11.001
Pancharatra and Core: Lamentation of Dhritarashtra absolving himself of any blame, and Sanjaya asking him to take the responsibility.
जनमेजय उवाच॥
Janamejaya said:
हते दुर्योधने चैव हते सैन्ये च सर्वशः। धृतराष्ट्रो महाराजः श्रुत्वा किमकरोन्मुने ॥११-१-१॥
O sage, after Duryodhana and his entire army were slain, what did King Dhritarashtra do upon hearing this?
तथैव कौरवो राजा धर्मपुत्रो महामनाः। कृपप्रभृतयश्चैव किमकुर्वत ते त्रयः ॥११-१-२॥
Likewise, what did the Kaurava king, the great-minded Dharmaputra, and Kṛpa and his companions, those three, do?
अश्वत्थाम्नः श्रुतं कर्म शापश्चान्योन्यकारितः। वृत्तान्तमुत्तरं ब्रूहि यदभाषत सञ्जयः ॥११-१-३॥
Tell me about the deed and curse of Aśvatthāman that were mutually caused, and the event and answer that Sañjaya spoke.
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
हते पुत्रशते दीनं छिन्नशाखमिव द्रुमम्। पुत्रशोकाभिसन्तप्तं धृतराष्ट्रं महीपतिम् ॥११-१-४॥
When his hundred sons had been slain, King Dhritarashtra, distressed and tormented by grief for his sons, was like a tree whose branches had been cut off.
ध्यानमूकत्वमापन्नं चिन्तया समभिप्लुतम्। अभिगम्य महाप्राज्ञः सञ्जयो वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥११-१-५॥
Sanjaya, the wise, approached and spoke as Dhritarashtra sat silent in meditation, overwhelmed by thought.
किं शोचसि महाराज नास्ति शोके सहायता। अक्षौहिण्यो हताश्चाष्टौ दश चैव विशां पते ॥ निर्जनेयं वसुमती शून्या सम्प्रति केवला ॥११-१-६॥
Why do you grieve, O great king? There is no help in sorrow. Eighteen akṣauhiṇīs have been destroyed, O lord of men. Now this earth is deserted, empty, and left alone.
नानादिग्भ्यः समागम्य नानादेश्या नराधिपाः। सहितास्तव पुत्रेण सर्वे वै निधनं गताः ॥११-१-७॥
Kings from many directions and regions gathered together with your son; all of them have indeed perished.
पितॄणां पुत्रपौत्राणां ज्ञातीनां सुहृदां तथा। गुरूणां चानुपूर्व्येण प्रेतकार्याणि कारय ॥११-१-८॥
Perform the funeral rites in due order for the ancestors, sons and grandsons, relatives, friends, and teachers.
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
तच्छ्रुत्वा करुणं वाक्यं पुत्रपौत्रवधार्दितः। पपात भुवि दुर्धर्षो वाताहत इव द्रुमः ॥११-१-९॥
Hearing those sorrowful words and overwhelmed by the loss of his son and grandson, the mighty one collapsed to the ground like a tree felled by the wind.
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच॥
Dhritarashtra said:
हतपुत्रो हतामात्यो हतसर्वसुहृज्जनः। दुःखं नूनं भविष्यामि विचरन्पृथिवीमिमाम् ॥११-१-१०॥
Having lost my son, ministers, and all my friends, I shall surely wander this earth in sorrow.
किं नु बन्धुविहीनस्य जीवितेन ममाद्य वै। लूनपक्षस्य इव मे जराजीर्णस्य पक्षिणः ॥११-१-११॥
What is the point of my life today, without any relatives? My life is like that of an old, worn-out bird with its wings clipped.
हृतराज्यो हतसुहृद्धतचक्षुश्च वै तथा। न भ्राजिष्ये महाप्राज्ञ क्षीणरश्मिरिवांशुमान् ॥११-१-१२॥
My kingdom is lost, my friends are slain, and my sight is gone; O wise one, I will not shine, just like the sun whose rays have faded.
न कृतं सुहृदां वाक्यं जामदग्न्यस्य जल्पतः। नारदस्य च देवर्षेः कृष्णद्वैपायनस्य च ॥११-१-१३॥
The words spoken by the friends—Jāmadagnya (Paraśurāma), Nārada, and the divine sage Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana (Vyāsa)—were not heeded.
सभामध्ये तु कृष्णेन यच्छ्रेयोऽभिहितं मम। अलं वैरेण ते राजन्पुत्रः सङ्गृह्यतामिति ॥११-१-१४॥
But in the assembly, Kṛṣṇa said what was best for me: 'O king, let there be an end to your enmity; let your son be restrained.'
तच्च वाक्यमकृत्वाहं भृशं तप्यामि दुर्मतिः। न हि श्रोतास्मि भीष्मस्य धर्मयुक्तं प्रभाषितम् ॥११-१-१५॥
Because I did not act on that word, I, being foolish and greatly tormented, am now unable to listen to the righteous words spoken by Bhishma.
दुर्योधनस्य च तथा वृषभस्येव नर्दतः। दुःशासनवधं श्रुत्वा कर्णस्य च विपर्ययम् ॥ द्रोणसूर्योपरागं च हृदयं मे विदीर्यते ॥११-१-१६॥
Hearing of Duḥśāsana's death, Karṇa's defeat, and the fall of Droṇa, my heart is shattered, just as Duryodhana roared like a bull.
न स्मराम्यात्मनः किञ्चित्पुरा सञ्जय दुष्कृतम्। यस्येदं फलमद्येह मया मूढेन भुज्यते ॥११-१-१७॥
O Sañjaya, I do not recall having done any evil deed in the past for which I, in my delusion, am experiencing this result today.
नूनं ह्यपकृतं किञ्चिन्मया पूर्वेषु जन्मसु। येन मां दुःखभागेषु धाता कर्मसु युक्तवान् ॥११-१-१८॥
Surely, I must have committed some misdeed in my previous lives, because of which the creator has made me partake in suffering through my actions.
परिणामश्च वयसः सर्वबन्धुक्षयश्च मे। सुहृन्मित्रविनाशश्च दैवयोगादुपागतः ॥ कोऽन्योऽस्ति दुःखिततरो मया लोके पुमानिह ॥११-१-१९॥
With the change of age, the destruction of all my relatives, and the loss of friends and companions by fate, who else is there in this world, among men here, more sorrowful than I am?
तन्मामद्यैव पश्यन्तु पाण्डवाः संशितव्रतम्। विवृतं ब्रह्मलोकस्य दीर्घमध्वानमास्थितम् ॥११-१-२०॥
Let the Pāṇḍavas of firm vows see me today itself; the long path to Brahmaloka has been opened and undertaken.
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
तस्य लालप्यमानस्य बहुशोकं विचिन्वतः। शोकापहं नरेन्द्रस्य सञ्जयो वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥११-१-२१॥
As he lamented and searched in great sorrow, Sanjaya, who relieves the king's grief, spoke these words.
शोकं राजन्व्यपनुद श्रुतास्ते वेदनिश्चयाः। शास्त्रागमाश्च विविधा वृद्धेभ्यो नृपसत्तम ॥ सृञ्जये पुत्रशोकार्ते यदूचुर्मुनयः पुरा ॥११-१-२२॥
O king, dispel your grief; you have already heard the conclusions of the Vedas and the various treatises and traditions from the elders, O best of kings. This is what the sages once said to Sṛñjaya, who was stricken with grief for his son.
तथा यौवनजं दर्पमास्थिते ते सुते नृप। न त्वया सुहृदां वाक्यं ब्रुवतामवधारितम् ॥ स्वार्थश्च न कृतः कश्चिल्लुब्धेन फलगृद्धिना ॥११-१-२३॥
O king, your son, filled with the arrogance of youth, did not listen to the advice of friends as you did. And, being greedy for results, he did not act in anyone's true interest.
तव दुःशासनो मन्त्री राधेयश्च दुरात्मवान्। शकुनिश्चैव दुष्टात्मा चित्रसेनश्च दुर्मतिः ॥ शल्यश्च येन वै सर्वं शल्यभूतं कृतं जगत् ॥११-१-२४॥
Your Duḥśāsana, the minister, Karna, and other wicked-souled men—Śakuni, Citrasena, and the ill-intentioned Śalya—have made the whole world a place of suffering.
कुरुवृद्धस्य भीष्मस्य गान्धार्या विदुरस्य च। न कृतं वचनं तेन तव पुत्रेण भारत ॥११-१-२५॥
O Bharata, your son did not heed the words of the elder of the Kurus, Bhishma, Gandhari, and Vidura.
न धर्मः सत्कृतः कश्चिन्नित्यं युद्धमिति ब्रुवन्। क्षपिताः क्षत्रियाः सर्वे शत्रूणां वर्धितं यशः ॥११-१-२६॥
No one respected righteousness, saying "war is perpetual"; all the Kshatriyas were destroyed, and the glory of the enemies increased.
मध्यस्थो हि त्वमप्यासीर्न क्षमं किञ्चिदुक्तवान्। धूर्धरेण त्वया भारस्तुलया न समं धृतः ॥११-१-२७॥
You remained neutral and did not say anything appropriate. The burden was not held equally by you and Dhūrdhara on the scale.
आदावेव मनुष्येण वर्तितव्यं यथा क्षमम्। यथा नातीतमर्थं वै पश्चात्तापेन युज्यते ॥११-१-२८॥
From the very start, a person should act appropriately, so that he does not later regret what has already happened.
पुत्रगृद्ध्या त्वया राजन्प्रियं तस्य चिकीर्षता। पश्चात्तापमिदं प्राप्तं न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि ॥११-१-२९॥
O king, because you wished to do what was dear to your son out of affection, this regret has come to you; but you should not grieve.
मधु यः केवलं दृष्ट्वा प्रपातं नानुपश्यति। स भ्रष्टो मधुलोभेन शोचत्येव यथा भवान् ॥११-१-३०॥
He who, seeing only the honey, does not notice the precipice, falls due to his greed for honey and grieves, just as you do.
अर्थान्न शोचन्प्राप्नोति न शोचन्विन्दते सुखम्। न शोचञ्श्रियमाप्नोति न शोचन्विन्दते परम् ॥११-१-३१॥
One who does not grieve attains objects, happiness, prosperity, and the highest goal.
स्वयमुत्पादयित्वाग्निं वस्त्रेण परिवेष्टयेत्। दह्यमानो मनस्तापं भजते न स पण्डितः ॥११-१-३२॥
If a person, after kindling a fire himself, wraps it in cloth and then complains of being burned, he is not wise. Similarly, a wise person does not let mental pain trouble him.
त्वयैव ससुतेनायं वाक्यवायुसमीरितः। लोभाज्येन च संसिक्तो ज्वलितः पार्थपावकः ॥११-१-३३॥
It is you, along with your son, who have fanned this fire of Partha (Arjuna) with words and fueled it with the ghee of greed, causing it to blaze up.
तस्मिन्समिद्धे पतिताः शलभा इव ते सुताः। तान्केशवार्चिर्निर्दग्धान्न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि ॥११-१-३४॥
In that blazing fire, your sons fell like moths. You should not grieve for them, for they were consumed by Keśava's flame.
यच्चाश्रुपातकलिलं वदनं वहसे नृप। अशास्त्रदृष्टमेतद्धि न प्रशंसन्ति पण्डिताः ॥११-१-३५॥
O king, the wise do not approve of you bearing a tear-stained face, for such behavior is not sanctioned by the scriptures.
विस्फुलिङ्गा इव ह्येतान्दहन्ति किल मानवान्। जहीहि मन्युं बुद्ध्या वै धारयात्मानमात्मना ॥११-१-३६॥
Just as sparks burn men, so too does anger. Therefore, abandon anger with your intellect and restrain yourself by your own self-control.
एवमाश्वासितस्तेन सञ्जयेन महात्मना। विदुरो भूय एवाह बुद्धिपूर्वं परन्तप ॥११-१-३७॥
Thus, after being consoled by the great-souled Sañjaya, Vidura once again spoke thoughtfully, O conqueror of enemies.
