Mahabharata 1.198: aṣṭanavatyadhika śatatamo'dhyāyaḥ

1.198.1

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca |
bhīṣmaḥ śāṃtanavo vidvāndroṇaśca bhagavānṛṣiḥ |
hitaṃ paramakaṃ vākyaṃ tvaṃ ca satyaṃ bravīṣi mām || 1 ||

"Vaisampayana said, 'Hearing these various speeches, Dhritarashtra said, The learned Bhishma, the son of Santanu, and the illustrious Rishi Drona, and thyself also (O Vidura), have said the truth and what also is most beneficial to me. Indeed, as those mighty car-warriors, the heroic sons of Kunti. are the children of Pandu, so are they, without doubt, my children according to the ordinance. And as my sons are entitled to this kingdom, so are the sons of Pandu certainly entitled to it. Therefore, hasten to bring hither the Pandavas along with their mother, treating them with affectionate consideration. O thou of Bharata's race, bring also Krishna of celestial beauty along with them. From sheer good fortune the sons of Pritha are alive; and from good fortune alone those mighty car-warriors have obtained the daughter of Drupada. It is from good fortune alone that our strength hath increased, and it is from good fortune alone that Purochana hath perished. O thou of great splendour, it is from good fortune that my great grief hath been killed!'

1.198.2

yathaiva pāṇḍoste vīrāḥ kuntīputrā mahārathāḥ |
tathaiva dharmataḥ sarve mama putrā na saṃśayaḥ || 2 ||

1.198.3

yathaiva mama putrāṇāmidaṃ rājyaṃ vidhīyate |
tathaiva pāṇḍuputrāṇāmidaṃ rājyaṃ na saṃśayaḥ || 3 ||

1.198.4

kṣattarānaya gacchaitānsaha mātrā susatkṛtān |
tayā ca devarūpiṇyā kṛṣṇayā saha bhārata || 4 ||

1.198.5

diṣṭyā jīvanti te pārthā diṣṭyā jīvati sā pṛthā |
diṣṭyā drupadakanyāṃ ca labdhavanto mahārathāḥ || 5 ||

1.198.6

diṣṭyā vardhāmahe sarve diṣṭyā śāntaḥ purocanaḥ |
diṣṭyā mama paraṃ duḥkhamapanītaṃ mahādyute || 6 ||

1.198.7

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
tato jagāma viduro dhṛtarāṣṭrasya śāsanāt |
sakāśaṃ yajñasenasya pāṇḍavānāṃ ca bhārata || 7 ||

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Then Vidura, at the command of Dhritarashtra, repaired, O Bharata, unto Yajnasena and the Pandavas. And he repaired thither carrying with him numerous jewels and various kinds of wealth for Draupadi and the Pandavas and Yajnasena also. Arrived at Drupada's abode, Vidura conversant with every rule of morality and deep in every science, properly accosted the monarch and waited upon him. Drupada received Vidura in proper form and they both enquired after each other's welfare. Vidura then saw there the Pandavas and Vasudeva. As soon as he saw them he embraced them from affection and enquired after their well being. The Pandavas also along with Vasudeva, in due order, worshipped Vidura of immeasurable intelligence. But Vidura, O king, in the name of Dhritarashtra repeatedly enquired with great affection after their welfare. He then gave, O monarch, unto the Pandavas and Kunti and Draupadi, and unto Drupada and Drupada's sons, the gems and various kinds of wealth that the Kauravas had sent through him. Possessed of immeasurable intelligence, the modest Vidura then, in the presence of the Pandavas and Keshava, addressed the well-behaved Drupada thus:

1.198.8

tatra gatvā sa dharmajñaḥ sarvaśāstraviśāradaḥ |
drupadaṃ nyāyato rājansaṃyuktamupatasthivān || 8 ||

1.198.9

sa cāpi pratijagrāha dharmeṇa viduraṃ tataḥ |
cakratuśca yathānyāyaṃ kuśalapraśnasaṃvidam || 9 ||

1.198.10

dadarśa pāṇḍavāṃstatra vāsudevaṃ ca bhārata |
snehātpariṣvajya sa tānpapracchānāmayaṃ tataḥ || 10 ||

1.198.11

taiścāpyamitabuddhiḥ sa pūjito'tha yathākramam |
vacanāddhṛtarāṣṭrasya snehayuktaṃ punaḥ punaḥ || 11 ||

1.198.12

papracchānāmayaṃ rājaṃstatastānpāṇḍunandanān |
pradadau cāpi ratnāni vividhāni vasūni ca || 12 ||

1.198.13

pāṇḍavānāṃ ca kuntyāśca draupadyāśca viśāṃ pate |
drupadasya ca putrāṇāṃ yathā dattāni kauravaiḥ || 13 ||

1.198.14

provāca cāmitamatiḥ praśritaṃ vinayānvitaḥ |
drupadaṃ pāṇḍuputrāṇāṃ saṃnidhau keśavasya ca || 14 ||

1.198.15

rājañśṛṇu sahāmātyaḥ saputraśca vaco mama |
dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ saputrastvāṃ sahāmātyaḥ sabāndhavaḥ || 15 ||

"With thy ministers and sons, O monarch, listen to what I say. King Dhritarashtra, with ministers, sons, and friends, hath with a joyous heart, O king, repeatedly enquired after thy welfare. And, O monarch, he hath been highly pleased with this alliance with thee. So also, O king, Bhishma of great wisdom, the son of Santanu, with all the Kurus, enquired after thy welfare in every respect. Drona also of great wisdom the son of Bharadwaja and thy dear friend, embracing thee mentally, enquired of thy happiness. And, O king of Panchalas, Dhritarashtra and all the Kurus, in consequence of this alliance with thee regard themselves supremely blest. O Yajnasena, the establishment of this alliance with thee hath made them happier than if they had acquired a new kingdom. Knowing all this, O monarch, permit the Pandavas to re-visit their ancestral kingdom. The Kurus are exceedingly eager to behold the sons of Pandu. These bulls among men have been long absent (from their kingdom). They as well as Pritha must be very eager to behold their city. And all the Kuru ladies and the citizens and our subjects are eagerly waiting to behold Krishna the Panchala Princess. This, therefore, is my opinion, O monarch, that thou shouldst, without delay, permit the Pandavas to go thither with their wife. And after the illustrious Pandavas, O king, will have received thy permission to go thither, I shall send information unto Dhritarashtra by quick messengers. Then, O king, will the Pandavas set out with Kunti and Krishna.'"

1.198.16

abravītkuśalaṃ rājanprīyamāṇaḥ punaḥ punaḥ |
prītimāṃste dṛḍhaṃ cāpi saṃbandhena narādhipa || 16 ||

1.198.17

tathā bhīṣmaḥ śāṃtanavaḥ kauravaiḥ saha sarvaśaḥ |
kuśalaṃ tvāṃ mahāprājñaḥ sarvataḥ paripṛcchati || 17 ||

1.198.18

bhāradvājo maheṣvāso droṇaḥ priyasakhastava |
samāśleṣamupetya tvāṃ kuśalaṃ paripṛcchati || 18 ||

1.198.19

dhṛtarāṣṭraśca pāñcālya tvayā saṃbandhamīyivān |
kṛtārthaṃ manyate''tmānaṃ tathā sarve'pi kauravāḥ || 19 ||

1.198.20

na tathā rājyasaṃprāptisteṣāṃ prītikarī matā |
yathā saṃbandhakaṃ prāpya yajñasena tvayā saha || 20 ||

1.198.21

etadviditvā tu bhavānprasthāpayatu pāṇḍavān |
draṣṭuṃ hi pāṇḍudāyādāṃstvarante kuravo bhṛśam || 21 ||

1.198.22

viproṣitā dīrghakālamime cāpi nararṣabhāḥ |
utsukā nagaraṃ draṣṭuṃ bhaviṣyanti pṛthā tathā || 22 ||

1.198.23

kṛṣṇāmapi ca pāñcālīṃ sarvāḥ kuruvarastriyaḥ |
draṣṭukāmāḥ pratīkṣante puraṃ ca viṣayaṃ ca naḥ || 23 ||

1.198.24

sa bhavānpāṇḍuputrāṇāmājñāpayatu māciram |
gamanaṃ sahadārāṇāmetadāgamanaṃ mama || 24 ||

1.198.25

visṛṣṭeṣu tvayā rājanpāṇḍaveṣu mahātmasu |
tato'haṃ preṣayiṣyāmi dhṛtarāṣṭrasya śīghragān |
āgamiṣyanti kaunteyāḥ kuntī ca saha kṛṣṇayā || 25 ||