The Kings Gather for War

Verse 1 (5.5.1)

द्रुपदेनैवमुक्ते तु वाक्ये वाक्यविदां वरः । वसुदेवसुतस्तत्र वृष्णिसिंहोऽब्रवीदिदम् ॥

drupadenaivamukte tu vākye vākyavidāṃ varaḥ | vasudevasutastatra vṛṣṇisiṃho'bravīdidam

When Drupada had spoken thus, the son of Vasudeva, best of those skilled in speech, the lion of the Vrishnis, said this:

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as the star passage 5.5.000*0026 (reading vākyaviśāradaḥ for वाक्यविदां वरः). Corrected पृष्णिसिंहो → वृष्णिसिंहो (misprint in Wikisource; प for व, the apparatus reads vṛṣṇisiṃho).

Verse 2 (5.5.2)

उपपन्नमिदं वाक्यं सोमकानां धुरंधरे । अर्थसिद्धिकरं राज्ञः पाण्डवस्यामितौजसः ॥

upapannamidaṃ vākyaṃ somakānāṃ dhuraṃdhare | arthasiddhikaraṃ rājñaḥ pāṇḍavasyāmitaujasaḥ

"These words befit the leader of the Somakas, and they will bring success to the cause of the Pandava king of boundless might.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Vasudeva (Krishna): Wikisource prints no heading for this speech (verses 2–11), but verse 1 introduces it as Krishna's and the critical edition heads it वासुदेव उवाच; the input had carried Vaishampayana over.

Verse 3 (5.5.3)

एतच्च पूर्वं कार्यं नः सुनीतिमभिकाङ्क्षताम् । अन्यथा ह्याचरन्कर्म पुरुषः स्यात्सुबालिशः ॥

etacca pūrvaṃ kāryaṃ naḥ sunītimabhikāṅkṣatām | anyathā hyācarankarma puruṣaḥ syātsubāliśaḥ

This is what we must do first, if we want sound policy; a man who acted otherwise would be a great fool.

Verse 4 (5.5.4)

किं तु संबन्धकं तुल्यमस्माकं कुरुपाण्डुषु । यथेष्टं वर्तमानेषु पाण्डवेषु च तेषु च ॥

kiṃ tu saṃbandhakaṃ tulyamasmākaṃ kurupāṇḍuṣu | yatheṣṭaṃ vartamāneṣu pāṇḍaveṣu ca teṣu ca

But our relationship with the Kurus and with the Pandavas is the same, however the Pandavas and the others may choose to act.

Verse 5 (5.5.5)

ते विवाहार्थमानीता वयं सर्वे तथा भवान् । कृते विवाहे मुदिता गमिष्यामो गृहान्प्रति ॥

te vivāhārthamānītā vayaṃ sarve tathā bhavān | kṛte vivāhe muditā gamiṣyāmo gṛhānprati

We were all invited here for the wedding, and so were you; now that the wedding is over, we shall gladly go home.

Verse 6 (5.5.6)

भवान्वृद्धतमो राज्ञां वयसा च श्रुतेन च । शिष्यवत्ते वयं सर्वे भवामेह न संशयः ॥

bhavānvṛddhatamo rājñāṃ vayasā ca śrutena ca | śiṣyavatte vayaṃ sarve bhavāmeha na saṃśayaḥ

You are the eldest of the kings, in years and in learning; all of us here are as your pupils, there is no doubt of that.

Verse 7 (5.5.7)

भवन्तं धृतराष्ट्रश्च सततं बहु मन्यते । आचार्ययोः सखा चासि द्रोणस्य च कृपस्य च ॥

bhavantaṃ dhṛtarāṣṭraśca satataṃ bahu manyate | ācāryayoḥ sakhā cāsi droṇasya ca kṛpasya ca

Dhritarashtra always holds you in high regard, and you are the friend of the two teachers, Drona and Kripa.

Note on the text: Corrected कृपस्व → कृपस्य (misprint in Wikisource; व for य, critical edition kṛpasya).

Verse 8 (5.5.8)

स भवान्प्रेषयत्वद्य पाण्डवार्थकरं वचः । सर्वेषां निश्चितं तन्नः प्रेषयिष्यति यद्भवान् ॥

sa bhavānpreṣayatvadya pāṇḍavārthakaraṃ vacaḥ | sarveṣāṃ niścitaṃ tannaḥ preṣayiṣyati yadbhavān

So send today a message that serves the cause of the Pandavas. Whatever message you send, we are all agreed on it.

Verse 9 (5.5.9)

यदि तावच्छमं कुर्यान्न्यायेन कुरुपुङ्गवः । न भवेत्कुरुपाण्डूनां सौभ्रात्रेण महान्क्षयः ॥

yadi tāvacchamaṃ kuryānnyāyena kurupuṅgavaḥ | na bhavetkurupāṇḍūnāṃ saubhrātreṇa mahānkṣayaḥ

If the bull of the Kurus makes peace on just terms, there will be no great slaughter of Kurus and Pandavas, and brotherly goodwill will be kept.

Note on the text: Corrected कुर्यन्न्यायेन → कुर्यान्न्यायेन (misprint in Wikisource; dropped vowel sign in the optative कुर्यात्, critical edition kuryān nyāyena).

Verse 10 (5.5.10)

अथ दर्पान्वितो मोहान्न कुर्याद्धृतराष्ट्रजः । अन्येषां प्रेषयित्वा च पश्चादस्मान्समाह्वयेः ॥

atha darpānvito mohānna kuryāddhṛtarāṣṭrajaḥ | anyeṣāṃ preṣayitvā ca paścādasmānsamāhvayeḥ

But if the son of Dhritarashtra, swollen with pride and deluded, will not do so, then send word to the others, and after that summon us.

Note on the text: Corrected सभाह्वये → समाह्वयेः (misprint in Wikisource; भ for म and a dropped visarga in the optative 'you should summon', critical edition samāhvayeḥ).

Verse 11 (5.5.11)

ततो दुर्योधनो मन्दः सहामात्यः सबान्धवः । निष्ठामापत्स्यते मूढः क्रुद्धे गाण्डीवधन्वनि ॥

tato duryodhano mandaḥ sahāmātyaḥ sabāndhavaḥ | niṣṭhāmāpatsyate mūḍhaḥ kruddhe gāṇḍīvadhanvani

Then the dull-witted Duryodhana, fool that he is, will meet his end with his ministers and kinsmen, once the wielder of Gandiva is roused to anger."

Verse 12 (5.5.12)

ततः सत्कृत्य वार्ष्णेयं विराटः पृथिवीपतिः । गृहान्प्रस्थापयामास सगणं सहबान्धवम् ॥

tataḥ satkṛtya vārṣṇeyaṃ virāṭaḥ pṛthivīpatiḥ | gṛhānprasthāpayāmāsa sagaṇaṃ sahabāndhavam

Then Virata, lord of the earth, honoured the Vrishni hero and sent him home with his followers and kinsmen.

Verse 13 (5.5.13)

द्वारकां तु गते कृष्णे युधिष्ठिरपुरोगमाः । चक्रुः साङ्ग्रामिकं सर्वं विराटश्च महीपतिः ॥

dvārakāṃ tu gate kṛṣṇe yudhiṣṭhirapurogamāḥ | cakruḥ sāṅgrāmikaṃ sarvaṃ virāṭaśca mahīpatiḥ

When Krishna had gone to Dvaraka, Yudhishthira and those with him, and King Virata, made every preparation for war.

Note on the text: Corrected द्वारकं → द्वारकां and साङ्घ्रामिकं → साङ्ग्रामिकं (misprints in Wikisource; critical edition dvārakāṃ, sāṃgrāmikaṃ).

Verse 14 (5.5.14)

ततः संप्रेषयामास विराटः सह बान्धवैः । सर्वेषां भूमिपालानां द्रुपदश्च महीपतिः ॥

tataḥ saṃpreṣayāmāsa virāṭaḥ saha bāndhavaiḥ | sarveṣāṃ bhūmipālānāṃ drupadaśca mahīpatiḥ

Then Virata with his kinsmen, and King Drupada too, sent messages to all the kings of the earth.

Verse 15 (5.5.15)

वचनात्कुरुसिंहानां मत्स्यपाञ्चालयोश्च ते । समाजग्मुर्महीपालाः संप्रहृष्टा महाबलाः ॥

vacanātkurusiṃhānāṃ matsyapāñcālayośca te | samājagmurmahīpālāḥ saṃprahṛṣṭā mahābalāḥ

At the word of the lions of the Kurus and of the Matsya and Panchala kings, those mighty kings came together, full of joy.

Verse 16 (5.5.16)

तच्छ्रुत्वा पाण्डुपुत्राणां समागच्छन्महद्बलम् । धृतराष्ट्रसुताश्चापि समानिन्युर्महीपतीन् ॥

tacchrutvā pāṇḍuputrāṇāṃ samāgacchanmahadbalam | dhṛtarāṣṭrasutāścāpi samāninyurmahīpatīn

Hearing that a great army was gathering for the sons of Pandu, the sons of Dhritarashtra too called kings together.

Verse 17 (5.5.17)

समाकुला मही राजन्कुरुपाण्डवकारणात् । तदा समभवत्कृत्स्ना संप्रयाणे महीक्षिताम् ॥

samākulā mahī rājankurupāṇḍavakāraṇāt | tadā samabhavatkṛtsnā saṃprayāṇe mahīkṣitām

Then, O king, the whole earth was thronged with kings on the march, on account of the Kurus and the Pandavas.

Verse 18 (5.5.18)

संकुला च तदा भूमिश्चतुरङ्गबलान्विता । बलानि तेषां वीराणामागच्छन्ति ततस्ततः ॥

saṃkulā ca tadā bhūmiścaturaṅgabalānvitā | balāni teṣāṃ vīrāṇāmāgacchanti tatastataḥ

The land was crowded then with armies of all four arms; the forces of those heroes came streaming in from every side,

Note on the text: Line 1 is the critical edition's star passage 5.5.16d*0029; line 2 is 5.5.17ab, whose second half opens the next verse (Wikisource's own division). Corrected चतुरङ्गवलान्विता → चतुरङ्गबलान्विता (misprint in Wikisource; व for ब, the apparatus reads caturaṅgabalānvitā).

Verse 19 (5.5.19)

चालयन्तीव गां देवीं सपर्वतवनामिमाम् । ततः प्रज्ञावयोवृद्धं पाञ्चाल्यः स्वपुरोहितम् । कुरुभ्यः प्रेषयामास युधिष्ठिरमते स्थितः ॥

cālayantīva gāṃ devīṃ saparvatavanāmimām | tataḥ prajñāvayovṛddhaṃ pāñcālyaḥ svapurohitam | kurubhyaḥ preṣayāmāsa yudhiṣṭhiramate sthitaḥ

as though shaking this goddess Earth with her mountains and forests. Then the king of the Panchalas, abiding by Yudhishthira's wishes, sent his own priest, advanced in wisdom and in years, to the Kurus.

Note on the text: Line 1 is the critical edition's 5.5.17cd; lines 2–3 are 5.5.18 (reading tadā for स्थितः). Wikisource prints them as one three-line verse.