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VERSE 1: DHṚTARĀṢṬRA’S ENQUIRY
1.1
Dhṛtarāṣṭra says:
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
VERSES 2-13: THE WARRIORS ARE INTRODUCED
1.2
Sañjaya says:
sañjaya uvāca
1.3
Duryodhana says:
paśyaitām pāṇḍu-putrāṇām ācārya mahatīṁ camūm |
1.4
In that army are heroes and great archers like Bhīma and Arjuna; there
are mighty warriors like Yuyudhāna, Virāṭa and Drupada.
atra śūrā maheṣvāsā bhīmārjuna samā yudhi |
1.5
There is Dhṛṣṭaketu, Cekitāna, and the valiant king of Kāśī, Purujit,
Kuntibhoja, and Śaibyā, all of whom are the best among men.
dhṛṣṭaketuś-cekitānaḥ kāśi-rājaśca vīryavān |
1.6
There is the valiant Yudhāmanyu and the strong Uttamaujas. There is also
the son of Subhadrā, as well as the sons of Draupadī. All of them are
mighty chariot-warriors.
yudhāmanyuśca vikrānta uttamaujāśca vīryavān |
1.7
O best of brahmanas, let me now familiarise you with our principle
warriors who are the commanders of my army. I shall name them to refresh
your memory.
asmākaṁ tu viśiṣṭā ye tān-nibodha dvijottama |
1.8
There is yourself, Bhīṣma and Karṇa, the victorious Kṛpā, Aśvatthāmā,
Vikarṇa and Jayadratha, the son of Somadatta.
bhavān bhīṣmaśca karṇaśca kṛpaśca samitiñjayaḥ |
1.9
And there are many other heroes who are determined to give up their
lives for my sake. They are all experts in weaponry and experienced in
the art of warfare.
anye ca bahavaḥ śūrā madārthe tyakta-jīvitāḥ |
1.10
This force of ours marshalled by Bhīṣma is immeasurable, while their
strength controlled by Bhīma is limited.
aparyāptaṁ tad asmakaṁ balaṁ bhīṣmābhirakṣitam |
1.11
All of you therefore should make every effort to guard Bhīṣma, whilst
stationed at your respective positions in the army.
ayaneṣu ca sarveṣu yathā-bhāgam avasthitāḥ |
1.12
Sañjaya says:
tasya sañjanayan harṣaṁ kuru-vṛddhaḥ pitāmahaḥ |
1.13
Suddenly, conches and kettle drums, trumpets, tabors and horns erupted
forth and the sound was terrific.
tataḥ śaṅkhāśca bheryaśca paṇavānaka-gomukhāḥ |
VERSES 14-20: KṚṢṆA IS INTRODUCED; THE CONCHES ARE BLOWING
1.14
Then Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, stationed in their great chariot drawn by
white horses, blew their divine conches.
tataḥ śvetair-hayair-yukte mahati syandane sthitau |
1.15
Śrī Kṛṣṇa blew His conch, Pāñcajanya, Arjuna blew his, named Devadatta,
and Bhīma, the performer of terrible deeds, blew the great conch
Pauṇḍra.
pāñcajanyaṁ hṛṣīkeśo devadattaṁ dhanañjayaḥ |
1.16
King Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Kuntī, blew his conch Ananta-vijaya, and
Nakula and Sahadeva blew their conches Sughoṣa and Mani-puṣpaka.
ananta-vijayaṁ rājā kuntī-putro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ |
1.17
Then the supreme archer, king of Kāśī, and the mighty warrior Śikhaṇḍī,
Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Virāṭa; and the invincible Sātyaki, all blew their
respective conches.
kāśyaśca parameṣ-vasaḥ śikhaṇḍī ca mahārathaḥ |
1.18
King Drupada, the sons of Draupadī, and the strong- armed son of
Subhadrā, all blew their various conches again and again.
drupado draupadeyāśca sarvaśaḥ pṛthivī-pate |
1.19
That tumultuous uproar, resounding through heaven and Earth, tore the
hearts of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons.
sa ghoṣo dhārtarāṣṭrāṇāṁ hṛdayāni vyadārayat |
1.20
After seeing the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra arranged in their formation,
Arjuna, who had Hanumān as his banner crest, took up his bow in
preparation for war.
atha vyavasthitān dṛṣṭvā dhārtarāsṭrān kapi-dhvajaḥ |
VERSES 21-24: BETWEEN THE TWO ARMIES
1.21-22
And he spoke, O king, these words to Śrī Kṛṣṇa…
hṛṣīkeśaṁ tadā vākyam idam āha mahī-pate |
1.23
I am eager to see those who have gathered here to please the evil-minded
son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra (Duryodhana).
yotsyamānān avekṣe‘haṁ ya ete’tra samāgatāḥ |
1.24
Sañjaya says:
sañjaya uvāca
VERSES 25–47: ARJUNA REFUSES TO FIGHT
1.25
In front of Bhīṣma, Droṇa, and all the other kings, Kṛṣṇa says: ‘O
Arjuna, behold all the Kurus who have assembled here.’
bhiṣma droṇa pramukhataḥ sarveṣāṁ ca mahīkṣitām |
1.26-29
Then Arjuna saw standing there, fathers and grand- fathers, teachers,
uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons and friends.
tatrāpaśyat sthitān pārthaḥ pitṝn atha pitā-mahān |
1.30
My bow, the Gāṇḍīva, is slipping from my hands and my skin is burning. I
am unable to hold myself together, I am confused, and my mind is
reeling.
gāṇḍīvaṁ sraṁsate hastāt tvak caiva pari-dahyate |
1.31
O Kṛṣṇa, I see only calamity for the future. I cannot see any good in
killing my own family in battle.
nimittāni ca paśyāmi viparītāni keśava |
1.32
Nor do I desire victory, a kingdom or happiness. Of what use to us is a
kingdom, enjoyment or even life itself?
na kāṅkṣe vijayaṁ kṛṣṇa na ca rājyaṁ sukhāni ca |
1.33
The people for whose sake we desire those things stand ready to fight
and give up their lives, and their wealth, for this war.
yeṣām arthe kāṅkṣitaṁ no rājyaṁ bhogāḥ sukhāni ca |
1.34
Teachers, fathers, sons and also grandfathers, uncles, fathers-in-law
and grandsons, brothers-in-law and other relatives stand before me.
ācāryāḥ pitaraḥ putrās tathaiva ca pitāmahāḥ |
1.35
O Kṛṣṇa, they may wish to slay me, but I have no desire to kill them,
even if it were to rule the three worlds, much less for this Earth.
etān na hantum icchāmi ghnato’pi madhusūdana |
1.36
If we kill the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, what joy will be ours, O Kṛṣṇa? Sin
alone will stain us if we kill these aggressors.
nihatya dhārtarāṣṭrān naḥ kā̇ prītiḥ syāj-janārdana |
1.37
Therefore, it is not right that we slay the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra. How can
we rejoice, O Kṛṣṇa, if we kill our own relatives?
tasmān nārhā vayaṁ hantuṁ dhārtarāṣṭrān svabandhavān |
1.38-39
Even though these people, whose minds are overpowered by greed, see no
evil in destroying their family and betraying their friends, why should
we, O Kṛṣṇa, who do recognise this evil, engage in such sinful deeds?
yady-apyete na paśyanti lobhopahata cetasaḥ |
1.40
If the family is destroyed, its ancient traditions perish, and when
traditions perish, unrighteousness overtakes the whole clan.
kula-kṣaye praṇaśyanti kula-dharmāḥ sanātanāḥ |
1.41
When unrighteousness prevails, O Kṛṣṇa, the women of the clan become
corrupt; when women become corrupt, future generations will follow.
adharmābhi-bhavāt kṛṣṇa praduṣyanti kula-striyaḥ |
1.42
The mixing of social classes creates a living hell both for the family
and for those who destroy it. Consequently, the ancestors of such a
family will certainly fall because they will be deprived of their ritual
offerings.
saṅkaro narakāyaiva kula-ghnānāṁ kulasya ca |
1.43
The sinful deeds of those who destroy their family and mix social classes
ruin the ancient traditions of our clan.
doṣair etaiḥ kula-ghnānāṁ varṇa-saṅkara-kārakaiḥ |
1.44
We have heard, O Kṛṣṇa, that there is certainly a place in hell for
those who destroy such family practices.
utsanna-kula-dharmāṇāṁ manuṣyāṇāṁ janārdana |
1.45
Alas! We have resolved to commit a great crime, in that we are ready to
slay our own family, just to rule and enjoy the pleasures of a kingdom.
aho bata mahat pāpaṁ kartuṁ vyavasitā vayam |
1.46
Even if the fully-armed sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra were to slay me in battle,
unresisting and unarmed, that would be better for me.
yadi mām apratīkāram aśastraṁ śastra-pāṇayaḥ |
1.47
Sañjaya says:
sañjaya uvāca
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