The Great Epic of the Bhārata dynasty 4.1: atha prathamo'dhyāyaḥ

4.1.1

janamejaya uvāca |
kathaṃ virāṭanagare mama pūrvapitāmahāḥ |
ajñātavāsamuṣitā duryodhanabhayārditāḥ || 1 ||

Janamejaya said, "How did my great-grandfathers, afflicted with the fear of Duryodhana, pass their days undiscovered in the city of Virata? And, O Brahman, how did the highly blessed Draupadi, stricken with woe, devoted to her lords, and ever adoring the Deity, spend her days unrecognised?"

4.1.2

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
tathā tu sa varām̐llabdhvā dharmāddharmabhṛtāṃ varaḥ |
gatvāśramaṃ brāhmaṇebhya ācakhyau sarvameva tat || 2 ||

Vaisampayana said, "Listen, O lord of men, how thy great grandfathers passed the period of unrecognition in the city of Virata. Having in this way obtained boons from the god of Justice, that best of virtuous men, Yudhishthira, returned to the asylum and related unto the Brahmanas all that had happened. And having related everything unto them, Yudhishthira restored to that regenerate Brahmana, who had followed him the churning staff and the fire-sticks he had lost. And, O Bharata, the son of the god of Justice, the royal Yudhishthira of high soul then called together all his younger brothers and addressed them, saying, 'Exiled from our kingdom, we have passed twelve years. The thirteenth year, hard to spend, hath now come. Do thou therefore, O Arjuna, the son of Kunti, select some spot where we may pass our days undiscovered by our enemies.'"

4.1.3

kathayitvā tu tatsarvaṃ brāhmaṇebhyo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ |
araṇīsahitaṃ tasmai brāhmaṇāya nyavedayat || 3 ||

4.1.4

tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā dharmaputro mahāmanāḥ |
saṃnivartyānujānsarvāniti hovāca bhārata || 4 ||

4.1.5

dvādaśemāni varṣāṇi rāṣṭrādviproṣitā vayam |
trayodaśo'yaṃ saṃprāptaḥ kṛcchraḥ paramadurvasaḥ || 5 ||

4.1.6

sa sādhu kaunteya ito vāsamarjuna rocaya |
yatremā vasatīḥ sarvā vasemāviditāḥ paraiḥ || 6 ||

4.1.7

arjuna uvāca |
tasyaiva varadānena dharmasya manujādhipa |
ajñātā vicariṣyāmo narāṇāṃ bharatarṣabha || 7 ||

Arjuna replied, "Even by virtue of Dharma's boon, we shall, O lord of men, range about undiscovered by men. Still, for purposes of residence, I shall mention some spots that are both delightful and secluded. Do thou select some one of them. Surrounding the kingdom of the Kurus, are, many countries beautiful and abounding in corn, such as Panchala, Chedi, Matsya, Surasena, Pattachchara, Dasarna, Navarashtra, Malla, Salva, Yugandhara, Saurashtra, Avanti, and the spacious Kuntirashtra. Which of these, O king, wouldst thou choose, and where, O foremost of monarchs, shall we spend this year?"

4.1.8

kiṃ tu vāsāya rāṣṭrāṇi kīrtayiṣyāmi kānicit |
ramaṇīyāni guptāni teṣāṃ kiṃcitsma rocaya || 8 ||

4.1.9

santi ramyā janapadā bahvannāḥ paritaḥ kurūn |
pāñcālāścedimatsyāśca śūrasenāḥ paṭaccarāḥ |
daśārṇā navarāṣṭraṃ ca mallāḥ śālvā yugaṃdharāḥ || 9 ||

4.1.10

eteṣāṃ katamo rājannivāsastava rocate |
vatsyāmo yatra rājendra saṃvatsaramimaṃ vayam || 10 ||

4.1.11

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
evametanmahābāho yathā sa bhagavānprabhuḥ |
abravītsarvabhūteśastattathā na tadanyathā || 11 ||

Yudhishthira said "O them of mighty arms, it is even so. What that adorable Lord of all creatures hath said must become true. Surely, after consulting together, we must select some delightful, auspicious, and agreeable region for our abode, where we may live free from fear. The aged Virata, king of the Matsyas, is virtuous and powerful and charitable, and is liked by all. And he is also attached to the Pandavas. Even in the city of Virata, O child, we shall, O Bharata, spend this year, entering his service. Tell me, ye sons of the Kuru race, in what capacities ye will severally present yourselves before the king of the Matsyas!"

4.1.12

avaśyaṃ tveva vāsārthaṃ ramaṇīyaṃ śivaṃ sukham |
saṃmantrya sahitaiḥ sarvairdraṣṭavyamakutobhayam || 12 ||

4.1.13

matsyo virāṭo balavānabhirakṣetsa pāṇḍavān |
dharmaśīlo vadānyaśca vṛddhaśca sumahādhanaḥ || 13 ||

4.1.14

virāṭanagare tāta saṃvatsaramimaṃ vayam |
kurvantastasya karmāṇi vihariṣyāma bhārata || 14 ||

4.1.15

yāni yāni ca karmāṇi tasya śakṣyāmahe vayam |
kartuṃ yo yatsa tatkarma bravītu kurunandanāḥ || 15 ||

4.1.16

arjuna uvāca |
naradeva kathaṃ karma rāṣṭre tasya kariṣyasi |
virāṭanṛpateḥ sādho raṃsyase kena karmaṇā || 16 ||

Arjuna said, "O god among men, what service wilt thou take in Virata's kingdom? O righteous one, in what capacity wilt thou reside in the city of Virata? Thou art mild, and charitable, and modest, and virtuous, and firm in promise. What wilt thou, O king, afflicted as thou art with calamity, do? A king is qualified to bear trouble like an ordinary person. How wilt thou overcome this great calamity that has overtaken thee?"

4.1.17

mṛdurvadānyo hrīmāṃśca dhārmikaḥ satyavikramaḥ |
rājaṃstvamāpadā kliṣṭaḥ kiṃ kariṣyasi pāṇḍava || 17 ||

4.1.18

na duḥkhamucitaṃ kiṃcidrājanveda yathā janaḥ |
sa imāmāpadaṃ prāpya kathaṃ ghorāṃ tariṣyasi || 18 ||

4.1.19

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
śṛṇudhvaṃ yatkariṣyāmi karma vai kurunandanāḥ |
virāṭamanusaṃprāpya rājānaṃ puruṣarṣabham || 19 ||

Yudhishthira replied, "Ye sons of the Kuru race, ye bulls among men, hear what I shall do on appearing before king Virata. Presenting myself as a Brahmana, Kanka by name, skilled in dice and fond of play, I shall become a courtier of that high-souled king. And moving upon chess-boards beautiful pawns made of ivory, of blue and yellow and red and white hue, by throws of black and red dice. I shall entertain the king with his courtiers and friends. And while I shall continue to thus delight the king, nobody will succeed in discovering me. And should the monarch ask me, I shall say, 'Formerly I was the bosom friend of Yudhishthira.' I tell you that it is thus that I shall pass my days (in the city of Virata). What office wilt thou, O Vrikodara, fill in the city of Virata?"

4.1.20

sabhāstāro bhaviṣyāmi tasya rājño mahātmanaḥ |
kaṅko nāma dvijo bhūtvā matākṣaḥ priyadevitā || 20 ||

4.1.21

vaiḍūryānkāñcanāndāntānphalairjyotīrasaiḥ saha |
kṛṣṇākṣām̐llohitākṣāṃśca nirvartsyāmi manoramān || 21 ||

4.1.22

āsaṃ yudhiṣṭhirasyāhaṃ purā prāṇasamaḥ sakhā |
iti vakṣyāmi rājānaṃ yadi māmanuyokṣyate || 22 ||

4.1.23

ityetadvo mayākhyātaṃ vihariṣyāmyahaṃ yathā |
vṛkodara virāṭe tvaṃ raṃsyase kena karmaṇā || 23 ||