11.013
Core and Pancharatra: Sage Vyasa intervenes, understanding Gandhari's anger and her wish to curse the Pandavas.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
dhṛtarāṣṭrābhyanujñātās tataste kurupuṅgavāḥ। abhyayur bhrātaraḥ sarve gāndhārīṃ sahakeśavāḥ ॥11-13-1॥
With Dhritarashtra's permission, all the foremost of the Kurus, the brothers along with Keshava, then approached Gandhari.
tato jñātvā hatāmitraṃ dharmarājaṃ yudhiṣṭhiram। gāndhārī putraśokārtā śaptumaicchadaninditā ॥11-13-2॥
Then, when Gandhari, the blameless one, learned that Yudhishthira, the king of dharma, whose enemies were slain, she, afflicted by grief for her sons, wished to utter a curse.
tasyāḥ pāpam-abhiprāyaṃ viditvā pāṇḍavān-prati। ṛṣiḥ satyavatī-putraḥ prāg-eva samabudhyata ॥11-13-3॥
The sage, the son of Satyavatī, had already become aware beforehand of her evil intention towards the Pāṇḍavas.
sa gaṅgāyām-upaspṛśya puṇyagandhaṃ payaḥ śuci| taṃ deśam-upasamped paramarṣir-manōjavaḥ ||11-13-4||
The great sage Manojava, after bathing in the pure, fragrant waters of the Gaṅgā, approached that place.
divyena cakṣuṣā paśyan manasānuddhatena ca। sarvapraāṇabhṛtāṃ bhāvaṃ sa tatra samabudhyata ॥11-13-5॥
He, seeing with a divine eye and a mind free from arrogance, there understood the condition of all living beings.
sa snuṣām abravīt kāle kalyavādī mahātapāḥ। śāpakālam avākṣipya śamakālam udīrayan ॥11-13-6॥
He, the great ascetic who spoke auspicious words, addressed his daughters-in-law at the right moment, setting aside the time for cursing and declaring the time for peace.
na kopaḥ pāṇḍave kāryo gāndhāri śamam āpnuhi। rajo nigṛhyatām etac chṛṇu ca idaṃ vaco mama॥11-13-7॥
O Gāndhārī, do not be angry with the Pāṇḍava; find peace. Restrain your passion and listen to these words of mine.
uktāsyaṣṭādaśāhāni putreṇa jayamicchatā। śivamāśāssva me mātaryudhyamānasya śatrubhiḥ ॥11-13-8॥
O mother, for eighteen days, as your son desires victory and fights with enemies, wish welfare for me.
sā tathā yācyamānā tvaṃ kāle kāle jayaiṣiṇā। uktavatyasi gāndhāri yato dharmastato jayaḥ ॥11-13-9॥
Thus, whenever you were entreated by the one seeking victory, O Gandhari, you have always said: "Where there is righteousness, there is victory."
na cāpyatītāṃ gāndhāri vācaṃ te vitathāmaham। smarāmi bhāṣamāṇāyāstathā praṇihitā hyasi ॥11-13-10॥
O Gandhari, I do not recall your words ever being false in the past; you have always spoken with sincerity.
sā tvaṃ dharmaṃ parismṛtya vācā coktvā manasvini। kopaṃ saṃyaccha gāndhāri maivaṃ bhūḥ satyavādini॥11-13-11॥
She said: 'You, O Gandhari, having remembered your duty and spoken thus, O strong-minded and truthful one, restrain your anger; do not be so.'
gāndhāryuvāca॥
Gandhari said:
bhagavan nābhyasūyāmi naitān icchāmi naśyataḥ। putraśokena tu balān mano vihvalatīva me ॥11-13-12॥
O Lord, I do not bear ill will, nor do I wish these to perish; but my mind is overwhelmed by the force of grief for my son.
yathaiva kuntyā kaunteyā rakṣitavyās tathā mayā। yathaiva dhṛtarāṣṭreṇa rakṣitavyās tathā mayā ॥11-13-13॥
Just as the sons of Kuntī are to be protected by Kuntī, so also by me; just as they are to be protected by Dhṛtarāṣṭra, so also by me.
duryodhanāparādhena śakuneḥ saubalasya ca। karṇaduḥśāsanābhyāṃ ca vṛtto'yaṃ kurusaṅkṣayaḥ ॥11-13-14॥
This destruction of the Kuru dynasty has occurred due to the offence of Duryodhana, Śakuni the son of Subala, Karna, and Duḥśāsana.
nāparādhyati bībhatsur na ca pārtho vṛkodaraḥ। nakulaḥ sahadevo vā naiva jātu yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ॥11-13-15॥
Neither Bībhatsu (Arjuna), nor Pārtha (Arjuna), nor Vṛkodara (Bhīma), nor Nakula, nor Sahadeva, nor ever Yudhiṣṭhira commit any offense.
yudhyamānā hi kauravyāḥ kṛntamānāḥ parasparam। nihatāḥ sahitāś cānyais tatra nāsty apriyaṃ mama ॥11-13-16॥
As the Kauravas fight and cut each other down, being slain together and by others, there is nothing unpleasant to me in that.
yattu karmākarodbhīmo vāsudevasya paśyataḥ। duryodhanaṃ samāhūya gadāyuddhe mahāmanāḥ ॥11-13-17॥
But the great-minded Bhima, having summoned Duryodhana to mace-combat while Vāsudeva was watching, performed that deed.
śikṣayābhyadhikaṃ jñātvā carantaṃ bahudhā raṇe। adho nābhyāṃ prahṛtavāṃstanme kopamavardhayat ॥11-13-18॥
Knowing him to be superior in skill and moving in many ways in battle, when he struck below at the navel, that act increased my anger.
kathaṁ nu dharmaṁ dharmajñaiḥ samuddiṣṭaṁ mahātmabhiḥ। tyajeyurāhave śūrāḥ prāṇahetoḥ kathañcana ॥11-13-19॥
How could the brave ever abandon, in battle and for the sake of their own lives, the duty declared by the wise and the great souls?
