Read Mahabharata Vol. 2 (Penguin Translated Texts) Online
Authors: Bibek Debroy
‘“O king! It is said that there were forest-dwelling birds that vomited gold. A man took them to live in his house, but then killed them out of greed.
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O scorcher of enemies! He was blinded because of his temptation for gold. Because of his greed, he destroyed both what he had and what he could have had. O bull among the Bharatas! Do not oppress the Pandavas because of your immediate desire. You will later rue your delusion, like the man who killed the birds. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Like a maker of garlands, take flowers affectionately from the Pandavas one by one, as they flower. Like a maker of charcoal, do not burn down the roots of the tree. Do not go to your destruction with your sons, advisers and troops. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Who is capable of fighting with the Parthas when they stand together? O king! Not even the lord of the Maruts,
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together with the Maruts.”’
‘Vidura said, “Gambling is the root of all quarrels. Its consequence is dissension and great wars. Taking recourse to it, Duryodhana, Dhritarashtra’s son, creates terrible enmity. Because of Duryodhana’s crime, all the descendants of Pratipa
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and Shantanu, together with their terrible armies and with the descendants of the Bahlikas, will be destroyed. Like an angry bull that breaks its own horns forcibly, Duryodhana’s stupidity will drive safety away from this kingdom. O king! A brave and wise man who disregards his sagacity and follows another’s mind, is like one who goes to the sea in a boat guided by a child and is immersed in terrible affliction. Duryodhana is gambling with Pandava and it pleases you because you think he is winning. But in this overdone deed is created a war that will lead to the destruction of all men. This badly designed act will lead to a decline
in fruits. In the heart of the one who has resorted to counsel, there is great composure.
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Friendship with Yudhishthira will lead to good fruit. Through pacification, the one with the excellent bow
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will no longer exhibit enmity. O descendants of Pratipa! O descendants of Shantanu! O kings! Listen to Kavya’s words and do not cross the limits. The terrible fire has blazed forth. Extinguish it before there is a war. If Pandava Ajatashatru
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is defeated in dice and his anger is not pacified by Vrikodara, Savyasachi and the twins, there will be no refuge in the terrible onslaught that will ensue. O great king! You are a source of great riches, as much as you desired, even before this game. Even if you win great riches from the Pandavas, what is the gain? Pritha’s sons are the source of wealth. We all know Soubala’s skills in the game. This one from the mountains
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knows techniques of deceit with dice. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Let Shakuni return whence he came. The one from the mountains fights with the powers of maya.”’
‘Duryodhana said, “O Kshatta! You always take pride in praising the fame of our enemies and secretly deprecate Dhritarashtra’s sons. O Vidura! We know whom you are friends to. You always look down upon us, as if we are children. The man whose love is elsewhere is clearly revealed, from the way he distributes censure and praise. Your tongue reveals your heart and mind and that your mind is antagonistic. We embraced you like a serpent. Like a cat you injure the one by whom you are sustained. It is said there is no sin worse
than killing one’s protector. O Kshatta! How is it that you don’t fear sin? Having vanquished our enemies, we have obtained great fruits. O Kshatta! Do not use harsh words against us. You always praise friendship with those who hate us and that is the reason you harbour hatred towards us. A man becomes an enemy by uttering unpardonable words. He secretly hides the praise for the enemies. How does shame not stop you? You are now speaking whatever you desire.
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We know your mind, and do not disregard us. Learn from proximity with those who are wise and old. O Vidura! Protect the fame you have earned so far. Do not concern yourself with the affairs of others. O Vidura! Do not deprecate us by mentioning your deeds. Do not always use such harsh words against us. O Vidura! I never ask you what you think. O Kshatta! Desist, because our patience is wearing down. There is one controller
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and there is no second controller. That controller controls when a man is asleep in the womb. Through his control, like water flowing downwards, I flow in the direction appointed by him. He who uses his head to break a stone and he who feeds a serpent, are controlled in those deeds by his
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instructions. He who wishes to control another by force only finds an enemy. A learned one looks up to those who act in friendship. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! If one lights a blazing fire and does not escape from it, even the remnants of ashes will not be found anywhere. O Kshatta! One should not give shelter to someone who hates and is from the enemy’s party, especially if that man bears ill will. O Vidura! Therefore, go wherever you wish. However well treated, an unchaste wife will always leave.”
‘Vidura replied, “O king!
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He who gives to a man in this fashion, for him all friendship comes to an end. The minds of kings are always unsteady. After granting protection, they slay with clubs. O son of a king! You do not think yourself to be a child. O evil-minded one! You
consider me to be a child. One, who has first accepted a man as a well-wisher and then reviles him, is the one who is a child. One with an evil mind never does that which brings welfare, like a corrupt woman in the house of a learned brahmana. That which is certain does not please this bull among the Bharatas, like a sixty-year-old husband to a young woman. O king! If you only wish to hear words that please you in all deeds, regardless of good or bad, ask the women, the dull and the crippled. Go ask those who are likewise stupid. O descendant of the Pratipa lineage! It is certainly easy to find a man who says things that please you. It is rare to find those who render unpleasant and right advice. He who sticks to the path of dharma and offers advice to his lord, regardless of whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, however unpleasant, is a true aide to the king. O great king! Drink that which is healthy, bitter, pungent, hot, harsh, foul-smelling and revolting. This is what the good always drink and the evil refuse. Drink it and regain your calm. I always wish fame and prosperity to Vichitravirya’s sons and their sons. Wherever you may be, I pay you my respects. May the brahmanas utter benedictions over me. O descendant of the Kuru lineage!
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I will carefully tell you this. Learned ones should never anger serpents that have venom in their eyes.”’
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‘Shakuni said, “O Yudhisthira! You have lost great riches of the Pandavas. O Kounteya! Do you have any other riches that you have not lost yet?”
‘Yudhishthira replied, “O Shakuni! O Soubala! I know of unlimited riches that I possess. Why do you ask me about my wealth? I can stake
ayuta
,
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prayuta
,
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kharva,
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padma
,
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arbuda,
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shamkha
,
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nikharva
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and an entire ocean.
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O king! These are my riches that I will play with you for.”’
Vaishampayana said, ‘At these words, Shakuni resorted to deceit and told Yudhishthira, “I have won.”
‘Yudhishthira replied, “O Soubala! I have many cattle, horses, milch cows, sheep and goats, of many species, to the east of the Sindhu.
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O king! These are my riches that I will play with you for.”’
Vaishampayana said, ‘At these words, Shakuni resorted to deceit and told Yudhishthira, “I have won.”
‘Yudhishthira replied, “O king! The riches that I have left are my city, the country, the land of all the non-brahmanas and the nonbrahmana subjects. O king! These are my riches that I will play with you for.”’
Vaishampayana said, ‘At these words, Shakuni resorted to deceit and told Yudhishthira, “I have won.”
‘Yudhisthira replied, “O king! These princes
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are resplendent in their ornaments, their earrings, the golden decorations on their breasts and the other bodily decorations. O king! These are my riches that I will play with you for.”’
Vaishampayana said, ‘At these words, Shakuni resorted to deceit and told Yudhishthira, “I have won.”
‘Yudhishthira replied, “This dark youth with the red eyes is Nakula, with long arms and the shoulders of a lion. He and everything that he possesses will be one stake.”
‘Shakuni said, “O King Yudhisthira! But Prince Nakula is dear to you. If he becomes part of our riches, what will you have left to gamble with?”’
Vaishampayana said, ‘Having said this, Shakuni then flung the dice and told Yudhishthira, “I have won.”
‘Yudhishthira replied, “This Sahadeva is the one who administers dharma. He is known in the worlds as a learned one. Though this beloved prince does not deserve it, I will play with him with one who is not loved.”’
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Vaishampayana said, ‘At these words, Shakuni resorted to deceit and told Yudhishthira, “I have won.”
‘Shakuni said, “O king! I have now won Madri’s two sons, dear to you. But I think you regard Bhimasena and Dhananjaya as dearer.”
‘Yudhishthira replied, “O foolish one! Without regard to what is proper, you are following that which is not dharma. You are trying to create dissension among those who are one of heart.”
‘Shakuni said, “O king! O bull among the Bharata lineage! One who is intoxicated falls into a hole and remains there, like the trunk of a tree. You are our elder and our superior. I bow down before you. O Yudhishthira! When gamblers play, they utter mad ravings about what they have not seen, whether asleep or awake.”
‘Yudhishthira replied, “Like a boat, he carries us over to the other bank of battle. He is a powerful prince who defeats his enemies. The world knows that this warrior does not deserve it. O Shakuni! I will play with you for Phalguna.”’
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Vaishampayana said, ‘At these words, Shakuni resorted to deceit and told Yudhishthira, “I have won.”
‘Shakuni said, “Pandava Savyasachi, the foremost archer among the Pandavas, has been won and has become mine. O king! Now play with your beloved Bhima. That is all you now have left to throw.”
‘Yudhishthira replied, “He is our leader and guide in battle. He is like the wielder of the vajra,
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the enemy of the demons. He is great of soul, with slanted eyes and knitted brows. His shoulders are like those of a lion and his anger is long-lasting. There is no other man with strength like his. He is the slayer of enemies and foremost among those who wield the club. O king! Though this prince does not deserve it, I will play with you for Bhimasena.”’
Vaishampayana said, ‘At these words, Shakuni resorted to deceit and told Yudhishthira, “I have won.”
‘Shakuni said, “O Kounteya! You have lost a great deal of riches. You have lost your brothers, your horses and your elephants. Tell us if there are any riches that you have not yet lost.”
‘Yudhishthira replied, “I myself am left, especially loved by all my brothers. If won over, until the time of destruction, I will do whatever deed I am asked to do.”’
Vaishampayana said, ‘At these words, Shakuni resorted to deceit and told Yudhishthira, “I have won.”
‘Shakuni said, “O king! You have allowed yourself to be won and you have committed the worst evil act. When there are riches left, it is evil to allow oneself to be won.”’
Vaishampayana said, ‘Thus spoke the one who was skilled in gambling with the dice. He had won in the game, one by one, the brave warriors of the world.’
‘Shakuni said, “But you have your beloved queen, who has still not been won in the game. Use Krishna Panchali
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as a stake and using her, win back yourself.”
‘Yudhishthira replied, “She is neither too short, nor too tall. She is neither too dark, nor too red. Her eyes are red with love and I will play with you for her. Her eyes are like the petals of lotuses in the autumn. Her fragrance is like that of lotuses in the autumn. Her beauty serves that of lotuses in the autumn. Her beauty is like that of Shri herself. Such is her lack of cruelty, her wealth of beauty and the goodness of her conduct, that every man desires her for a wife.
She retires to bed last and she is the first one to wake up. She looks after the cowherds and the shepherds. She knows everything about what should be done and what should not be done. When covered with sweat, her face looks like a lotus or a jasmine. Her waist is shaped like an altar. Her hair is long. Her eyes are copper-red. She does not have too much of body hair. O king! O Soubala! I will make the beautiful Droupadi of Panchala, slender of waist, my stake. Let us play.”’
Vaishampayana said, ‘When the intelligent Dharmaraja uttered these words, all the elders assembled in the sabha raised words of “shame”. O king! The sabha seemed to shake and the kings talked among themselves. Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and the others broke out in sweat. Vidura buried his head in his hands and sat with a downcast face, thinking and sighing like a serpent, like one who has lost his senses. But Dhritarashtra was delighted and failing to control his emotions, repeatedly kept asking, “Has he won? Has the stake been won?” Karna, Duhshasana and their allies were happy. But tears began to flow down the eyes of others who were in the assembly hall. However, Soubala was insolent with success and proud of victory. He instantly flung the dice and said, “I have won.”’
‘Duryodhana said, “O Kshatta! Bring Droupadi here, the beloved and honoured wife of the Pandavas. Let her sweep and perform our tasks. It will be good to see her with the serving girls.”
‘Vidura replied, “Through people like you, the impossible happens. O evil one! You do not know that you are tying yourself in a noose. You do not realize that you are extended over a precipice. You are only a deer, but you are angering tigers. O one who is greatly evil at heart! Angry serpents, full of great venom, have raised themselves above your head. Do not anger them and go to Yama’s abode. O descendant
of the Bharata lineage! Krishna
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has not yet become a slave. The king
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offered her as stake when he was no longer his master. A bamboo bears fruit only to kill itself.
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This king, Dhritarashtra’s son, also bears fruit. He does not see that gambling leads to fearful enmity and that he is ripe, like one about to meet his destiny. No one should cause hurt, or act cruelly. Nor should one extract from one who is miserable. Words that cause pain and hurt others should not be uttered, because they lead to hell. From his lips, a man utters words that hurt. The one stung by them burns night and day. Therefore, learned ones do not utter words that unleashed on another, pierce the depths of the heart. When a weapon could not be found, by pawing the ground, it is said that a goat dug up a weapon that was used to cut its own throat.
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Therefore, do not dig up an enmity with the sons of Pandu. No one speaks ill of the forest-dweller or householder. But like dogs, the same men bark at the ascetic who is full of learning.
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Dhritarashtra’s son does not know the crooked and terrible door that leads to hell. Duhshasana and many others among the Kurus will follow him there, through the route of gambling. Gourds may sink
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and stones may float. Boats may eternally be lost on the seas. But King Dhritarashtra’s deluded son will not listen to my words, which are appropriate
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for him. It is certain that this will be the end
of the Kurus, a terrible end that will lead to everyone’s destruction. The words of Kavya and his well-wishers were apt.
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But because greed has expanded, they are no longer listened to.”’