05.125
Pancharatra: Duryodhana rejects Pandavas claim to the kingdom and sights the dharma of the kshatriyas to fight and give up lives in battle field.
śavaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Śavaiśampāyana spoke:
śrutvā duryodhano vākyamapriyaṃ kurusaṃsadi . pratyuvāca mahābāhuṃ vāsudevaṃ yaśasvinam ॥5-125-1॥
Upon hearing the unpleasant words in the Kuru assembly, Duryodhana responded to the mighty and illustrious Vasudeva.
prasamīkṣya bhavānetadvaktumarhati keśava । māmeva hi viśeṣeṇa vibhāṣya parigarhase ॥5-125-2॥
O Keśava, after considering, you are worthy to speak this. You indeed criticize me especially after speaking.
bhaktivādena pārthānāmakasmānmadhusūdana । bhavāngarhayate nityaṃ kiṃ samīkṣya balābalam ॥5-125-3॥
O Madhusudana, why do you always criticize the sons of Pritha without reason, considering their strengths and weaknesses, by the argument of devotion?
bhavānkṣattā ca rājā ca ācāryo vā pitāmahaḥ । māmeva parigarhante nānyaṃ kañcana pārthivam ॥5-125-4॥
You, whether as a minister, king, teacher, or grandfather, blame only me and no other prince.
na cāhaṃ lakṣaye kañcidvyabhicāramihātmanaḥ । atha sarve bhavanto māṃ vidviṣanti sarājakāḥ ॥5-125-5॥
I do not see any fault in myself here. Yet, all of you, along with the kings, despise me.
na cāhaṃ kañcidatyarthamaparādhamariṃdama । vicintayanprapaśyāmi susūkṣmamapi keśava ॥5-125-6॥
O Keśava, I do not perceive any significant fault, not even a very subtle one, O subduer of enemies, as I contemplate.
priyābhyupagate dyūte pāṇḍavā madhusūdana । jitāḥ śakuninā rājyaṃ tatra kiṃ mama duṣkṛtam ॥5-125-7॥
O Madhusudana, when the dear one approached the game of dice, the Pandavas were defeated by Shakuni. What fault is mine in that situation?
yat punar draviṇaṃ kiñcit tatrājīyanta pāṇḍavāḥ । tebhya evābhyanujñātaṃ tattadā madhusūdana ॥5-125-8॥
The wealth that was conquered by the Pandavas was permitted to them by you, O Madhusudana, at that time.
aparādho na cāsmākaṃ yatte hyakṣaparājitāḥ । ajeyā jayatāṃ śreṣṭha pārthāḥ pravrājitā vanam ॥5-125-9॥
It is not our fault, but yours, as you are unconquered in dice. The invincible sons of Pritha, the best among the victorious, have been exiled to the forest.
kena cāpyapavādena virudhyante'ribhiḥ saha । aśaktāḥ pāṇḍavāḥ kṛṣṇa prahṛṣṭāḥ pratyamitravat ॥5-125-10॥
O Krishna, by what slander are the powerless Pandavas opposed by enemies, yet they seem delighted as if facing their foes?
kim asmābhiḥ kṛtaṃ teṣāṃ kasmin vā punar āgasi । dhārtarāṣṭrāñ jighāṃsanti pāṇḍavāḥ sṛñjayaiḥ saha ॥5-125-11॥
What have we done to them, or what offense have we committed again? The Pandavas, along with the Srinjayas, intend to harm the sons of Dhritarashtra.
na cāpi vayamugreṇa karmaṇā vacanena vā । vitrastāḥ praṇamāmeha bhayādapi śatakratoḥ ॥5-125-12॥
We are not frightened by fierce actions or words to bow here out of fear of Indra.
na ca taṃ kṛṣṇa paśyāmi kṣatradharmamanuṣṭhitam । utsaheta yudhā jetuṃ yo naḥ śatrunibarhaṇa ॥5-125-13॥
O Kṛṣṇa, I do not see the warrior's duty being upheld. Who among us could conquer by fighting, O destroyer of enemies?
na hi bhīṣmakṛpadroṇāḥ sagaṇā madhusūdana । devairapi yudhā jetuṃ śakyāḥ kimuta pāṇḍavaiḥ ॥5-125-14॥
O Madhusudana, neither Bhishma, Kripa, nor Drona with their troops can be conquered in battle even by the gods, let alone by the Pandavas.
svadharmam anutiṣṭhanto yadi mādhava saṃyuge । śastreṇa nidhanaṃ kāle prāpsyāmaḥ svargam eva tat ॥5-125-15॥
O Mādhava, if we perform our own duty in battle and meet death by weapon in due time, we shall indeed obtain heaven.
mukhyaścaivaiṣa no dharmaḥ kṣatriyāṇāṃ janārdana । yacchayīmahi saṅgrāme śaratalpagatā vayam ॥5-125-16॥
O Janardana, it is indeed the primary duty of us Kshatriyas that we should lie on the battlefield on a bed of arrows.
te vayaṃ vīraśayanaṃ prāpsyāmo yadi saṃyuge । apraṇamyaiva śatrūṇāṃ na nastapsyati mādhava ॥5-125-17॥
O Mādhava, we will attain the hero's bed in battle without bowing to the enemies; they will not torment us.
kaśca jātu kule jātaḥ kṣatradharmeṇa vartayan । bhayādvṛttiṃ samīkṣyaivaṃ praṇamediha kasyacit ॥5-125-18॥
Whoever is born in a noble family and lives by the warrior's code, considering their conduct out of fear, would bow to anyone here.
udyacchedeva na namedudyamo hyeva pauruṣam । apyaparvaṇi bhajyeta na namediha kasyacit ॥5-125-19॥
Effort should be like the rising sun, never bowing down; true manliness lies in this. Even in adversity, one may break but should never bow to anyone.
iti mātaṅgavacanaṃ parīpsanti hitepsavaḥ । dharmāya caiva praṇamedbrāhmaṇebhyaśca madvidhaḥ ॥5-125-20॥
Thus, those who seek welfare listen to the words of Matanga. A person like me should bow to the Brahmins and uphold dharma.
acintayankañcidanyaṃ yāvajjīvaṃ tathācaret । eṣa dharmaḥ kṣatriyāṇāṃ matametacca me sadā ॥5-125-21॥
One should act without considering anyone else for the entirety of their life. This is the duty of the Kshatriyas, and this has always been my belief.
rājyaṃśaścābhyanujñāto yo me pitrā purābhavat . na sa labhyaḥ punarjātu mayi jīvati keśava ॥5-125-22॥
O Keśava, the portion of the kingdom that my father once allowed me is not obtainable again as long as I live.
yāvac ca rājā dhriyate dhṛtarāṣṭro janārdana । nyastaśastrā vayaṃ te vāpy upajīvāma mādhava ॥5-125-23॥
O Janardana, as long as King Dhritarashtra is supported, we have laid down our arms and depend on you, O Madhava.
yadyadeyaṃ purā dattaṃ rājyaṃ paravato mama । ajñānādvā bhayādvāpi mayi bāle janārdana ॥5-125-24॥
O Janardana, whatever kingdom was given to Paravata by me in the past, whether out of ignorance or fear, when I was a child.
na tadadya punarlabhyaṃ pāṇḍavairvṛṣṇinandana । dhriyamāṇe mahābāho mayi samprati keśava ॥5-125-25॥
O Keśava, the joy of the Vṛṣṇis, today that cannot be obtained by the Pāṇḍavas, as it is currently supported by me, O mighty-armed one.
yāvaddhi sūcyāstīkṣṇāyā vidhyedagreṇa mādhava । tāvadaparityājyaṃ bhūmernaḥ pāṇḍavānprati ॥5-125-26॥
O Mādhava, as long as the sharp point of a needle can pierce, we must not abandon our land to the Pāṇḍavas.
