05.023
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana spoke:
rājñastu vacanaṃ śrutvā dhṛtarāṣṭrasya sañjayaḥ। upaplavyaṃ yayau draṣṭuṃ pāṇḍavānamitaujasaḥ ॥5-23-1॥
Upon hearing King Dhritarashtra's words, Sanjaya proceeded to Upaplavya to meet the Pandavas, who were of immense strength.
sa tu rājānam āsādya dharmātmānaṃ yudhiṣṭhiram। praṇipatya tataḥ pūrvaṃ sūtaputro'bhyabhāṣata ॥5-23-2॥
He approached the righteous King Yudhishthira, bowed down, and then the son of a charioteer spoke first.
gāvalgaṇiḥ sañjayaḥ sūtasūnu; rajātaśatrumavadatpratītaḥ। diṣṭyā rājaṃstvāmarogaṃ prapaśye; sahāyavantaṃ ca mahendrakalpam ॥5-23-3॥
Sañjaya, the son of a charioteer, confidently addressed the enemy of silver, saying: "O king, it is fortunate that I see you in good health and accompanied by allies, resembling the great Indra."
anāmayaṃ pṛcchati tvāmbikeyo; vṛddho rājā dhṛtarāṣṭro manīṣī। kaccidbhīmaḥ kuśalī pāṇḍavāgryo; dhanañjayastau ca mādrītanūjau ॥5-23-4॥
The wise old king Dhritarashtra, son of Ambika, inquires about your well-being. He asks whether Bhima, the foremost of the Pandavas, Dhananjaya, and the two sons of Madri are doing well.
kaccitkṛṣṇā draupadī rājaputrī; satyavratā vīrapatnī saputrā। manasvinī yatra ca vāñchasi tva; miṣṭānkāmānbhārata svastikāmaḥ ॥5-23-5॥
O Bhārata, is Kṛṣṇā, Draupadī, the princess, who is true to her vows, the wife of a hero, and blessed with sons, doing well wherever you desire her to be, wishing for her well-being?
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhishthira spoke:
gāvalgaṇe sañjaya svāgataṃ te; prītātmāhaṃ tvābhivadāmi sūta। anāmayaṃ pratijāne tavāhaṃ; sahānujaiḥ kuśalī cāsmi vidvan ॥5-23-6॥
O Gāvalgaṇa, Sañjaya, welcome to you; I am pleased at heart and greet you, O charioteer. I assure you of your well-being; I am well with my brothers, O learned one.
cirādidaṃ kuśalaṃ bhāratasya; śrutvā rājñaḥ kuruvṛddhasya sūta। manye sākṣāddṛṣṭamahaṃ narendraṃ; dṛṣṭvaiva tvāṃ sañjaya prītiyogāt ॥5-23-7॥
After a long time, hearing about the welfare of Bharata from the king, the elder of the Kuru, O charioteer, I feel as if I have directly seen the king himself, having seen you, Sanjaya, due to my affection.
pitāmaho naḥ sthaviro manasvī; mahāprājñaḥ sarvadharmopapannaḥ। sa kauravyaḥ kuśalī tāta bhīṣmo; yathāpūrvaṃ vṛttirapyasya kaccit ॥5-23-8॥
Our grandfather, the venerable and wise Bhishma, who is greatly wise and endowed with all virtues, is well, dear descendant of Kuru. Is his conduct as before?
kaccidrājā dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ saputro; vaicitravīryaḥ kuśalī mahātmā। mahārājo bāhlikaḥ prātipeyaḥ; kaccidvidvānkuśalī sūtaputra ॥5-23-9॥
Is King Dhritarashtra, along with his sons and Vicitravirya, the noble soul, doing well? Is the great King Bahlika, son of Pratipa, doing well? Is the wise son of a charioteer doing well?
sa somadattaḥ kuśalī tāta kaccidbhūriśravāḥ satyasandhaḥ śalaśca। droṇaḥ saputraśca kṛpaśca vipro; maheṣvāsāḥ kaccidete'pyarogāḥ ॥5-23-10॥
Is Somadatta well, father? Are Bhūriśravāḥ, the truthful Śala, Droṇa with his son, and Kṛpa, the wise archer, also healthy?
mahāprājñāḥ sarvaśāstrāvadātā; dhanurbhṛtāṃ mukhyatamāḥ pṛthivyām। kaccinmānaṃ tāta labhanta ete; dhanurbhṛtaḥ kaccidete'pyarogāḥ ॥5-23-11॥
The greatly wise, who are versed in all scriptures, are the foremost among archers on earth. Dear, do these archers receive honor? Are they also in good health?
sarve kurubhyaḥ spṛhayanti sañjaya; dhanurdharā ye pṛthivyāṃ yuvānaḥ। yeṣāṃ rāṣṭre nivasati darśanīyo; maheṣvāsaḥ śīlavāndroṇaputraḥ ॥5-23-12॥
Everyone desires to be like the Kurus, Sanjaya; the young archers of the earth. In their kingdom resides the handsome and virtuous great archer, the son of Drona.
vaiśyāputraḥ kuśalī tāta kacci; nmahāprājño rājaputro yuyutsuḥ। karṇo'mātyaḥ kuśalī tāta kacci; tsuyodhano yasya mando vidheyaḥ ॥5-23-13॥
O father, is the son of a merchant well? Is the greatly wise prince eager to fight? Is Karna, the minister, well? Is Suyodhana, in whom the slow is obedient, doing well?
striyo vṛddhā bhāratānāṃ jananyo; mahānāsyo dāsabhāryāśca sūta। vadhvaḥ putrā bhāgineyā bhaginyo; dauhitrā vā kaccidapyavyalīkāḥ ॥5-23-14॥
Are the women, elderly, and mothers of the Bharatas; the great ones, wives of servants, and charioteers, as well as the brides, sons, nephews, sisters, and grandsons, all unharmed?
kaccidrājā brāhmaṇānāṃ yathāvat pravartate pūrvavattāta vṛttim। kacciddāyānmāmakāndhārtarāṣṭro dvijātīnāṃ sañjaya nopahanti ॥5-23-15॥
O Sanjaya, does the king continue to act properly towards the Brahmanas as before, and does Dhritarashtra's son not harm my inheritance meant for the twice-born?
kaccidrājā dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ saputra; upekṣate brāhmaṇātikramān vai। kaccinna hetoriva vartmabhūta; upekṣate teṣu sa nyūnavṛttim ॥5-23-16॥
Is King Dhritarashtra, along with his sons, ignoring the wrongdoings of the Brahmins? Does he, like a path, overlook their shortcomings for any reason?
etajjyotiruttamaṁ jīvaloke; śuklaṁ prajānāṁ vihitaṁ vidhātrā। te cellobhaṁ na niyacchanti mandāḥ; kṛtsno nāśo bhavitā kauravāṇām ॥5-23-17॥
This supreme light in the world of the living is pure and ordained by the creator for beings. If the foolish do not restrain their greed, it will lead to the complete destruction of the Kauravas.
kaccidrājā dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ saputro; bubhūṣate vṛttimamātyavarge। kaccinna bhedena jijīviṣanti; suhṛdrūpā durhṛdaścaikamitrāḥ ॥5-23-18॥
Is King Dhritarashtra, along with his sons, seeking prosperity among his ministers? Are those who appear as friends but are actually enemies, and a single ally, not trying to survive through division?
kaccinna pāpaṃ kathayanti tāta; te pāṇḍavānāṃ kuravaḥ sarva eva। kacciddṛṣṭvā dasyusaṅghānsametā; nsmaranti pārthasya yudhāṃ praṇetuḥ ॥5-23-19॥
Father, do the Kurus speak no ill of the Pandavas? Do they remember Partha, the leader of battles, when they see the assembled groups of bandits?
maurvībhujāgraprahitānsma tāta; dodhūyamānena dhanurdhareṇa। gāṇḍīvamuktānstanayitnughoṣā; najihmagānkaccidanusmaranti ॥5-23-20॥
Father, do they remember the arrows released from the Gandiva bow, which made a thunderous sound, and were sent straight from the tip of the arm by the shaking of the archer?
na hyapaśyaṃ kañcidahaṃ pṛthivyāṃ; śrutaṃ samaṃ vādhikamarjunena। yasyaikaṣaṣṭirniśitāstīkṣṇadhārāḥ; suvāsasaḥ saṃmato hastavāpaḥ ॥5-23-21॥
Indeed, I have not seen anyone on earth, nor heard of anyone equal to or greater than Arjuna, whose sixty-one sharp and keen-edged arrows are well-dressed and respected.
gadāpāṇirbhīmasenastarasvī; pravepayañśatrusaṅghānanīke। nāgaḥ prabhinna iva naḍvalāsu; caṅkramyate kaccidenaṃ smaranti ॥5-23-22॥
Mighty Bhimasena, with his mace in hand, shakes the enemy troops on the battlefield; like a broken elephant wandering through the reeds, perhaps they remember him.
mādrīputraḥ sahadevaḥ kaliṅgā; nsamāgatānajayaddantakūre। vāmenāsyandakṣiṇenaiva yo vai; mahābalaṃ kaccidenaṃ smaranti ॥5-23-23॥
Sahadeva, the son of Madri, defeated the gathered Kalingas at Dantakura. With his left and right, he showed great strength, and perhaps they still remember him.
udyannayaṁ nakulaḥ preṣito vai; gāvalgaṇe sañjaya paśyataste। diśaṁ pratīcīṁ vaśamānayanme; mādrīsutaṁ kaccidenaṁ smaranti ॥5-23-24॥
As Nakula rises, he was indeed sent by Gāvalgaṇa. Sañjaya, as you see towards the west, bringing under control my Mādrī's son, perhaps they remember him.
abhyābhavo dvaitavane ya āsī; ddurmantrite ghoṣayātrāgatānām। yatra mandāñśatruvaśaṃ prayātā; namocayadbhīmaseno jayaśca ॥5-23-25॥
In the Dvaita forest, Bhimasena overcame those who were ill-advised and had come to the cow-pen, where the slow-witted had fallen under enemy control, ensuring victory.
ahaṁ paścādarjunamabhyarakṣaṁ; mādrīputrau bhīmasenaśca cakre। gāṇḍīvabhṛcchatrusaṅghānudasya; svastyāgamatkaccidenaṁ smaranti ॥5-23-26॥
I protected Arjuna afterwards, and Bhimasena along with the sons of Madri did the same. The wielder of Gandiva, after driving away the enemy groups, returned safely; I wonder if they remember him.
na karmaṇā sādhunaikena nūnaṃ; kartuṃ śakyaṃ bhavatīha sañjaya। sarvātmanā parijetuṃ vayaṃ ce; nna śaknumo dhṛtarāṣṭrasya putram ॥5-23-27॥
Indeed, Sanjaya, it is not possible to achieve anything here by the action of a good person alone. We are unable to conquer the son of Dhritarashtra with all our efforts.
