Mahabharata — Volume III (Dutt edition) — Chapter 49

MBh 3 49.1

कृप उवाच सदैव तव राधेय युद्धे क्रूरतरा मतिः। नार्थानां प्रकृति वेत्सि नानुबन्धमवेक्षसे॥

kṛpa uvāca sadaiva tava rādheya yuddhe krūratarā matiḥ| nārthānāṃ prakṛti vetsi nānubandhamavekṣase||

Kripa said O son of Radha, your crooked mind is always for the war. You do not understand the time and nature of things as well as their consequences.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 3 49.2

माया हि बहवः सन्ति शास्त्रमाश्रित्य चिन्तिताः। तेषां युद्धं तु पापिष्ठं वेदयन्ति पुराविदः॥

māyā hi bahavaḥ santi śāstramāśritya cintitāḥ| teṣāṃ yuddhaṃ tu pāpiṣṭhaṃ vedayanti purāvidaḥ||

There are many contrivances mentioned in the scriptures. Of them persons acquainted with the past history have mentioned battle as the most sinful.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 3 49.3

देशकालेन संयुक्तं युद्धं विजयदं भवेत्। हीनकालं तदेवेह फलं न लभते पुनः। देशे काले च विक्रान्तं कल्याणाय विधीयते॥

deśakālena saṃyuktaṃ yuddhaṃ vijayadaṃ bhavet| hīnakālaṃ tadeveha phalaṃ na labhate punaḥ| deśe kāle ca vikrāntaṃ kalyāṇāya vidhīyate||

It is only when undertaken in (proper) time and place that a battle produces success. This is not a favourable time and you will get no good fruit. Prowess, when manifested in proper hour and place, leads to well-being.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 3 49.4

आनुकूल्येन कार्याणामन्तरं संविधीयते। भारं हि रथकारस्य न व्यवस्यन्ति पण्डिताः॥ परिचिन्त्य त पार्थेन संनिपातो न नः क्षमः।

ānukūlyena kāryāṇāmantaraṃ saṃvidhīyate| bhāraṃ hi rathakārasya na vyavasyanti paṇḍitāḥ|| paricintya ta pārthena saṃnipāto na naḥ kṣamaḥ|

It is by favourable signs that the advisability of an action is determined upon. Learned men never act depending upon the words of a car maker. Taking all this into consideration it is not proper for us to enter into an encounter with Partha.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 3 49.5

एकः कुरूनभ्यगच्छदेक्श्चाग्निमतर्पयत्॥ एकश्च पञ्च वर्षाणि ब्रह्मचर्यमधारयत्।

ekaḥ kurūnabhyagacchadekścāgnimatarpayat|| ekaśca pañca varṣāṇi brahmacaryamadhārayat|

Alone did he save the Kurus from the Gandharvas) and alone did he gìatify fire. And alone did he for five years lead the life of a Brahmacharin.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 3 49.6

एकः सुभद्रामारोप्य द्वैरथे कृष्णमाह्वयत्॥ एकः किरातरूपेण स्थितं रुद्रमयोधयत्।

ekaḥ subhadrāmāropya dvairathe kṛṣṇamāhvayat|| ekaḥ kirātarūpeṇa sthitaṃ rudramayodhayat|

Taking Subhadra on his car alone did he challenge Krishna to a duel. And alone did he fight with Rudra who came before him in the disguise of a hunter.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 3 49.7

अस्मिन्नेव वने पार्थो हतां कृष्णामवाजयत्॥ एकश्च पञ्च वर्षाणि शनादस्त्राण्यशिक्षत।

asminneva vane pārtho hatāṃ kṛṣṇāmavājayat|| ekaśca pañca varṣāṇi śanādastrāṇyaśikṣata|

It was in this forest that he rescued Draupadi when she was being carried away (by Jayadratha). It is alone he that for five years studied the science of arms under Indra.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 3 49.8

एकः सोऽयमरि जित्वा कुरूणामकरोद् यशः॥ एको गन्धर्वराजानं चित्रसेनमरिंदमः। विजिग्ये तरसा संख्ये सेनां प्राप्य सुदुर्जयाम्॥ तथा निवातकवचाः कालखढाश्च दानवाः। दैवतैरप्यवध्यास्ते एकेन युधि पातिताः॥ एकेन हि त्वया कर्ण किं नामेह कृतं पुरा। एकैकेन यथा तेषां भूमिपाला वशे कृताः॥ इन्द्रोऽपि हि न पार्थेन संयुगे योद्धुमर्हति।

ekaḥ so'yamari jitvā kurūṇāmakarod yaśaḥ|| eko gandharvarājānaṃ citrasenamariṃdamaḥ| vijigye tarasā saṃkhye senāṃ prāpya sudurjayām|| tathā nivātakavacāḥ kālakhaḍhāśca dānavāḥ| daivatairapyavadhyāste ekena yudhi pātitāḥ|| ekena hi tvayā karṇa kiṃ nāmeha kṛtaṃ purā| ekaikena yathā teṣāṃ bhūmipālā vaśe kṛtāḥ|| indro'pi hi na pārthena saṃyuge yoddhumarhati|

Defeating alone all the enemies he has spread the glory of the Kurus. Alone did that chastiser of foes defeat in battle Chitrasena, the king of the Gandharvas and in a moment his invincible army also. He defeated alone in battle the dreadful Nivatakavachas and Kalakhanjas who were both incapable of being slain even by the celestials. What however, O Karna, have you accomplished single-handed like any one of the sons of Pandu each of whom had vanquished many kings? Even Indra is unable to face Partha in battle.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 3 49.9

यस्तेनाशंसते योद्धं कर्तव्यं तस्य भेषजम्॥ आशीविषस्य क्रुद्धस्य पाणिमुद्यम्य दक्षिणम्। अवमुच्य प्रदेशिन्या दंष्ट्रामादातुमिच्छसि॥ अथवा कुद्द्वारं मत्तमेकं एव चरन् वने। अनङ्कुशं समारुह्य नगरं गन्तुमिच्छसि॥ समिद्धं पावकं चैव घृतमेदोवसाहुतम्। घृताक्तश्चारवासास्त्वं मध्येनोत्तर्तुमिच्छसि॥ आत्मानं कः समुद्बद्ध्य कण्ठे बद्ध्वा महाशिलम्।

yastenāśaṃsate yoddhaṃ kartavyaṃ tasya bheṣajam|| āśīviṣasya kruddhasya pāṇimudyamya dakṣiṇam| avamucya pradeśinyā daṃṣṭrāmādātumicchasi|| athavā kuddvāraṃ mattamekaṃ eva caran vane| anaṅkuśaṃ samāruhya nagaraṃ gantumicchasi|| samiddhaṃ pāvakaṃ caiva ghṛtamedovasāhutam| ghṛtāktaścāravāsāstvaṃ madhyenottartumicchasi|| ātmānaṃ kaḥ samudbaddhya kaṇṭhe baddhvā mahāśilam|

He who wishes to fight with Arjuna should take some medicine. You desire to take out the fangs of an angry, venomous snake by stretching out your right hand and extending your fore-finger. Or going alone in the forest you wish to ride an infuriated elephant and go to a town without a hook in hand. Or rubbed over with clarified butter and clad in silken raiment you wish to go through a burning fire blazing with fat, tallow and clarified butter.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 3 49.10

समुद्रं तरते दोभ्यां तत्र किं नाम पौरुषम्॥ अकृतास्त्रः कृतास्त्रं वै बलवन्तं सुदुर्बलः। तादृशं कर्ण यः पार्थं योद्धुमिच्छेत् स दुर्मतिः॥ अस्माभिर्वेष निकृतो वर्षाणीह त्रयोदश। सिंहः पाशविनिर्मुक्तो न नः शेषं करिष्यति॥ एकान्ते पार्थमासीनं कूपेऽग्निमिव संवृतम्। अज्ञानादभ्यवस्कन्ध प्राप्ताः स्मो भयमुत्तमम्॥ सह युध्यामहे पार्थमागतं युद्धदुर्मदम्।

samudraṃ tarate dobhyāṃ tatra kiṃ nāma pauruṣam|| akṛtāstraḥ kṛtāstraṃ vai balavantaṃ sudurbalaḥ| tādṛśaṃ karṇa yaḥ pārthaṃ yoddhumicchet sa durmatiḥ|| asmābhirveṣa nikṛto varṣāṇīha trayodaśa| siṃhaḥ pāśavinirmukto na naḥ śeṣaṃ kariṣyati|| ekānte pārthamāsīnaṃ kūpe'gnimiva saṃvṛtam| ajñānādabhyavaskandha prāptāḥ smo bhayamuttamam|| saha yudhyāmahe pārthamāgataṃ yuddhadurmadam|

Who, binding himself hand and foot and tying a huge stone to his neck, would wish to swim across the ocean with his bare arms? What manliness is there? O Karna, a fool is he, who, without strength and skill in arms, desires to fight with Partha who is so powerful and skilled in weapons? Oppressed by us and freed from thirteen years' exile, will he not destroy us like a lion liberated from the noose? Having unknowingly come to a place where Partha lay hidden like fire we have been exposed to a great danger. Although dreadful in battle we should fight against him.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 3 49.11

सैन्यास्तिष्ठन्तु संनद्धा व्यूढानीकाः प्रहारिणः॥ द्रोणो दुर्योधनो भीष्मो भवान् द्रौणिस्तथा वयम्। सर्वे युध्यामहे पार्थं कर्ण मा साहसं कृथाः॥ वयं व्यवसितं पार्थं वज्रपाणिमिवोद्यतम्। षड्रथाः प्रतियुध्येम तिष्ठेम यदि संहताः॥ व्यूढानीकानि सैन्यानि यत्ताः परमधन्विनः। युध्यामहेऽर्जुनं संख्ये दानवा इव वासवम्॥

sainyāstiṣṭhantu saṃnaddhā vyūḍhānīkāḥ prahāriṇaḥ|| droṇo duryodhano bhīṣmo bhavān drauṇistathā vayam| sarve yudhyāmahe pārthaṃ karṇa mā sāhasaṃ kṛthāḥ|| vayaṃ vyavasitaṃ pārthaṃ vajrapāṇimivodyatam| ṣaḍrathāḥ pratiyudhyema tiṣṭhema yadi saṃhatāḥ|| vyūḍhānīkāni sainyāni yattāḥ paramadhanvinaḥ| yudhyāmahe'rjunaṃ saṃkhye dānavā iva vāsavam||

Let our army, clad in coats of mail, stand here in battle array ready to strike. Let Drona, Duryodhana, Bhishma, yourself, Drona's son and ourselves all fight with Partha. Do not, O Karna, act rashly. If we six are united and set forth our energy we may fight with or stand before Partha, fierce like the wielder of thunderbolt. With our soldiers in battle array, we, great bowmen as we are, will fight carefully with Arjuna as the Danavas fought with Vasava.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)