Krishna Reassures Bhima

Verse 1 (5.76.1)

भावं जिज्ञासमानोऽहं प्रणयादिदमब्रवम् । न चाक्षेपान्न पाण्डित्यान्न क्रोधान्न विवक्षया ॥

bhāvaṃ jijñāsamāno'haṃ praṇayādidamabravam | na cākṣepānna pāṇḍityānna krodhānna vivakṣayā

I said this out of affection, wishing to know your mind, not to taunt you, nor to show off my cleverness, nor in anger, nor to make you speak of yourself.

Verse 2 (5.76.2)

वेदाहं तव माहात्म्यमुत ते वेद यद्बलम् । उत ते वेद कर्माणि न त्वां परिभवाम्यहम् ॥

vedāhaṃ tava māhātmyamuta te veda yadbalam | uta te veda karmāṇi na tvāṃ paribhavāmyaham

I know your greatness, and I know your strength; I know your deeds as well. I do not look down on you.

Note on the text: Corrected माहात्म्यसुत → माहात्म्यमुत (misprint in Wikisource; स for म, critical edition māhātmyam uta).

Verse 3 (5.76.3)

यथा चात्मनि कल्याणं संभावयसि पाण्डव । सहस्रगुणमप्येतत्त्वयि संभावयाम्यहम् ॥

yathā cātmani kalyāṇaṃ saṃbhāvayasi pāṇḍava | sahasraguṇamapyetattvayi saṃbhāvayāmyaham

Whatever good you believe is in yourself, Pandava, I believe there is a thousand times more of it in you.

Verse 4 (5.76.4)

यादृशे च कुले जन्म सर्वराजाभिपूजिते । बन्धुभिश्च सुहृद्भिश्च भीम त्वमसि तादृशः ॥

yādṛśe ca kule janma sarvarājābhipūjite | bandhubhiśca suhṛdbhiśca bhīma tvamasi tādṛśaḥ

As noble as the family, honoured by all kings, in which you were born, and as your kinsmen and friends are, Bhima, so noble are you.

Verse 5 (5.76.5)

जिज्ञासन्तो हि धर्मस्य सन्दिग्धस्य वृकोदर । पर्यायं नाध्यवस्यन्ति देवमानुषयोर्जनाः ॥

jijñāsanto hi dharmasya sandigdhasya vṛkodara | paryāyaṃ nādhyavasyanti devamānuṣayorjanāḥ

Men who inquire into dharma, Vrikodara, find it uncertain; they cannot settle how its course is shared between the divine and the human.

Verse 6 (5.76.6)

स एव हेतुर्भूत्वा हि पुरुषस्यार्थसिद्धिषु । विनाशेऽपि स एवास्य सन्दिग्धं कर्म पौरुषम् ॥

sa eva heturbhūtvā hi puruṣasyārthasiddhiṣu | vināśe'pi sa evāsya sandigdhaṃ karma pauruṣam

The very thing that brings a man success in his aims may also bring his ruin; the outcome of human effort is uncertain.

Verse 7 (5.76.7)

अन्यथा परिदृष्टानि कविभिर्दोषदर्शिभिः । अन्यथा परिवर्तन्ते वेगा इव नभस्वतः ॥

anyathā paridṛṣṭāni kavibhirdoṣadarśibhiḥ | anyathā parivartante vegā iva nabhasvataḥ

Plans that wise men, alert to every flaw, have judged one way turn out another, like gusts of wind.

Note on the text: Corrected दोवदर्शिभिः → दोषदर्शिभिः (misprint in Wikisource; व for ष, critical edition doṣadarśibhiḥ).

Verse 8 (5.76.8)

सुमन्त्रितं सुनीतं च न्यायतश्चोपपादितम् । कृतं मानुष्यकं कर्म दैवेनापि विरुध्यते ॥

sumantritaṃ sunītaṃ ca nyāyataścopapāditam | kṛtaṃ mānuṣyakaṃ karma daivenāpi virudhyate

A human undertaking that has been well counselled, well directed and properly carried through is thwarted even so by fate.

Note on the text: Corrected दैनेनापि → दैवेनापि and विरुद्ध्यते → विरुध्यते (misprints in Wikisource; न for व, and a doubled द in विरुध्यते; critical edition daivenāpi virudhyate).

Verse 9 (5.76.9)

दैवमप्यकृतं कर्म पौरुषेण विहन्यते । शीतमुष्णं तथा वर्षं क्षुत्पिपासे च भारत ॥

daivamapyakṛtaṃ karma pauruṣeṇa vihanyate | śītamuṣṇaṃ tathā varṣaṃ kṣutpipāse ca bhārata

Yet fate too, what no man has made, is countered by human effort: cold and heat and rain, hunger and thirst, Bharata.

Verse 10 (5.76.10)

यदन्यद्दिष्टभावस्य पुरुषस्य स्वयं कृतम् । तस्मादनुपरोधश्च विद्यते तत्र लक्षणम् ॥

yadanyaddiṣṭabhāvasya puruṣasya svayaṃ kṛtam | tasmādanuparodhaśca vidyate tatra lakṣaṇam

And apart from what destiny has already set in motion, whatever a man has done of himself is not barred from bearing fruit; the scriptures give clear proof of this.

Verse 11 (5.76.11)

लोकस्य नान्यतो वृत्तिः पाण्डवान्यत्र कर्मणः । एवंबुद्धिः प्रवर्तेत फलं स्यादुभयान्वये ॥

lokasya nānyato vṛttiḥ pāṇḍavānyatra karmaṇaḥ | evaṃbuddhiḥ pravarteta phalaṃ syādubhayānvaye

The world has no way of living except through action, Pandava. Knowing this, a man should act; the fruit comes when both fate and effort combine.

Verse 12 (5.76.12)

य एवं कृतबुद्धिः स कर्मस्वेव प्रवर्तते । नासिद्धो व्यथते तस्य न सिद्धौ हर्षमश्नुते ॥

ya evaṃ kṛtabuddhiḥ sa karmasveva pravartate | nāsiddho vyathate tasya na siddhau harṣamaśnute

One whose mind is settled in this way gives himself to action alone. When he fails, he is not distressed; when he succeeds, he feels no elation.

Note on the text: Corrected हर्षमश्रुते → हर्षमश्नुते (misprint in Wikisource; श्र for श्न, critical edition harṣam aśnute).

Verse 13 (5.76.13)

तत्रेयमनुमात्रा मे भीमसेन विवक्षिता । नैकान्तसिद्धिर्वक्तव्या शत्रुभिः सह संयुगे ॥

tatreyamanumātrā me bhīmasena vivakṣitā | naikāntasiddhirvaktavyā śatrubhiḥ saha saṃyuge

This, Bhimasena, is the conclusion I wished to put before you: sure success is not to be counted on in battle with the enemy.

Verse 14 (5.76.14)

नातिप्रहीणरश्मिः स्यात्तथा भावविपर्यये । विषादमर्च्छेद् ग्लानिं वाप्येतमर्थं ब्रवीमि ते ॥

nātiprahīṇaraśmiḥ syāttathā bhāvaviparyaye | viṣādamarcched glāniṃ vāpyetamarthaṃ bravīmi te

When fortune turns against him, a man should not lose all his fire, nor sink into despair or faintness; that is why I tell you this.

Note on the text: Spaced ब्रवीमिते → ब्रवीमि ते (words run together in Wikisource; critical edition bravīmi te).

Verse 15 (5.76.15)

श्वोभूते धृतराष्ट्रस्य समीपं प्राप्य पाण्डव । यतिष्ये प्रशमं कर्तुं युष्मदर्थमहापयन् ॥

śvobhūte dhṛtarāṣṭrasya samīpaṃ prāpya pāṇḍava | yatiṣye praśamaṃ kartuṃ yuṣmadarthamahāpayan

Tomorrow, when day breaks, I will go to Dhritarashtra, Pandava, and try to make peace without giving up anything of your interest.

Verse 16 (5.76.16)

शमं चेत्ते करिष्यन्ति ततोऽनन्तं यशो मम । भवतां च कृतः कामस्तेषां च श्रेय उत्तमम् ॥

śamaṃ cette kariṣyanti tato'nantaṃ yaśo mama | bhavatāṃ ca kṛtaḥ kāmasteṣāṃ ca śreya uttamam

If they make peace, then endless fame will be mine, your wish will be fulfilled, and for them it will be the highest good.

Note on the text: Corrected कच कृतः → च कृतः (misprint in Wikisource; a stray क that gives the line a ninth syllable; critical edition ca kṛtaḥ).

Verse 17 (5.76.17)

ते चेदभिनिवेक्ष्यन्ते नाभ्युपैष्यन्ति मे वचः । कुरवो युद्धमेवात्र घोरं कर्म भविष्यति ॥

te cedabhinivekṣyante nābhyupaiṣyanti me vacaḥ | kuravo yuddhamevātra ghoraṃ karma bhaviṣyati

But if the Kurus cling to their purpose and will not accept my words, then war it will be, a dreadful deed.

Verse 18 (5.76.18)

अस्मिन्युद्धे भीमसेन त्वयि भारः समाहितः । धूरर्जुनेन धार्या स्याद्वोढव्य इतरो जनः ॥

asminyuddhe bhīmasena tvayi bhāraḥ samāhitaḥ | dhūrarjunena dhāryā syādvoḍhavya itaro janaḥ

In this war, Bhimasena, the burden is laid on you. The yoke must be borne by Arjuna, and the rest of the people are to be carried along.

Note on the text: Corrected वेढव्य → वोढव्य (misprint in Wikisource; े for ो in वोढव्य 'to be carried', critical edition voḍhavya).

Verse 19 (5.76.19)

अहं हि यन्ता बीभत्सोर्भविता संयुगे सति । धनञ्जयस्यैष कामो न हि युद्धं न कामये ॥

ahaṃ hi yantā bībhatsorbhavitā saṃyuge sati | dhanañjayasyaiṣa kāmo na hi yuddhaṃ na kāmaye

For I will be Bibhatsu's charioteer when battle is joined. That is what Dhananjaya wants; and it is not that I do not want war.

Verse 20 (5.76.20)

तस्मादाशङ्कमानोऽहं वृकोदर मतिं तव । गदतः क्लीबया वाचा तेजस्ते समदीदिपम् ॥

tasmādāśaṅkamāno'haṃ vṛkodara matiṃ tava | gadataḥ klībayā vācā tejaste samadīdipam

So, Vrikodara, doubting your resolve as you spoke in so faint-hearted a voice, I set out to kindle your fire.