Sanjaya Rebukes Dhritarashtra

Verse 1 (5.54.1)

एवमेतन्महाराज यथावदसि भारत । युद्धे विनाशः क्षत्रस्य गाण्डीवेन प्रदृश्यते ॥

evametanmahārāja yathāvadasi bhārata | yuddhe vināśaḥ kṣatrasya gāṇḍīvena pradṛśyate

It is just as you say, great king, O Bharata: the destruction of the warrior class through the Gandiva is plain to see.

Verse 2 (5.54.2)

इदं तु नाभिजानामि तव धीरस्य नित्यशः । यत्पुत्रवशमागच्छेस्तत्त्वज्ञः सव्यसाचिनः ॥

idaṃ tu nābhijānāmi tava dhīrasya nityaśaḥ | yatputravaśamāgacchestattvajñaḥ savyasācinaḥ

But this I cannot understand: how you, ever steadfast, knowing the truth about Savyasachin, could fall under the sway of your son.

Verse 3 (5.54.3)

नैष कालो महाराज तव शश्वत्कृतागसः । त्वया ह्येवादितः पार्था निकृता भरतर्षभ ॥

naiṣa kālo mahārāja tava śaśvatkṛtāgasaḥ | tvayā hyevāditaḥ pārthā nikṛtā bharatarṣabha

This is no time for that, great king, for you who have offended again and again; for it was you yourself, bull of the Bharatas, who wronged the Parthas from the very start.

Verse 4 (5.54.4)

पिता श्रेष्ठः सुहृद्यश्च सम्यक्प्रणिहितात्मवान् । आस्थेयं हि हितं तेन न द्रोग्धा गुरुरुच्यते ॥

pitā śreṣṭhaḥ suhṛdyaśca samyakpraṇihitātmavān | āstheyaṃ hi hitaṃ tena na drogdhā gururucyate

A father who is truly a well-wishing friend, with his mind rightly set, should establish what is good for his sons; one who does them harm is not called an elder.

Verse 5 (5.54.5)

इदं जितमिदं लब्धमिति श्रुत्वा पराजितान् । द्यूतकाले महाराज स्मयसे स्म कुमारवत् ॥

idaṃ jitamidaṃ labdhamiti śrutvā parājitān | dyūtakāle mahārāja smayase sma kumāravat

At the time of the dice game, great king, hearing 'This is won! That is gained!' as the Pandavas were beaten, you smiled like a child.

Note on the text: Corrected स्मरसे → स्मयसे (misprint in Wikisource; र for य — the sense is 'you smiled', as in verse 10 कुमारवच्च स्मयसे; the critical edition reads smayase).

Verse 6 (5.54.6)

परुषाण्युच्यमानांश्च पुरा पार्थानुपेक्षसे । कृत्स्नं राज्यं जयन्तीति प्रपातं नानुपश्यसि ॥

paruṣāṇyucyamānāṃśca purā pārthānupekṣase | kṛtsnaṃ rājyaṃ jayantīti prapātaṃ nānupaśyasi

Earlier you looked on unconcerned while harsh words were spoken to the Parthas; thinking 'They are winning the whole kingdom', you did not see the abyss ahead.

Verse 7 (5.54.7)

पित्र्यं राज्यं महाराज कुरवस्ते सजाङ्गलाः । अथ वीरैर्जितामुर्वीमखिलां प्रत्यपद्यथाः ॥

pitryaṃ rājyaṃ mahārāja kuravaste sajāṅgalāḥ | atha vīrairjitāmurvīmakhilāṃ pratyapadyathāḥ

Your ancestral kingdom, great king, was the Kuru land together with Jangala; then you received the whole earth, won by those heroes.

Verse 8 (5.54.8)

बाहुवीर्यार्जिता भूमिस्तव पार्थैर्निवेदिता । मयेदं कृतमित्येव मन्यसे राजसत्तम ॥

bāhuvīryārjitā bhūmistava pārthairniveditā | mayedaṃ kṛtamityeva manyase rājasattama

The land the Parthas won by the strength of their arms they laid before you; and you think, best of kings, 'I did this.'

Verse 9 (5.54.9)

ग्रस्तान्गन्धर्वराजेन मज्जतो ह्यप्लवेऽम्भसि । आनिनाय पुनः पार्थः पुत्रांस्ते राजसत्तम ॥

grastāngandharvarājena majjato hyaplave'mbhasi | ānināya punaḥ pārthaḥ putrāṃste rājasattama

When your sons were seized by the king of the Gandharvas and were sinking in a sea without a raft, it was Partha who brought them back, best of kings.

Verse 10 (5.54.10)

कुमारवच्च स्मयसे द्यूते विनिकृतेषु यत् । पाण्डवेषु वने राजन्प्रव्रजत्सु पुनःपुनः ॥

kumāravacca smayase dyūte vinikṛteṣu yat | pāṇḍaveṣu vane rājanpravrajatsu punaḥpunaḥ

And you smiled like a child, O king, again and again, when the Pandavas, cheated at the dice, were going off into the forest.

Verse 11 (5.54.11)

प्रवर्षतः शरव्रातानर्जुनस्य शितान्बहून् । अप्यर्णवा विशुष्येयुः किं पुनर्मांसयोनयः ॥

pravarṣataḥ śaravrātānarjunasya śitānbahūn | apyarṇavā viśuṣyeyuḥ kiṃ punarmāṃsayonayaḥ

When Arjuna rains down his many sharp hosts of arrows, even the oceans would dry up — how much more creatures born of flesh!

Note on the text: Corrected मासयोनयः → मांसयोनयः (misprint in Wikisource; dropped anusvara — māṃsayoni 'creatures born of flesh'; the critical edition reads māṃsayonayaḥ).

Verse 12 (5.54.12)

अस्यतां फाल्गुनः श्रेष्ठो गाण्डीवं धनुषां वरम् । केशवः सर्वभूतानामायुधानां सुदर्शनम् । वानरो रोचमानश्च केतुः केतुमतां वरः ॥

asyatāṃ phālgunaḥ śreṣṭho gāṇḍīvaṃ dhanuṣāṃ varam | keśavaḥ sarvabhūtānāmāyudhānāṃ sudarśanam | vānaro rocamānaśca ketuḥ ketumatāṃ varaḥ

Phalguna is the best of archers, the Gandiva the best of bows, Keshava the best of all beings, Sudarshana the best of weapons, and the shining monkey banner the best of banners.

Note on the text: Wikisource divides CE 5.53.12–13 differently, so the automatic alignment found no match: this verse is CE 5.53.12 + 5.53.13ab (Wikisource reads आयुधानां for the critical edition's cakrāṇāṃ ca).

Verse 13 (5.54.13)

एवमेतानि स रथो वहते सह यो रणे । क्षपयिष्यति नो राजन्कालचक्रमिवोद्यतम् ॥

evametāni sa ratho vahate saha yo raṇe | kṣapayiṣyati no rājankālacakramivodyatam

So that chariot which carries all these together into battle will destroy us, O king, like the uplifted wheel of Time.

Note on the text: Corresponds to CE 5.53.13cd–ef (Wikisource divides these lines differently and reads स रथो वहते सह यो रणे where the critical edition has saratho vahañ śvetahayo raṇe).

Verse 14 (5.54.14)

तस्याद्य वसुधा राजन्निखिला भरतर्षभ । यस्य भीमार्जुनौ योधौ स राजा राजसत्तम ॥

tasyādya vasudhā rājannikhilā bharatarṣabha | yasya bhīmārjunau yodhau sa rājā rājasattama

Today the whole earth, bull of the Bharatas, belongs to him, O king; he is the king, best of kings, who has Bhima and Arjuna as his warriors.

Note on the text: Corrected भीमार्जिनौ → भीमार्जुनौ (misprint in Wikisource; ि for ु in Arjuna; the critical edition reads bhīmārjunau).

Verse 15 (5.54.15)

तथा भीमहतप्रायां मज्जन्तीं तव वाहिनीम् । दुर्योधनमुखा दृष्ट्वा क्षयं यास्यन्ति कौरवाः ॥

tathā bhīmahataprāyāṃ majjantīṃ tava vāhinīm | duryodhanamukhā dṛṣṭvā kṣayaṃ yāsyanti kauravāḥ

Seeing your army sinking, almost wholly slain by Bhima, the Kauravas led by Duryodhana will go to their destruction.

Note on the text: Corrected मञ्जन्तीं → मज्जन्तीं (misprint in Wikisource; ञ्ज for ज्ज in majjantīm 'sinking'; the critical edition reads majjantīṃ).

Verse 16 (5.54.16)

न भीमार्जुनयोर्भीता लप्स्यन्ते विजयं विभो । तव पुत्रा महाराज राजानश्चानुसारिणः ॥

na bhīmārjunayorbhītā lapsyante vijayaṃ vibho | tava putrā mahārāja rājānaścānusāriṇaḥ

Afraid of Bhima and Arjuna, your sons, great king, and the kings who follow them will not win victory, my lord.

Verse 17 (5.54.17)

मत्स्यास्त्वामद्य नार्चन्ति पञ्चालाश्च सकेकयाः । साल्वेयाः शूरसेनाश्च सर्वे त्वामवजानते ॥

matsyāstvāmadya nārcanti pañcālāśca sakekayāḥ | sālveyāḥ śūrasenāśca sarve tvāmavajānate

The Matsyas no longer honour you, nor do the Panchalas and the Kekayas; the Salveyas and the Shurasenas all hold you in contempt.

Note on the text: Wikisource divides CE 5.53.17–19 differently, so the automatic alignment found no match for its verses 17–22. This verse is CE 5.53.17ab–cd.

Verse 18 (5.54.18)

पार्थं ह्येते गताः सर्वे वीर्यज्ञास्तस्य धीमतः । भक्त्या ह्यस्य विरुध्यन्ते तव पुत्रैः सदैव ते ॥

pārthaṃ hyete gatāḥ sarve vīryajñāstasya dhīmataḥ | bhaktyā hyasya virudhyante tava putraiḥ sadaiva te

For they have all gone over to Partha, knowing the prowess of that wise man; out of devotion to him they are forever at odds with your sons.

Note on the text: Corresponds to CE 5.53.17ef; the second line (भक्त्या ह्यस्य विरुध्यन्ते …) is the critical edition's star passage *0335, printed after 5.53.17f and not in its constituted text.

Verse 19 (5.54.19)

अनर्हानेव तु वधे धर्मयुक्तान्विकर्मणा । योऽक्लेशयत्पाण्डुपुत्रान्यो विद्वेष्ट्यधुनापि वै ॥

anarhāneva tu vadhe dharmayuktānvikarmaṇā | yo'kleśayatpāṇḍuputrānyo vidveṣṭyadhunāpi vai

He who by his evil deeds tormented the sons of Pandu — righteous men who in no way deserved death — and who hates them even now,

Note on the text: Corresponds to CE 5.53.18ab; the second line (योऽक्लेशयत्पाण्डुपुत्रान् …) is the critical edition's star passage *0336, printed after 5.53.18b and not in its constituted text.

Verse 20 (5.54.20)

सर्वोपायैर्नियन्तव्यः सानुगः पापपुरुषः । तव पुत्रो महाराज नानुशोचितुमर्हसि ॥

sarvopāyairniyantavyaḥ sānugaḥ pāpapuruṣaḥ | tava putro mahārāja nānuśocitumarhasi

that wicked man, your son, must be restrained together with his followers by every means, great king; you ought not to grieve for him.

Note on the text: Corresponds to CE 5.53.18cd + 18ef (Wikisource reads नानुशोचितुमर्हसि where the critical edition has nātra śocitum arhasi).

Verse 21 (5.54.21)

अपरोक्षं महाराज साक्षाच्चैनं ब्रवीम्यहम् । द्यूतकाले मया चोक्तं विदुरेण च धीमता ॥

aparokṣaṃ mahārāja sākṣāccainaṃ bravīmyaham | dyūtakāle mayā coktaṃ vidureṇa ca dhīmatā

I say this to you openly, great king, to your face. At the time of the dice game it was said by me, and by wise Vidura too,

Note on the text: Corrected अपरोहं → अपरोक्षं (misprint in Wikisource; अपरोहं is no word — the line is the critical edition's star passage *0337, printed after 5.53.18d, which reads aparokṣaṃ 'openly'). The second line is CE 5.53.19ab.

Verse 22 (5.54.22)

यदिदं ते विलपितं पाण्डवान्प्रति भारत । अनीशेनैव राजेन्द्र सर्वमेतन्निरर्थकम् ॥

yadidaṃ te vilapitaṃ pāṇḍavānprati bhārata | anīśenaiva rājendra sarvametannirarthakam

that all this lamenting of yours over the Pandavas, O Bharata, lord of kings, would be in vain — the lament of one who has no power.

Note on the text: Corresponds to CE 5.53.19cd–ef (Wikisource divides these lines differently).