Bhagavad-Yana Parva — Speech of Krishna

Vaishampayana said Hearing the king's words which were beneficial as well as conducive to morality and worldly good, Krishna, the daughter of king Drupada, of long and very black tresses, afflicted with grief, said to the scion of the Dasharha race, who was seated there, after having given due respects to Sahadeva and the great car-warrior Satyaki.

Seeing Bhimasena inclined towards peace, that intelligent lady with a sense of her wrongs said these words with tears in her eyes:

O you of long arms, this is known to you. slayer of Madhu, how the Pandavas were deprived of all happiness through deceit.

By the son of Dhritarashtra within ministers, O Janardana; and what message was covered through Sanjaya in private by the king.

Yudhishthira, that too is known to you of the Dasharha race and by you has been heard all what Sanjaya said.

O you of great luster, (this was the massage) give us, O sire, five villages namely, Avisthala, Vrikasthala, Makandi, Varanavata and any one for the last or the fifth, O you of long arms. In these terms was Duryodhana to be addressed and his friends too, O Keshava.

Suyodhana, though he heard these words of Yudhishthira endued with prosperity and desirous if peace, did not act up to them, O you of the Dasharha race.

If, O Krishna, Suyodhana desires peace without returning the kingdom; then it is by no means proper that you should go there.

O you of long arms, the Pandavas supported by the Srinjayas will be able to fight with the terrible army of Dhritarashtra excited with range.

Not by peaceful means, nor by surrender can our object be gained from them; therefore, O destroyer of Madhu, mercy ought not to be shown to them by you.

Those enemies, who do not assume an attitude of peace by words of humility or by surrender, ought to be visited with punishment by him who cares to preserve his life.

Therefore should heavy punishment fall or them from yourself, O Acchyuta of long arms, supported by the Pandavas and the Srinjayas.

This would be just the thing for the son of Pritha to do; and will also redound to your glory; and the accomplishment will be, O Krishna, the source of happiness to the entire Kshatriya race.

A Kshatriya who is avaricious ought to be killed by a Kshatriya who is desirous of proving true to his our religion; and even if the covetous man is not a Kshatriya he ought to be slain.

An exception should be made, O Sire, in the case of a Brahmana, though he be addicted to all sorts of vices; for a Brahmana is the preceptor of all the other classes and he is allowed precedence in everything.

The sin, that accrues from killing from one that ought but to be killed, is ihe fame as that which accrues him not slaying one that deserves death. Such has been the instructions of those conversant with the rulers of virtue.

Do that, O Krishna, so that this sin may not touch you along with the Pandavas, O you of the Dasharha race and the Srinjayas and their armies.

Out of excessive confidence on you, O Janardana, that I repeat what has been already repeated again and again. What woman is there in this world equal to me?

The daughter of king Drupada born of the sacrificial altar, sister of Dhrishtadyumna and your dear friend, O Krishna.

I have become a member of the Ajamida race; and the daughter-in-law of the highsouled Pandu and the chief queen of the sons of Pandu, who in splendor are equal to five Indra's.

By the five heroes are born of me five sons, great car-warriors, who morally bear the same relation with you, O Krishna, as Abhimanyu.

When I, who am such, coming to the Council Chamber was caught hold of by the extremity of my hairs and annoyed within the range of vision of the Pandu's sons and during your life time, O Keshava.

During the life time of the Pandu's, the Panchalas and the Vrishnis I was treated like a maid-servant and made to stand in the Council Chamber of those incarnations of vice.

The sons of Pandu, gazing at me, without any wrath and without any efforts to extricate me, O Govinda, were thought of by me, saying-"save me."

On this the prosperous king (Dhritarashtra), my father-in-law, said these words chose a boon, O Princess of Panchala, in my opinion you are the proper recipient of a boon.”

"Let the Pandavas be liberated with their chariots and soldiers" was the boon I asked for; and at my solicitation were they liberated and sent to exile in the forest, OKeshava.

You, O Janardana, are very well aware of such-like troubles; and save us, o you with eyes like lotus, along with my husbands, kinsmen and friends.

I am, morally speaking, O Krishna, the daughter-in-law of both Bhishma and Dhritarashtra; and yet I, who am such, was made a slave by force.

Shame to the skill in archery of the son of Pritha and shame to the strength of Bhimasena! that Duryodhana, O Krishna, should be alive for one single moment.

If I ain fit to be favored by you, if there is mercy in you for me; then direct all your wrath on the sons of Dhritarashtra.

Vaishampayana said Saying this, pretty Krishna having lotuslike eyes, of a black colour and the gait of an elephant and possessed of beautiful hips, taking hold of her beautiful ringlets with curls at their ends and of a deep blue colour, perfumed with all sorts of scents, with all the auspicious marks and very soft though bound up in a braid by her left hand, approached the lotus-eyed Krishna; and with eyes full of tears said these words.

O you with lotus-like eyes, desirous of peace with the enemy, you should remember in all your acts that these (tresses) were seized by the hands of Dushasana.

If Bhima and Arjuna, O Krishna, are so mean as to desire peace, then my old father will fight along with his sons who are great car-warriors.

And my five sons, too, O slayer of Madhu, of great heroism, having placed Abhimanyu in the front will fight the Kurus.

If I do not see the dark-coloured hand of Dushasana torn off from his body and reduced to powder, then what peace shall there be in my heart?

Thirteen years have elapsed, during which I was waiting, entertaining in my heart feelings of revenge which were like blazing fire.

My heart, O Bhima, is rent asunder, pierced by darts of sharp words, as it were, at the thought that the long-armed one (Bhima) has an eye on morality.

Saying this with voice choked with tears, Krishna of distended eyes began to weep aloud in convulsive sobs and with her eyes full of tears.

And the lady with beautiful hips began to shower from her eyes extremely hot tears, which flowed down her round bosom.

Keshava with long arms then spoke these words with a view to comfort her, before long will you see, O Krishna, the ladies of Bharata's household weeping.

O timid one, they will weep as you now do, having their kinsmen and friends killed. Alrcady, O lady, are those with whom you are angry deprived of their friends and of their strength.

I shall accomplish this with Bhima, Arjuna and the twins, supported by Yudhishthira, through the ordainment of the gods.

If the sons of Dhritarashtra, whose time is now arrived, do not hear my advice; then they will sleep dead on the bare earth and be food for dogs and jackals.

The Himavat mountains could move; the earth could be split up into a hundred pieces; and the heavenly regions with stars might fall; but my words would not be vain.

I tell you truly, O Krishna, stop your tears. You will ever (in future) see your husbands endued with prosperity and with all their enemies killed.