Mahabharata 05 (eng)..

UDYOGA PARAVA
SECTION I
UDYOGA PARAVA
SECTION I
OM! Having bowed down to Narayana, and Nara the most exalted of male beings, and also to the
goddess Saraswati, must the word Jaya be uttered.
Vaisampayana said, 'Then those valiant descendants of Kuru, who belonged to the same party (with
Virata), having joyfully celebrated the nuptials of Abhimanyu and rested themselves that night, presented
themselves at dawn, well pleased, in the court of Virata, And the chamber of the king of the
Matsya was full of riches, and variegated with choice gems and precious stones, with seats methodically
arranged, adorned with garlands, and filled with fragrance. And those mighty monarchs
of men all came to that place, And on the seats in front sat the two kings Virata and Drupada. And
the revered and aged rulers of the earth, and Valarama and Krishna along with their father, all sat
there. And close to the king of Panchala was seated the great hero of the race of Sini, together with
the son of Rohini. And side by side with the king of the Matsya sat Krishna and Yudhishthira, and
all the sons of king Drupada, and Bhima and Arjuna, and the two sons of Madri, and Pradyumna
and Samva, both valiant in battle, and Abhimanyu with Virata's sons. And those princes, the sons of
Draupadi, rivalling their fathers in valour, strength, grace, and prowess, sat upon excellent seats
inlaid with gold. And when those mighty heroes wearing shining ornaments and robes had set
themselves down, that gorgeous assembly of kings looked beautiful like the firmament spangled
with resplendent stars. And those valiant men, assembled together, having conversed with one another
upon various topics, remained for some time in a pensive mood, with their eyes fixed upon
Krishna. And at the end of their talk, Krishna drew their attention to the affairs of the Pandavas.
And those powerful kings together listened to Krishna's speech, pregnant and lofty. And Krishna
said, It is known to you all, how this Yudhishthira was deceitfully defeated at dice by the son of Suvala,
and how he was robbed of his kingdom and how a stipulation was made by him concerning his
exile in the forest. And capable as they were of conquering the earth by force, the sons of Pandu
remained firm in their plighted faith. And accordingly for six and seven years these incomparable
men accomplished the cruel task imposed upon them. And this last, the thirteenth year, was exceedingly
hard for them to pass. Yet unrecognised by any one they have passed it, as known to you, suffering
unendurable hardships of various kinds. This is known to you all. These illustrious men have
spent the thirteenth year, employed in menial service of others. This being so, it is for you to consider
what will be for the good of both Yudhishthira and Duryodhana, and what, as regards the Kurus
and the Pandavas, will be consistent with the rules of righteousness and, propriety and what will
meet with the approbation of all. The virtuous king Yudhishthira would not unrighteously covet
even the celestial kingdom. But righteously he would accept the rule even of a single village. How
the sons of Dhritarashtra fraudulently robbed him of his paternal kingdom, and how he hath passed
a life of unendurable hardships, are known to all the kings assembled here. The sons of Dhritarashtra
are incapable of overcoming by strength Arjuna, the son of Pritha. Nevertheless, king
Yudhishthira and his friends have no other desire than the good of Dhritarashtra's son. These brave
sons of Kunti, and the two sons of Madri, ask for only what they themselves, achieving victory in
battle, had won from the defeated kings. You, no doubt, know full well how those enemies of the
Pandavas – with the object of possessing themselves of the kingdom, endeavoured by various
means to destroy them, when they were yet mere boys. So wicked and rancorous they were. Consider,
how grasping they are and how virtuous Yudhishthira is. Consider also the relationship that
exists between them. I beseech you all to consult together and also think separately. The Pandavas
have always had a regard for truth. They have fulfilled their promise to the very letter. If now
treated wrongfully by the sons of Dhritarashtra, they would slay them all though banded together.
They have friends, who, on being informed of their unworthy treatment at the hands of others,
would stand by them, engaged in fight with their persecutors, and willingly slay them even if they
should lose their own lives for it. If you suppose them to be too few to be capable of winning a vic-
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