Virata Parva, Mahabharata/ Book IV Chapter 5
Mahabharata Book IV Chapter 5: English
Vaisampayana said, "Girding their waists with swords, and equipped with finger-protectors made of iguana skins and with various weapons, those heroes proceeded in the direction of the river Yamuna. And those bowmen desirous of (speedily) recovering their kingdom, hitherto living in inaccessible hills and forest fastnesses, now terminated their forest-life and proceeded to the southern bank of that river. And those mighty warriors endued with great strength and hitherto leading the lives of hunters by killing the deer of the forest, passed through Yakrilloma and Surasena, leaving behind, on their right, the country of the Panchalas, and on their left, that of the Dasharnas. And those bowmen, looking wan and wearing beards and equipped with swords, entered Matsya's dominions leaving the forest, giving themselves out as hunters. And on arriving at that country, Krishna addressed Yudhishthira, saying, 'We see footpaths here, and various fields. From this it appears that Virata's metropolis is still at a distance. Pass we here what part of the night is still left, for great is my fatigue."
Yudhishthira answered, "O Dhananjaya of Bharata's race, do thou take up Panchali and carry her. Just on emerging from this forest, we arrive at the city."
Vaisampayana continued, "Thereupon like the leader of a herd of elephants, Arjuna speedily took up Draupadi, and on coming to the vicinity of the city, let her down. And on reaching the city, Ruru's son (Yudhishthira), addressed Arjuna, saying, 'Where shall we deposit our weapons, before entering the city? If, O child, we enter it with our weapons about us, we shall thereby surely excite the alarm of the citizens. Further, the tremendous bow, the Gandiva, is known to all men, so that people will, without doubt, recognise us soon. And if even one of us is discovered, we shall, according to promise, have to pass another twelve years in the forest.'"
Arjuna said, "Hard by yon cemetery and near that inaccessible peak is a mighty Sami tree, throwing-about its gigantic branches and difficult to ascend. Nor is there any human being, who, I think, O Pandu's son, will espy us depositing our arms at that place. That tree is in the midst of an out-of-the way forest abounding in beasts and snakes, and is in the vicinity of a dreary cemetery. Stowing away our weapons on the Sami tree, let us, O Bharata, go to the city, and live there, free from anxiety!"
Vaisampayana continued, "Having O bull of the Bharata race spoken thus to king Yudhishthira the just, Arjuna prepared to deposit the weapons (on the tree). And that bull among the Kurus, then loosened the string of the large and dreadful Gandiva, ever producing thundering twang and always destructive of hostile hosts, and with which he had conquered, on a single car, gods and men and Nagas and swelling provinces. And the warlike Yudhishthira, that represser of foes, unfastened
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the undecaying string of that bow with which he had defended the field of Kurukshetra. And the illustrious Bhimasena unstrung that bow by means of which that sinless one had vanquished in fight the Panchalas and the lord of Sindhu, and with which, during his career of conquest, he had, single-handed, opposed innumerable foes, and hearing whose twang which was like unto the roar of the thunder or the splitting of a mountain, enemies always fly (in panic) from the field of battle. And that son of Pandu of coppery complexion and mild speech who is endued with great prowess in the field, and is called Nakula in consequence of his unexampled beauty in the family, then unfastened the string of that bow with which he had conquered all the regions of the west. And the heroic Sahadeva also, possessed of a mild disposition, then united the string of that bow with which he had subjugated the countries of the south. And with their bows, they put together their long and flashing swords, their precious quivers, and their arrows sharp as razors. And Nakula ascended the tree, and deposited on it the bows and the other weapons. And he tied them fast on those parts of the tree which he thought would not break, and where the rain would not penetrate. And the Pandavas hung up a corpse (on the tree), knowing that people smelling the stench of the corpse would say--here sure, is a dead body, and avoid the tree from a distance. And on being asked by the shepherds and cowherds regarding the corpse, those repressers of foes said unto them, 'This is our mother, aged one hundred and eighty years. We have hung up her dead body, in accordance with the custom observed by our forefathers.' And then those resisters of foes approached the city. And for purposes of non-discovery Yudhisthira kept these (five) names for himself and his brothers respectively, viz., Jaya, Jayanta, Vijaya, Jayatsena, and Jayatvala. Then they entered the great city, with the view to passing the thirteenth year undiscovered in that kingdom, agreeably to the promise (to Duryodhana)."
Mahabharata Book IV Chapter 5: Sanskrit
1 [वै]
ते वीरा बथ्धनिस्त्रिंशास ततायुध कलापिनः
बथ्धगॊधाङ्गुलि तराणाः कालिन्थीम अभितॊ ययुः
2 ततस ते थक्षिणं तीरम अन्वगच्छन पथातयः
वसन्तॊ गिरिथुर्गेषु वनथुर्गेषु धन्विनः
3 विध्यन्तॊ मृगजातानि महेष्वासा महाबलाः
उत्तरेण दशार्णांस ते पाञ्चालान थक्षिणेन तु
4 अन्तरेण यकृल्लॊमाञ शूरसेनांश च पाण्डवाः
लुब्धा बरुवाणा मत्स्यस्य विषयं पराविशन वनात
5 ततॊ जनपथं पराप्य कृष्णा राजानम अब्रवीत
पश्यैकपथ्यॊ थृश्यन्ते कषेत्राणि विविधानि च
6 वयक्तं थूरे विराटस्य राजधानी भविष्यति
वसामेह परां रात्रिं बलवान मे परिश्रमः
7 धनंजय समुथ्यम्य पाञ्चालीं वह भारत
राजधान्यां निवत्स्यामॊ विमुक्ताश च वनाथितः
8 ताम आथायार्जुनस तूर्णं थरौपथीं गजराड इव
संप्राप्य नगराभ्याशम अवतारयथ अर्जुनः
9 स राजधानीं संप्राप्य कौन्तेयॊ ऽरजुनम अब्रवीत
कवायुधानि समासज्य परवेश्यामः पुरं वयम
10 सायुधाश च वयं तात परवेक्ष्यामः पुरं यति
समुथ्वेगं जनस्यास्य करिष्यामॊ न संशयः
11 ततॊ थवाथश वर्षाणि परवेष्टव्यं वनं पुनः
एकस्मिन्न अपि विज्ञाते परतिज्ञातं हि नस तदा
12 इयं कूटे मनुष्येन्थ्र गहहा महती शमी
भीम शाखा थुरारॊहा शमशानस्य समीपतः
13 न चापि विथ्यते कश चिन मनुष्य इह पार्दिव
उत्पदे हि वने जाता मृगव्यालनिषेविते
14 समासज्यायुधान्य अस्यां गच्छामॊ नगरं परति
एवम अत्र यदाजॊषं विहरिष्याम भारत
15 एवम उक्त्वा स राजानं धर्मात्मानं युधिष्ठिरम
परचक्रमे निधानाय शस्त्राणां भरतर्षभ
16 येन थेवान मनुष्यांश च सर्पांश चैकरदॊ ऽजयत
सफीताञ्जनपथांश चान्यान अजयत कुरुनन्थनः
17 तथ उथारं महाघॊषं सपत्नगणसूथनम
अपज्यम अकरॊत पार्दॊ गाण्डीवम अभयंकरम
18 येन वीरः कुरुक्षेत्रम अभ्यरक्षत परंतपः
अमुञ्चथ धनुर अस तस्य जयाम अक्षय्यां युधिष्ठिरः
19 पाञ्चालान येन संग्रामे भीमसेनॊ ऽजयत परभुः
परत्यषेधथ बहून एकः सपत्नांश चैव थिग जये
20 निशम्य यस्य विस्फारं वयथ्रवन्त रणे परे
पर्वतस्येव थीर्णस्य विस्फॊटम अशनेर इव
21 सैन्धवं येन राजानं परामृषत चानघ
जया पाशं धनुर अस तस्य भीमसेनॊ ऽवतारयत
22 अजयत पश्चिमाम आशां धनुषा येन पाण्डवः
तस्य मौर्वीम अपाकर्षच छूरः संक्रन्थनॊ युधि
23 थक्षिणां थक्षिणाचारॊ थिशं येनाजयत परभुः
अपज्यम अकरॊथ वीरः सहथेवस तथायुधम
24 खड्गांश च पीतान थीर्घांश च कलापांश च महाधनान
विपाठान कषुर धारांश च धनुर भिर निथधुः सह
25 ताम उपारुह्य नकुलॊ धनूंषि निथधत सवयम
यानि तस्यावकाशानि थृढरूपाण्य अमन्यत
26 यत्र चापश्यत स वै तिरॊ वर्षाणि वर्षति
तत्र तानि थृढैः पाशैः सुगाढं पर्यबन्धत
27 शरीरं च मृतस्यैकं समबध्नन्त पाण्डवाः
विवर्जयिष्यन्ति नरा थूराथ एवं शमीम इमाम
आबथ्धं शवम अत्रेति गन्धम आघ्राय पूतिकम
28 अशीतिशत वर्षेयं माता न इति वाथिनः
कुलधर्मॊ ऽयम अस्माकं पूर्वैर आचरितॊ ऽपि च
समासजाना वृक्षे ऽसमिन्न इति वै वयाहरन्ति ते
29 आ गॊपालावि पालेभ्य आचक्षाणाः परंतपाः
आजग्मुर नगराभ्याशं पार्दाः शत्रुनिबर्हणाः
30 जयॊ जयन्तॊ विजयॊ जयत्सेनॊ जयथ्बलः
इति गुह्यानि नामानि चक्रे तेषां युधिष्ठिरः
31 ततॊ यदाप्रतिज्ञाभिः पराविशन नगरं महत
अज्ञातचर्यां वत्स्यन्तॊ राष्ट्रं वर्षं तरयॊथशम
Mahabharata Book IV Chapter 5: Transliteration
1 [vai]
te vīrā baddhanistriṃśās tatāyudha kalāpinaḥ
baddhagodhāṅguli trāṇāḥ kālindīm abhito yayuḥ
2 tatas te dakṣiṇaṃ tīram anvagacchan padātayaḥ
vasanto giridurgeṣu vanadurgeṣu dhanvinaḥ
3 vidhyanto mṛgajātāni maheṣvāsā mahābalāḥ
uttareṇa daśārṇāṃs te pāñcālān dakṣiṇena tu
4 antareṇa yakṛllomāñ śūrasenāṃś ca pāṇḍavāḥ
lubdhā bruvāṇā matsyasya viṣayaṃ prāviśan vanāt
5 tato janapadaṃ prāpya kṛṣṇā rājānam abravīt
paśyaikapadyo dṛśyante kṣetrāṇi vividhāni ca
6 vyaktaṃ dūre virāṭasya rājadhānī bhaviṣyati
vasāmeha parāṃ rātriṃ balavān me pariśramaḥ
7 dhanaṃjaya samudyamya pāñcālīṃ vaha bhārata
rājadhānyāṃ nivatsyāmo vimuktāś ca vanāditaḥ
8 tām ādāyārjunas tūrṇaṃ draupadīṃ gajarāḍ iva
saṃprāpya nagarābhyāśam avatārayad arjunaḥ
9 sa rājadhānīṃ saṃprāpya kaunteyo 'rjunam abravīt
kvāyudhāni samāsajya praveśyāmaḥ puraṃ vayam
10 sāyudhāś ca vayaṃ tāta pravekṣyāmaḥ puraṃ yati
samudvegaṃ janasyāsya kariṣyāmo na saṃśayaḥ
11 tato dvādaśa varṣāṇi praveṣṭavyaṃ vanaṃ punaḥ
ekasminn api vijñāte pratijñātaṃ hi nas tathā
12 iyaṃ kūṭe manuṣyendra gahahā mahatī śamī
bhīma śākhā durārohā śmaśānasya samīpataḥ
13 na cāpi vidyate kaś cin manuṣya iha pārthiva
utpathe hi vane jātā mṛgavyālaniṣevite
14 samāsajyāyudhāny asyāṃ gacchāmo nagaraṃ prati
evam atra yathājoṣaṃ vihariṣyāma bhārata
15 evam uktvā sa rājānaṃ dharmātmānaṃ yudhiṣṭhiram
pracakrame nidhānāya śastrāṇāṃ bharatarṣabha
16 yena devān manuṣyāṃś ca sarpāṃś caikaratho 'jayat
sphītāñjanapadāṃś cānyān ajayat kurunandanaḥ
17 tad udāraṃ mahāghoṣaṃ sapatnagaṇasūdanam
apajyam akarot pārtho gāṇḍīvam abhayaṃkaram
18 yena vīraḥ kurukṣetram abhyarakṣat paraṃtapaḥ
amuñcad dhanur as tasya jyām akṣayyāṃ yudhiṣṭhiraḥ
19 pāñcālān yena saṃgrāme bhīmaseno 'jayat prabhuḥ
pratyaṣedhad bahūn ekaḥ sapatnāṃś caiva dig jaye
20 niśamya yasya visphāraṃ vyadravanta raṇe pare
parvatasyeva dīrṇasya visphoṭam aśaner iva
21 saindhavaṃ yena rājānaṃ parāmṛṣata cānagha
jyā pāśaṃ dhanur as tasya bhīmaseno 'vatārayat
22 ajayat paścimām āśāṃ dhanuṣā yena pāṇḍavaḥ
tasya maurvīm apākarṣac chūraḥ saṃkrandano yudhi
23 dakṣiṇāṃ dakṣiṇācāro diśaṃ yenājayat prabhuḥ
apajyam akarod vīraḥ sahadevas tadāyudham
24 khaḍgāṃś ca pītān dīrghāṃś ca kalāpāṃś ca mahādhanān
vipāṭhān kṣura dhārāṃś ca dhanur bhir nidadhuḥ saha
25 tām upāruhya nakulo dhanūṃṣi nidadhat svayam
yāni tasyāvakāśāni dṛḍharūpāṇy amanyata
26 yatra cāpaśyata sa vai tiro varṣāṇi varṣati
tatra tāni dṛḍhaiḥ pāśaiḥ sugāḍhaṃ paryabandhata
27 śarīraṃ ca mṛtasyaikaṃ samabadhnanta pāṇḍavāḥ
vivarjayiṣyanti narā dūrād evaṃ śamīm imām
ābaddhaṃ śavam atreti gandham āghrāya pūtikam
28 aśītiśata varṣeyaṃ mātā na iti vādinaḥ
kuladharmo 'yam asmākaṃ pūrvair ācarito 'pi ca
samāsajānā vṛkṣe 'sminn iti vai vyāharanti te
29 ā gopālāvi pālebhya ācakṣāṇāḥ paraṃtapāḥ
ājagmur nagarābhyāśaṃ pārthāḥ śatrunibarhaṇāḥ
30 jayo jayanto vijayo jayatseno jayadbalaḥ
iti guhyāni nāmāni cakre teṣāṃ yudhiṣṭhiraḥ
31 tato yathāpratijñābhiḥ prāviśan nagaraṃ mahat
ajñātacaryāṃ vatsyanto rāṣṭraṃ varṣaṃ trayodaśam