Mahabharata (English)

by Kisari Mohan Ganguli | 2,566,952 words | ISBN-10: 8121505933

The English translation of the Mahabharata is a large text describing ancient India. It is authored by Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa and contains the records of ancient humans. Also, it documents the fate of the Kauravas and the Pandavas family. Another part of the large contents, deal with many philosophical dialogues such as the goals of life. Book...

Section CCIV

"Vaisampayana said, 'Thus addressed by Duryodhana, Karna said,

'It does not seem to me, O Duryodhana, that your reasoning is well-founded. O perpetuator of the Kuru race, no method will succeed against the Pandavas.

O brave prince, you have before, by various subtle means, striven to carry out your wishes. But ever hast you failed to slay your foes. They were then living near you, O king! They were then unfledged and of tender years, but you couldst not injure them then. They are now living at a distance, grown up, full-fledged. The sons of Kunti, O you of firm resolution, cannot now be injured by any subtle contrivances of thine.

This is my opinion. As they are aided by the very Fates, and as they are desirous of regaining their ancestral kingdom, we can never succeed in injuring them by any means in our power. It is impossible to create disunion amongst them. They can never be disunited who have all taken to a common wife. Nor can we succeed in estranging Krishna from the Pandavas by any spies of ours. She chose them as her lords when they were in adversity. Will she abandon them now that they are in prosperity? Besides women always like to have many husbands, Krishna has obtained her wish. She can never be estranged from the Pandavas.

The king of Pancala is honest and virtuous; he is not avaricious. Even if we offer him our whole kingdom he will not abandon the Pandavas. Drupada’s son also possesses every accomplishment, and is attached to the Pandavas. Therefore, I do not think that the Pandavas can now be injured by any subtle means in your power.

But, O bull amongst men, this is what is good and advisable for us now, viz., to attack and smite them till they are exterminated. Let this course recommend itself to you. As long as our party is strong and that of the king of the Pancalas is weak, so long strike them without any scruple.

O son of Gandhari, as long as their innumerable vehicles and animals, friends, and friendly tribes are not mustered together, continue, O king, to exhibit your prowess. As long as the king of the Pancalas together with his sons gifted with great prowess, sets not his heart upon fighting with us, so long, O king, exhibit your prowess.

And, O king, exert your prowess before he of the Vrishni race (Krishna) comes with the Yadava host into the city of Drupada, carrying everything before him, to restore the Pandavas to their paternal kingdom. Wealth, every article of enjoyment, kingdom, there is nothing that Krishna may not sacrifice for the sake of the Pandavas. The illustrious Bharata had acquired the whole earth by his prowess alone. Indra has acquired sovereignty of the three worlds by prowess alone.

O king, prowess is always applauded by the Kshatriyas.

O bull amongst Kshatriyas, prowess is the cardinal virtue of the brave. Let us, therefore, O monarch, with our large army consisting of four kinds of forces, grind Drupada without loss of time, and bring hither the Pandavas. Indeed, the Pandavas are incapable of being discomfited by any policy of conciliation, of gift, of wealth and bribery, or of disunion. Vanquish them, therefore, by your prowess. And vanquishing them by your prowess, rule you this wide earth.

O monarch, I see not any other means by which we may accomplish our end.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these words of Radheya, Dhritarashtra, endued with great strength, applauded him highly. The monarch then addressed him and said,

'You, O son of a Suta, art gifted with great wisdom and accomplished in arms. This speech, therefore, favouring the exhibition of prowess suits you well. But let Bhishma, and Drona, and Vidura, and you two, take counsel together and adopt that proposal which may lead to our benefit.'

Vaisampayana continued, "'Then king Dhritarashtra called unto him, all those celebrated ministers and took counsel with them.'"

Conclusion:

This concludes Section CCIV of Book 1 (Adi Parva) of the Mahabharata, of which an English translation is presented on this page. This book is famous as one of the Itihasa, similair in content to the eighteen Puranas. Book 1 is one of the eighteen books comprising roughly 100,000 Sanskrit metrical verses.

FAQ (frequently asked questions):

Which keywords occur in Section CCIV of Book 1 of the Mahabharata?

The most relevant definitions are: Pandavas, Krishna, Vaisampayana, Pancala, Drupada, Pancalas; since these occur the most in Book 1, Section CCIV. There are a total of 23 unique keywords found in this section mentioned 45 times.

What is the name of the Parva containing Section CCIV of Book 1?

Section CCIV is part of the Viduragamana Parva which itself is a sub-section of Book 1 (Adi Parva). The Viduragamana Parva contains a total of 10 sections while Book 1 contains a total of 19 such Parvas.

Can I buy a print edition of Section CCIV as contained in Book 1?

Yes! The print edition of the Mahabharata contains the English translation of Section CCIV of Book 1 and can be bought on the main page. The author is Kisari Mohan Ganguli and the latest edition (including Section CCIV) is from 2012.

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