693(30)
‘Sanjaya said, “O god among gods among men! O Pandava! I will now take your leave and go. May you be fortunate. As a result of the distress in my mind, I hope I have not spoken words that should not be spoken and caused you distress. I am taking my leave of Janardana, Bhimasena, Arjuna, Madri’s sons, Satyaki and Chekitana. May you be happy and prosperous. O kings! Look at me with eyes that are full of equanimity.”
‘Yudhishthira replied, “O Sanjaya! With our permission, depart in peace. You have not said anything unpleasant. They know, and all of us know, that when you speak in the midst of an assembly hall, you are pure in your soul. O Sanjaya! You were sent as an appropriate messenger. You are extremely dear to us. You have spoken words full of welfare and you have exhibited good conduct. O suta! Your views have not been clouded by delusion. When we have spoken the truth, you have not been angered. You have not spoken harsh and piercing words. Nor have you spoken bitter and acerbic words. O suta! We know that your words are guided by dharma and artha and that they are full of meaning, not meant to hurt. For us, you are a beloved messenger. Vidura is the only other one who could have come here. In earlier times, we have seen you frequently. You are our friend, like Dhananjaya himself. O Sanjaya! Having quickly departed from here, serve the brahmanas who are deserving of worship. They are pure and brave and are devoted to the Vedas.74 They have been born in noble lineages and have all the qualities of dharma. The brahmanas are devoted to studying and live on alms. There are ascetics who always live in the forest. Greet all the elders on my behalf. O raconteur! Ask about the welfare of each one.
‘“You must meet King Dhritarashtra’s priest, his preceptors and all his sacrificial priests.75 O son!76 You must greet each one, as he deserves. O suta! You must meet each one and ask about his welfare. Our beloved preceptor77 follows brahmacharya and the Vedas and never deviates from the right course of action. You must greet and honour Drona, as he deserves. He is the one who made the four techniques of weaponry known again.78 You must swiftly go to Ashvatthama and ask about his welfare. He has studied and follows the Vedas.79 He is the one who made the four techniques of weaponry known again. He is as swift as the son of a gandharva. You must then go to the abode of Sharadvat’s son.80 He is a maharatha and supreme among those who know about weapons. O Sanjaya! You must remember me repeatedly and touch Kripa’s feet with your hand. You must also grasp the feet of Bhishma, supreme among the Kurus, and mention me to him. Valour, non-violence, austerities, wisdom, good conduct, learning and fortitude reside in him. O Sanjaya! You must salute the aged king81 and tell him that I am well. He governs the Kurus with the sight of wisdom. He is extremely learned and the learned one tends to the aged.
‘“O Sanjaya! Dhritarashtra’s eldest son is evil, stupid, deceitful and prone to bad conduct. He now rules over the entire earth. O son!82 You must ask about Suyodhana’s welfare. O Sanjaya! His younger brother is equally evil. He has always been like him in conduct.83 He is a great archer and supreme among the Kuru warriors. O son!84 You must ask about Duhshasana’s welfare. O son!85 You must ask about the welfare of the son of the vaishya.86 He has never liked the idea of a war. He is immensely wise and has all the qualities of dharma. He is supreme among all wise ones and is never confused. O son!87 Ask about the welfare of Chitrasena.88 He is unmatched in cutting and playing with dice.89 He is extremely deceitful and is skilled in gambling and knows the heart of the dice. He is incapable of being defeated in duels with the dice. You must greet the learned bull of the Bahlika lineage, who has always had no other desire than that of there being peace among the Bharatas. He may happily greet me again, as he used to do earlier. It is my view that Somadatta must also be honoured. He is supreme among those who possess all the qualities. He is learned and is never cruel. Because of his affection, he has always endured all the injury.90 O Sanjaya! Somadatta’s son91 is the most venerable among the Kurus. He is our brother and friend. He is a great archer and supreme among charioteers. Ask him about his welfare and that of his advisers. There are other young ones who are chief among the Kurus. They are our sons, grandsons and brothers. If you meet them along the way, on my behalf, ask about their welfare. Dhritarashtra’s son has assembled kings to fight against the Pandavas. There are the foremost among the Vasatis, the Shalvakas, the Kekayas, the Ambashthas and the Trigartas. There are brave ones from the east, the north, the south, the west and all the mountainous regions. They are non-violent and are proper in conduct. O son!92 Ask all of them about their welfare. There are those who ride on elephants, horses and chariots, infantry and large masses of aryas. Tell all of them that I am in good health. Ask all of them if they are in good health. There are advisers who have been appointed by the king. There are gatekeepers and others who lead the army. There are those who calculate revenue and expenditure. There are great ones who think about his93 welfare. The king from the mountainous region of Gandhara, Shakuni, is unrivalled in cutting and playing with the dice. O suta! He heightens the honour of Dhritarashtra’s son. O son!94 He is false in his intelligence. But ask him about his welfare. O son!95 Ask about Vaikartana’s96 welfare. He is unmatched in deluding the deluded. The Pandavas are impossible to vanquish. But alone, on a single chariot, that brave one hopes to defeat them. Ask about the welfare of the infinitely intelligent and far-sighted Vidura. He is devoted to us. He is our senior and our servant. He is our father, our mother and our well-wisher. He is our adviser.
‘“O Sanjaya! The aged women who possess all the qualities are regarded by us like our mothers. Meet with all those aged women when they are assembled together, and on our behalf, show them honour. ‘O those among you who have sons who are alive! Do your sons treat you properly and without violence?’ O Sanjaya! Having said this, subsequently tell them that Ajatashatru and his sons are well.97 O Sanjaya! There are those whom you know to be our wives.98 O son!99 All of them should be asked about their welfare. ‘Are you protected properly? Do you have fragrances? Are you uncensured and not distracted when you undertake the duties of the household? O fortunate ones! Do you behave properly towards your fathers-in-law? Are you well and are you treated without violence? Can you ensure your own conducts, so that your husbands remain devoted towards you?’ O Sanjaya! There are those whom you know to be our daughters-in-law.100 They have all the qualities and have been born in noble lineages. When you meet them, tell them that Yudhishthira has happily saluted those mothers of children. O Sanjaya! You must meet the maidens in their houses. On my behalf, you must ask them about their welfare and say, ‘May you be fortunate and may you have husbands who are devoted to you. May you also be devoted to your husbands.’ O son!101 You must ask about the welfare of the courtesan women. ‘Do you have ornaments, garments and fragrances? Are you happy and prosperous, without being frightened? Are your visits short? Are your words shorter?’102 The sons of the servant maids, the servants of the Kurus, the many hunchbacked and crippled ones who have sought refuge, must be told that I am well. Ask how the worst among them fares. ‘Do you continue to be engaged in your old pursuits? Does Dhritarashtra’s son provide you objects of pleasure? There are those who have lost limbs, or are miserable, or dwarfs. Does Dhritarashtra’s son treat you non-violently?’ There are many who are blind and aged. There are many who have to earn a living through their hands. Tell them that I am well and ask how the worst among them fares. ‘Do not be unhappy because of this sorry life. This must be because of sins committed in earlier lives. After subduing my enemies through the aid of my well-wishers, I will sustain you with garments and food. I used to provide stipends to brahmanas. I will provide more in the future. I will see all of you properly taken care of.’ Tell the king103 whatever you hear about their success. There are those who are unprotected, weak and always stupid, preoccupied with their own selves. They are miserable in every way. O son!104 You must ask about their welfare on my behalf.
‘“O son of a suta! There are others who have sought refuge with Dhritarashtra’s son, arriving from many directions. On seeing
them, or anyone who is deserving of honour, ask if they are well in every way. There are those who have come and others who are arriving—kings and messengers from all the directions. O suta! Ask all of them about their welfare. Later, you should tell them that I am well. There are no warriors on earth who are equal to the ones Dhritarashtra’s son has obtained. But dharma is eternal. And my dharma is that all immensely strong enemies must be destroyed. O Sanjaya! You must make Dhritarashtra’s son, Suyodhana, listen to my final words. ‘The heart in your body has a desire to rule the Kurus without any rivals. This has no rationale. We will not do anything that doesn’t bring you pleasure. Give us our Shakrapura.105 O foremost among the warriors of the Bharata lineage! Otherwise, be prepared to fight.”’
694(31)
‘Yudhishthira said, “O Sanjaya! The creator places the righteous, the unrighteous, the young, the old, the weak and the strong under his control. The lord grants learning to children and childishness to the learned. He grants all this when he provides the seed in a being. There is no need to tell you more. You will report it the way it actually is, now that we have cheerfully consulted each other. O son of Gavalgana! Go to the Kurus and show homage to the immensely strong Dhritarashtra. Touch his feet and ask about his welfare. When he is seated, surrounded by the Kurus, tell him, ‘O king! It is through your valour that the Pandavas are living happily. O destroyer of enemies! It is through your favours that they obtained a kingdom while they were still young. After having established them in a kingdom first, do not destroy them by ignoring them now.’ O Sanjaya! No one should enjoy everything alone. ‘O father! We will live together. Do not fall prey to enmity.’ In the same way, lower your head in homage and recount my name to Shantanu’s son, Bhishma, the grandfather of the Bharatas. After having greeted him, you should tell the grandfather, ‘When Shantanu’s lineage was drowning, you rescued it once.106 O father!107 O grandfather! Act again in that fashion so that your grandsons live with affection among themselves.’ You should speak in the same way to Vidura, the adviser to the Kurus. ‘O peaceful one! O one who wishes for the welfare of Yudhishthira! Speak words of peace.’
‘“Then you should repeatedly speak to the intolerant Prince Suyodhana, entreating him when he is seated in the midst of the Kurus. When Krishna was brought alone into the assembly hall, evil was done towards her. But we ignored it patiently, so that the Kurus might not be slaughtered. The Pandavas have borne hardships earlier and will do so again, though they are stronger now. All the Kurus know this. ‘O peaceful one! You sent us into exile, with deerskin as our garments. We bore those miseries, so that the Kurus might not be slaughtered. When Duhshasana, with your approval, oppressed Krishna by the hair in the assembly hall, we overlooked that also. O scorcher of enemies! But we will fight for our rightful share now. O bull among men! Turn your mind away from avarice and from grasping the possessions of others. O king! Let there be peace and harmony amongst us. We wish for peace. Give us one province from your kingdom—Kushasthala, Vrikosthala, Asanti, Varanavata and whichever else you pick as the fifth and the last. O Suyodhana! Give five villages to the brothers.’108 O Sanjaya! O immensely wise one! Let there be peace between us and our relatives. Let brother be united with brother, and let father be united with son. With smiles, let the Panchalas mingle with the Kurus. I desire to see the Kurus and the Panchalas uninjured. O son!109 O bull among the Bharata lineage! Let all of us live happily in peace. O Sanjaya! I am as ready for peace, as I am for war. For the sake of dharma and artha, I can be mild. But I can also be terrible.”’
695(32)
Vaishampayana said, ‘With the permission of Pandava, Sanjaya then departed, having carried out all the instructions of the great-souled Dhritarashtra. Having reached Hastinapura, he entered swiftly and reaching the inner quarters, told the gatekeeper, “O gatekeeper! Tell Dhritarashtra that I have returned after meeting the Pandavas. If he is awake, tell him that Kshatta110 wishes to enter after the king knows about his return.” The gatekeeper said, “O lord of the earth! I bow down before you. Sanjaya is here and is waiting at the gate, wishing to meet you. Your messenger has returned, after meeting the Pandavas. O king! Issue orders about what he should do.” Dhritarashtra replied, “Tell him that I am well and am waiting for him. Let Sanjaya be welcome and let him enter. I have always been ready for him. Why is Kshatta waiting at the gate then?” With the king’s permission, the son of a suta entered the large palace that was protected by wise and brave aryas. The king who was Vichitravirya’s son was seated on a throne and he joined his hands in salutation. Sanjaya said, “O lord of the earth! I am Sanjaya and I am bowing down before you. I have returned after meeting the Pandavas, gods among men. Yudhishthira, Pandu’s intelligent son, has greeted you and has asked about your welfare. O king! He has affectionately asked about your sons and wishes to know if you are happy with your sons and grandsons, and with your well-wishers and advisers, and with all those who are earning a living through you.” Dhritarashtra replied, “O son!111 O Sanjaya! I am greeting you on your return. Is Partha Ajatashatru happy? Is the king well with his sons, his advisers and the younger Kouravas?”112
‘Sanjaya said, “Pandu’s son is well with his advisers, even more than you had had known him earlier. The intelligent one does that which ensures dharma and artha. He is extremely learned, has foresight and follows good conduct. The non-violent Pandava is devoted to supreme dharma. He thinks that dharma is superior to riches. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Those who know him know that he will not follow happiness or pleasure that is against the norms of dharma. A man is controlled by others,113 like a wooden puppet on a string. When I witness Pandava’s hardships, I think that earlier karma114 determines the destiny of beings. On seeing the taints of your deeds, with the evil it leads to and its terrible form, I think that as long as a man desires that which is right, a man obtains praise. Ajatashatru has given up evil, like a snake discards its useless skin. Having transferred sins to you, the brave Yudhishthira is resplendent in his conduct. O king! Learn how your deeds have harmed you. They are not united with dharma and artha and are not the conduct of aryas. O king! You have only obtained ill fame. That evil cannot be removed and will be with you in the hereafter. You have ignored them and have followed your son and wish to obtain an objective that is impossible to attain. The earth has loudly proclaimed that this is adharma. O foremost among those of the Bharata lineage! This was not an act that was worthy of you. One who is weak in intelligence, one who is born from an inferior lineage, one who is violent, one who remembers enmity for a long time, one who does not know about the conduct of kshatriyas and one who is weak in valour, such a person will not be able to overcome the disaster that adharma brings. One who is born in a noble lineage, one who follows dharma, one who is famous, one who is greatly learned, one who is in control of his soul and one who places dharma and artha over everything else, such a person lives happily. In no other way, can one overcome destiny. How can one who has intelligent advisers, who are well versed in the canons of dharma and artha, be foolish enough to commit such a violent act, as if one did not possess all the good counsel? These learned advisers have assembled together and have always advised about your tasks. They have arrived at the firm conviction that the hell that will wreak the destruction of the Kurus is imminent. The Kurus will be destroyed before their time, if Ajatashatru counters the evil with evil and passes on the evil to you. There will be censure for you in this world. Was it not in accordance with the will of the gods that Partha set his eyes on the supreme world?115 He ascended there, and was honoured. There is no doubt that this wasn’t because of human action. In examining the qualities of deeds, that which has been and that which will be, King Bali came to the conclusion that the present was transient.116 He decided that destiny was the root cause of everything. The eyes, the ears, the nose, the skin and the tongue—these are the sources of knowledge for beings. When the thirst has been quenched, these are content. Therefore, one should happily control them.117 There are others who t
hink that if performed well, a man’s deeds take on forms of their own. The child is the outcome of the deeds of the mother and the father and in due course, grows through the intake of food. O king! One is subject to pleasant and unpleasant, happiness and unhappiness, censure and praise. One censures others for committing a crime and praises them for good conduct. I censure you for discord among the Bharatas. This will lead to the destruction of many beings. Because of the crimes of your deeds, the Kurus will be burnt up, like the one with the black form118 burns up dry wood. O king! O Indra among kings! Among all those in this world, you alone have come under the control of the sons that were born to you. At the time of the gambling match, you praised the one whose soul was overtaken by desire. Now witness the calamity that has been brought down on him. O Indra among men! You accepted those who are unworthy. O king! You rejected those who are worthy. O Kouravya! You are now feeble and are incapable of protecting this extensive earth. I am exhausted from the speed of the chariot. O lion among men! I seek your permission to sleep. In the assembly hall tomorrow, the assembled Kurus will listen to the words that Ajatashatru has sent.”’
Section Fifty-One
Prajagara Parva
This section has 541 shlokas and nine chapters.
Chapter 696(33): 104 shlokas
Chapter 697(34): 83 shlokas
Chapter 698(35): 67 shlokas
Chapter 699(36): 72 shlokas
Chapter 700(37): 60 shlokas
Chapter 701(38): 44 shlokas
Chapter 702(39): 70 shlokas
Chapter 703(40): 30 shlokas
Mahabharata: Volume 4 Page 24