05145001a Agamya hAstinapurAd upaplavyam arinMdamaH 'vaizaMpAyana said, 'Coming back to upaplavya from hAstinapura, that chastiser of foes,
05145001c pANDavAnAM yathAvRttaGM kezavasH sarvam uktavAn kezava, represented unto the pANDavas all that had happened,
05145002a samMbhASya suciraGM kAlamM mantrayitvA punaH punaH and conferring with them for a long space of time, and holding repeated consultations,
05145002c svam evAvasathaM zaurir vizrAmArthaJM jagAma ha zauri went to his own quarters for rest.
05145003a visRjya sarvAn nRpatIn virATapramukhAMs tadA And dismissing all the kings, virATa and others,
05145003c pANDavA bhrAtaraH paJca bhAnAv astaMgate sati the five brothers--the Pandavas--when the sun had set,
05145004a sanMdhyAm upAsya dhyAyantas tam eva gatamAnasAH said their evening prayers. And with hearts ever fixed on kRSNa they began to think of him.
05145004c AnAyya kRSNanM dAzArhamM punar mantram amantrayan And, at last, bringing kRSNa of Dasarha's race into their midst, they began to deliberate again about what they should do.
05145005 yudhiSThira uvAca And yudhiSThira said,
05145005a tvayA nAgapuraGM gatvA ' After you went to hAstinapura
05145005b sabhAyAnM dhRtarASTrajaH what did you tell duryohana in the assembly,
05145005c kim uktaH puNDarIkAkSa blue-eyes?
05145005d tan nazH zaMsitum arhasi Please tell us.'
05145006 vAsudeva uvAca vAsudeva said,
05145006a mayA nAgapuraGM gatvA sabhAyAnM dhRtarASTrajaH 'Having gone to Nagapura, I addressed dhRtarASTra's son in the assembly
05145006c tathyamM pathyaM hitaJM cokto na ca gRhNAti durmatiH such words as were true, reasonable, and beneficial. That wicked minded fellow did not, however, accept them.'
05145007 yudhiSThira uvAca 'yudhiSThira said,
05145007a tasminn utpatham Apanne kuruvRddhaH pitAmahaH 'When duryodhana desired to tread along the wrong path, what did the aged kuru grandsire say, O Hrishikesa,
05145007c kim uktavAn hRSIkeza duryodhanam amarSaNam unto that vindictive prince?
05145007e AcAryo vA mahAbAho bhAradvAjaH kim abravIt What also did the highly-blessed preceptor--the son of Bharadwaja, say? And what did his parents dhRtarASTra and gAndhArI say?
05145008a pitA yavIyAn asmAkaGM kSattA dharmabhRtAM varaH What did our junior father kSattR, who is the foremost of all persons conversant with virtue,
05145008c putrazokAbhisanMtaptaH kim Aha dhRtarASTrajam and who is always afflicted with sorrow on account of ourselves whom he regards as his sons, say unto dhRtarASTra's son?
05145009a kiJM ca sarve nRpatayasH sabhAyAM ye samAsate What also did all the kings who sat in that assembly
05145009c uktavanto yathAtattvanM tad brUhi tvaJM janArdana say? O janArdana, say it all unto us, exactly as it happened.
05145010a uktavAn hi bhavAn sarvaM vacanaGM kurumukhyayoH Thou hast already told us all the disagreeable words that the kuru chiefs (bhISma and dhRtarASTra) and others in that assembly of the kurus said unto the wicked duryodhana
05145010c kAmalobhAbhibhUtasya mandasya prAjJamAninaH who is overwhelmed with lust and covetousness, and who regardeth himself wise.
05145011a apriyaM hRdaye mahyanM tan na tiSThati kezava Those words, however, O kezava, have flitted away from my memory.
05145011c teSAM vAkyAni govinda zrotum icchAmy ahaM vibho O Govinda, I desire to hear, O lord, all those words again.
05145012a yathA ca nAbhipadyeta kAlas tAta tathA kuru Act thou in such a way that the opportunity may not pass away.
note: abhipadyeta for atikrameta "might pass (us) over"
05145012c bhavAn hi no gatiH kRSNa bhavAn nAtho bhavAn guruH Thou, O kRSNa, art our refuge, thou art our lord, thou art our guide!'
05145013 vAsudeva uvAca 'vAsudeva said,
05145013a zRNu rAjan yathA vAkyam ukto rAjA suyodhanaH 'Hear, O king, the words that were addressed to king suyodhana
05145013c madhye kurUNAM rAjendra sabhAyAnM tan nibodha me in the midst of the assembly of the kurus, and, O king of kings, bear them in thy mind.
05145014a mayA vai zrAvite vAkye jahAsa dhRtarASTrajaH After my words were ended, dhRtarASTra's son laughed aloud.
05145014c atha bhISmasH susaGMkruddha idaM vacanam abravIt Highly incensed at this, bhISma then said,
05145015a duryodhana nibodhedaGM kulArthe yad bravImi te 'Hear, O duryodhana, what I say for (the preservation of) our race,
05145015c tac chrutvA rAjazArdUla svakulasya hitaGM kuru and having heard it, O tiger among kings, do what is beneficial to thy own house.
05145016a mama tAta pitA rAjaJ zanMtanur lokavizrutaH O sire, O king, my father zantanu, was widely known in the world.
05145016c tasyAham eka evAsamM putraH putravatAM varaH I was, at first, his only son.
05145017a tasya buddhisH samutpannA dvitIyasH syAt kathaM sutaH A desire sprung up in his heart as to how he might obtain a second son,
05145017c ekaputram aputraM vai pravadanti manISiNaH for the wise say that an only son is no son,
05145018a na cocchedaGM kulaM yAyAd vistIryeta kathaM yazaH -- Let not my race be extinct, may my fame be spread.
05145018c tasyAham IpsitamM buddhvA kAlImM mAtaram Avaham Even this was his desire. Knowing this to have been his desire, I brought kAlI to be my mother,
05145019a pratijJAnM duSkarAGM kRtvA pitur arthe kulasya ca having myself made a promise highly difficult to observe, for the sake of my father as also for the sake of our race.
05145019c arAjA cordhvaretAz ca yathA suviditanM tava How, in consequence of that promise I could not be king and have drawn up my vital seed, are, of course, well-known to thee. (I do not grieve for that).
05145019e pratIto nivasAmy eSa pratijJAm anupAlayan Observing that vow of mine, behold, I am living in happiness and joy.
05145020a tasyAJM jajJe mahAbAhuzH zrImAn kurukulodvahaH In her, O king, was born that mighty-armed and handsome supporter of kuru's race,
05145020c vicitravIryo dharmAtmA kanIyAn mama pArthivaH viz., king vicitravIrya of virtuous soul, my younger brother.
05145021a svaryAte 'hamM pitari taM svarAjye sanMnyavezayam After my father's ascension to heaven, I installed vicitravIrya as a ruler of the kingdom, that was mine,
05145021c vicitravIryaM rAjAnamM bhRtyo bhUtvA hy adhazcaraH while I placed myself under him as a servant of his.
05145022a tasyAhaM sadRzAn dArAn rAjendra samudAvaham O king of kings, I then brought him suitable wives,
05145022c jitvA pArthivasaGMghAtam api te bahuzazH zrutam having vanquished many assembled monarchs. Thou hast heard of it often.
05145023a tato rAmeNa samare dvandvayuddham upAgamam Sometime after, I was engaged in a single combat with the (great) rAma.
05145023c sa hi rAmabhayAd ebhir nAgarair vipravAsitaH From fear of rAma, my brother fled, the more so as his subjects deserted him.
05145023e dAreSv atiprasaktaz ca yakSmANaM samapadyata During this period, he became too much attached to his wives and accordingly had an attack of phthisis.
05145024a yadA tv arAjake rASTre na vavarSa surezvaraH Upon his death, there was anarchy in the kingdom and the chief of the gods poured not a drop of rain (on the realm).'
05145024c tadAbhyadhAvan mAm eva prajAH kSudbhayapIDitAH The subjects then, afflicted by fear of hunger, hastened to me
05145025 prajA UcuH and said,
05145025a upakSINAH prajAH sarvA rAjA bhava bhavAya naH 'Thy subjects are on the point of being exterminated. Be thou our king for the sake of our good.
05145025c Itayo nuda bhadranM te zanMtanoH kulavardhana Dispel this drought. Blessed be thou, O perpetuator of zantanu's race.
05145026a pIDyante te prajAsH sarvA vyAdhibhir bhRzadAruNaiH Thy subjects are being greatly afflicted by severe and frightful maladies.
05145026c alpAvaziSTA gAGgeya tAH paritrAtum arhasi Very few of them are still alive. It behoveth thee, O son of gaGgA, to save them.
05145027a vyAdhIn praNudya vIra tvamM prajA dharmeNa pAlaya Dispel these tortures. O hero, cherish thy subjects righteously.
05145027c tvayi jIvati mA rASTraM vinAzam upagacchatu When thou art alive, let not the kingdom go to destruction.'
05145028 bhISma uvAca bhISma said
05145028a prajAnAGM krozatInAM vai naivAkSubhyata me manaH Hearing these words of theirs uttered in a weeping voice, my heart was undisturbed.
05145028c pratijJAM rakSamANasya sadvRttaM smaratas tathA Remembering the behaviour of good people, I desired to maintain my vow.
05145029a tataH paurA mahArAja mAtA kAlI ca me zubhA Then, O king, the citizens, my auspicious mother kAlI herself,
05145029c bhRtyAH purohitAcAryA brAhmaNAz ca bahuzrutAH our servants, the priests and the preceptors (of our house), and many brAhmaNas of great learning,
05145029e mAm Ucur bhRzasanMtaptA bhava rAjeti sanMtatam all afflicted with great woe, solicited me to occupy the throne.' And they said,
05145030a pratIparakSitaM rASTranM tvAmM prApya vinaziSyati 'When thou art alive, shall the kingdom that pratIpa ruled go to ruin?
05145030c sa tvam asmaddhitArthaM vai rAjA bhava mahAmate be thou the king for our good, O thou of magnanimous heart, '
05145031a ity uktaH prAJjalir bhUtvA duHkhito bhRzam AturaH Thus addressed by them, I joined my hands together and, myself filled with grief and greatly afflicted,
05145031c tebhyo nyavedayamM putra pratijJAmM pitRgauravAt I repeatedly informed them of the promise that I had made from filial respect and
05145031e UrdhvaretA hy arAjA ca kulasyArthe punaH punaH for the sake of our race -- I had vowed to live with vital seed drawn up and foreswearing the throne.
05145032a tato 'hamM prAJjalir bhUtvA mAtaraM samMprasAdayam I again joined my hands and conciliated my mother, saying,
05145032c nAmba zanMtanunA jAtaH kauravaM vaMzam udvahan 'O mother, begot by zaMtanu and being a member of kuru's race,
05145032e pratijJAM vitathAGM kuryAm iti rAjan punaH punaH I cannot falsify my promise.' I repeatedly told her this, O king.
05145033a vizeSatas tvadarthaJM ca dhuri mA mAnM niyojaya It was especially for my mother, again, that I did so. I, therefore, begged them not to put me to the yoke. It is for thee especially, O mother, that I took this vow;
05145033c ahamM preSyaz ca dAsaz ca tavAmba sutavatsale I am verily thy servant and slave, O mother, thou that art distinguished for parental affection.'
05145034a evanM tAm anunIyAhamM mAtaraJM janam eva ca Having begged my mother and the people thus,
05145034c ayAcamM bhrAtRdAreSu tadA vyAsamM mahAmunim I then solicited the great sage Vyasa for begetting children upon the wives of my brother.
05145035a saha mAtrA mahArAja prasAdya tam RSinM tadA Indeed, O king, both myself and my mother gratified that RSi.
05145035c apatyArtham ayAcaM vai prasAdaGM kRtavAMz ca saH At last, O king, the RSi granted our prayers in the matter of the children.
05145035e trIn sa putrAn ajanayat tadA bharatasattama And he begot three sons in all, O best of bharata's race.
05145036a andhaH karaNahIneti na vai rAjA pitA tava Thy father was born blind, and in consequence of this lack of a sense, he could not become king.
note: hIneti is weird, misprint? hInam means "lack".
05145036c rAjA tu pANDur abhavan mahAtmA lokavizrutaH The high-souled and celebrated pANDu became king.
05145037a sa rAjA tasya te putrAH pitur dAyAdyahAriNaH And when pANDu became king, his sons must obtain their paternal inheritance.
05145037c mA tAta kalahaGM kArSI rAjyasyArdhamM pradIyatAm O sire, do not quarrel, give them half the kingdom.
05145038a mayi jIvati rAjyaGM kasH samMprazAset pumAn iha When I am alive, who else is competent to rule?
05145038c mAvamaMsthA vaco mahyaM zamam icchAmi vasH sadA Do not disregard my words. I only wish that there should be peace amongst you.
05145039a na vizeSo 'sti me putra tvayi teSu ca pArthiva O sire, O king, I make no distinction between thee and them (but love all of you equally).
05145039c matam etat pitus tubhyaGM gAndhAryA vidurasya ca What I have said unto thee represents also the opinion of thy father, of gAndhArI, and also of vidura.
05145040a zrotavyaM yadi vRddhAnAmM mAtizaGkIr vaco mama The words of those that are old should always be listened to. Do not disregard these words of mine.
05145040c nAzayiSyasi mA sarvam AtmAnamM pRthivInM tathA Do not destroy all thou hast and the earth also.''
