12.027
Library: When Yudhishthira speaks of giving up his life, sage Vyasa advises, act in accordance with how you have been created by the Creator, in your duties. You are not the master of your own self.
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
abhimanyau hate bāle draupadyāstanayeṣu ca। dhṛṣṭadyumne virāṭe ca drupade ca mahīpatau॥12-27-1॥
When the young Abhimanyu was slain, and also the sons of Draupadī, as well as Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Virāṭa, Drupada, and the king, [were killed].
vasuṣeṇe ca dharmajñe dhṛṣṭaketau ca pārthive। tathānyeṣu narendreṣu nānādeśyeṣu saṃyuge ॥12-27-2॥
In Vasuṣeṇa, the knower of dharma, Dhṛṣṭaketu, the king, and likewise among other kings from various regions in the battle.
na vimuñcati māṃ śoko jñātighātinamāturam। rājyakāmukamatyugraṃ svavaṃśocchedakārakam ॥12-27-3॥
Sorrow, which is the destroyer of relatives, afflicts me, who desires the kingdom, is very fierce, and causes the destruction of my own lineage, does not leave me.
yasyāṅke krīḍamānena mayā vai parivartitam। sa mayā rājyalubdhena gāṅgeyo vinipātitaḥ ॥12-27-4॥
He, on whose lap I played and whom I turned over, that Gāṅgeya (Bhīṣma), by me, desirous of the kingdom, was caused to fall.
yadā hy enaṃ vighūrṇantam apaśyaṃ pārthasāyakaiḥ। kampamānaṃ yathā vajraiḥ prekṣamāṇaṃ śikhaṇḍinam ॥12-27-5॥
When I saw him reeling from Arjuna's arrows, trembling as if struck by thunderbolts, and Śikhaṇḍin watching him.
jīrṇaṃ siṃham iva prāṃśuṃ narasiṃhaṃ pitāmaham। kīryamāṇaṃ śaraiḥ tīkṣṇaiḥ dṛṣṭvā me vyathitaṃ manaḥ ॥12-27-6॥
When I saw my grandfather Narasimha, tall and lion-like though aged, being assailed by sharp arrows, my mind was deeply troubled.
prāṅmukhaṃ sīdamānaṃ ca rathād apacyutaṃ śaraiḥ। ghūrṇamānaṃ yathā śailaṃ tadā me kaśmalo'bhavat ॥12-27-7॥
As I faced east, sinking and yet not fallen from the chariot, struck by arrows and reeling like a mountain, then faintness overcame me.
yaḥ sa bāṇa-dhanuṣ-pāṇir yodhayām āsa bhārgavam। bahūni ahāni kauravyaḥ kurukṣetre mahāmṛdhe ॥12-27-8॥
He who, with arrow and bow in hand, fought Bhārgava for many days, was the Kaurava in the great battle at Kurukṣetra.
sametaṃ pārthivaṃ kṣatraṃ vārāṇasyāṃ nadīsutaḥ। kanyārthamāhvayadvīro rathenaikena saṃyuge ॥12-27-9॥
Bhīṣma, the son of the river, gathered the kings and kṣatriyas in Varanasi and, for the maiden's sake, valiantly challenged them all to battle alone with his chariot.
yena cogrāyudho rājā cakravartī durāsadaḥ। dagdhaḥ śastrapratāpena sa mayā yudhi ghātitaḥ॥12-27-10॥
Ugrāyudha, the king and universal monarch, who was difficult to approach, was burnt by the power of weapons and slain by me in battle.
svayaṃ mṛtyuṃ rakṣamāṇaḥ pāñcālyaṃ yaḥ śikhaṇḍinam। na bāṇaiḥ pātayāmāsa so'rjunena nipātitaḥ ॥12-27-11॥
He, who protected himself from death and did not bring down Śikhaṇḍin, the son of Drupada, with arrows, was struck down by Arjuna.
yadainaṃ patitaṃ bhūmāvapaśyaṃ rudhirokṣitam। tadaivāviśadatyugro jvaro me munisattama ॥ yena saṃvardhitā bālā yena sma parirakṣitāḥ ॥12-27-12॥
O best of sages, when I saw him fallen on the ground, smeared with blood, at that very moment a very fierce fever entered me. The one by whom the children were nourished, by whom indeed they were protected.
sa mayā rājyalubdhena pāpena gurughātinā। alpakālasya rājyasya kṛte mūḍhena ghātitaḥ ॥12-27-13॥
He was slain by me, a sinful, deluded slayer of my teacher, greedy for the kingdom, for the sake of a kingdom that would last only a short time.
ācāryaś ca maheṣvāsaḥ sarva-pārthiva-pūjitaḥ। abhigamya raṇe mithyā pāpena uktaḥ sutaṃ prati ॥12-27-14॥
The teacher, a great archer honored by all kings, was approached in battle and falsely accused by the wicked in front of his son.
tanme dahati gātrāṇi yanmāṃ gururabhāṣata। satyavākyo hi rājaṃstvaṃ yadi jīvati me sutaḥ ॥ satyaṃ mā marśayanvipro mayi tatparipṛṣṭavān ॥12-27-15॥
What my teacher said to me burns my body. O king, if my son is alive, then you are truly a man of your word. The sage, reflecting on the truth, questioned me about it.
kuñjaraṃ cāntaraṃ kṛtvā mithyopacaritaṃ mayā। subhṛśaṃ rājyalubdhena pāpena gurughātinā ॥12-27-16॥
I, excessively greedy for the kingdom, sinful, and a slayer of my teacher, made a false interval with the elephant.
satyakañcukam āsthāya mayokto gurur āhave। aśvatthāmā hata iti kuñjare vinipātite ॥ kān nu lokān gamiṣyāmi kṛtvā tat karma dāruṇam ॥12-27-17॥
Having taken truth as my armor, I told the teacher in battle, 'Aśvatthāmā is slain,' when the elephant was killed. What worlds will I reach, having committed that dreadful act?
aghātayaṃ ca yat-karṇaṃ samareṣv-apalāyinam। jyeṣṭhaṃ bhrātaram-atyugraṃ ko mattaḥ pāpakṛttamaḥ ॥12-27-18॥
And not having slain that Karṇa, who never flees in battle, my eldest and most formidable brother—who could be more sinful than I am?
abhimanyuṃ ca yad bālaṃ jātaṃ siṃham ivādriṣu। prāveśayam ahaṃ lubdho vāhinīṃ droṇa-pālitām ॥12-27-19॥
I, driven by desire, sent Abhimanyu, who was just a boy but born like a lion among mountains, into the army guarded by Droṇa.
tadāprabhṛti bībhatsuṃ na śaknomi nirīkṣitum। kṛṣṇaṃ ca puṇḍarīkākṣaṃ kilbiṣī bhrūṇahā yathā ॥12-27-20॥
From that time, I have not been able to look at the terrible Kṛṣṇa, the lotus-eyed one, feeling sinful like a killer of an embryo.
draupadīṃ cāpyaduḥkhārhāṃ pañcaputravinākṛtām। śocāmi pṛthivīṃ hīnāṃ pañcabhiḥ parvatairiva ॥12-27-21॥
I grieve for Draupadī, who did not deserve such sorrow and was deprived of her five sons; I also grieve for the earth, now bereft of her five heroes, like mountains lost from the land.
so'ham āgaskaraḥ pāpaḥ pṛthivīnāśakārakaḥ। āsīna evamevedaṃ śoṣayiṣye kalevaram ॥12-27-22॥
I, being that offender, sinner, and destroyer of the earth, sitting just so, will dry up this body.
prāyopaviṣṭaṃ jānīdhvam adya māṃ gurughātinam। jātiṣv anyāsv api yathā na bhaveyaṃ kulāntakṛt ॥12-27-23॥
Today, know me as one who has undertaken a fast unto death, as the slayer of my teacher, so that I may never become a destroyer of the family, even in future births.
na bhokṣye na ca pānīyam-upayokṣye kathañcana। śoṣayiṣye priyān prāṇān iha stho'haṃ tapodhana ॥12-27-24॥
O ascetic, I will neither eat nor use water in any way. Standing here, I will dry up my dear life-breaths.
yathezṭaṃ gamyatāṃ kāmamanujāne prasādya vaḥ। sarve māmanujānīta tyakṣyāmīdaṃ kalevaram ॥12-27-25॥
Go as you wish; I grant you permission after propitiating you. All of you, please permit me; I shall give up this body.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
tam evaṃ-vādinaṃ pārthaṃ bandhu-śokena vihvalam। maivam ity abravīd vyāso nigṛhya muni-sattamaḥ ॥12-27-26॥
Seeing Arjuna, overwhelmed by grief for his relatives and speaking thus, Vyāsa, the best among sages, restrained him and said, 'Not so.'
ativelaṃ mahārāja na śokaṃ kartum arhasi। punaruktaṃ pravakṣyāmi diṣṭam etad iti prabho ॥12-27-27॥
O great king, do not grieve excessively. I will again explain this which is destined, O lord.
saṃyogā viprayogāś ca jātānāṃ prāṇināṃ dhruvam। budbudā iva toyeṣu bhavanti na bhavanti ca ॥12-27-28॥
The unions and separations of living beings who are born are inevitable; just as bubbles appear and disappear in water, so too do these connections come and go.
sarve kṣayāntā nicayāḥ patanāntāḥ samucchrayāḥ। saṃyogā viprayogāntā maraṇāntaṃ hi jīvitam ॥12-27-29॥
All gatherings end in decay, all risings end in a fall, all unions end in separation, and life indeed ends in death.
sukhaṃ duḥkhāntam ālasyaṃ dākṣyaṃ duḥkhaṃ sukhodayam। bhūtiḥ śrīr hrīr dhṛtiḥ siddhir nādakṣe nivasanty uta॥12-27-30॥
Happiness comes at the end of sorrow; laziness is the opposite of dexterity; sorrow leads to the rise of happiness. Prosperity, fortune, modesty, fortitude, and success never dwell in the incompetent.
nālaṃ sukhāya suhṛdo nālaṃ duḥkhāya durhṛdaḥ। na ca prajñālamarthebhyo na sukhebhyo'pyalaṃ dhanam ॥12-27-31॥
Friends alone are not enough for happiness, nor are evil-hearted people alone enough for sorrow. Wisdom alone is not sufficient for gaining objects, nor is wealth alone sufficient even for happiness.
yathā sṛṣṭo'si kaunteya dhātrā karmasu tat kuru। ata eva hi siddhis te neśas tvam ātmanā nṛpa ॥12-27-32॥
O son of Kunti, act in accordance with how you have been created by the Creator, in your duties. Therefore, success will be yours; you are not the master by your own self, O king.
