पार्थिवान्नष्टचेतसः । प्रयात वै कुरुक्षेत्रं पुष्योऽद्येति पुनः पुनः ॥

ājñāpayacca rājñastānpārthivānnaṣṭacetasaḥ | prayāta vai kurukṣetraṃ puṣyo'dyeti punaḥ punaḥ

Again and again he ordered those kings, whose judgement was lost: "March to Kurukshetra; today the moon is in Pushya."

Verse 4 (5.150.4)

ततस्ते पृथिवीपालाः प्रययुः सहसैनिकाः । भीष्मं सेनापतिं कृत्वा संहृष्टाः कालचोदिताः ॥

tataste pṛthivīpālāḥ prayayuḥ sahasainikāḥ | bhīṣmaṃ senāpatiṃ kṛtvā saṃhṛṣṭāḥ kālacoditāḥ

Then those rulers of the earth set out with their soldiers, making Bhishma their commander, delighted and driven on by Time.

Verse 5 (5.150.5)

अक्षौहिण्यो दशैका च कौरवाणां समागताः । तासां प्रमुखतो भीष्मस्तालकेतुर्व्यरोचत ॥

akṣauhiṇyo daśaikā ca kauravāṇāṃ samāgatāḥ | tāsāṃ pramukhato bhīṣmastālaketurvyarocata

Eleven armies of the Kauravas have gathered, and at their head shines Bhishma with his palm-tree banner.

Note on the text: Wikisource divides 5.148.5–6 differently: this verse is the critical edition's 5.148.5ab–cd (pārthivānāṃ for कौरवाणां).

Verse 6 (5.150.6)

यदत्र युक्तं प्राप्तं च तद्विधत्स्व विशांपते । उक्तं भीष्मेण यद्वाक्यं द्रोणेन विदुरेण च ॥

yadatra yuktaṃ prāptaṃ ca tadvidhatsva viśāṃpate | uktaṃ bhīṣmeṇa yadvākyaṃ droṇena vidureṇa ca

Do now, lord of the people, whatever is fitting and timely here. What Bhishma said, and Drona and Vidura,

Note on the text: Line 1 is the critical edition's 5.148.5ef; line 2 is its 5.148.6ab.

Verse 7 (5.150.7)

गान्धार्या धृतराष्ट्रेण समक्षं मम भारत । एतत्ते कथितं राजन्यद्वृत्तं कुरुसंसदि ॥

gāndhāryā dhṛtarāṣṭreṇa samakṣaṃ mama bhārata | etatte kathitaṃ rājanyadvṛttaṃ kurusaṃsadi

and Gandhari and Dhritarashtra, in my presence, Bharata — I have told you all of it, king, everything that happened in the Kuru assembly.

Note on the text: This verse is the critical edition's 5.148.6cd–ef.

Verse 8 (5.150.8)

साम चादौ प्रयुक्तं मे राजन्सौभ्रात्रमिच्छता । अभेदायास्य वंशस्य प्रजानां च विवृद्धये ॥

sāma cādau prayuktaṃ me rājansaubhrātramicchatā | abhedāyāsya vaṃśasya prajānāṃ ca vivṛddhaye

At first, O king, I used conciliation, wishing for brotherly harmony, so that this line might not be divided and its people might prosper.

Verse 9 (5.150.9)

पुनर्भेदश्च मे युक्तो यदा साम न गृह्यते । कर्मानुकीर्तनं चैव देवमानुषसंहितम् ॥

punarbhedaśca me yukto yadā sāma na gṛhyate | karmānukīrtanaṃ caiva devamānuṣasaṃhitam

When conciliation was not accepted, I next applied division, and I recounted deeds both divine and human.

Note on the text: Corrected देवमानुपसंहितम् → देवमानुषसंहितम् (misprint in Wikisource; प for ष, as in the critical edition's devamānuṣasaṃhitam).

Verse 10 (5.150.10)

यदा नाद्रियते वाक्यं सामपूर्वं सुयोधनः । तदा मया समानीय भेदिताः सर्वपार्थिवाः ॥

yadā nādriyate vākyaṃ sāmapūrvaṃ suyodhanaḥ | tadā mayā samānīya bheditāḥ sarvapārthivāḥ

When Suyodhana paid no heed to words that began with conciliation, I brought all the kings together and set them against one another.

Verse 11 (5.150.11)

अद्भुतानि च घोराणि दारुणानि च भारत । अमानुषाणि कर्माणि दर्शितानि मया विभो ॥

adbhutāni ca ghorāṇi dāruṇāni ca bhārata | amānuṣāṇi karmāṇi darśitāni mayā vibho

And I displayed marvellous, terrible and fearsome deeds beyond human power, Bharata, my lord.

Verse 12 (5.150.12)

निर्भर्त्सयित्वा राज्ञस्तांस्तृणीकृत्य सुयोधनम् । राधेयं भीषयित्वा च सौबलं च पुनः पुनः ॥

nirbhartsayitvā rājñastāṃstṛṇīkṛtya suyodhanam | rādheyaṃ bhīṣayitvā ca saubalaṃ ca punaḥ punaḥ

I rebuked those kings, treated Suyodhana as no more than a straw, and frightened Radha's son and Subala's son again and again.

Verse 13 (5.150.13)

द्यूततो धार्तराष्ट्राणां निन्दां कृत्वा तथा पुनः । भेदयित्वा नृपान्सर्वान्वाग्भिर्मन्त्रेण चासकृत् ॥

dyūtato dhārtarāṣṭrāṇāṃ nindāṃ kṛtvā tathā punaḥ | bhedayitvā nṛpānsarvānvāgbhirmantreṇa cāsakṛt

Again I condemned the sons of Dhritarashtra over the dice game, and with words and counsel I repeatedly set all the kings against one another.

Note on the text: Corrected नृपास्नर्वान् → नृपान्सर्वान् (misprint in Wikisource; transposed न and स, as in the critical edition's nṛpān sarvān) and मन्त्रेम → मन्त्रेण (misprint; म for ण, critical edition mantreṇa). Line 1 (द्यूततो … निन्दां कृत्वा तथा पुनः) differs from the critical edition's 5.148.12ab (nyūnatāṃ dhārtarāṣṭrāṇāṃ nindāṃ caiva punaḥ punaḥ), a recension variant.

Verse 14 (5.150.14)

पुनः सामाभिसंयुक्तं संप्रदानमथाब्रुवम् । अभेदात्कुरुवंशस्य कार्ययोगात्तथैव च ॥

punaḥ sāmābhisaṃyuktaṃ saṃpradānamathābruvam | abhedātkuruvaṃśasya kāryayogāttathaiva ca

Then once more, joined with conciliation, I proposed a gift, so that the Kuru line would not be divided and the business might be accomplished:

Verse 15 (5.150.15)

ते शूरा धृतराष्ट्रस्य भीष्मस्य विदुरस्य च । तिष्ठेयुः पाण्डवाः सर्वे हित्वा मानमधश्चराः ॥

te śūrā dhṛtarāṣṭrasya bhīṣmasya vidurasya ca | tiṣṭheyuḥ pāṇḍavāḥ sarve hitvā mānamadhaścarāḥ

"Let the Pandavas, heroes all, set aside their pride and stand below Dhritarashtra, Bhishma and Vidura.

Verse 16 (5.150.16)

प्रयच्छन्तु च ते राज्यमनीशास्ते भवन्तु च । यथाह राजा गाङ्गेयो विदुरश्च हितं तव ॥

prayacchantu ca te rājyamanīśāste bhavantu ca | yathāha rājā gāṅgeyo viduraśca hitaṃ tava

Let them give you the kingdom and be without power over it. Let it be as King Dhritarashtra, the son of Ganga and Vidura say for your good.

Verse 17 (5.150.17)

सर्वं भवतु ते राज्यं पञ्च ग्रामान्विसर्जय । अवश्यं भरणीया हि पितुस्ते राजसत्तम ॥

sarvaṃ bhavatu te rājyaṃ pañca grāmānvisarjaya | avaśyaṃ bharaṇīyā hi pituste rājasattama

Let the whole kingdom be yours; give up just five villages. For your father is surely bound to support them, best of kings."

Verse 18 (5.150.18)

एवमुक्तोऽपि दुष्टात्मा नैव भागं व्यमुञ्चत । दण्डं चतुर्थं पश्यामि तेषु पापेषु नान्यथा ॥

evamukto'pi duṣṭātmā naiva bhāgaṃ vyamuñcata | daṇḍaṃ caturthaṃ paśyāmi teṣu pāpeṣu nānyathā

Even when he was told this, that evil-souled man would not give up any share. I see the fourth means, punishment by force, as the only course with those sinners — there is no other way.

Verse 19 (5.150.19)

निर्याताश्च विनाशाय कुरुक्षेत्रं नराधिपाः । एतत्ते कथितं राजन्यद्वृत्तं कुरुसंसदि ॥

niryātāśca vināśāya kurukṣetraṃ narādhipāḥ | etatte kathitaṃ rājanyadvṛttaṃ kurusaṃsadi

The kings have marched out to Kurukshetra, to their destruction. I have told you, king, what happened in the Kuru assembly.

Verse 20 (5.150.20)

न ते राज्यं प्रयच्छन्ति विना युद्धेन पाण्डव । विनाशहेतवः सर्वे प्रत्युपस्थितमृत्यवः ॥

na te rājyaṃ prayacchanti vinā yuddhena pāṇḍava | vināśahetavaḥ sarve pratyupasthitamṛtyavaḥ

They will not give you the kingdom without war, son of Pandu. They are all bent on destruction, and death stands before them.