11.011
Core and Pancharatra: Yudhishthira along with his brothers and Draupadi meets the grieving Yudhishthira who has come to the war zone. Krishna puts an iron idol in front of the grieving and angered Dhritarashtra, who crushes it with his strength.
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
हतेषु सर्वसैन्येषु धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः। शुश्रुवे पितरं वृद्धं निर्यातं गजसाह्वयात् ॥११-११-१॥
When all the armies had been slain, Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira heard that his aged father had left Gajasāhvaya (Hastināpura).
सोऽभ्ययात्पुत्रशोकार्तः पुत्रशोकपरिप्लुतम्। शोचमानो महाराज भ्रातृभिः सहितस्तदा ॥११-११-२॥
He, stricken with grief for his son, approached the one overwhelmed by sorrow for his son; the great king, lamenting, then went together with his brothers.
अन्वीयमानो वीरेण दाशार्हेण महात्मना। युयुधानेन च तथा तथैव च युयुत्सुना ॥११-११-३॥
He was followed by the hero, the Dāśārha (Krishna), the great-souled one, Yuyudhāna (Sātyaki), and likewise by Yuyutsu.
तमन्वगात्सुदुःखार्ता द्रौपदी शोककर्शिता। सह पाञ्चालयोषिद्भिर्यास्तत्रासन्समागताः ॥११-११-४॥
Draupadī, greatly afflicted by sorrow and emaciated by grief, followed him, together with the women of the Pāñcāla who were assembled there.
स गङ्गामनु वृन्दानि स्त्रीणां भरतसत्तम। कुररीणामिवार्तानां क्रोशन्तीनां ददर्श ह ॥११-११-५॥
O best of the Bharatas, he saw groups of women along the Gaṅgā, crying like distressed female curlews.
ताभिः परिवृतो राजा रुदतीभिः सहस्रशः। ऊर्ध्वबाहुभिरार्ताभिर्ब्रुवतीभिः प्रियाप्रिये ॥११-११-६॥
The king was surrounded by thousands of weeping, distressed women with upraised arms, crying out, "O beloved and not beloved!"
क्व नु धर्मज्ञता राज्ञः क्व नु साद्यानृशंसता। यदावधीत्पितॄन्भ्रातॄन्गुरून्पुत्रान्सखीनपि ॥११-११-७॥
Where is the king's knowledge of dharma, and where is his compassion, when he has killed fathers, brothers, teachers, sons, and even friends?
घातयित्वा कथं द्रोणं भीष्मं चापि पितामहम्। मनस्तेऽभून्महाबाहो हत्वा चापि जयद्रथम् ॥११-११-८॥
O mighty-armed one, after causing the deaths of Droṇa, Bhīṣma, and the grandsire, and also having slain Jayadratha, how did your mind react?
किं नु राज्येन ते कार्यं पितॄन्भ्रातॄनपश्यतः। अभिमन्युं च दुर्धर्षं द्रौपदेयांश्च भारत ॥११-११-९॥
O Bhārata, what use is the kingdom to you when you do not see your fathers, brothers, Abhimanyu the unconquerable, and the sons of Draupadī?
अतीत्य ता महाबाहुः क्रोशन्तीः कुररीरिव। ववन्दे पितरं ज्येष्ठं धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः ॥११-११-१०॥
Having passed by them, the mighty-armed Yudhishthira, while they cried out like female curlews, saluted his elder father, the king of dharma.
ततोऽभिवाद्य पितरं धर्मेणामित्रकर्शनाः। न्यवेदयन्त नामानि पाण्डवास्तेऽपि सर्वशः ॥११-११-११॥
Then, after respectfully saluting their father in accordance with righteousness, the Pāṇḍavas, destroyers of foes, announced all their names.
तमात्मजान्तकरणं पिता पुत्रवधार्दितः। अप्रीयमाणः शोकार्तः पाण्डवं परिषस्वजे ॥११-११-१२॥
The father, who had caused the death of his own son and was afflicted by his son's killing, not pleased and overwhelmed by grief, embraced Yudhiṣṭhira.
धर्मराजं परिष्वज्य सान्त्वयित्वा च भारत। दुष्टात्मा भीममन्वैच्छद्दिधक्षुरिव पावकः ॥११-११-१३॥
O Bhārata, after embracing and consoling the king of dharma, the wicked-souled Duryodhana pursued Bhīma, wishing to destroy him like fire.
स कोपपावकस्तस्य शोकवायुसमीरितः। भीमसेनमयं दावं दिधक्षुरिव दृश्यते ॥११-११-१४॥
He appears like a forest fire made of Bhīmasena, his fire of anger fanned by the wind of grief, as if wishing to consume everything.
तस्य सङ्कल्पमाज्ञाय भीमं प्रत्यशुभं हरिः। भीममाक्षिप्य पाणिभ्यां प्रददौ भीममायसम् ॥११-११-१५॥
Hari, understanding his intention, seized Bhīma with his hands and gave him an iron object.
प्रागेव तु महाबुद्धिर्बुद्ध्वा तस्येङ्गितं हरिः। संविधानं महाप्राज्ञस्तत्र चक्रे जनार्दनः ॥११-११-१६॥
But just before, Hari, the greatly wise Janārdana, having understood his gesture, made an arrangement there.
तं तु गृह्यैव पाणिभ्यां भीमसेनमयस्मयम्। बभञ्ज बलवान्राजा मन्यमानो वृकोदरम् ॥११-११-१७॥
But the strong king, thinking Vṛkodara to be the iron-like Bhīmasena, seized him with his hands and broke him.
नागायुतबलप्राणः स राजा भीममायसम्। भङ्क्त्वा विमथितोरस्कः सुस्राव रुधिरं मुखात् ॥११-११-१८॥
The king, endowed with the strength of ten thousand elephants, broke the terrible iron; his chest was crushed and blood flowed from his mouth.
ततः पपात मेदिन्यां तथैव रुधिरोक्षितः। प्रपुष्पिताग्रशिखरः पारिजात इव द्रुमः ॥११-११-१९॥
Then he fell to the earth, smeared with blood, his topmost part fully blossomed, like a Pārijāta tree.
पर्यगृह्णत तं विद्वान्सूतो गावल्गणिस्तदा। मैवमित्यब्रवीच्चैनं शमयन्सान्त्वयन्निव ॥११-११-२०॥
Then the learned charioteer Gāvalgaṇi embraced him. He said to him, "Not so," soothing and comforting him as if.
स तु कोपं समुत्सृज्य गतमन्युर्महामनाः। हा हा भीमेति चुक्रोश भूयः शोकसमन्वितः ॥११-११-२१॥
But he, having completely abandoned anger, his wrath departed, the great-minded one, cried out again, "Alas! Alas! Bhīma!" filled with grief.
तं विदित्वा गतक्रोधं भीमसेनवधार्दितम्। वासुदेवो वरः पुंसामिदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥११-११-२२॥
Vāsudeva, the best among men, seeing him whose anger had subsided and who was distressed by Bhīmasena's killing, spoke these words.
मा शुचो धृतराष्ट्र त्वं नैष भीमस्त्वया हतः। आयसी प्रतिमा ह्येषा त्वया राजन्निपातिता ॥११-११-२३॥
Do not grieve, Dhritarashtra. It was not Bhima whom you killed; it was an iron image that you struck down, O king.
त्वां क्रोधवशमापन्नं विदित्वा भरतर्षभ। मयापकृष्टः कौन्तेयो मृत्योर्दंष्ट्रान्तरं गतः ॥११-११-२४॥
O best of the Bharatas, knowing that you were overcome by anger, I drew away the son of Kunti, and he entered the very jaws of death.
न हि ते राजशार्दूल बले तुल्योऽस्ति कश्चन। कः सहेत महाबाहो बाह्वोर्निग्रहणं नरः ॥११-११-२५॥
O tiger among kings, truly there is no one equal to you in strength. O mighty-armed one, what man could withstand the subduing force of your arms?
यथान्तकमनुप्राप्य जीवन्कश्चिन्न मुच्यते। एवं बाह्वन्तरं प्राप्य तव जीवेन्न कश्चन ॥११-११-२६॥
Just as, upon reaching death, no one remains alive, so too, upon attaining your external and internal (state), no one would survive.
तस्मात्पुत्रेण या सा ते प्रतिमा कारितायसी। भीमस्य सेयं कौरव्य तवैवोपहृता मया ॥११-११-२७॥
Therefore, O Kauravya, the image of Bhīma which was caused to be made by your son, I have indeed brought this to you.
पुत्रशोकाभिसन्तापाद्धर्मादपहृतं मनः। तव राजेन्द्र तेन त्वं भीमसेनं जिघांससि ॥११-११-२८॥
O king, your mind, overcome by the intense grief for your son and thus removed from righteousness, therefore you wish to kill Bhimasena.
न च ते तत्क्षमं राजन्हन्यास्त्वं यद्वृकोदरम्। न हि पुत्रा महाराज जीवेयुस्ते कथञ्चन ॥११-११-२९॥
O king, it is not right for you to kill Bhīma, for your sons, O great king, would not survive in any way.
तस्माद्यत्कृतमस्माभिर्मन्यमानैः क्षमं प्रति। अनुमन्यस्व तत्सर्वं मा च शोके मनः कृथाः ॥११-११-३०॥
Therefore, whatever we have done, thinking it was proper, please forgive all that; and do not let your mind be overcome by grief.
