जनमेजय उवाच ते तथा पुरुषव्याघ्रा निहत्य बकराक्षसम्। अत ऊर्ध्वं ततो ब्रह्मन् किमकुर्वत पाण्डवाः॥
Janamejaya said : O Brahmana, what did those best of men, the Pandavas, do after they had killed the, Rakshasas Baka.
वैशम्पायन उवाच तत्रैव न्यवसन् राजन् निहत्य बकराक्षसम्। अधीयानाः परं ब्रह्म ब्राह्मणस्य निवेशने॥
O king, after killing the Rakshasas Baka, they lived in the house of that Brahmana engaged in the study of the Vedas.
ततः कतिपयाहस्य ब्राह्मणः संशितव्रतः। प्रतिश्रयार्थी तद् वेश्म ब्राह्मणस्य जगाम ह॥
A few days after, a Brahmana of rigid Vows came to the house of the Brahmana in order to live there.
स सम्यक् पूजयित्वा तं विप्रं विप्रर्षभस्तदा। ददौ प्रतिश्रयं तस्मै सदा सर्वातिथिव्रतः॥
That best of Brahmanas, ever hospitable to hosts, after duly worshipping him, in his house, gave him quarters to live.
ततस्ते पाण्डवाः सर्वे सह कुन्त्या नरर्षभाः। उपासांचक्रिरे विप्रं कथयन्तं कथा: शुभाः॥
Then all those, O best of men, the Pandavas, with Kunti requested the Brahmanas to narrate his interesting experiences.
कथयामास देशांश्च तीर्थानि सरितस्तथा। राज्ञश्च विविधाश्चर्यान् देशांश्चैव पुराणि च॥
He spoke to them of various countries, pilgrimages, rivers, kingdoms, many wonderful provinces cities.
स तत्राकथयन् विप्रः कथान्ते जनमेजय। पञ्चालेष्वद्भुताकारं याज्ञसेन्याः स्वयंवरम्॥ धृष्टद्युम्नस्य चोत्पत्तिमुत्पत्तिं च शिखण्डिनः। अयोनिजत्वं कृष्णाया द्रुपदस्य महामखे॥
O Janamejaya, when the narrations were over, that Brahmanas spoke to them of the wonderful Svayamvara of the daughter of Yajnasena, the princess of Panchala and the births of Dhrishtadyumna and Shikhandi and that of Krishna, born of no woman, in the sacrifice of Drupada.
तदद्भुततमं श्रुत्वा लोके तस्य महात्मनः। विस्तरेणैव पप्रच्छुः कथान्ते पुरुषर्षभाः॥
When he concluded, those best of men (the Pandavas) hearing of these extraordinary affairs asked him to narrate it in detail.
पाण्डवा ऊचुः कथं दुपदपुत्रस्य धृष्टद्युम्नस्य पावकात्। वेदीमध्याच्च कृष्णायाः सम्भवः कथमद्भुतः॥
The Pandavas said : O Brahmana, how did the birth of Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Drupada, take place from the (sacrificial) fire?
कथं द्रोणान्महेष्वासात् सर्वाण्यस्त्राण्यशिक्षत। कथं विप्र सखायौ तौ भिन्नौ कस्य कृतेन वा॥
How did the wonderful birth of Krishna take place from the (sacrificial) after? How did (the sons of Drupada) learn all weapons from the great bowman Drona? How and for whom and for what reason was the friendship between Drona and Drupada broken?
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवं तैश्चोदितो राजन् स विप्रः पुरुषर्षभैः। कथयामास तत् सर्व द्रौपदीसम्भवं तदा॥
Vaishampayana said : O king, having been thus asked by those best of men, the Brahmana narrated in detail the account of the birth of Draupadi.