Drupada's Priest Speaks in the Kuru Court

Verse 1 (5.20.1)

स च कौरव्यमासाद्य द्रुपदस्य पुरोहितः । सत्कृतो धृतराष्ट्रेण भीष्मेण विदुरेण च ॥

sa ca kauravyamāsādya drupadasya purohitaḥ | satkṛto dhṛtarāṣṭreṇa bhīṣmeṇa vidureṇa ca

Drupada's priest, having reached the Kaurava court, was honoured by Dhritarashtra, Bhishma and Vidura.

Verse 2 (5.20.2)

सर्वकौशल्यमुक्त्वाऽऽदौ पृष्ट्वा चैवमनामयम् । सर्वसेनाप्रणेतॄणां मध्ये वाक्यमुवाच ह ॥

sarvakauśalyamuktvā''dau pṛṣṭvā caivamanāmayam | sarvasenāpraṇetṝṇāṃ madhye vākyamuvāca ha

First he gave news of the welfare of all and asked after their health; then, in the midst of all the commanders of the armies, he spoke these words:

Verse 3 (5.20.3)

सर्वैर्भवद्भिर्विदितो राजधर्मः सनातनः । वाक्योपादानहेतोस्तु वक्ष्यामि विदिते सति ॥

sarvairbhavadbhirvidito rājadharmaḥ sanātanaḥ | vākyopādānahetostu vakṣyāmi vidite sati

The eternal duty of kings is known to all of you. Yet, though it is known, I will speak, so as to draw a reply from you.

Note on the text: Speaker: the priest's address (verses 3–21) has no printed heading; given to Drupada's priest (the input carried Vaishampayana over).

Verse 4 (5.20.4)

धृतराष्ट्रश्च पाण्डुश्च सुतावेकस्य विश्रुतौ । तयोः समानं द्रविणं पैतृकं नात्र संशयः ॥

dhṛtarāṣṭraśca pāṇḍuśca sutāvekasya viśrutau | tayoḥ samānaṃ draviṇaṃ paitṛkaṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ

Dhritarashtra and Pandu are known to be sons of one father. Their share in the paternal wealth is equal; of this there is no doubt.

Verse 5 (5.20.5)

धृतराष्ट्रस्य ये पुत्राः प्राप्तं तैः पैतृकं वसु । पाण्डुपुत्राः कथं नाम न प्राप्ताः पैतृकं वसु ॥

dhṛtarāṣṭrasya ye putrāḥ prāptaṃ taiḥ paitṛkaṃ vasu | pāṇḍuputrāḥ kathaṃ nāma na prāptāḥ paitṛkaṃ vasu

Dhritarashtra's sons have received the paternal wealth. How is it, then, that Pandu's sons have not received the paternal wealth?

Verse 6 (5.20.6)

वनं गतैः पाण्डवेयैर्विदितं वः पुरा यथा । न प्राप्तं पैतृकं द्रव्यं धृतराष्ट्रेण यद्धृतम् ॥

vanaṃ gataiḥ pāṇḍaveyairviditaṃ vaḥ purā yathā | na prāptaṃ paitṛkaṃ dravyaṃ dhṛtarāṣṭreṇa yaddhṛtam

You know how, long ago, when the Pandavas had gone to the forest, they did not receive their paternal property, which Dhritarashtra had taken.

Verse 7 (5.20.7)

प्राणान्तिकैरप्युपायैः प्रयतद्भिरनेकशः । शेषवन्तो न शकिता नेतुं वै यमसादनम् ॥

prāṇāntikairapyupāyaiḥ prayatadbhiranekaśaḥ | śeṣavanto na śakitā netuṃ vai yamasādanam

Though they tried many times, even by deadly means, they could not send them to the abode of Yama, for the span of their lives was not yet spent.

Verse 8 (5.20.8)

पुनश्च वर्धितं राज्यं स्वबलेन महात्मभिः । छद्मनाऽपहृतं क्षुद्रैर्धार्तराष्ट्रैः ससौबलैः ॥

punaśca vardhitaṃ rājyaṃ svabalena mahātmabhiḥ | chadmanā'pahṛtaṃ kṣudrairdhārtarāṣṭraiḥ sasaubalaiḥ

Again, the kingdom that those great-souled men had enlarged by their own strength was taken from them by fraud by the petty sons of Dhritarashtra, together with Subala's son.

Verse 9 (5.20.9)

तदप्यनुमतं कर्म यथा युक्तमनेन वै । वासिताश्च महारण्ये वर्षाणीह त्रयोदश ॥

tadapyanumataṃ karma yathā yuktamanena vai | vāsitāśca mahāraṇye varṣāṇīha trayodaśa

Even that deed he approved, as though it were proper, and they were made to live in the great forest for thirteen years.

Verse 10 (5.20.10)

सभायां क्लेशितैर्वीरैः सहभार्यैस्तथा भृशम् । अरण्ये विविधाः क्लेशाः संप्राप्तास्तैः सुदारुणाः ॥

sabhāyāṃ kleśitairvīraiḥ sahabhāryaistathā bhṛśam | araṇye vividhāḥ kleśāḥ saṃprāptāstaiḥ sudāruṇāḥ

The heroes, with their wife, were cruelly humiliated in the assembly hall, and in the forest they suffered many terrible hardships.

Verse 11 (5.20.11)

तथा विराटनगरे योन्यन्तरगतैरिव । प्राप्तः परमसंक्लेशो यथा पापैर्महात्मभिः ॥

tathā virāṭanagare yonyantaragatairiva | prāptaḥ paramasaṃkleśo yathā pāpairmahātmabhiḥ

So too in Virata's city those great-souled men endured the greatest hardship, like evil-doers, as though they had passed into another birth.

Verse 12 (5.20.12)

ते सर्वं पृष्ठतः कृत्वा तत्पूर्वं कर्म किल्विषम् । साम्नैव कुरुभिः सन्धिमिच्छन्ति कुरुपुङ्गवाः ॥

te sarvaṃ pṛṣṭhataḥ kṛtvā tatpūrvaṃ karma kilviṣam | sāmnaiva kurubhiḥ sandhimicchanti kurupuṅgavāḥ

Yet these bulls of the Kurus, putting all that former wrong behind them, seek a treaty with the Kurus by peaceful means alone.

Verse 13 (5.20.13)

तेषां च वृत्तमाज्ञाय वृत्तं दुर्योधनस्य च । अनुनेतुमिहार्हन्ति धार्तराष्ट्रं सुहृज्जनाः ॥

teṣāṃ ca vṛttamājñāya vṛttaṃ duryodhanasya ca | anunetumihārhanti dhārtarāṣṭraṃ suhṛjjanāḥ

Knowing their conduct and Duryodhana's too, the well-wishers here ought to win Dhritarashtra's son over.

Verse 14 (5.20.14)

न हि ते विग्रहं वीराः कुर्वन्ति कुरुभिः सह । अविनाशेन लोकस्य काङ्क्षन्ते पाण्डवाः स्वकम् ॥

na hi te vigrahaṃ vīrāḥ kurvanti kurubhiḥ saha | avināśena lokasya kāṅkṣante pāṇḍavāḥ svakam

For those heroes, the Pandavas, do not seek war with the Kurus; they want what is their own without the ruin of the world.

Verse 15 (5.20.15)

यश्चापि धार्तराष्ट्रस्य हेतुः स्याद्विग्रहं प्रति । स च हेतुर्न मन्तव्यो बलीयांसस्तथा हि ते ॥

yaścāpi dhārtarāṣṭrasya hetuḥ syādvigrahaṃ prati | sa ca heturna mantavyo balīyāṃsastathā hi te

And whatever reason Dhritarashtra's son may count on for war, that reason should not be relied upon, for they are the stronger.

Verse 16 (5.20.16)

अक्षौहिण्यश्च सप्तैव धर्मपुत्रस्य सङ्गताः । युयुत्समानाः कुरुभिः प्रतीक्षन्तेऽस्य शासनम् ॥

akṣauhiṇyaśca saptaiva dharmaputrasya saṅgatāḥ | yuyutsamānāḥ kurubhiḥ pratīkṣante'sya śāsanam

Seven akshauhinis have gathered for the son of Dharma; eager to fight the Kurus, they await his command.

Verse 17 (5.20.17)

अपरे पुरुषव्याघ्राः सहस्राक्षौहिणीसमाः । सात्यकिर्भीमसेनश्च यमौ च सुमहाबलौ ॥

apare puruṣavyāghrāḥ sahasrākṣauhiṇīsamāḥ | sātyakirbhīmasenaśca yamau ca sumahābalau

There are others besides, tigers among men, each equal to a thousand akshauhinis: Satyaki, Bhimasena, and the mighty twins.

Verse 18 (5.20.18)

एकादशैताः पृतना एकतश्च समागताः । एकतश्च महाबाहुर्बहुरूपी धनञ्जयः ॥

ekādaśaitāḥ pṛtanā ekataśca samāgatāḥ | ekataśca mahābāhurbahurūpī dhanañjayaḥ

On one side stand these eleven armies gathered together; on the other, the mighty-armed Dhananjaya of many forms.

Verse 19 (5.20.19)

यथा किरीटी सर्वाभ्यः सेनाभ्यो व्यतिरिच्यते । एवमेव महाबाहुर्वासुदेवो महाद्युतिः ॥

yathā kirīṭī sarvābhyaḥ senābhyo vyatiricyate | evameva mahābāhurvāsudevo mahādyutiḥ

As the Diademed One surpasses all armies, so too does the mighty-armed Vasudeva of great splendour.

Verse 20 (5.20.20)

बहुलत्वं च सेनानां विक्रमं च किरीटिनः । बुद्धिमत्त्वं च कृष्णस्य बुद्ध्वा युध्येत को नरः ॥

bahulatvaṃ ca senānāṃ vikramaṃ ca kirīṭinaḥ | buddhimattvaṃ ca kṛṣṇasya buddhvā yudhyeta ko naraḥ

Knowing the size of the armies, the prowess of the Diademed One and the wisdom of Krishna, what man would fight?

Verse 21 (5.20.21)

ते भवन्तो यथाधर्मं यथासमयमेव च । प्रयच्छन्तु प्रदातव्यं मा वः कालोऽत्यगादयम् ॥

te bhavanto yathādharmaṃ yathāsamayameva ca | prayacchantu pradātavyaṃ mā vaḥ kālo'tyagādayam

So let your honours, according to dharma and according to the agreement, give what ought to be given. Do not let this time slip past you.