महाभारतम् — ३.२३२

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।

अस्मानभिगतांस्तात भयार्ताञ्शरणैषिणः ।
कौरवान्विषमप्राप्तान्कथं ब्रूयास्त्वमीदृशम् ॥

M N Dutt Yudhishthira said : O child, why do you speak these cruel words to these frightened Kurus who are now in adversity and who have come to us for protection?

३.२३२.२

भवन्ति भेदा ज्ञातीनां कलहाश्च वृकोदर ।
प्रसक्तानि च वैराणि ज्ञातिधर्मो न नश्यति ॥

M N Dutt O Vrikodara, dissensions and disputes often take place among those that are connected in blood. Such hostilities always exist, but for it family honour is never suffered to be destroyed.

३.२३२.३

यदा तु कश्चिज्ज्ञातीनां बाह्यः प्रार्थयते कुलम् ।
न मर्षयन्ति तत्सन्तो बाह्येनाभिप्रमर्षणम् ॥

M N Dutt If any stranger seeks to destroy the honour of a family, they that are good never tolerate such insult to be offered by the stranger.

३.२३२.४

जानाति ह्येष दुर्बुद्धिरस्मानिह चिरोषितान् ।
स एष परिभूयास्मानकार्षीदिदमप्रियम् ॥

M N Dutt The wretched minded one (Gandharva king) knows that we are living here for some time. (Even knowing this), he has disregarded us and has done this which is disagreeable to us.

३.२३२.५

दुर्योधनस्य ग्रहणाद्गन्धर्वेण बलाद्रणे ।
स्त्रीणां बाह्याभिमर्शाच्च हतं भवति नः कुलम् ॥

M N Dutt O exalted one, from this forcible seizure of Duryodhana and from this insult offered to the ladies of our family by a stranger, our family honour is destroyed,

३.२३२.६

शरणं च प्रपन्नानां त्राणार्थं च कुलस्य नः ।
उत्तिष्ठध्वं नरव्याघ्राः सज्जीभवत माचिरम् ॥

M N Dutt O foremost of men, arise and arm yourselves without the least delay to rescue those that have sought protection and also to save the honour of our family.

३.२३२.७

अर्जुनश्च यमौ चैव त्वं च भीमापराजितः ।
मोक्षयध्वं धार्तराष्ट्रं ह्रियमाणं सुयोधनम् ॥

M N Dutt Let Arjuna and the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva) and yourself and also those that are brave and invincible (at once go and) rescue Duryodhana who is even now being taken away as a prisoner.

३.२३२.८

एते रथा नरव्याघ्राः सर्वशस्त्रसमन्विताः ।
इन्द्रसेनादिभिः सूतैः संयताः कनकध्वजाः ॥

३.२३२.९

एतानास्थाय वै तात गन्धर्वान्योद्धुमाहवे ।
सुयोधनस्य मोक्षाय प्रयतध्वमतन्द्रिताः ॥

३.२३२.१०

य एव कश्चिद्राजन्यः शरणार्थमिहागतम् ।
परं शक्त्याभिरक्षेत किं पुनस्त्वं वृकोदर ॥

३.२३२.११

क इहान्यो भवेत्त्राणमभिधावेति चोदितः ।
प्राञ्जलिं शरणापन्नं दृष्ट्वा शत्रुमपि ध्रुवम् ॥

M N Dutt Entreated for assistance in such words as these, “O hasten to my help,” who is there that is so mean as not to help even his enemy when he see him to crave for protection with joined hands? The bestowal of a boon, a sovereignty and the birth of a son are sources of great happiness. But to rescue an enemy from distress is equal to all three.

३.२३२.१२

वरप्रदानं राज्यं च पुत्रजन्म च पाण्डव ।
शत्रोश्च मोक्षणं क्लेशात्त्रीणि चैकं च तत्समम् ॥

M N Dutt Entreated for assistance in such words as these, “O hasten to my help,” who is there that is so mean as not to help even his enemy when he see him to crave for protection with joined hands? The bestowal of a boon, a sovereignty and the birth of a son are sources of great happiness. But to rescue an enemy from distress is equal to all three.

३.२३२.१३

किं ह्यभ्यधिकमेतस्माद्यदापन्नः सुयोधनः ।
त्वद्बाहुबलमाश्रित्य जीवितं परिमार्गति ॥

M N Dutt What could be greater joy to you than that Duryodhana now in distress seeks his very life which now depends on the strength of your arms?

३.२३२.१४

स्वयमेव प्रधावेयं यदि न स्याद्वृकोदर ।
विततोऽयं क्रतुर्वीर न हि मेऽत्र विचारणा ॥

M N Dutt O Vrikodara, O hero, if the vow which I am engaged in observing were over, I would have certainly myself run to his assistance.

३.२३२.१५

साम्नैव तु यथा भीम मोक्षयेथाः सुयोधनम् ।
तथा सर्वैरुपायैस्त्वं यतेथाः कुरुनन्दन ॥

M N Dutt Try by all means, O Bhima, O Kuru prince, to rescue Duryodhana (first) by the act of conciliation. If however the Gandharva king cannot be managed by the act of conciliation, then you must try to rescue Duryodhana by light fighting.

३.२३२.१६

न साम्ना प्रतिपद्येत यदि गन्धर्वराडसौ ।
पराक्रमेण मृदुना मोक्षयेथाः सुयोधनम् ॥

M N Dutt Try by all means, O Bhima, O Kuru prince, to rescue Duryodhana (first) by the act of conciliation. If however the Gandharva king cannot be managed by the act of conciliation, then you must try to rescue Duryodhana by light fighting.

३.२३२.१७

अथासौ मृदुयुद्धेन न मुञ्चेद्भीम कौरवान् ।
सर्वोपायैर्विमोच्यास्ते निगृह्य परिपन्थिनः ॥

M N Dutt If the Gandharvas do not let off the Kurus, even then, O Bhima, you must then rescue them by crushing the enemy by all means.

३.२३२.१८

एतावद्धि मया शक्यं संदेष्टुं वै वृकोदर ।
वैताने कर्मणि तते वर्तमाने च भारत ॥

M N Dutt O Vrikodara, all this I can tell you now, for my vow has begun, but it has not ended as yet."

वैशंपायन उवाच ।

३.२३२.१९

अजातशत्रोर्वचनं तच्छ्रुत्वा तु धनंजयः ।
प्रतिजज्ञे गुरोर्वाक्यं कौरवाणां विमोक्षणम् ॥

M N Dutt Having heard these words of Ajatshatru, Dhananjaya (Arjuna) at the command of his Guru, vowed to rescue the Kurus.

अर्जुन उवाच ।

३.२३२.२०

यदि साम्ना न मोक्ष्यन्ति गन्धर्वा धृतराष्ट्रजान् ।
अद्य गन्धर्वराजस्य भूमिः पास्यति शोणितम् ॥

M N Dutt “If the Gandharvas do not peacefully let off the Dhritarashtra people, the earth shall this day drink the blood of the Gandharvas." Hearing the vow of the truthful Arjuna, O king, the Kurus were fully cheered up.

वैशंपायन उवाच ।

३.२३२.२१

अर्जुनस्य तु तां श्रुत्वा प्रतिज्ञां सत्यवादिनः ।
कौरवाणां तदा राजन्पुनः प्रत्यागतं मनः ॥

M N Dutt “If the Gandharvas do not peacefully let off the Dhritarashtra people, the earth shall this day drink the blood of the Gandharvas." Hearing the vow of the truthful Arjuna, O king, the Kurus were fully cheered up.

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