Duryodhana Plots to Seize Krishna

Verse 1 (5.88.1)

यदाह विदुरः कृष्णे सर्वं तत्सत्यमच्युते । अनुरक्तो ह्यसंहार्यः पार्थान्प्रति जनार्दनः ॥

yadāha viduraḥ kṛṣṇe sarvaṃ tatsatyamacyute | anurakto hyasaṃhāryaḥ pārthānprati janārdanaḥ

All that Vidura has said about Krishna is true of Achyuta: Janardana is devoted to the Parthas and cannot be drawn away from them.

Verse 2 (5.88.2)

यत्तत्सत्कारसंयुक्तं देयं वसु जनार्दने । अनेकरूपं राजेन्द्र न तद्देयं कदाचन ॥

yattatsatkārasaṃyuktaṃ deyaṃ vasu janārdane | anekarūpaṃ rājendra na taddeyaṃ kadācana

So the wealth of many kinds that was to be given to Janardana with honours should never be given him, king of kings.

Verse 3 (5.88.3)

देशः कालस्तथाऽयुक्तो न हि नार्हति केशवः । मंस्यत्यधोक्षजो राजन्भयादर्चति मामिति ॥

deśaḥ kālastathā'yukto na hi nārhati keśavaḥ | maṃsyatyadhokṣajo rājanbhayādarcati māmiti

Not that Keshava is unworthy of it; but the place and the time are wrong. Adhokshaja would think, 'He honours me out of fear,' O king.

Verse 4 (5.88.4)

अवमानश्च यत्र स्यात्क्षत्रियस्य विशांपते । न तत्कुर्याद्बुधः कार्यमिति मे निश्चिता मतिः ॥

avamānaśca yatra syātkṣatriyasya viśāṃpate | na tatkuryādbudhaḥ kāryamiti me niścitā matiḥ

A wise man should not do a deed that would bring dishonour on a kshatriya, lord of the people. That is my settled view.

Verse 5 (5.88.5)

स हि पूज्यतमो लोके कृष्णः पृथुललोचनः । त्रयाणामपि लोकानां विदितं मम सर्वथा ॥

sa hi pūjyatamo loke kṛṣṇaḥ pṛthulalocanaḥ | trayāṇāmapi lokānāṃ viditaṃ mama sarvathā

I know full well that broad-eyed Krishna is the most worthy of worship in the world — indeed in all three worlds.

Verse 6 (5.88.6)

न तु तस्मै प्रदेयं स्यात्तथा कार्यगतिः प्रभो । विग्रहः समुपारब्धो न हि शाम्यत्यविग्रहात् ॥

na tu tasmai pradeyaṃ syāttathā kāryagatiḥ prabho | vigrahaḥ samupārabdho na hi śāmyatyavigrahāt

Yet nothing should be given him; that is how the matter stands, my lord. War has been set in motion, and it will not be stilled by mere hospitality.

Verse 7 (5.88.7)

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा भीष्मः कुरुपितामहः । वैचित्रवीर्यं राजानमिदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥

tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā bhīṣmaḥ kurupitāmahaḥ | vaicitravīryaṃ rājānamidaṃ vacanamabravīt

Hearing his words, Bhishma, grandsire of the Kurus, said this to King Dhritarashtra, son of Vichitravirya.

Verse 8 (5.88.8)

सत्कृतोऽसत्कृतो वाऽपि न क्रुध्येत जनार्दनः । नावमंस्यत्यवज्ञातॄनवज्ञातोऽपि केशवः । नालमेनमवज्ञातुं नावज्ञेयो हि केशवः ॥

satkṛto'satkṛto vā'pi na krudhyeta janārdanaḥ | nāvamaṃsyatyavajñātṝnavajñāto'pi keśavaḥ | nālamenamavajñātuṃ nāvajñeyo hi keśavaḥ

Whether honoured or not, Janardana would not grow angry. Even when slighted, Keshava will not scorn those who slight him. Nor are you able to slight him, for Keshava is not one to be slighted.

Note on the text: Removed Wikisource's interpolation marks (` … ') around the second line and the stray danda left with them. A three-line verse. The first line is the critical edition's 5.86.8ab; the second line is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension) — its last words (avajñāto 'pi keśavaḥ) are those of 5.86.8d; the third line corresponds to 5.86.8c (reading नालमेनम् for nālam anyam) with a different close. Speaker set to Bhishma: the verse is his speech, introduced in verse 7; Wikisource prints no heading, and the input carried वैशंपायन.

Verse 9 (5.88.9)

यत्तु कार्यं महाबाहो मनसा कार्यतां गतम् । सर्वोपायैर्न तच्छक्यं केनचित्कर्तुमन्यथा ॥

yattu kāryaṃ mahābāho manasā kāryatāṃ gatam | sarvopāyairna tacchakyaṃ kenacitkartumanyathā

But whatever task, mighty-armed one, he has resolved in his mind to do, no one can make it turn out otherwise by any means at all.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Bhishma (continuing his speech; no printed heading).

Verse 10 (5.88.10)

स यद्ब्रूयान्महाबाहुस्तत्कार्यमविशङ्कया । वासुदेवेन तीर्थेन क्षिप्रं संशाम्य पाण्डवैः ॥

sa yadbrūyānmahābāhustatkāryamaviśaṅkayā | vāsudevena tīrthena kṣipraṃ saṃśāmya pāṇḍavaiḥ

Whatever the mighty-armed one says, do it without misgiving. With Vasudeva as your ford, make peace with the Pandavas quickly.

Note on the text: Corrected संशाभ्य → संशाम्य (misprint in Wikisource; भ for म; the critical edition reads saṃśāmya and the page's commentary glosses संशाम्य). Speaker set to Bhishma (continuing his speech; no printed heading).

Verse 11 (5.88.11)

धर्म्यमर्थ्यं च धर्मात्मा ध्रुवं वक्ता जनार्दनः । तस्मिन्वाच्याः प्रिया वाचो भवता बान्धवैः सह ॥

dharmyamarthyaṃ ca dharmātmā dhruvaṃ vaktā janārdanaḥ | tasminvācyāḥ priyā vāco bhavatā bāndhavaiḥ saha

Righteous Janardana will surely speak words that accord with dharma and with your good; you and your kinsmen should speak kindly to him.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Bhishma (continuing his speech; no printed heading).

Verse 12 (5.88.12)

न पर्याप्तोऽस्मि यद्राजञ्श्रियं निष्केवलामहम् । तैः सहेमामुपाश्रीयां यावज्जीवं पितामह ॥

na paryāpto'smi yadrājañśriyaṃ niṣkevalāmaham | taiḥ sahemāmupāśrīyāṃ yāvajjīvaṃ pitāmaha

I cannot bring myself, O king, to share with them this fortune that should be wholly mine — not as long as I live, grandsire.

Note on the text: Corrected पर्याप्तोस्मि → पर्याप्तोऽस्मि (misprint in Wikisource; missing avagraha: पर्याप्तः अस्मि). The verse otherwise differs from the critical edition (na paryāyo 'sti … upāśnīyāṃ jīvañ jīvaiḥ) and is kept as Wikisource's reading.

Verse 13 (5.88.13)

इदं तु सुमहत्कार्यं शृणु मे यत्समर्थितम् । परायणं पाण्डवानां नियच्छामि जनार्दनम् ॥

idaṃ tu sumahatkāryaṃ śṛṇu me yatsamarthitam | parāyaṇaṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ niyacchāmi janārdanam

But hear the great design I have settled on: I shall take Janardana captive, the refuge of the Pandavas.

Note on the text: Corrected श्रुणु → शृणु (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads śṛṇu). The critical edition's star passage 5.86.13b*0393 (one line) is not in Wikisource.

Verse 14 (5.88.14)

तस्मिन्बद्धे भविष्यन्ति वृष्णयः पृथिवी तथा । पाण्डवाश्च विधेया मे स च प्रातरिहैष्यति ॥

tasminbaddhe bhaviṣyanti vṛṣṇayaḥ pṛthivī tathā | pāṇḍavāśca vidheyā me sa ca prātarihaiṣyati

Once he is bound, the Vrishnis and the whole earth, and the Pandavas too, will be at my command. And he will be here in the morning.

Note on the text: Corrected प्रातरिहैप्यति → प्रातरिहैष्यति (misprint in Wikisource; प for ष; the critical edition reads iheṣyati).

Verse 15 (5.88.15)

अत्रोपायान्यथा सम्यङ्न बुद्ध्येत जनार्दनः । न चापायो भवेत्कश्चित्तद्भवान्प्रब्रवीतु मे ॥

atropāyānyathā samyaṅna buddhyeta janārdanaḥ | na cāpāyo bhavetkaścittadbhavānprabravītu me

Tell me the means by which this may be done so that Janardana does not see through it, and no harm comes of it.

Verse 16 (5.88.16)

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा घोरं कृष्णेऽभिसंहितम् । धृतराष्ट्रः सहामात्यो व्यथितो विमनाभवत् ॥

tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā ghoraṃ kṛṣṇe'bhisaṃhitam | dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ sahāmātyo vyathito vimanābhavat

Hearing those dreadful words, aimed at Krishna, Dhritarashtra and his counsellors were pained and dismayed.

Verse 17 (5.88.17)

ततो दुर्योधनमिदं धृतराष्ट्रोऽब्रवीद्वचः । मैवं वोचः प्रजापाल नैष धर्मः सनातनः ॥

tato duryodhanamidaṃ dhṛtarāṣṭro'bravīdvacaḥ | maivaṃ vocaḥ prajāpāla naiṣa dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ

Then Dhritarashtra said this to Duryodhana: "Do not speak so, protector of the people; this is not the eternal dharma.

Verse 18 (5.88.18)

दूतश्च हि हृषीकेशः संबन्धी च प्रियश्च नः । अपापः कौरवेयेषु स कथं बन्धमर्हति ॥

dūtaśca hi hṛṣīkeśaḥ saṃbandhī ca priyaśca naḥ | apāpaḥ kauraveyeṣu sa kathaṃ bandhamarhati

Hrishikesha is an envoy, and he is our kinsman and dear to us. He has done no wrong to the Kauravas; how can he deserve to be bound?"

Note on the text: Speaker set to Dhritarashtra: the verse wholly continues his rebuke begun in the second line of verse 17; Wikisource prints no heading, and the input carried वैशंपायन.

Verse 19 (5.88.19)

परीतस्तव पुत्रोऽयं धृतराष्ट्र सुमन्दधीः । वृणोत्यनर्थं नैवार्थं याच्यमानः सुहृज्जनैः ॥

parītastava putro'yaṃ dhṛtarāṣṭra sumandadhīḥ | vṛṇotyanarthaṃ naivārthaṃ yācyamānaḥ suhṛjjanaiḥ

This dull-witted son of yours, Dhritarashtra, is in the grip of doom. He chooses ruin and not his good, though his friends plead with him.

Verse 20 (5.88.20)

इममुत्पथि वर्तन्तं पापं पापानुबन्धिनम् । वाक्यानि सुहृदां हित्वा त्वमप्यस्यानुवर्तसे ॥

imamutpathi vartantaṃ pāpaṃ pāpānubandhinam | vākyāni suhṛdāṃ hitvā tvamapyasyānuvartase

He walks the wrong path, wicked and bound to wickedness — and you, setting aside the counsel of your friends, follow him.

Verse 21 (5.88.21)

कृष्णमक्लिष्टकर्माणमासाद्यायं सुदुर्मतिः । तव पुत्रः सहामात्यः क्षणेन न भविष्यति ॥

kṛṣṇamakliṣṭakarmāṇamāsādyāyaṃ sudurmatiḥ | tava putraḥ sahāmātyaḥ kṣaṇena na bhaviṣyati

Once he comes up against Krishna, whose deeds never falter, this witless son of yours will perish in a moment, along with his counsellors.

Verse 22 (5.88.22)

पापस्यास्य नृशंसस्य त्यक्तधर्मस्य दुर्मतेः । नोत्सहेऽनर्थसंयुक्ताः श्रोतुं वाचः कथंचन ॥

pāpasyāsya nṛśaṃsasya tyaktadharmasya durmateḥ | notsahe'narthasaṃyuktāḥ śrotuṃ vācaḥ kathaṃcana

I cannot bear to listen in any way to the ruinous words of this cruel, wicked fool who has abandoned dharma.

Verse 23 (5.88.23)

इत्युक्त्वा भरतश्रेष्ठो वृद्धः परममन्युमान् । उत्थाय तस्मात्प्रातिष्ठद्भीष्मः सत्यपराक्रमः ॥

ityuktvā bharataśreṣṭho vṛddhaḥ paramamanyumān | utthāya tasmātprātiṣṭhadbhīṣmaḥ satyaparākramaḥ

Having said this, aged Bhishma, best of the Bharatas, of true valour, rose in great wrath and left that place.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Vaishampayana: the verse is narration (the critical edition prints vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca before it); the input carried भीष्म over from the verses before.