07005001a rathasthamM puruSavyAghranM dRSTvA karNam avasthitam 'Beholding that tiger among men, viz., karNa, mounted on his car,
07005001c hRSTo duryodhano rAjann idaM vacanam abravIt duryodhana, O king, filled with joy, said these words,
07005002a sanAtham idam atyarthamM bhavatA pAlitamM balam 'This host, protected by thee, hath now, I think, got a proper leader.
07005002c manye kinM tu samarthaM yad dhitanM tat samMpradhAryatAm Let that, however, be settled now which is proper and within our power.'
07005003 karNa uvAca 'karNa said,
07005003a brUhi tat puruSavyAghra tvaM hi prAjJatamo nRpa 'Tell us thyself, O tiger among men, for thou art the wisest of kings.
07005003c yathA cArthapatiH kRtyaM pazyate na tathetaraH Another can never see so well what should be done as one seeth it whose concern it is.
07005004a te sma sarve tava vacazH zrotukAmA narezvara Those kings are all desirous of listening to what thou mayst have to say.
07005004c nAnyAyyaM hi bhavAn vAkyamM brUyAd iti matir mama I am sure that no improper words will be uttered by thee.'
07005005 duryodhana uvAca 'duryodhana, said,
07005005a bhISmasH senApraNetAsId vayasA vikrameNa ca 'bhISma was our commander possessed (as he was) of years, prowess,
07005005c zrutena ca susamMpannasH sarvair yodhaguNais tathA and learning and supported by all our warriors.
07005006a tenAtiyazasA karNa ghnatA zatrugaNAn mama That high-souled one, O karNa, achieving great glory and slaying large numbers of my enemies
07005006c suyuddhena dazAhAni pAlitAsH smo mahAtmanA protected us by fair fight for ten days.
07005007a tasminn asukaraGM karma kRtavaty Asthite divam He achieved the most difficult of feats. But now that he is about to ascend to heaven,
07005007c kanM nu senApraNetAramM manyase tadanantaram whom, O karNa, dost thou think fit to our commander after him?
07005008a na Rte nAyakaM senA muhUrtam api tiSThati Without a leader, an army cannot stay in battle for even a short while.
07005008c AhaveSv AhavazreSTha netRhIneva naur jale Thou art foremost in battle, like a boat without a helmsman in the waters.
07005009a yathA hy akarNadhArA nau rathaz cAsArathir yathA Indeed, as a boat without a helmsman, or a car without a driver,
07005009c draved yatheSTanM tadvat syAd Rte senApatimM balam would go anywhere, so would the plight be of a host that is without a leader. Like a merchant who falleth into every kind of distress when he is unacquainted with the ways of the country he visits, an army that is without a leader is exposed to every kind of distress.
07005010a sa bhavAn vIkSya sarveSu mAmakeSu mahAtmasu Look thou, therefore, among all the high-souled warriors of our army
07005010c pazya senApatiM yuktam anu zAnMtanavAd iha and find out a proper leader who may succeed the son of zantanu.
07005011a yaM hi senApraNetAramM bhavAn vakSyati saMyuge Him whom thou wouldst regard as a fit leader in battle,
07005011c taM vayaM sahitAsH sarve prakariSyAma mAriSa him, all of us, without doubt, will together make our leader.'
07005012 karNa uvAca 'karNa said,
07005012a sarva eva mahAtmAna ime puruSasattamAH 'All these foremost of men are high-souled persons.
07005012c senApatitvam arhanti nAtra kAryA vicAraNA Every one of them deserveth to be our leader. There is no need of any minute examination.
07005013a kulasaMhananajJAnair balavikramabuddhibhiH All of them are conversant with noble genealogies and with the art of smiting; all of them are endued with prowess and intelligence,
07005013c yuktAH kRtajJA hrImanta AhaveSv anivartinaH all of them are attentive and acquainted with the scriptures, possessed of wisdom, and unretreating from battle.
07005014a yugapan na tu te zakyAH kartuM sarve puraHsarAH All, however, cannot be leaders at the same time.
07005014c eka evAtra kartavyo yasmin vaizeSikA guNAH Only one should be selected as leader, in whom are special merits.
07005015a anyonyaspardhinAnM teSAM yady ekaM satkariSyasi All of these regard one another as equals. If one amongst them, therefore, be honoured,
07005015c zeSA vimanaso vyaktanM na yotsyante hi bhArata the others will be dissatisfied, and, it is evident, will no longer fight for thee from a desire of benefiting thee.
07005016a ayanM tu sarvayodhAnAm AcAryasH sthaviro guruH This one, however, is the Preceptor (in arms) of all these warriors; is venerable in years,
07005016c yuktasH senApatiH kartuM droNaH zastrabhRtAM varaH and worthy of respect. Therefore, droNa, this foremost of all wielders of weapons, should be made the leader.
07005017a ko hi tiSThati durdharSe droNe brahmaviduttame Who is there worthy of becoming a leader, when the invincible droNa, that foremost of persons conversant with brahmA,
07005017c senApatisH syAd anyo 'smAc chukrAGgirasadarzanAt is here, that one who is equal to Sukra or bRhaspati himself?
07005018a na ca sa hy asti te yodhasH sarvarAjasu bhArata Amongst all the kings in thy army, O bharata,
07005018c yo droNaM samare yAntanM nAnuyAsyati saMyuge there is not a single warrior who will not follow droNa when the latter goeth to battle.
07005019a eSa senApraNetRRNAm eSa zastrabhRtAm api This droNa is the foremost of all leaders of forces, the foremost of all wielders of weapons,
07005019c eSa buddhimatAJM caiva zreSTho rAjan guruz ca te and the foremost of all intelligent persons. He is, besides, O king, thy preceptor (in arms).
07005020a evanM duryodhanAcAryam Azu senApatiGM kuru Therefore, O duryodhana, make this one the leader of thy forces without delay,
07005020c jigISanto 'surAn saGMkhye kArttikeyam ivAmarAH as the celestials made Kartikeya their leader in battle for vanquishing the asuras.''
07005022c vIryAd dAkSyAd adhRSyatvAd arthajJAnAn nayAj jayAt for also thy prowess, skill, invincibility, knowledge of worldly matters, policy, and self-conquest,
07005023a tapasA ca kRtajJatvAd vRddhasH sarvaguNair api by reason also of thy ascetic austerities and thy gratitude, superior as thou art as regards every virtue,
07005023c yukto bhavatsamo goptA rAjJAm anyo na vidyate among these kings there is none who can make so good a leader as thou.
07005024a sa bhavAn pAtu nasH sarvAn vibudhAn iva vAsavaH Protect thou, therefore, all of us, like vAsava protecting the celestials.
07005024c bhavannetrAH parAJ jetum icchAmo dvijasattama Having thee for our leader, we desire, O best of brAhmaNas, to vanquish our foes.
07005025a rudrANAm iva kApAlI vasUnAm iva pAvakaH As Kapali amongst the rudras, Pavaka among the vasus,
07005025c kubera iva yakSANAmM marutAm iva vAsavaH Kuvera among the yakSas, vAsava among the maruts,
07005026a vasiSTha iva viprANAnM tejasAm iva bhAskaraH Vasishtha among brAhmaNas, the Sun amongst luminous bodies,
07005026c pitRRNAm iva dharmo 'tha AdityAnAm ivAmburAT yama among the pitRs, Varuna among aquatic creatures,
07005027a nakSatrANAm iva zazI ditijAnAm ivozanAH as the Moon among the stars, and Usanas among the sons of Diti,
07005027c zreSThasH senApraNetRRNAM sa nasH senApatir bhava so art thou the foremost of all leaders of forces.
07005028a akSauhiNyo dazaikA ca vazagAsH santu te 'nagha Be thou, therefore, our leader. O sinless one, let these ten and one Akshauhinis of troops be obedient to thy word of command.
07005028c tAbhizH zatrUn prativyUhya jahIndro dAnavAn iva Disposing these troops in battle array, slay thou our foes, like indra slaying the dAnavas.
07005029a prayAtu no bhavAn agre devAnAm iva pAvakiH Proceed thou art the head of us all, like Pavaka's son (Kartikeya) at the head of the celestial forces.
07005029c anuyAsyAmahe tv Ajau saurabheyA iva rSabham We will follow thee to battle, like bulls following a bovine leader.
07005030a ugradhanvA maheSvAso divyaM visphArayan dhanuH A fierce and great bowman as thou art, beholding thee stretching the bow
07005030c agre bhavantanM dRSTvA no nArjunaH prasahiSyate at our head. arjuna will not strike.
07005031a dhruvaM yudhiSThiraM saGMkhye sAnubandhaM sabAndhavam Without doubt, yudhiSThira with all his followers and relatives in battle,
07005031c jeSyAmi puruSavyAghra bhavAn senApatir yadi O tiger among men, if thou becomest our leader, I will vanquish.'
07005032a evam ukte tato droNe jayety Ucur narAdhipAH 'saJjaya continued, 'After duryodhana had uttered these words, the kings (in the kaurava army) all cried victory to droNa.
07005032c siMhanAdena mahatA harSayantas tavAtmajam And they delighted thy son by uttering a loud leonine shout.
07005033a sainikAz ca mudA yuktA vardhayanti dvijottamam And the troops, filled with joy,
07005033c duryodhanamM puraskRtya prArthayanto mahad yazaH and with duryodhana at their head, desirous of winning great renown, began to glorify that best of brAhmaNas. Then, O king, droNa addressed duryodhana in these words --
07005034a vedaM SaDaGgaM vedAham arthavidyAJM ca mAnavIm 'I know the Vedas with their six branches. I know also the science of human affairs.
07005034c traiyambakam atheSvastram astrANi vividhAni ca I am acquainted also with the Saiva weapon, and diverse other species of weapons.
07005035a ye cApy uktA mayi guNA bhavadbhir jayakAGkSibhiH Endeavouring to actually display all those virtues which ye, desirous of victory, have attributed to me,
07005035c cikIrSus tAn ahaM satyAn yodhayiSyAmi pANDavAn I will fight with the pANDavas. I will not, however, O king, be able to slay the son of Prishata. O bull among men, he hath been created for my slaughter. I will fight with the pANDavas, and slay the somakas. As regards the pANDavas, they will not fight with me with cheerful hearts.'
07005036 saJMjaya uvAca 'saJjaya continued,
07005036a sa evam abhyanujJAtaz cakre senApatinM tataH 'Thus permitted by droNa, the son, O king, then made him the commander of his forces
07005036c droNanM tava suto rAjan vidhidRSTena karmaNA according to the rites prescribed in the ordinance.
07005037a athAbhiSiSicur droNanM duryodhanamukhA nRpAH And the kings (in the Katirava army) headed by duryodhana performed the investiture of droNa in the command of the forces,
07005037c sainApatye yathA skandamM purA zakramukhAsH surAH like the celestials headed by indra in days of yore performing the investiture of Skanda.
note: papaer 07007 6
07005038a tato vAditraghoSeNa saha puMsAmM mahAsvanaiH By the sound of drums and the loud blare of conchs,
07005038c prAdurAsIt kRte droNe harSasH senApatau tadA after droNa's installation in the command, the joy of the army expressed itself.
07005039a tataH puNyAhaghoSeNa svastivAdasvanena ca Then with cries such as greet the ears in a festive day,
07005039c saMstavair gItazabdaiz ca sUtamAgadhabandinAm with auspicious invocations by brAhmaNas
07005040a jayazabdair dvijAgryANAM subhagAnartitais tathA gratified with cries of Jaya uttered by foremost of brAhmaNas, and with the dance of mimes,
07005040c satkRtya vidhivad droNaJM jitAn manyanta pANDavAn droNa was duly honoured. And kaurava warriors regarded the Pandayas as already vanquished.'
