वैशंपायन उवाच
अथ दुर्योधनो राजा समरे भीष्मम् अब्रवीत् ॥
द्रोणं च रथशार्दूलं कृपं च सुमहारथम् ॥
उक्तो ऽयम् अर्थ आचार्यो मया कर्णेन चासकृत् ॥
पुनर् एव च वक्ष्यामि न हि तृप्यामि तं ब्रुवन् ॥
पराजितैर् हि वस्तव्यं तैश् च द्वादश वत्सरान् ॥
वने जनपदे ऽज्ञातैर् एष एव पणो हि नः ॥
तेषां न तावन् निर्वृत्तं वर्तते तु त्रयोदशम् ॥
अज्ञातवासं बीभत्सुर् अथास्माभिः समागतः ॥
अनिवृत्ते तु निर्वासे यदि बीभत्सुर् आगतः ॥
पुनर् द्वादश वर्षाणि वने वत्स्यन्ति पाण्डवाः ॥
लोभाद् वा ते न जानीयुर् अस्मान् वा मोह आविशत् ॥
हीनातिरिक्तम् एतेषां भीष्मो वेदितुम् अर्हति ॥
अर्थानां तु पुनर् द्वैधे नित्यं भवति संशयः ॥
अन्यथा चिन्तितो ह्य् अर्थः पुनर् भवति चान्यथा ॥
उत्तरं मार्गमाणानां मत्स्यसेनां युयुत्सताम् ॥
यदि बीभत्सुर् आयातस् तेषां कः स्यात् पराङ्मुखः ॥
त्रिगर्तानां वयं हेतोर् मत्स्यान् योद्धुम् इहागताः ॥
मत्स्यानां विप्रकारांस् ते बहून् अस्मान् अकीर्तयन् ॥
तेषां भयाभिपन्नानां तद् अस्माभिः प्रतिश्रुतम् ॥
प्रथमं तैर् ग्रहीतव्यं मत्स्यानां गोधनं महत् ॥
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
atha duryodhano rājā samare bhīṣmam abravīt ||
droṇaṃ ca rathaśārdūlaṃ kṛpaṃ ca sumahāratham ||
ukto 'yam artha ācāryo mayā karṇena cāsakṛt ||
punar eva ca vakṣyāmi na hi tṛpyāmi taṃ bruvan ||
parājitair hi vastavyaṃ taiś ca dvādaśa vatsarān ||
vane janapade 'jñātair eṣa eva paṇo hi naḥ ||
teṣāṃ na tāvan nirvṛttaṃ vartate tu trayodaśam ||
ajñātavāsaṃ bībhatsur athāsmābhiḥ samāgataḥ ||
anivṛtte tu nirvāse yadi bībhatsur āgataḥ ||
punar dvādaśa varṣāṇi vane vatsyanti pāṇḍavāḥ ||
lobhād vā te na jānīyur asmān vā moha āviśat ||
hīnātiriktam eteṣāṃ bhīṣmo veditum arhati ||
arthānāṃ tu punar dvaidhe nityaṃ bhavati saṃśayaḥ ||
anyathā cintito hy arthaḥ punar bhavati cānyathā ||
uttaraṃ mārgamāṇānāṃ matsyasenāṃ yuyutsatām ||
yadi bībhatsur āyātas teṣāṃ kaḥ syāt parāṅmukhaḥ ||
trigartānāṃ vayaṃ hetor matsyān yoddhum ihāgatāḥ ||
matsyānāṃ viprakārāṃs te bahūn asmān akīrtayan ||
teṣāṃ bhayābhipannānāṃ tad asmābhiḥ pratiśrutam ||
prathamaṃ tair grahītavyaṃ matsyānāṃ godhanaṃ mahat ||
Vaishampayana said: "Then, in the assembly, King Duryodhana said to Bhishma, to Drona the tiger among charioteers, and to Kripa the great charioteer: 'This matter, teacher, has already been stated by me and by Karna more than once, but I will say it again, for I am not satisfied merely speaking of it. The defeated must live twelve years in the forest, and among people unrecognized for a further year -- such is our agreement. For them this has not yet been completed: the thirteenth year of hidden dwelling is still passing, and yet Bibhatsu has come to us. If Bibhatsu has come while the exile is not yet over, the Pandavas will again have to live twelve years in the forest. Either they, out of greed, do not know the true count, or delusion has overtaken us; Bhishma ought to know whether they have less or more time remaining. In matters that admit of two sides, doubt always arises: a matter thought through one way turns out differently the next. If Bibhatsu has come to those who are searching for Uttara and wish to fight the army of the Matsyas, which of them would turn his face away? We came here for the sake of the Trigartas, to fight the Matsyas. They told us of the many wrongs done to them by the Matsyas. When they, overcome with fear, sought our protection, we promised them: first the great herd of cattle belonging to the Matsyas must be seized.'"
0298f56416fa · published Jul 16, 2026, 6:27:29 PM UTC
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Duryodhana at once looks for a legal loophole. Where Bhishma would count the days for the sake of truth, he counts them to prolong another's suffering.