Arjuna's Message to the Kurus

Verse 1 (5.59.1)

ब्रूहि सञ्जय यच्छेषं वासुदेवादनन्तरम् । यदर्जुन उवाच त्वां परं कौतूहलं हि मे ॥

brūhi sañjaya yaccheṣaṃ vāsudevādanantaram | yadarjuna uvāca tvāṃ paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi me

Tell me, Sanjaya, what remains — what Arjuna said to you after Vasudeva had spoken. I am very eager to hear it.

Note on the text: Corrected यजर्जुन → यदर्जुन (misprint in Wikisource; ज for द; the critical edition reads yad arjuna). In the critical edition this question stands at 5.64.2, after the debates of CE 5.58–63.

Verse 2 (5.59.2)

वासुदेववचः श्रुत्वा कुन्तीपुत्रो धनञ्जयः । उवाच काले दुर्धर्षो वासुदेवस्य शृण्वतः ॥

vāsudevavacaḥ śrutvā kuntīputro dhanañjayaḥ | uvāca kāle durdharṣo vāsudevasya śṛṇvataḥ

Having heard Vasudeva's words, Kunti's son Dhananjaya, the invincible, spoke at the proper moment, while Vasudeva listened:

Verse 3 (5.59.3)

पितामहं शान्तनवं धृतराष्ट्रं च सञ्जय । द्रोणं कृपं च शल्यं च महाराजं च बाह्लिकम् ॥

pitāmahaṃ śāntanavaṃ dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ ca sañjaya | droṇaṃ kṛpaṃ ca śalyaṃ ca mahārājaṃ ca bāhlikam

'Sanjaya, to Grandfather, the son of Shantanu, and to Dhritarashtra, to Drona, Kripa and Shalya, and to the great king Bahlika,

Note on the text: Speaker set to Arjuna: verses 3–9 are wholly his words to Sanjaya, introduced in verse 2 (Wikisource prints no heading; the input carried Sanjaya). The critical edition reads karṇaṃ where this text has शल्यं.

Verse 4 (5.59.4)

द्रौणिं च सौमदत्तिं च शकुनिं चापि सौबलम् । दुश्शासनं शलं चैव पुरुमित्रं विविंशतिम् ॥

drauṇiṃ ca saumadattiṃ ca śakuniṃ cāpi saubalam | duśśāsanaṃ śalaṃ caiva purumitraṃ viviṃśatim

to Drona's son and to Somadatta's son, to Shakuni the son of Subala, to Duhshasana, Shala, Purumitra and Vivimshati,

Note on the text: Speaker set to Arjuna (see verse 3). The critical edition reads somadattaṃ where this text has सौमदत्तिं.

Verse 5 (5.59.5)

विकर्णं चित्रसेनं च जयत्सेनं च पार्थिवम् । विन्दानुविन्दावावन्त्यौ दुर्मुखं चापि पौरवम् ॥

vikarṇaṃ citrasenaṃ ca jayatsenaṃ ca pārthivam | vindānuvindāvāvantyau durmukhaṃ cāpi pauravam

to Vikarna and Chitrasena and King Jayatsena, to Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, and to Durmukha the Paurava,

Note on the text: Speaker set to Arjuna (see verse 3). The critical edition reads kauravam where this text has पौरवम्.

Verse 6 (5.59.6)

सैन्धवं दुस्सहं चैव भूरिश्रवसमेव च । भगदत्तं च राजानं जलसन्धं च पौरवम् ॥

saindhavaṃ dussahaṃ caiva bhūriśravasameva ca | bhagadattaṃ ca rājānaṃ jalasandhaṃ ca pauravam

to the Saindhava, to Duhsaha and to Bhurishravas, to King Bhagadatta, and to Jalasandha the Paurava,

Note on the text: Speaker set to Arjuna (see verse 3). The critical edition reads pārthivam ('the king') where this text has पौरवम्, repeating the last word of verse 5; the base reading is kept.

Verse 7 (5.59.7)

ये चाप्यन्ये पार्थिवास्तत्र योद्धुं । समागताः कौरवाणां प्रियार्थम् । मुमूर्षवः पाण्डवाग्नौ प्रदीप्ते । समानीता धार्तराष्ट्रेण सूत ॥

ye cāpyanye pārthivāstatra yoddhuṃ | samāgatāḥ kauravāṇāṃ priyārtham | mumūrṣavaḥ pāṇḍavāgnau pradīpte | samānītā dhārtarāṣṭreṇa sūta

and to the other kings who have gathered there to fight for the Kauravas' pleasure, brought together by Dhritarashtra's son, doomed to die in the blazing Pandava fire, O suta —

Note on the text: Speaker set to Arjuna (see verse 3). Corrected धार्तराष्ट्रोण → धार्तराष्ट्रेण (misprint in Wikisource; ो for े in the instrumental; the critical edition reads dhārtarāṣṭreṇa).

Verse 8 (5.59.8)

यथान्यायं कुशलं वन्दनं च । समागता मद्वचनेन वाच्याः । इदं ब्रूयाः सञ्जय राजमध्ये । सुयोधनं पापकृतां प्रधानम् ॥

yathānyāyaṃ kuśalaṃ vandanaṃ ca | samāgatā madvacanena vācyāḥ | idaṃ brūyāḥ sañjaya rājamadhye | suyodhanaṃ pāpakṛtāṃ pradhānam

to all of them, assembled, you must give, in my words, the greeting of welfare and salutation, to each as is fitting. Then, Sanjaya, say this amid the kings to Suyodhana, foremost of evildoers —

Note on the text: Speaker set to Arjuna (see verse 3). Restored from the critical edition (5.64.9cd): Wikisource prints only the first half of this triṣṭubh verse (8a–b), ending it there, so that the instruction to address Suyodhana is lost; its lines 3–4 (idaṃ brūyāḥ saṃjaya rājamadhye / suyodhanaṃ pāpakṛtāṃ pradhānam) are supplied. Lines 1–2 keep the base reading कुशलं (CE kauśalaṃ).

Verse 9 (5.59.9)

अमर्षणं दुर्मतिं राजपुत्रं । पापात्मानं धार्तराष्ट्रं सुलुब्धम् । सर्वं ममैतद्वचनं समग्रं । सहामात्यं सञ्जय श्रावयेथाः ॥

amarṣaṇaṃ durmatiṃ rājaputraṃ | pāpātmānaṃ dhārtarāṣṭraṃ sulubdham | sarvaṃ mamaitadvacanaṃ samagraṃ | sahāmātyaṃ sañjaya śrāvayethāḥ

to that wrathful, evil-minded prince, the wicked and greedy son of Dhritarashtra — make him hear all these words of mine, in full, Sanjaya, together with his ministers.'

Note on the text: Speaker set to Arjuna (see verse 3). Restored from the critical edition (5.64.10a–c): Wikisource prints only the last line of this verse, numbered 9f to show the loss; lines 1–3 (amarṣaṇaṃ durmatiṃ rājaputraṃ / pāpātmānaṃ dhārtarāṣṭraṃ sulubdham / sarvaṃ mamaitad vacanaṃ samagraṃ) are supplied before the surviving line सहामात्यं सञ्जय श्रावयेथाः.

Verse 10 (5.59.10)

एवं परिष्वज्य धनञ्जयो मां । ततोऽर्थवद्धर्मवच्चापि वाक्यम् । प्रोवाचेदं वासुदेवं समीक्ष्य । पार्थो धीमाँल्लोहितान्तायताक्षः ॥

evaṃ pariṣvajya dhanañjayo māṃ | tato'rthavaddharmavaccāpi vākyam | provācedaṃ vāsudevaṃ samīkṣya | pārtho dhīmām̐llohitāntāyatākṣaḥ

Having embraced me thus, Dhananjaya — wise Partha, his long eyes red at the corners — then looked at Vasudeva and spoke these words, full of meaning and of dharma:

Note on the text: The critical edition reads pratiṣṭhāpya ('having charged') where this text has परिष्वज्य ('having embraced').

Verse 11 (5.59.11)

यथाश्रुतं ते वदतो महात्मनो । यदुप्रवीरस्य वचः समाहितम् । तथैव वाच्यं भवतापि मद्वचः । समागतेषु क्षितिपेषु सर्वशः ॥

yathāśrutaṃ te vadato mahātmano | yadupravīrasya vacaḥ samāhitam | tathaiva vācyaṃ bhavatāpi madvacaḥ | samāgateṣu kṣitipeṣu sarvaśaḥ

'As you heard the measured words spoken by the great-souled hero of the Yadus, so must you speak my words as well, in full, to the assembled kings:

Note on the text: Speaker set to Arjuna: verses 11–13 are wholly his words, introduced in verse 10 (Wikisource prints no heading; the input carried Sanjaya).

Verse 12 (5.59.12)

शराग्निधूमे रथनेमिनादिते । धनुस्स्रुवेणास्त्रबलापहारिणा । यथा न होमः क्रियते महामृधे । तथा समेत्य प्रयतध्वमादृताः ॥

śarāgnidhūme rathaneminādite | dhanussruveṇāstrabalāpahāriṇā | yathā na homaḥ kriyate mahāmṛdhe | tathā sametya prayatadhvamādṛtāḥ

"Strive together, with care, so that no sacrifice is performed in the great battle — that sacrifice whose smoke is the fire of arrows, which echoes with the roar of chariot wheels, and in which the bow is the ladle that pours out the force of the weapons.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Arjuna (see verse 11). Corrected धनुस्स्त्रुवेणा… → धनुस्स्रुवेणा… (misprint in Wikisource; स्त्रु for स्रु in स्रुव, 'ladle'; the critical edition reads dhanuḥsruveṇa).

Verse 13 (5.59.13)

न चेत्प्रयच्छध्वममित्रघातिनो । युधिष्ठिरस्यार्धमभीप्सितं स्वकम् । नयामि वः साश्वपदातिकुञ्जरा- । न्दिशं पितॄणामशिवां शितैः शरैः ॥

na cetprayacchadhvamamitraghātino | yudhiṣṭhirasyārdhamabhīpsitaṃ svakam | nayāmi vaḥ sāśvapadātikuñjarā- | ndiśaṃ pitṝṇāmaśivāṃ śitaiḥ śaraiḥ

If you do not give Yudhishthira, the slayer of enemies, the half that he seeks, his own, I will send you, with your horses, foot-soldiers and elephants, to the grim region of the ancestors with my sharp arrows."'

Note on the text: Speaker set to Arjuna (see verse 11).

Verse 14 (5.59.14)

ततोऽहमामन्त्र्य चतुर्भुजं हरिं । धनञ्जयं चैव नमस्य सत्वरम् । जवेन संप्राप्त इहामरद्युते । तवान्तिकं प्रापयितुं वचो महत् ॥

tato'hamāmantrya caturbhujaṃ hariṃ | dhanañjayaṃ caiva namasya satvaram | javena saṃprāpta ihāmaradyute | tavāntikaṃ prāpayituṃ vaco mahat

Then, taking leave of four-armed Hari and bowing quickly to Dhananjaya, I came here with all speed, you of godlike splendour, to bring those weighty words to you.