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 LXXXII

"Vaisampayana said, 'Hearing the peaceful words of the king that were fraught with both virtue and profit, king Drupada’s daughter Krishna, of long black tresses, afflicted with great grief, applauding Sahadeva and that mighty car-warrior Satyaki, addressed Madhava seated by his side.

And beholding Bhimasena declare for peace, that intelligent lady, overwhelmed with woe and with eyes bathed in tears, said,

'O slayer of Madhu, it is known to you, O you of mighty arms, by what deceitful means, O righteous one, the son of Dhritarashtra with his counsellors robbed the Pandavas, O Janardana. of their happiness. You knowest also, O you of Dasarha’s race, what message was privately delivered to Sanjaya by the king. You have also heard all that was said unto Sanjaya. O you of great effulgence, these words were even these,

'Let only five villages be granted to us, viz., Avishthala, and Vrikasthala, and Makandi, and Varanavata, and for the fifth, any other,'—

O you of mighty arms, O Kesava, even this was the message that was to have been delivered to Duryodhana and his counsellors. But, O Krishna, O you of Dasarha’s race, hearing those words of Yudhishthira, endued with modesty and anxious for peace, Suyodhana has not acted according to them. If, O Krishna, Suyodhana desires to make peace without surrendering the kingdom, there is no necessity of going thither for making such a peace. The Pandavas with the Srinjayas, O you of mighty arms, are quite able to withstand the fierce Dhritarashtra host inflamed with rage. When they are no longer amenable to this arts of conciliation, it is not proper, O slayer of Madhu, that you should show them mercy.

Those enemies, O Krishna, with whom peace cannot be established by either conciliation or presents, should be treated with severity by one desirous of saving his life. Therefore, O mighty-armed Achyuta, heavy should be the punishment that deserves to be speedily inflicted upon them by thyself aided by the Pandavas and the Srinjayas. Indeed, even this would become the son of Pritha, and add to your glory, and if accomplished, will, O Krishna, be a source of great happiness to the whole Kshatriya race. He that is covetous, whether belonging to the Kshatriya or any other order, save of course a Brahmana, even if most sinful, ought surely to be slain by a Kshatriya, who is true to the duties of his own order. The exception in the case of a Brahmana, O sire, is due to a Brahmana’s being the preceptor of all the other orders, as also the first sharer of everything.

Persons conversant with the scriptures declare, O Janardana, that sin is incurred in slaying one that deserves not to be slain. So there is equal sin in not slaying one that deserves to be slain. Act you, therefore, O Krishna, in such a way with the forces of the Pandavas and the Srinjayas, that sin may not touch you. From excess of confidence in you, O Janardana, I will repeat what has been said again and again.

Whatever woman, O Kesava, is there on earth like me? I am the daughter of king Drupada, risen from the sacrificial alter. I am the sister of Dhrishtadyumna, your dear friend, O Krishna. I have by marriage become a lady of Ajamida’s race,—the daughter-in-law of the illustrious Pandu. I am the queen of Pandu’s sons, who resemble five Indras in splendour. I have, by these five heroes, five sons that are all mighty car-warriors, and that are morally bound to you, O Krishna, as Abhimanyu himself.

Being such, O Krishna, I was seized by the hair, dragged into the assembly and insulted in the very sight of the sons of Pandu and in your life-time. O Kesava, the sons of Pandu, the Pancalas, and the Vrishnis being all alive, exposed to the gaze of the assembly I was treated as a slave by those sinful wretches. And when the Pandavas beholding it all sat silent without giving way to wrath, in my heart I called upon you. O Govinda, saying,—Save me, O save me!—

Then the illustrious king Dhritarashtra, my father-in-law, said unto me,

'Ask you any boon, O princess of Pancala. You deserves boons and even honour at my hands.'

Thus addressed I said,

'Let the Pandavas be free men with their cars and weapons.'

Upon this the Pandavas, O Kesava, were freed but only to be exiled into the woods. O Janardana, you knowest all these sorrows of mine. Rescue me, O lotus-eyed one, with my husbands, kinsmen, and relatives, from that grief. Morally, O Krishna, I am the daughter-in-law of both Bhishma and Dhritarashtra. Though such, I was yet forcibly made a slave. Fie to Partha’s bowmanship, oh, fie to Bhimasena’s might since Duryodhana, O Krishna, lives for even a moment. If I deserve any favour at your hands, if you have any compassion for me, let your wrath, O Krishna, be directed towards the sons of Dhritarashtra.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having said this, the beautiful Krishna of eyes that were black in hue and large like lotus leaves, bathed in tears, and walking like a cow-elephant, approached the lotus-eyed Krishna, and taking with her left hand her own beautiful tresses of curly ends, deep-blue in hue and scented with every perfume, endued with every auspicious mark, and though gathered into a braid, yet soft and glossy like a mighty snake, spake these words,

'Lotus-eyed one that art anxious for peace with the enemy, you should, in all your acts, call to your mind these tresses of mine seized by Dussasana’s rude hands! If Bhima and Arjuna, O Krishna, have become so low as to long for peace, my aged father then with his war like sons will avenge for me in battle. My five sons also that are endued with great energy, with Abhimanyu, O slayer of Madhu, at their head, will fight with the Kauravas. What peace can this heart of mine know unless I behold Dussasana’s dark arm severed from his trunk and pulverised to atoms? Thirteen long years have I passed in expectation of better times, hiding in my heart my wrath like a smouldering fire. And now pierced by Bhima’s wordy darts that heart cf mine is about to break, for the mighty-armed Bhima now casts his eye on morality.'

Uttering these words with voice choked in tears, the large-eyed Krishna began to weep aloud, with convulsive sobs, and tears gushed down her cheeks. And that lady, with hips full and round, began to drench her close and deep bosom by the tears she shed which were hot as liquid fire.

The mighty-armed Kesava then spoke, comforting her in these words,

’soon will you, O Krishna, behold the ladies of Bharata’s race weep as you dost. Even they, O timid one, will weep like you, their kinsmen and friends being slain. They with whom, O lady, you are angry, have their kinsmen and warriors already slain. With Bhima and Arjuna and the twins, at Yudhishthira’s command, and agreeably to fate, and what has been ordained by the Ordainer, I will accomplish all this. Their hour having arrived, the sons of Dhritarashtra, if they do not listen to my words, will surely lie down on the earth turned as morsels of dogs and jackals. The mountains of Himavat might shift their site, the Earth herself might spilt into a hundred fragments, the firmament itself with its myriads of stars might fall down, still my words can never be futile. Stop your tears, I swear to you, O Krishna, soon will you see your husbands, with their enemies slain, and with prosperity crowning them.'"

Conclusion:

This concludes Section LXXXII of Book 5 (Udyoga 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 5 is one of the eighteen books comprising roughly 100,000 Sanskrit metrical verses.

FAQ (frequently asked questions):

Which keywords occur in Section LXXXII of Book 5 of the Mahabharata?

The most relevant definitions are: Krishna, Pandavas, Dhritarashtra, Kesava, Janardana, Bhima; since these occur the most in Book 5, Section LXXXII. There are a total of 41 unique keywords found in this section mentioned 102 times.

What is the name of the Parva containing Section LXXXII of Book 5?

Section LXXXII is part of the Bhagavat-Yana Parva which itself is a sub-section of Book 5 (Udyoga Parva). The Bhagavat-Yana Parva contains a total of 89 sections while Book 5 contains a total of 4 such Parvas.

Can I buy a print edition of Section LXXXII as contained in Book 5?

Yes! The print edition of the Mahabharata contains the English translation of Section LXXXII of Book 5 and can be bought on the main page. The author is Kisari Mohan Ganguli and the latest edition (including Section LXXXII) is from 2012.

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