02.051
Pancharatra: Conversation between Shakuni, Dritarastra and Vidura repeats.
śakuniruvāca॥
Shakuni said.
yāṃ tvametāṃ śriyaṃ dṛṣṭvā pāṇḍuputre yudhiṣṭhire। tapyase tāṃ hariṣyāmi dyūtenāhūyatāṃ paraḥ ॥2-51-1॥
Seeing this prosperity in Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Pāṇḍu, by which you are tormented, I shall take that away by gambling; let the other be invited. (2-51-1)
agatvā saṃśayam aham ayuddhvā ca camūmukhe। akṣān kṣipan akṣataḥ san vidvān aviduṣo jaye ॥2-51-2॥
Without going and without fighting in the face of the army, I, casting dice, being unwounded, am wise in victory over the unwise. (2-51-2)
glahāndhanūṃṣi me viddhi śarānakṣāṃśca bhārata। akṣāṇāṃ hṛdayaṃ me jyāṃ rathaṃ viddhi mamāstaram ॥2-51-3॥
O Bhārata, know that the dice and gambling implements are my arrows; the dice are the heart of my chariot, the bowstring is mine, and the chariot is my weapon. (2-51-3)
duryodhana uvāca॥
Duryodhana said.
ayam utsahate rājan śriyam āhartum akṣavit। dyūtena pāṇḍu-putrebhyas tat tubhyaṃ tāta rocatām ॥2-51-4॥
O king, this gambler is striving to win prosperity from the sons of Pāṇḍu by means of gambling; may this be pleasing to you, dear one. (2-51-4)
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca॥
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said.
sthito'smi śāsane bhrātuḥ vidurasya mahātmanaḥ। tena saṅgamya vetsyāmi kāryasya asya viniścayam ॥2-51-5॥
I remain under the command of my noble brother Vidura. After meeting with him, I will learn the resolution of this matter. (2-51-5)
duryodhana uvāca॥
Duryodhana said.
vihaniṣyati te buddhiṃ viduro muktasaṃśayaḥ। pāṇḍavānāṃ hite yukto na tathā mama kaurava ॥2-51-6॥
O Kaurava, Vidura, who is free from doubt, will hinder your judgment; he is devoted to the welfare of the Pāṇḍavas, not to mine. (2-51-6)
nārabhet parasāmarthyāt puruṣaḥ kāryam ātmanaḥ। matisāmyaṃ dvayor nāsti kāryeṣu kurunandana ॥2-51-7॥
O Kurunandana, a person should not undertake the work of another just because of capability; for in actions, equality of intellect between two people does not exist. (2-51-7)
bhayaṃ pariharanmanda ātmānaṃ paripālayan। varṣāsu klinnakaṭavattiṣṭhannevāvasīdati ॥2-51-8॥
Slowly, removing fear and protecting himself, he stands in the rains like wet wood and simply sinks down. (2-51-8)
na vyādhayo nāpi yamaḥ śreyaḥ-prāptiṃ pratīkṣate। yāvadeva bhavet kalpaḥ tāvat śreyaḥ samācaret ॥2-51-9॥
Neither disease nor death waits for the attainment of the highest good. Therefore, as long as one lives, one should strive to practice virtue. (2-51-9)
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca॥
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said.
sarvathā putra balibhirvigrahaṃ te na rocaye। vairaṃ vikāraṃ sṛjati tadvai śastramanāyasam ॥2-51-10॥
Son, in every way, I do not approve of your conflict with the strong; for enmity creates disturbance, and such a weapon brings trouble without effort. (2-51-10)
anartham arthaṃ manyase rājaputra; saṅgranthanaṃ kalahasyātighoram। tad vai pravṛttaṃ tu yathā kathaṃ ci; dvimokṣaye cāpy asisāyakāṃś ca ॥2-51-11॥
O prince, you mistake what is not meaningful for what is meaningful; the entanglement of conflict is extremely dreadful. Now that it has arisen, in whatever way possible, I will release both the sword and the arrows as well. (2-51-11)
duryodhana uvāca॥
Duryodhana said.
dyūte purāṇairvyavahāraḥ praṇīta; statrātyayo nāsti na samprahāraḥ. tadrocatāṃ śakunervākyamadya; sabhāṃ kṣipraṃ tvamihājñāpayasva ॥2-51-12॥
In gambling, the rules have been set by the ancients; there is no danger or conflict there. Let Śakuni's proposal be agreeable today; quickly convene the assembly here. (2-51-12)
svargadvāraṃ dīvyatāṃ no viśiṣṭaṃ; tadvartināṃ cāpi tathaiva yuktam। bhavedevaṃ hyātmanā tulyameva; durodaraṃ pāṇḍavaistvaṃ kuruṣva ॥2-51-13॥
The gate to heaven, which is to be enjoyed by us, is special; it is equally proper for those who follow that path. Thus, by your own self, act equally, Duryodhana, as the Pāṇḍavas do. (2-51-13)
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca॥
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said.
vākyaṃ na me rocate yattvayoktaṃ; yatte priyaṃ tatkriyatāṃ narendra. paścāttapsyase tadupākramya vākyaṃ; na hīdṛśaṃ bhāvi vaco hi dharmyam ॥2-51-14॥
The words you have spoken do not please me; do what you find pleasing, O king. But after acting on those words, you will regret it, for such speech is not truly righteous. (2-51-14)
dṛṣṭaṃ hy etad vidureṇaiva meva; sarvaṃ pūrvaṃ buddhividyānugenā. tadevaitad avaśasyābhyupaiti; mahad bhayaṃ kṣatriya-bīja-ghāti ॥2-51-15॥
This has indeed been seen by Vidura in this very way; all this was previously understood by following intellect and knowledge. That very thing now befalls the helpless—great fear, the destroyer of the seed of the Kṣatriyas. (2-51-15)
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
evam-uktvā dhṛtarāṣṭro manīṣī; daivaṃ matvā paramaṃ dustaraṃ ca। śaśāsoccaiḥ puruṣān putra-vākye; sthito rājā daiva-saṃmūḍha-cetāḥ ॥2-51-16॥
Having thus spoken, Dhritarashtra, the wise king, considering fate to be supreme and insurmountable, ruled his men with authority according to his son's words, his mind bewildered by destiny. (2-51-16)
sahasrastambhāṃ hemavaiḍūryacitrāṃ; śatadvārāṃ toraṇasphāṭiśṛṅgām. sabhām agryāṃ krośamātrāyatāṃ me; tad vistārām āśu kurvantu yuktāḥ ॥2-51-17॥
Let them quickly construct for me an excellent assembly hall, adorned with gold and beryl, with a thousand pillars, a hundred gates, archways and crystal pinnacles, extending one krośa in length and of such expanse, by those engaged. (2-51-17)
śrutvā tasya tvaritā nirviśaṅkāḥ; prājñā dakṣāstāṃ tathā cakrurāśu. sarvadravyāṇyupajahruḥ sabhāyāṃ; sahasraśaḥ śilpinaścāpi yuktāḥ ॥2-51-18॥
Hearing his words, the wise and skilled men, swift and without hesitation, quickly did as instructed. Thousands of engaged artisans also brought all the materials to the assembly. (2-51-18)
kālenālpenātha niṣṭhāṃ gatāṃ tāṃ; sabhāṃ ramyāṃ bahuratnāṃ vicitrām. citrair haimair āsanair abhyupetā; mācakhyus te tasya rājñaḥ pratītāḥ ॥2-51-19॥
In a short time, that splendid, jewel-adorned and variegated assembly hall, furnished with various golden seats, was completed; it was described as well-known to that king. (2-51-19)
tato vidvān viduraṃ mantrimukhya; uvāca idaṃ dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ narendraḥ। yudhiṣṭhiraṃ rājaputraṃ hi gatvā; madvākyena kṣipram iha ānayasva ॥2-51-20॥
Then King Dhritarashtra, addressing the wise Vidura, chief among ministers, said: "Go to Yudhishthira, the prince, and quickly bring him here at my command." (2-51-20)
sabheyaṃ me bahuratnā vicitrā; śayyāsanairupapannā mahārhaiḥ. sā dṛśyatāṃ bhrātṛbhiḥ sārdhametya; suhṛddyūtaṃ vartatāmatra ceti ॥2-51-21॥
"Let this assembly of mine, adorned with many jewels and splendidly furnished with costly beds and seats, be seen. Let the friendly game of dice take place here, together with the brothers." (2-51-21)
matam ājñāya putrasya dhṛtarāṣṭro narādhipaḥ| matvā ca dustaraṃ daivam etad rājā cakāra ha ||2-51-22||
Having understood his son's opinion, King Dhritarashtra, considering this fate to be insurmountable, acted accordingly. (2-51-22)
anyāyena tathoktastu viduro viduṣāṃ varaḥ। nābhyanandad vaco bhrātur vacanaṃ cedam abravīt ॥2-51-23॥
But Vidura, the wisest among the learned, when thus addressed unjustly, did not approve his brother's words and spoke as follows. (2-51-23)
nābhinandāmi nṛpate praiṣametaṃ; maivaṃ kṛthāḥ kulanāśādbibhemi. putrairbhinnaiḥ kalahaste dhruvaṃ syā; detacchaṅke dyūtakṛte narendra ॥2-51-24॥
O king, I do not approve of this sending; do not act thus. I fear the destruction of the family. When sons are divided, there will certainly be quarrel; I suspect this will happen because of gambling, O king. (2-51-24)
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca॥
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said.
neha kṣattaḥ kalahastapsyate māṃ; na ceddai̱vaṃ pratilomaṃ bhaviṣyat। dhātrā tu diṣṭasya vaśe kiledaṃ; sarvaṃ jagacceṣṭati na svatantram ॥2-51-25॥
Here, O charioteer, conflict will not trouble me unless fate turns adverse. But truly, by the ordainer, everything in this world acts under the control of destiny and not independently. (2-51-25)
tad adya vidura prāpya rājānaṃ mama śāsanāt। kṣipram ānaya durdharṣaṃ kuntī-putraṃ yudhiṣṭhiram ॥2-51-26॥
Therefore today, Vidura, go to the king at my command and quickly bring the unconquerable Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti. (2-51-26)
