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.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
hateṣu sarvasainyeṣu dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ। śuśruve pitaraṃ vṛddhaṃ niryātaṃ gajasāhvayāt ॥11-11-1॥
When all the armies had been slain, Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira heard that his aged father had left Gajasāhvaya (Hastināpura).
so'bhyayāt putraśokārtaḥ putraśokapariplutam। śocamāno mahārāja bhrātṛbhiḥ sahitas tadā ॥11-11-2॥
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.
anvīyamāno vīreṇa dāśārheṇa mahātmanā। yuyudhānena ca tathā tathaiva ca yuyutsunā ॥11-11-3॥
He was followed by the hero, the Dāśārha (Krishna), the great-souled one, Yuyudhāna (Sātyaki), and likewise by Yuyutsu.
tam anvagāt suduḥkhārtā draupadī śoka-karśitā। saha pāñcāla-yoṣidbhiḥ yāḥ tatra āsan samāgatāḥ॥11-11-4॥
Draupadī, greatly afflicted by sorrow and emaciated by grief, followed him, together with the women of the Pāñcāla who were assembled there.
sa gaṅgāmanu vṛndāni strīṇāṃ bharatasattama| kurarīṇāmivārtānāṃ krośantīnāṃ dadarśa ha ॥11-11-5॥
O best of the Bharatas, he saw groups of women along the Gaṅgā, crying like distressed female curlews.
tābhiḥ parivṛto rājā rudatībhiḥ sahasraśaḥ | ūrdhvabāhubhir ārtābhir bruvatībhiḥ priyāpriye ||11-11-6||
The king was surrounded by thousands of weeping, distressed women with upraised arms, crying out, "O beloved and not beloved!"
kva nu dharmajñatā rājñaḥ kva nu sādyānaṛśaṁsatā। yadā vadhīt pitṝn bhrātṝn gurūn putrān sakhīn api॥11-11-7॥
Where is the king's knowledge of dharma, and where is his compassion, when he has killed fathers, brothers, teachers, sons, and even friends?
ghātayitvā kathaṃ droṇaṃ bhīṣmaṃ cāpi pitāmaham। manaste'bhūnmahābāho hatvā cāpi jayadratham ॥11-11-8॥
O mighty-armed one, after causing the deaths of Droṇa, Bhīṣma, and the grandsire, and also having slain Jayadratha, how did your mind react?
kiṁ nu rājyena te kāryaṁ pitṝn-bhrātṝn apaśyataḥ। abhimanyuṁ ca durdharṣaṁ draupadeyāṁś ca bhārata॥11-11-9॥
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?
atītya tā mahābāhuḥ krośantīḥ kurarīriva। vavande pitaraṃ jyeṣṭhaṃ dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ॥11-11-10॥
Having passed by them, the mighty-armed Yudhishthira, while they cried out like female curlews, saluted his elder father, the king of dharma.
tato'bhivādya pitaraṃ dharmeṇāmitrakarśanāḥ। nyavedayanta nāmāni pāṇḍavāste'pi sarvaśaḥ ॥11-11-11॥
Then, after respectfully saluting their father in accordance with righteousness, the Pāṇḍavas, destroyers of foes, announced all their names.
tam-ātmajānta-karaṇaṃ pitā putra-vadhārditaḥ। aprīyamāṇaḥ śokārtaḥ pāṇḍavaṃ pariṣasvaje ॥11-11-12॥
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.
dharmarājaṃ pariṣvajya sāntvayitvā ca bhārata। duṣṭātmā bhīmam anvaiṣṭ didhakṣur iva pāvakaḥ ॥11-11-13॥
O Bhārata, after embracing and consoling the king of dharma, the wicked-souled Duryodhana pursued Bhīma, wishing to destroy him like fire.
sa kopapāvakastasya śokavāyusamīritaḥ। bhīmasenamayaṃ dāvaṃ didhakṣuriva dṛśyate ॥11-11-14॥
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.
tasya saṅkalpam ājñāya bhīmaṃ pratyaśubhaṃ hariḥ। bhīmam ākṣipya pāṇibhyāṃ pradadau bhīmam āyasam ॥11-11-15॥
Hari, understanding his intention, seized Bhīma with his hands and gave him an iron object.
prāgeva tu mahābuddhirbuddhvā tasyeṅgitaṃ hariḥ। saṃvidhānaṃ mahāprājñastatra cakre janārdanaḥ ॥11-11-16॥
But just before, Hari, the greatly wise Janārdana, having understood his gesture, made an arrangement there.
taṃ tu gṛhyaiva pāṇibhyāṃ bhīmasenam ayasmayam। babhañja balavān rājā manyamāno vṛkodaram ॥11-11-17॥
But the strong king, thinking Vṛkodara to be the iron-like Bhīmasena, seized him with his hands and broke him.
nāgāyuta-balaprāṇaḥ sa rājā bhīmamāyasam। bhaṅktvā vimathitoraskaḥ susrāva rudhiraṃ mukhāt ॥11-11-18॥
The king, endowed with the strength of ten thousand elephants, broke the terrible iron; his chest was crushed and blood flowed from his mouth.
tataḥ papāta medinyāṃ tathaiva rudhirokṣitaḥ। prapuṣpitāgraśikharaḥ pārijāta iva drumaḥ ॥11-11-19॥
Then he fell to the earth, smeared with blood, his topmost part fully blossomed, like a Pārijāta tree.
paryagṛhṇata taṃ vidvān sūto gāvalgaṇis tadā। maivam ity abravīc cainaṃ śamayann sāntvayann iva ॥11-11-20॥
Then the learned charioteer Gāvalgaṇi embraced him. He said to him, "Not so," soothing and comforting him as if.
sa tu kopaṃ samutsṛjya gatamanyurmahāmanāḥ। hā hā bhīmeti cukrośa bhūyaḥ śokasamanvitaḥ ॥11-11-21॥
But he, having completely abandoned anger, his wrath departed, the great-minded one, cried out again, "Alas! Alas! Bhīma!" filled with grief.
taṃ viditvā gatakrodhaṃ bhīmasenavadhārditam। vāsudevo varaḥ puṃsām idaṃ vacanam abravīt ॥11-11-22॥
Vāsudeva, the best among men, seeing him whose anger had subsided and who was distressed by Bhīmasena's killing, spoke these words.
mā śuco dhṛtarāṣṭra tvaṃ naiṣa bhīmas tvayā hataḥ। āyasī pratimā hyeṣā tvayā rājannipātitā ॥11-11-23॥
Do not grieve, Dhritarashtra. It was not Bhima whom you killed; it was an iron image that you struck down, O king.
tvāṃ krodhavaśam-āpannaṃ viditvā bharatarṣabha। mayā apakṛṣṭaḥ kaunteyaḥ mṛtyoḥ daṃṣṭrāntaraṃ gataḥ ॥11-11-24॥
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.
na hi te rājaśārdūla bale tulyo'sti kaścana। kaḥ saheta mahābāho bāhvornigrahaṇaṃ naraḥ ॥11-11-25॥
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?
yathāntakam anuprāpya jīvan kaścin na mucyate। evaṃ bāhy-antaraṃ prāpya tava jīven na kaścana ॥11-11-26॥
Just as, upon reaching death, no one remains alive, so too, upon attaining your external and internal (state), no one would survive.
tasmāt putreṇa yā sā te pratimā kāritā yasī। bhīmasya se iyam kauravya tava eva upahṛtā mayā ॥11-11-27॥
Therefore, O Kauravya, the image of Bhīma which was caused to be made by your son, I have indeed brought this to you.
putraśokābhisantāpāddharmādapahṛtaṃ manaḥ। tava rājendra tena tvaṃ bhīmasenaṃ jighāṃsasi ॥11-11-28॥
O king, your mind, overcome by the intense grief for your son and thus removed from righteousness, therefore you wish to kill Bhimasena.
na ca te tatkṣamaṃ rājan hanyāstvaṃ yadvṛkodaram। na hi putrā mahārāja jīveyuste kathaṃcana ॥11-11-29॥
O king, it is not right for you to kill Bhīma, for your sons, O great king, would not survive in any way.
tasmādyatkṛtamasmābhirmanyamānaiḥ kṣamaṃ prati| anumanyasva tatsarvaṃ mā ca śoke manaḥ kṛthāḥ ॥11-11-30॥
Therefore, whatever we have done, thinking it was proper, please forgive all that; and do not let your mind be overcome by grief.
