Mahabharata (English)

by Kisari Mohan Ganguli | 2,566,952 words | ISBN-10: 8121505933

The English translation of the Mahabharata is a large text describing ancient India. It is authored by Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa and contains the records of ancient humans. Also, it documents the fate of the Kauravas and the Pandavas family. Another part of the large contents, deal with many philosophical dialogues such as the goals of life. Book...

Section CXLIV

"Vaisampayana continued, "King Dhritarashtra whose knowledge only was his eyes, on hearing these words of his son and recollecting everything that Kanika had, said unto him, became afflicted with sorrow, and his mind also thereupon began to waver. Then Duryodhana and Karna, and Sakuni, the son of Suvala, and Duhsasana as their fourth, held a consultation together.

Prince Duryodhana said unto Dhritarashtra,

’send, O father, by some clever contrivance, the Pandavas to the town of Varanavata.

We shall then have no fear of them.'

Dhritarashtra, on hearing these words uttered by his son, reflected for a moment and replied unto Duryodhana, saying,

'Pandu, ever devoted to virtue, always behaved dutifully towards all his relatives but particularly towards me. He cared very little for the enjoyments of the world, but devotedly gave everything unto me, even the kingdom.

His son is as much devoted to virtue as he, and is possessed of every accomplishment.

Of world-wide fame, he is again the favourite of the people. He is possessed of allies; how can we by force exile him from his ancestral kingdom? The counsellors and soldiers (of the state) and their sons and grandsons have all been cherished and maintained by Pandu.

Thus benefited of old by Pandu, shall not, O child, the citizens slay us with all our friends and relatives now on account of Yudhishthira?"

"Duryodhana replied,

'What you sayest, O father, is perfectly true. But in view of the evil that is looming on the future as regards thyself, if we conciliate the people with wealth and honours, they would assuredly side with us for these proofs of our power. The treasury and the ministers of state, O king, are at this moment under our control.

Therefore, it behoves you now to banish, by some gentle means, the Pandavas to the town of Varanavata; O king, when the sovereignty shall have been vested in me, then, O Bharata, may Kunti with her children come back from that place.'

"Dhritarashtra replied,

'This, O Duryodhana, is the very thought existing in my mind. But from its sinfulness I have never given expression to it. Neither Bhishma, nor Drona, nor Kshattri, nor Gautama (Kripa) will ever sanction the exile of the Pandavas. In their eyes, O dear son, amongst the Kurus ourselves and the Pandavas are equal.

Those wise and virtuous persons will make no difference between us. If therefore, we behave so towards the Pandavas, shall we not, O son, deserve death at the hands of the Kurus, of these illustrious personages, and of the whole world?'

"Duryodhana answered,

'Bhishma has no excess of affection for either side, and will, therefore, be neutral (in case of dispute).

The son of Drona (Asvatthaman) is on my side. There is no doubt that where the son is, there the father will be. Kripa, the son of Saradvat, must be on the side on which Drona and Asvatthaman are.

He will never abandon Drona and his sister’s son (Asvatthaman).

Kshattri (Vidura) is dependent on us for his means of life, though he is secretly with the foe. It he sides the Pandavas, he alone can do us no injury, Therefore, exile you the Pandavas to Varanavata without any fear. And take such steps that they may go thither this very day.

By this act, O father, extinguish the grief that consumes me like a blazing fire, that robs me of sleep, and that pierces my heart even like a terrible dart.'"

Conclusion:

This concludes Section CXLIV of Book 1 (Adi Parva) of the Mahabharata, of which an English translation is presented on this page. This book is famous as one of the Itihasa, similair in content to the eighteen Puranas. Book 1 is one of the eighteen books comprising roughly 100,000 Sanskrit metrical verses.

FAQ (frequently asked questions):

Which keywords occur in Section CXLIV of Book 1 of the Mahabharata?

The most relevant definitions are: Pandavas, Duryodhana, Drona, Dhritarashtra, Asvatthaman, Varanavata; since these occur the most in Book 1, Section CXLIV. There are a total of 22 unique keywords found in this section mentioned 49 times.

What is the name of the Parva containing Section CXLIV of Book 1?

Section CXLIV is part of the Jatugriha Parva which itself is a sub-section of Book 1 (Adi Parva). The Jatugriha Parva contains a total of 11 sections while Book 1 contains a total of 19 such Parvas.

Can I buy a print edition of Section CXLIV as contained in Book 1?

Yes! The print edition of the Mahabharata contains the English translation of Section CXLIV of Book 1 and can be bought on the main page. The author is Kisari Mohan Ganguli and the latest edition (including Section CXLIV) is from 2012.

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