12.001
Pancharatra-Ext: Yudhishthira mourns Karna's loss and enquires about his fate.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
kṛtodakās te suhṛdāṃ sarveṣāṃ pāṇḍunandanāḥ। viduro dhṛtarāṣṭraś ca sarvāś ca bharatastriyaḥ ॥12-1-1॥
After performing the water-rites for all their friends, the sons of Pāṇḍu, Vidura, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and all the women of the Bharata family gathered.
tatra te sumahātmāno nyavasankurunandanāḥ। śaucaṃ nivartayiṣyanto māsamekaṃ bahiḥ purāt ॥12-1-2॥
There, those noble Kuru princes stayed outside the city for a month to complete their purification.
kṛtodakaṃ tu rājānaṃ dharmātmānaṃ yudhiṣṭhiram। abhijagmurmahātmānaḥ siddhā brahmarṣisattamāḥ ॥12-1-3॥
After the water-rite was performed, the great-souled Siddhas and the foremost Brahmarshis approached the righteous king Yudhishthira.
dvaipāyano nāradaś ca devalaś ca mahān ṛṣiḥ। devasthānaś ca kaṇvaś ca teṣāṃ śiṣyāś ca sattamāḥ॥12-1-4॥
Vyāsa, Nārada, Devala, the great sage, Devasthāna, Kaṇva, and their most excellent disciples.
anye ca vedavidvāṃsaḥ kṛtaprajñā dvijātayaḥ। gṛhasthāḥ snātakāḥ sarve dadṛśuḥ kurusattamam ॥12-1-5॥
All the others, including the Vedic scholars, the wise, the twice-borns, householders, and graduates, saw the best among the Kurus.
abhigamya mahātmānaḥ pūjitāś ca yathāvidhi। āsaneṣu mahārheṣu viviśus te maharṣayaḥ ॥12-1-6॥
The great sages, having approached and been duly honored, took their seats of high honor.
pratigṛhya tataḥ pūjāṃ tatkālasadṛśīṃ tadā। paryupāsanyathānyāyaṃ parivārya yudhiṣṭhiram ॥12-1-7॥
Then, having received the honor appropriate for that time, they worshipped as per the proper rules and surrounded Yudhishthira.
puṇye bhāgīrathītīre śokavyākulacetasam। āśvāsayanto rājānaṃ viprāḥ śatasahasraśaḥ ॥12-1-8॥
On the sacred bank of the Bhagirathi, as the king's mind was overwhelmed with grief, hundreds of thousands of Brāhmaṇas consoled him.
nāradas tv abravīt kāle dharmātmānaṃ yudhiṣṭhiram। vicārya munibhiḥ sārdhaṃ tatkālasadṛśaṃ vacaḥ ॥12-1-9॥
But Nārada, after deliberating with the sages, spoke to the virtuous Yudhiṣṭhira words suited to the moment.
bhavato bāhuvīryeṇa prasādān mādhavasya ca। jiteyam avaniḥ kṛtsnā dharmeṇa ca yudhiṣṭhira ॥12-1-10॥
O Yudhishthira, this entire earth has been conquered by your strength, by the favor of Mādhava, and by righteousness.
diṣṭyā muktāḥ stha saṅgrāmādasmāllokabhayaṅkarāt। kṣatradharmarataścāpi kaccinmodasi pāṇḍava ॥12-1-11॥
By good fortune you have been freed from this battle, dreadful to the world; and, O Pāṇḍava, are you, who delight in the warrior's duty, also rejoicing?
kaccic ca nihatāmitraḥ prīṇāsi suhṛdo nṛpa। kaccic chriyam imāṃ prāpya na tvāṃ śokaḥ prabādhate ॥12-1-12॥
O king, do you, having destroyed your enemies, please your friends? And having attained this prosperity, does grief not afflict you?
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhishthira said:
vijiteyaṃ mahī kṛtsnā kṛṣṇabāhubalāśrayāt। brāhmaṇānāṃ prasādena bhīmārjunabalena ca ॥12-1-13॥
This whole earth has been conquered through the might of Kṛṣṇa's arms, the favor of the Brāhmaṇas, and the strength of Bhīma and Arjuna.
idaṃ tu me mahadduḥkhaṃ vartate hṛdi nityadā। kṛtvā jñātikṣayam imaṃ mahāntaṃ lobhakāritam ॥12-1-14॥
But this great sorrow always remains in my heart, for I have caused this great destruction of my relatives out of greed.
saubhadraṃ draupadeyāṃś ca ghātayitvā priyān sutān। jayo' yam ajayākāro bhagavan pratibhāti me ॥12-1-15॥
O Lord, having caused the death of Abhimanyu and the sons of Draupadī, my beloved sons, this victory now seems to me like defeat.
kiṁ nu vakṣyati vārṣṇeyī vadhūr me madhusūdanam। dvārakāvāsinī kṛṣṇam itaḥ pratigataṁ harim ॥12-1-16॥
What will the bride of the Vṛṣṇi line say to my Madhusūdana? The lady of Dvārakā will speak to Kṛṣṇa, Hari, who has now returned.
draupadī hataputreyam kṛpaṇā hatabāndhavā। asmatpriyahite yuktā bhūyaḥ pīḍayatīva mām ॥12-1-17॥
Draupadī, bereft of her sons and kinsmen, wretched and devoted to our welfare, now seems to torment me once more.
idam anyac ca bhagavan yat tvām vakṣyāmi nārada। mantra-saṁvaraṇena asmi kuntayā duḥkhena yojitaḥ ॥12-1-18॥
O Nārada, I will tell you another thing: because the mantra was concealed, I have been joined by Kuntī in sorrow.
yo'sau nāgāyutabalo loke'pratiratho raṇe. siṃhakhelagatirdhīmānghṛṇī dānto yatavrataḥ ॥12-1-19॥
Who is he, that one in the world, possessing the strength of ten thousand elephants, unmatched in battle, moving with the playful gait of a lion, wise, compassionate, self-controlled, and steadfast in his vows?
āśrayo dhārtarāṣṭrāṇāṃ mānī tīkṣṇaparākramaḥ। amarṣī nityasaṃrambhī kṣeptāsmākaṃ raṇe raṇe ॥12-1-20॥
He is the support of the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, proud and of fierce prowess, intolerant and ever wrathful, and he will attack us in every battle.
śīghrāstraś citrayodhī ca kṛtī cādbhutavikramaḥ। gūḍhotpannaḥ sutaḥ kuntyā bhrātāsmākaṃ ca sodaraḥ ॥12-1-21॥
He is swift with weapons, a marvellous warrior, accomplished and of wonderful valour; secretly born, he is the son of Kuntī, our brother and of the same womb.
toyakarmaṇi yaṃ kuntī kathayāmāsa sūryajam। putraṃ sarvaguṇopetamavakīrṇaṃ jale purā ॥12-1-22॥
Kuntī once told about the son born of the Sun, endowed with all virtues, whom she had long ago cast away in the water during a water-related rite.
yaṃ sūtaputraṃ loko'yaṃ rādheyaṃ cāpyanyata। sa jyeṣṭhaputraḥ kuntyā vai bhrātāsmākaṃ ca mātṛjaḥ ॥12-1-23॥
He whom the people call the son of a charioteer and also Radheya as someone else, he is actually the eldest son of Kunti, our brother and born of the same mother.
ajānātā mayā saṅkhye rājyalubdhena ghātitaḥ। tanme dahati gātrāṇi tūlarāśimivānalaḥ ॥12-1-24॥
Killed in battle by me, who was ignorant and greedy for the kingdom, that act burns my limbs like fire burns a heap of cotton.
na hi taṃ veda pārtho'pi bhrātaraṃ śvetavāhanaḥ। nāhaṃ na bhīmo na yamau sa tvasmānveda suvrataḥ ॥12-1-25॥
Indeed, neither Pārtha (Arjuna), nor his brother Śvetavāhana (Yudhiṣṭhira), nor I, nor Bhīma, nor the two sons of Yama (Nakula and Sahadeva) know him; nor does he, the one of good vows, know us, O you.
gatā kila pṛthā tasya sakāśam iti naḥ śrutam। asmākaṃ śamakāmā vai tvaṃ ca putro mam ety atha ॥12-1-26॥
It is heard by us that Pṛthā has indeed gone to him. You, who desire our peace, are indeed my son—thus (she said) then.
pṛthāyā na kṛtaḥ kāmas tena cāpi mahātmanā। atipaścād idaṃ mātary avocad iti naḥ śrutam ॥12-1-27॥
It is heard by us that neither Pṛthā nor the great-souled one had such a desire; much later, he told this to his mother.
na hi śakṣyāmyahaṃ tyaktuṃ nṛpaṃ duryodhanaṃ raṇe। anāryaṃ ca nṛśaṃsaṃ ca kṛtaghnaṃ ca hi me bhavet ॥12-1-28॥
I truly cannot abandon King Duryodhana in battle; for me, that would be ignoble, cruel, and ungrateful.
yudhiṣṭhireṇa sandhiṃ ca yadi kuryāṃ mate tava। bhīto raṇe śvetavāhāditi māṃ maṃsyate janaḥ ॥12-1-29॥
If I make an alliance with Yudhishthira as per your opinion, people will think that I am afraid in battle of the white-horsed one (Arjuna).
so'ham nirjitya samare vijayam saha-keśavam। sandhāsye dharmaputreṇa paścād iti ca so'bravīt ॥12-1-30॥
He said, "Having conquered in battle together with Keśava, I will achieve victory; afterwards, I will make peace with Dharmaputra."
tam avocat kila pṛthā punaḥ pṛthulavakṣasam। caturṇām abhayaṃ dehi kāmaṃ yudhyasva phalgunam ॥12-1-31॥
Pṛthā (Kuntī) again addressed Arjuna, the broad-chested one: "Grant safety to the four, and then, as you wish, fight, O Phalguna (Arjuna)."
so'bravīn mātaraṃ dhīmān vepamānaḥ kṛtāñjaliḥ। prāptān viṣahyāṃś caturō na haniṣyāmi te sutān ॥12-1-32॥
He, wise and trembling, with joined palms, said to his mother: 'I will not kill your four sons who have come here, even though they are to be conquered.'
pañcaiva hi sutā mātarbhaviṣyanti hi te dhruvam। saskarṇā vā hate pārthe sārjunā vā hate mayi ॥12-1-33॥
O mother, you will surely have five sons: if Arjuna is killed, then with Karṇa; or if I am killed, then with Arjuna.
taṃ putragṛddhinī bhūyo mātā putram athābravīt। bhrātṝṇāṃ svasti kurvīthā yeṣāṃ svasti cikīrṣasi ॥12-1-34॥
Desiring a son, the mother again said to her son: "Do good to those brothers for whom you wish to do good."
tamevam uktvā tu pṛthā visṛjya upayayau gṛhān। so'rjunena hato vīro bhrātā bhrātrā sahodaraḥ ॥12-1-35॥
After saying this to him, Pṛthā dismissed him and went to her chambers. He, the heroic brother born of the same mother, was slain by Arjuna, his own brother.
na caiva vivṛto mantraḥ pṛthāyās tasya vā mune। atha śūro maheṣvāsaḥ pārthenāsau nipātitaḥ ॥12-1-36॥
Neither Pṛthā's nor his counsel was revealed, O sage. Then that hero, the great archer, was struck down by Pārtha.
ahaṃ tv ajñāsiṣaṃ paścāt svasodaryaṃ dvijottama। pūrvajaṃ bhrātaraṃ karṇaṃ pṛthāyā vacanāt prabho ॥12-1-37॥
O best of Brāhmaṇas, I came to know only later, O lord, from Kuntī's words that Karṇa, the elder brother, was my own uterine brother.
tena me dūyate'tīva hṛdayaṃ bhrātṛghātinaḥ। karṇārjunasahāyo'haṃ jayeyamapi vāsavam ॥12-1-38॥
Because of that, my heart is greatly troubled, O slayer of brothers. With Karṇa and Arjuna as my allies, I could even defeat Indra.
sabhāyāṃ kliśyamānasya dhārtarāṣṭrair durātmabhiḥ। sahasotpatitaḥ krodhaḥ karṇaṃ dṛṣṭvā praśāmyati ॥12-1-39॥
In the assembly, when he was being tormented by the evil-minded sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, his suddenly arisen anger subsides upon seeing Karna.
yadā hy asya giro rūkṣāḥ śṛṇomi kaṭukodayāḥ। sabhāyāṃ gadato dyūte duryodhanahitaiṣiṇaḥ ॥12-1-40॥
Whenever I hear his harsh and bitter words in the assembly, spoken during the game of dice, seeking Duryodhana's advantage.
tadā naśyati me krodhaḥ pādau tasya nirīkṣya ha। kuntyā hi sadṛśau pādau karṇasyeti matirmama ॥12-1-41॥
Then my anger vanishes when I see his feet; for the feet of Karṇa are indeed like Kunti's—this is my thought.
sādṛśya-hetum anvicchan pṛthāyās tava ca eva ha। kāraṇam na adhigacchāmi kathaṃcit api cintayan ॥12-1-42॥
While seeking the cause of the resemblance between Pṛthā and yourself, I am unable to find any reason at all, no matter how much I ponder.
kathaṁ nu tasya saṅgrāme pṛthivī cakram agrasat। kathaṁ ca śapto bhrātā me tattvaṁ vaktum iha arhasi ॥12-1-43॥
How, indeed, in that battle did the earth swallow his wheel? And how was my brother cursed? You ought to tell me the truth here.
śrotum icchāmi bhagavan tvattaḥ sarvaṃ yathā-tatham। bhavān hi sarva-vid vidvān loke veda kṛtākṛtam ॥12-1-44॥
O revered one, I wish to hear everything from you exactly as it is. For you are the all-knowing, the wise one in the world, who knows what has been done and what has not.
