Udyōgaparva Chapter

उद्योगपर्व - Udyōgaparva

अध्यायः – 8 ::Chapter-8

Shlokas	No. of Shlokas
युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥ श्रुतं ते धृतराष्ट्रस्य सपुत्रस्य चिकीर्षितम् । एतद्धि सकलं कृष्ण सञ्जयो मां यदब्रवीत् ॥ 1॥ तन्मतं धृतराष्ट्रस्य सोऽस्यात्मा विवृतान्तरः । यथोक्तं दूत आचष्टे वध्यः स्यादन्यथा ब्रुवन् ॥ 2॥ अप्रदानेन राज्यस्य शान्तिमस्मासु मार्गति । लुब्धः पापेन मनसा चरन्नसममात्मनः ॥ 3॥ यत्तद्द्वादश वर्षाणि वने निर्व्युषिता वयम् । छद्मना शरदं चैकां धृतराष्ट्रस्य शासनात् ॥ 4॥ स्थाता नः समये तस्मिन्धृतराष्ट्र इति प्रभो । नाहास्म समयं कृष्ण तद्धि नो ब्राह्मणा विदुः ॥ 5॥ वृद्धो राजा धृतराष्ट्रः स्वधर्मं नानुपश्यति । पश्यन्वा पुत्रगृद्धित्वान्मन्दस्यान्वेति शासनम् ॥ 6॥ सुयोधनमते तिष्ठन्राजास्मासु जनार्दन । मिथ्या चरति लुब्धः संश्चरन्प्रियमिवात्मनः ॥ 7॥ इतो दुःखतरं किं नु यत्राहं मातरं ततः । संविधातुं न शक्नोमि मित्राणां वा जनार्दन ॥ 8॥ काशिभिश्चेदिपाञ्चालैर्मत्स्यैश्च मधुसूदन । भवता चैव नाथेन पञ्च ग्रामा वृता मया ॥ 9॥ न च तानपि दुष्टात्मा धार्तराष्ट्रोऽनुमन्यते । स्वाम्यमात्मनि मत्वासावतो दुःखतरं नु किम् ॥ 10॥ तदिदं मयि ते दृष्टं प्रत्यक्षं मधुसूदन । यथा राज्यात्परिभ्रष्टो वसामि वसतीरिमाः ॥ 11॥ ते वयं न श्रियं हातुमलं न्यायेन केनचित् । अत्र नो यतमानानां वधश्चेदपि साधु तत् ॥ 12॥ तत्र नः प्रथमः कल्पो यद्वयं ते च माधव । प्रशान्ताः समभूताश्च श्रियं तानश्नुवीमहि ॥ 13॥ तत्रैषा परमा काष्ठा रौद्रकर्मक्षयोदया । यद्वयं कौरवान्हत्वा तानि राष्ट्राण्यशीमहि ॥ 14॥ ये पुनः स्युरसम्बद्धा अनार्याः कृष्ण शत्रवः । तेषामप्यवधः कार्यः किं पुनर्ये स्युरीदृशाः ॥ 15॥ ज्ञातयश्च हि भूयिष्ठाः सहाया गुरवश्च नः । तेषां वधोऽतिपापीयान्किं नु युद्धेऽस्ति शोभनम् ॥ 16॥ पापः क्षत्रियधर्मोऽयं वयं च क्षत्रबान्धवाः । स नः स्वधर्मोऽधर्मो वा वृत्तिरन्या विगर्हिता ॥ 17॥ युद्धे कृष्ण कलिर्नित्यं प्राणाः सीदन्ति संयुगे । बलं तु नीतिमात्राय हठे जयपराजयौ ॥ 18॥ न च त्यक्तुं तदिच्छामो न चेच्छामः कुलक्षयम् । अत्र या प्रणिपातेन शान्तिः सैव गरीयसी ॥ 19॥ पुत्रस्नेहस्तु बलवान्धृतराष्ट्रस्य माधव । स पुत्रवशमापन्नः प्रणिपातं प्रहास्यति ॥ 20॥ तत्र किं मन्यसे कृष्ण प्राप्तकालमनन्तरम् । कथमर्थाच्च धर्माच्च न हीयेमहि माधव ॥ 21॥ ईदृशे ह्यर्थकृच्छ्रेऽस्मिन्कमन्यं मधुसूदन । उपसम्प्रष्टुमर्हामि त्वामृते पुरुषोत्तम ॥ 22॥ प्रियश्च प्रियकामश्च गतिज्ञः सर्वकर्मणाम् । को हि कृष्णास्ति नस्त्वादृक्सर्वनिश्चयवित्सुहृत् ॥ 23॥ वैशम्पायन उवाच॥ एवमुक्तः प्रत्युवाच धर्मराजं जनार्दनः । उभयोरेव वामर्थे यास्यामि कुरुसंसदम् ॥ 24॥ शमं तत्र लभेयं चेद्युष्मदर्थमहापयन् । पुण्यं मे सुमहद्राजंश्चरितं स्यान्महाफलम् ॥ 25॥ मोचयेयं मृत्युपाशात्संरब्धान्कुरुसृञ्जयान् । पाण्डवान्धार्तराष्ट्रांश्च सर्वां च पृथिवीमिमाम् ॥ 26॥ युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥ न ममैतन्मतं कृष्ण यत्त्वं यायाः कुरून्प्रति । सुयोधनः सूक्तमपि न करिष्यति ते वचः ॥ 27॥ समेतं पार्थिवं क्षत्रं सुयोधनवशानुगम् । तेषां मध्यावतरणं तव कृष्ण न रोचये ॥ 28॥ न हि नः प्रीणयेद्द्रव्यं न देवत्वं कुतः सुखम् । न च सर्वामरैश्वर्यं तव रोधेन माधव ॥ 29॥ वासुदेव उवाच॥ जानाम्येतां महाराज धार्तराष्ट्रस्य पापताम् । अवाच्यास्तु भविष्यामः सर्वलोके महीक्षिताम् ॥ 30॥ न चापि मम पर्याप्ताः सहिताः सर्वपार्थिवाः । क्रुद्धस्य प्रमुखे स्थातुं सिंहस्येवेतरे मृगाः ॥ 31॥ अथ चेत्ते प्रवर्तेरन्मयि किञ्चिदसाम्प्रतम् । निर्दहेयं कुरून्सर्वानिति मे धीयते मतिः ॥ 32॥ न जातु गमनं तत्र भवेत्पार्थ निरर्थकम् । अर्थप्राप्तिः कदाचित्स्यादन्ततो वाप्यवाच्यता ॥ 33॥ युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥ यत्तुभ्यं रोचते कृष्ण स्वस्ति प्राप्नुहि कौरवान् । कृतार्थं स्वस्तिमन्तं त्वां द्रक्ष्यामि पुनरागतम् ॥ 34॥ विष्वक्सेन कुरून्गत्वा भारताञ्शमयेः प्रभो । यथा सर्वे सुमनसः सह स्यामः सुचेतसः ॥ 35॥ भ्राता चासि सखा चासि बीभत्सोर्मम च प्रियः । सौहृदेनाविशङ्क्योऽसि स्वस्ति प्राप्नुहि भूतये ॥ 36॥ अस्मान्वेत्थ परान्वेत्थ वेत्थार्थं वेत्थ भाषितम् । यद्यदस्मद्धितं कृष्ण तत्तद्वाच्यः सुयोधनः ॥ 37॥ यद्यद्धर्मेण संयुक्तमुपपद्येद्धितं वचः । तत्तत्केशव भाषेथाः सान्त्वं वा यदि वेतरत् ॥ 38॥	38 (488)
Yudhishthira said, 'You have heard the intentions of Dhritarashtra and his own thoughts. Everything Sanjaya conveyed to me certainly reflects Dhritarashtra's will. Sanjaya is the voice of Dhritarashtra, expressing his true desires. An envoy must speak as instructed; to do otherwise is a death sentence. Driven by greed and a corrupt heart, Dhritarashtra seeks peace with us without restoring our kingdom. Indeed, at his command, we spent twelve years in exile and another year in hiding, believing he would honour our agreement. Our commitment is known to the Brahmanas who accompanied us. The greedy king Dhritarashtra now refuses to uphold the virtues of the Kshatriyas. He listens to the wicked advice of his son, Suyodhana, motivated by self-interest and dishonesty towards us. What could be worse, O Janardana, than my inability to support my mother and friends? With allies like the Kasis, Panchalas, Chedis, and Matsyas, and you, O slayer of Madhu, as my protector, I only asked for five villages. Yet the wicked son of Dhritarashtra, believing himself destined for rulership, refuses even that. What could be worse than this?' O slayer of Madhu, you have seen all this in me firsthand. You know well how, without our kingdom, we have lived these years. We cannot just abandon the prosperity that was once ours. Our initial efforts will aim for a peaceful resolution, so that both we and the Kauravas can enjoy our fortunes together. Otherwise, we shall have to fight, defeating the worst of the Kauravas to reclaim our lands, even though such bloodshed against our own kin is the gravest of acts, O Krishna. We have many relatives and esteemed elders who are on different sides. Killing them would be a great sin. What good can come from battle? Alas, these sinful actions seem to be the way of the Kshatriya! We were born into this unfortunate order! Regardless of whether these actions are right or wrong, any path outside of warfare would bring us shame. O Krishna, conflict is always present in battle; many lives are lost. It’s true that strategic force is at play, yet victory and defeat lie beyond the control of those who fight. We don’t want to lose our kingdom or see our lineage end. In this light, peace obtained through even the greatest humiliation is preferable. O Madhava, Dhritarashtra cares deeply for his son. Out of loyalty to him, he will reject our request. What do you think, O Krishna, is the best course of action for us now? How can we, O Madhava, protect both our interests and our honor? Besides you, O slayer of Madhu and greatest among men, who else should we consult about this challenging situation? Who is our friend, O Krishna, that is as dear to us as you, who genuinely seeks our welfare, who understands all actions, and knows the truth well?" "Vaisampayana continued, 'In response, Janardana spoke to the just Yudhishthira, saying, 'I will go to the Kurus' court for your sake. If I can secure peace without sacrificing your interests, O king, I will earn great religious merit, yielding significant benefits. I will save the Kurus and the Srinjayas consumed by anger, as well as the Pandavas and the Dhritarashtras, and indeed, the entire world from the brink of death.' "Yudhishthira replied, 'I do not wish, O Krishna, for you to go to the Kurus, for Suyodhana will disregard your counsel, even if you advise him wisely. All the Kshatriyas obedient to Duryodhana's command are gathered there. I do not want you, O Krishna, to enter their midst. If any harm comes to you, O Madhava, we would lose all joy; nothing could bring us happiness then, not even divine power or rule over all the gods.' Krishna spoke, 'I understand, O king, the wrongs committed by Dhritarashtra's son, but by going there we can avoid the blame of all the rulers on earth. Just as no other creatures can stand before a lion, none of the kings can match me in battle when I am furious. If they dare to harm me, I will bring ruin to all the Kurus. This is my resolve. My visit, O Partha, will not be in vain; even if we don't achieve our aims, we will at least avoid reproach.' Yudhishthira replied, 'Do as you see fit, O Krishna. May you be blessed—go to the Kurus. I hope to see you return victorious and happy. When you go to the Kurus, negotiate for a peace that allows the sons of Bharata to live in harmony and contentment. You are our brother and friend, treasured just as much by me as by Vibhatsu. Our bond is such that we trust you to look after our interests. Go for our sake. You know us, you know our foes, you understand our goals, and you know what to say. O Krishna, convey to Suyodhana the words that will benefit us. Whether peace is achieved with some dishonor or through other means, O Kesava, speak in a way that is advantageous for us.'
अर्जुन उवाच॥ कुरूणामद्य सर्वेषां भवान्सुहृदनुत्तमः । सम्बन्धी दयितो नित्यमुभयोः पक्षयोरपि ॥ 1॥ पाण्डवैर्धार्तराष्ट्राणां प्रतिपाद्यमनामयम् । समर्थः प्रशमं चैषां कर्तुं त्वमसि केशव ॥ 2॥ त्वमितः पुण्डरीकाक्ष सुयोधनममर्षणम् । शान्त्यर्थं भारतं ब्रूया यत्तद्वाच्यममित्रहन् ॥ 3॥ त्वया धर्मार्थयुक्तं चेदुक्तं शिवमनामयम् । हितं नादास्यते बालो दिष्टस्य वशमेष्यति ॥ 4॥ वासुदेव उवाच॥ धर्म्यमस्मद्धितं चैव कुरूणां यदनामयम् । एष यास्यामि राजानं धृतराष्ट्रमभीप्सया ॥ 5॥ वैशम्पायन उवाच॥ ततो व्यपेते तमसि सूर्ये विमल उद्गते । मैत्रे मुहूर्ते सम्प्राप्ते मृद्वर्चिषि दिवाकरे ॥ 6॥ कौमुदे मासि रेवत्यां शरदन्ते हिमागमे । स्फीतसस्यसुखे काले कल्यः सत्त्ववतां वरः ॥ 7॥ मङ्गल्याः पुण्यनिर्घोषा वाचः शृण्वंश्च सूनृताः । ब्राह्मणानां प्रतीतानामृषीणामिव वासवः ॥ 8॥ कृत्वा पौर्वाह्णिकं कृत्यं स्नातः शुचिरलङ्कृतः । उपतस्थे विवस्वन्तं पावकं च जनार्दनः ॥ 9॥ ऋषभं पृष्ठ आलभ्य ब्राह्मणानभिवाद्य च । अग्निं प्रदक्षिणं कृत्वा पश्यन्कल्याणमग्रतः ॥ 10॥ तं प्रयान्तमनुप्रायात्कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः । भीमसेनार्जुनौ चोभौ माद्रीपुत्रौ च पाण्डवौ ॥ 11॥ चेकितानश्च विक्रान्तो धृष्टकेतुश्च चेदिपः । द्रुपदः काशिराजश्च शिखण्डी च महारथः ॥ 12॥ धृष्टद्युम्नः सपुत्रश्च विराटः केकयैः सह । संसाधनार्थं प्रययुः क्षत्रियाः क्षत्रियर्षभम् ॥ 13॥ युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥ अभिवाद्या तु सा कृष्ण त्वया मद्वचनाद्विभो । धृतराष्ट्रश्च कौरव्यो राजानश्च वयोऽधिकाः ॥ 14॥ भीष्मं द्रोणं कृपं चैव महाराजं च बाह्लिकम् । द्रौणिं च सोमदत्तं च सर्वांश्च भरतान्पृथक् ॥ 15॥ विदुरं च महाप्राज्ञं कुरूणां मन्त्रधारिणम् । अगाधबुद्धिं धर्मज्ञं स्वजेथा मधुसूदन ॥ 16॥ इत्युक्त्वा केशवं तत्र राजमध्ये युधिष्ठिरः । अनुज्ञातो निववृते कृष्णं कृत्वा प्रदक्षिणम् ॥ 17॥ वैशम्पायन उवाच॥ तेषु राजसु सर्वेषु निवृत्तेषु जनार्दनः । तूर्णमभ्यपतद्धृष्टः सैन्यसुग्रीववाहनः ॥ 18॥ प्रयान्तं देवकीपुत्रं परवीररुजो दश । महारथा महाबाहुमन्वयुः शस्त्रपाणयः ॥ 19॥ पदातीनां सहस्रं च सादिनां च परन्तप । भोज्यं च विपुलं राजन्प्रेष्याश्च शतशोऽपरे ॥ 20। वृकस्थलं समासाद्य केशवः परवीरहा । प्रकीर्णरश्मावादित्ये विमले लोहितायति ॥ 21॥ अवतीर्य रथात्तूर्णं कृत्वा शौचं यथाविधि । रथमोचनमादिश्य सन्ध्यामुपविवेश ह ॥ 22॥ दारुकोऽपि हयान्मुक्त्वा परिचर्य च शास्त्रतः । मुमोच सर्वं वर्माणि मुक्त्वा चैनानवासृजत् ॥ 23॥ अभ्यतीत्य तु तत्सर्वमुवाच मधुसूदनः । युधिष्ठिरस्य कार्यार्थमिह वत्स्यामहे क्षपाम् ॥ 24॥ तस्य तन्मतमाज्ञाय चक्रुरावसथं नराः । क्षणेन चान्नपानानि गुणवन्ति समार्जयन् ॥ 25॥	25 (513)
Arjuna said, 'O Kesava, you are now the best friend of all the Kurus. Being connected to both sides, you are dear to them both. It is your duty to establish peace between the Pandavas and the sons of Dhritarashtra. You are capable, and so it is right for you to facilitate reconciliation. O lotus-eyed one, as you go forth for peace, O slayer of foes, tell our always-angry brother Suyodhana this: if the foolish Duryodhana does not heed your wise and beneficial advice, he will definitely fall victim to his own fate.' Krishna said, 'Yes, I will go to king Dhritarashtra, eager to achieve what is righteous, beneficial for us, and good for the Kurus.'.' Vaisampayana continued, 'As the night passed, a bright sun rose in the east. The hour called Maitra arrived, with the sun's rays still gentle. It was the month of Kaumuda Kartika, under the constellation Revati. The season of dew had come, as Autumn faded away. The earth was rich with abundant crops all around. At this time, Janardana, the mightiest of men, enjoying excellent health, heard the pleasing, sacred words of satisfied Brahmanas, much like Indra himself receiving the praises of the celestial Rishis. After performing the morning rituals and purifying himself with a bath, he anointed himself with fragrant oils and adorned himself with ornaments, worshipping both the Sun and Fire. Touching the tail of a bull and bowing respectfully to the Brahmanas, he walked around the sacred fire and gazed upon the usual auspicious items displayed. As Krishna progressed, Yudhishthira, son of Kunti, followed, along with Bhima, Arjuna, and the other Pandavas, the twin sons of Madri. The brave Chekitana and Dhrishtaketu, ruler of the Chedis, along with Drupada, the king of Kasi, the fierce car-warrior Sikhandin, Dhrishtadyumna, Virata with his sons, and the princes of Kekaya—all these Kshatriyas followed that noble scion of the Kshatriya line to honour him.' Yudhishthira said, 'O Krishna, please greet my mother Kunti for me, as well as King Dhritarashtra and all the older monarchs, and Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, king Bahlika, Drona's son, Somadatta, and indeed, everyone from the Bharata lineage, including wise Vidura, the counsel of the Kurus, known for his deep intellect and understanding of righteousness. O slayer of Madhu, may you embrace them all!' After saying this to Kesava in front of the kings, Yudhishthira took his leave, first circling around Krishna with his permission. Vaisampayana said, 'O mighty warrior, once all the kings had stopped following, Janardana set out joyfully in his chariot, drawn by Saivya, Sugriva, and others. As the son of Devaki departed for Hastinapura, he was followed by ten fierce car-warriors, fully armed and capable of defeating enemies. Along with them came a thousand foot-soldiers, a thousand horsemen, and hundreds of attendants, all carrying plenty of supplies, O king.' When at last the killer of fierce warriors, Kesava, arrived at Vrikasthala, the sun seemed to bathe the sky in a reddish hue with its fading rays. Stepping down from his chariot, he performed the usual purification rituals, and after instructing the horses to be unharnessed, he began his evening prayers. Daruka also freed the horses, taking care of them properly, removing their gear, and letting them roam. Once that was done, the slayer of Madhu said, 'We must stay here for the night to support Yudhishthira's mission.' Understanding his intentions, the attendants quickly set up a temporary shelter and prepared delicious food and drink.