Mahabharata 3.10: daśamo'dhyāyaḥ

3.10.1

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca |
bhagavannāhamapyetadrocaye dyūtasaṃstavam |
manye tadvidhinākramya kārito'smīti vai mune || 1 ||

"Dhritarashtra said, 'O holy one, I did not like this business of gambling, but, O Muni, I think, I was made to consent to it drawn by fate! Neither Bhishma, nor Drona, nor Vidura, nor Gandhari liked this game at dice. No doubt, it was begot of folly. And, O thou who delightest in the observance of vows, O illustrious one, knowing everything yet influenced by paternal affection, I am unable to cast off my senseless son, Duryodhana!'

3.10.2

naitadrocayate bhīṣmo na droṇo viduro na ca |
gāndhārī necchati dyūtaṃ tacca mohātpravartitam || 2 ||

3.10.3

parityaktuṃ na śaknomi duryodhanamacetanam |
putrasnehena bhagavañjānannapi yatavrata || 3 ||

3.10.4

vyāsa uvāca |
vaicitravīrya nṛpate satyamāha yathā bhavān |
dṛḍhaṃ vedmi paraṃ putraṃ paraṃ putrānna vidyate || 4 ||

"Vyasa said, 'O king, O son of Vichitravirya, what thou sayest is true! We know it well that a son is the best of all things and that there is nothing that is so good as a son. Instructed by the tears of Suravi, Indra came to know that the son surpasseth in worth other valuable possessions. O monarch, I will, in this connection, relate to thee that excellent and best of stories, the conversation between Indra and Suravi. In days of yore, Suravi, the mother of cows was once weeping in the celestial regions. O child, Indra took compassion upon her, and asked her, saying, 'O auspicious one! why dost thou weep? Is everything well with the celestials? Hath any misfortune, ever so little, befallen the world of men or serpents?' Suravi replied, 'No evil hath befallen thee that I perceive. But I am aggrieved on account of my son, and it is therefore, O Kausika, that I weep! See, O chief of the celestials, yonder cruel husbandman is belabouring my weak son with the wooden stick, and oppressing him with the (weight of the) plough, in consequence of which my child agitated with agony is falling upon the ground and is at the point of death. At sight of this, O lord of the celestials, I am filled with compassion, and my mind is agitated! The one that is the stronger of the pair is bearing his burthen of greater weight (with ease), but, O Vasava, the other is lean, and weak and is a mass of veins and arteries! He beareth his burthen with difficulty! And it is for him that I grieve. See, O Vasava, sore inflicted with the whip, and harassed exceedingly, he is unable to bear his burthen. And it is for him that, moved by grief, I weep in heaviness of heart and these tears of compassion trickle down my eyes!'

3.10.5

indro'pyaśrunipātena surabhyā pratibodhitaḥ |
anyaiḥ samṛddhairapyarthairna sutādvidyate param || 5 ||

3.10.6

atra te vartayiṣyāmi mahadākhyānamuttamam |
surabhyāścaiva saṃvādamindrasya ca viśāṃ pate || 6 ||

3.10.7

triviṣṭapagatā rājansurabhiḥ prārudatkila |
gavāṃ māta purā tāta tāmindro'nvakṛpāyata || 7 ||

3.10.8

indra uvāca |
kimidaṃ rodiṣi śubhe kaccitkṣemaṃ divaukasām |
mānuṣeṣvatha vā goṣu naitadalpaṃ bhaviṣyati || 8 ||

3.10.9

surabhiruvāca |
vinipāto na vaḥ kaściddṛśyate tridaśādhipa |
ahaṃ tu putraṃ śocāmi tena rodimi kauśika || 9 ||

3.10.10

paśyainaṃ karṣakaṃ raudraṃ durbalaṃ mama putrakam |
pratodenābhinighnantaṃ lāṅgalena nipīḍitam || 10 ||

3.10.11

etaṃ dṛṣṭvā bhṛśaṃ śrāntaṃ vadhyamānaṃ surādhipa |
kṛpāviṣṭāsmi devendra manaścodvijate mama || 11 ||

3.10.12

ekastatra balopeto dhuramudvahate'dhikām |
aparo'lpabalaprāṇaḥ kṛśo dhamanisaṃtataḥ |
kṛcchrādudvahate bhāraṃ taṃ vai śocāmi vāsava || 12 ||

3.10.13

vadhyamānaḥ pratodena tudyamānaḥ punaḥ punaḥ |
naiva śaknoti taṃ bhāramudvoḍhuṃ paśya vāsava || 13 ||

3.10.14

tato'haṃ tasya duḥkhārtā viraumi bhṛśaduḥkhitā |
aśrūṇyāvartayantī ca netrābhyāṃ karuṇāyatī || 14 ||

3.10.15

indra uvāca |
tava putrasahasreṣu pīḍyamāneṣu śobhane |
kiṃ kṛpāyitamastyatra putra eko'tra pīḍyate || 15 ||

"Sakra said, 'O fair one, when thousands of thy son are (daily) oppressed, why dost thou grieve for one under infliction?' Suravi replied. 'Although I have a thousand offspring, yet my affections flow equally towards all! But, O Sakra, I feel greater compassion for one that is weak and innocent!'

3.10.16

surabhiruvāca |
yadi putrasahasraṃ me sarvatra samameva me |
dīnasya tu sataḥ śakra putrasyābhyadhikā kṛpā || 16 ||

3.10.17

vyāsa uvāca |
tadindraḥ surabhīvākyaṃ niśamya bhṛśavismitaḥ |
jīvitenāpi kauravya mene'bhyadhikamātmajam || 17 ||

"Vyasa continued, 'Then Indra having heard these words of Suravi, was much surprised, and O thou of the Kuru race, he became convinced that a son is dearer than one's life! And the illustrious chastiser of Paka thereupon suddenly poured there a thick shower and caused obstruction to the husbandman's work. And as Suravi said, thy affections, O king, equally flow towards all thy sons. Let them be greater towards those that are weak! And as my son Pandu is to me, so art thou, O son, and so also Vidura of profound wisdom! It is out of affection that I tell you all this! O Bharata, thou art possessed of a hundred and one sons, but Pandu hath only five. And they are in a bad plight and passing their days in sorrow. How may they save their lives, how may they thrive such thoughts regarding the distressed sons of Pritha continually agitate my soul! O king of the earth, if thou desirest all the Kauravas to live, let thy son Duryodhana make peace with the Pandavas!'"

3.10.18

pravavarṣa ca tatraiva sahasā toyamulbaṇam |
karṣakasyācaranvighnaṃ bhagavānpākaśāsanaḥ || 18 ||

3.10.19

tadyathā surabhiḥ prāha samamevāstu te tathā |
suteṣu rājansarveṣu dīneṣvabhyadhikā kṛpā || 19 ||

3.10.20

yādṛśo me sutaḥ paṇḍustādṛśo me'si putraka |
viduraśca mahāprājñaḥ snehādetadbravīmyaham || 20 ||

3.10.21

cirāya tava putrāṇāṃ śatamekaśca pārthiva |
pāṇḍoḥ pañcaiva lakṣyante te'pi mandāḥ suduḥkhitāḥ || 21 ||

3.10.22

kathaṃ jīveyuratyantaṃ kathaṃ vardheyurityapi |
iti dīneṣu pārtheṣu mano me paritapyate || 22 ||

3.10.23

yadi pārthiva kauravyāñjīvamānānihecchasi |
duryodhanastava sutaḥ śamaṃ gacchatu pāṇḍavaiḥ || 23 ||