वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्ताः प्रयातास्ते पाण्डवा जनमेजय। राज्ञा दक्षिणपञ्चालान् दुपदेनाभिरक्षितान्॥
Vaishampayana said : OJanamejaya, having been thus addressed, the Pandavas proceeded towards the Southern Panchala country, uled over by the king Drupada.
ततस्ते सुमहात्मानं शुद्धात्मानमकल्मषम्। ददृशुः पाण्डवा वीरा मुनि द्वैपायनं तदा॥
On their way of the heroic Pandavas saw the illustrious, the pure-souled and the perfectly sinless Rishi Dvaipayana.
तस्मै यथावत् सत्कारं कृत्वा तेन च सत्कृताः। कथान्ते चाभ्यनुज्ञाताः प्रययुर्दुपदक्षयम्॥
Duly worshipping the Rishi and being saluted by him, when their conversation came to a close, they proceeded by his command to the palace of Drupada.
पश्यन्तो रमणीयानि वनानि च सरांसि च। तत्र तत्र वसन्तश्च शनैर्जग्मुर्महारथाः॥
Those great car-warriors slowly walked on, stopping on forests and on (the banks of) lakes which they found to be charming.
स्वाध्यायवन्तः शुचयो मधुराः प्रियवादिनः। आनूपूर्येण सम्प्राप्ताः पञ्चालान् पाण्डुनन्दनाः॥
The sons of Pandu, devoted in study, amiable, sweet-speeched and pure in acts, at last arrived in the country of the Panchalas.
ते तु दृष्ट्वा पुरं तच्च स्कन्धावारं च पाण्डवाः। कुम्भकारस्य शालायां निवासं चक्रिरे तदा॥
After seeing the city and also the barracks, the Pandavas, took up there quarters in a potter's house.
तत्र भैक्षं समाजहुर्ब्राह्मणी वृत्तिमाश्रिताः। तान् सम्प्राप्तांस्तथा वीराञ्जज्ञिरे न नराः क्वचित्॥
Adopting the life of the Brahmanas, they begged their food there (in that city). No man recognised those heroes when they stopped there.
यज्ञसेनस्य कामस्तु पाण्डवाय किरीटिने। कृष्णां दद्यामिति सदा न चैतद् विवृणोति सः॥
Yajnasena always cherished the wish of bestowing (his daughter) Krishna on Kirit (Arjuna), the son of Pandu, but he never spoke it to any body.
सोऽन्वेषमाणः कौन्तेयं पाञ्चाल्यो जनमेजय। दृढं धनुरनानम्यं कारयामास भारत॥
O Janamejaya, O descendant of Bharata, thinking of the son of Kunti (Arjuna), the Panchala king caused a very stiff bow to be made incapable of being bent by any man except Arjuna.
यन्त्रं वैहायसं चापि कारयामास कृत्रिमम्। तेन यन्त्रेण समितं राजा लक्ष्यं चकार सः॥
Causing a machinery to be erected in the sky, the king set up a mark to be shot through that machinery.
दुपद उवाच इदं सज्यं धनुः कृत्वा सज्जैरेभिश्च सायकैः। अतीत्य लक्ष्यं यो वेद्धा स लब्धा मत्सुतामिति॥
Drupada said : He, who will string this bow and he who will be able to shoot the mark above the machinery with these ornamented arrows, will obtain my daughter.
वैशम्पायन उवाच इति स दुपदो राजा स्वयंवरमगोषयत्। तच्छ्रुत्वा पार्थिवाः सर्वे समीयुस्तत्र भारत॥
came Vaishampayana said : With these words, the king Drupada proclaimed the Svaimvara. O descendant of Bharata, having heard this, all the kings came there.
ऋषयश्च महात्मानः स्वयंवरदिदृक्षवः। दुर्योधनपुरोगाश्च सकर्णाः कुरवो नृप।॥
There came also many illustrious Rishis desirous of seeing the Svaimvara. O king, Duryodhana and the Kurus, accompanied by Karna, also came there.
ब्राह्मणाश्च महाभागा देशेभ्यः समुपागमन्। ततोऽर्चिता राजगणा द्रुपदेन महात्मना॥
There also many illustrious, Brahmanas from many countries. The kings and princes were duly worshipped by the illustrious Drupada.
उपोपविष्टा मञ्चेषु द्रष्टुकामाः स्वयंवरम्। ततः पौरजनाः सर्वे सागरोद्भूतनि:स्वनाः॥
All the citizens, making a deep noise as that of the ocean, took their seats on the platforms with the desire of seeing the Svayamvara.
शिशुमारशिरः प्राप्य न्यविशंस्ते स्म पार्थिवाः। प्रागुत्तरेण नगराद् भूमिभागे समे शुभे। समाजवाटः शुशुभे भवनैः सर्वतो वृतः॥ प्राकारपरिस्त्रोपेतो द्वारतोरणमण्डितः। वितानेन विचित्रेण सर्वतः समलंकृतः॥
The kings and princes entered the palace (of Svaimvara) through the north east gate. The arena was built on a plane and on an auspicious ground on the north east of the city. The Samajavata (arena) was surrounded by palaces and it was enclosed on all sides by a wall and a moat, it was ornamented with gates and arches and covered all over with a beautiful canopy.
तूर्योघशतसंकीर्णः परार्ध्यागुरुधूपितः। चन्दनोदकसिक्तश्च माल्यदामोपशोभितः॥
It resounded with the notes of thousands of trumpets, it was scented with Aguru (back aloe), ornamented with garlands and sprinkled with the Sandal water paste.
कैलासशिखरप्रख्यैर्नभस्तलविलेखिभिः। सर्वतः संवृतः शुभैः प्रासादैः सुकृतोच्छ्यैः॥
It was surrounded on all sides by high and white mansions looking like the cloud-kissing peaks of the Kailasa (mountain).
सुवर्णजालसंवीतैर्मणिकुट्टिमभूषणैः। सुखारोहणसोपानैर्महासनपरिच्छदैः॥
Their windows were covered with networks of gold and their walls set with diamonds and precious stones. Their staircases were easy of ascent and the floors were covered with rich carpets and robes.
स्रग्दामसमवच्छन्नैरगुरूत्तमवासितैः। हंसांशुवर्णैर्बहुभिरायोजनसुगन्धिभिः॥
They were scented with Aguru and adorned with wreaths and garlands of flowers; they were all white and spotless like the necks of the swans. Their fragrance could be perceived from a Yojana.
असम्बाधशतद्वारैः शयनासनशोभितैः। बहुधा तु पिनद्धाङ्गैर्हिमवच्छिखरैरिव॥
Each of them contained one hundred doors wide enough to admit a crowd all at once; they were adorned with costly beds ornamented with various metals; they looked like the peaks of the Himalayas.
तत्र नानाप्रकारेषु विमानेषु स्वलंकृताः। स्पर्धमानास्तदान्योन्यं निषेदुः सर्वपार्थिवाः॥
In them lived all the kings, adorned with various kinds of ornaments and each boasting to get possession of the maiden.
तत्रोपविष्टान् ददृशुर्महासत्त्वपराक्रमान्। राजसिंहान् महाभागान् कृष्णागुरुविभूषितान्॥ महाप्रसादान् ब्रह्मण्यान् स्वराष्ट्रपरिरक्षिणः। प्रियान् सर्वस्य लोकस्य सुकृतैः कर्मभिः शुभैः॥ मञ्चेषु च पराध्र्येषु पौरजानपदा जनाः। कृष्णादर्शनसिद्ध्यर्थं सर्वतः समुपाविशन्॥
When those best of kings, who were adorned with the fragrant paste of Aguru, who were greatly powerful, noble minded, liberal, devoted to Brahmanas, beloved of the whole world for their good deeds and the protectors of their kingdoms, took their respective seats, the people of the city and the country who had come to see Krishna and who had already taken their seats on the excellent platforms all around saw them.
ब्राह्मणैस्ते च सहिताः पाण्डवाः समुपाविशन्। ऋद्धिं पाञ्चालराजस्य पश्यन्तस्तामनुत्तमाम्॥
The Pandavas sat there in the arena with the Brahmanas and saw the great affluence of the Panchala king.
ततः समाजो ववृधे स राजन् दिवसान् बहून्। रत्नप्रदानबहुलः शोभितो नटनर्तकैः॥
O king, that assemblage daily increased in bulk,) and it looked gay with (the performances of) actors and dancers. Large presents of wealth were also made.
वर्तमाने समाजे तु रमणीयेऽछि घोडशे। आप्लुताङ्गी सुवसना सर्वाभरणभूषिता॥ मालां च समुपादाय काञ्चनीं समलंकृताम्। अवतीर्णा ततो रङ्गं द्रौपदी भरतर्षभ॥
When this grand assembly continued (for 15 days,) then on the sixteenth day, O best of the Bharata race, Draupadi, having bathed, attired in the best robes and adorned with all ornaments entered the arena carrying in her hand a golden dish on which there were a garland of flowers and other offerings of the Arghya.
पुरोहितः सोमकानां मन्त्रविद् ब्राह्मणः शुचिः। परिस्तीर्य जुहावग्निमाज्येन विधिवत् तदा॥
The priest of the lunar race, that holy Brahmana learned in the Mantras, kindling the sacrificial fire in all due forms poured libations of ghee.
संतर्पयित्वा ज्वलनं ब्राह्मणान् स्वस्त वाच्य च। वारयामास सर्वाणि वादित्राणि समन्ततः॥
Gratifying Agni and making the Brahmanas utter the formula of benediction, he stopped all the musical instruments (that were then being played) all around.
निःशब्दे तु कृते तस्मिन् धृष्टद्युम्नो विशाम्पते। कृष्णामादाय विधिवन्मेघदुन्दुभिनिःस्वनः॥ मे समेताः। रङ्गमध्ये गतस्तत्र मेघगम्भीरया गिरा। वाक्यमुच्चैर्जगादेदं श्लक्ष्णमर्थवदुत्तमम्॥
O king, when they are became perfectly still, Dhrishtadyumna, possessing a voice like that of kettle-drums or clouds, taking hold of his sister's arm, stood in the midst of the assembly and spoke these sweet words of excellent import with a voice as that of the clouds.
इदं धनुर्लक्ष्यमिमे च बाणाः शृण्वन्तु भूपतयः छिद्रेण यन्त्रस्य समर्पयध्वं शरैः शितैोमचरैर्दशाधैः॥
Dhrishtadyumna said: Hear, O you assembled kings, this is the bow, that is the mark and these are the arrows. Shoot the mark through the 'orifice of the machine with these fine sharp arrows.
एतन्महत् कर्म करोति यो वै कुलेन रूपेणं बलेन युक्तः। तस्याद्य भार्या भगिनी ममेयं कृष्णा भवित्री न मृषा ब्रवीमि॥
Truly do I say, he who possessing noble birth, beauty and strength will achieve this great feat, shall obtain today for his wife this my sister Krishna.
तानेवमुक्त्वा दुपदस्य पुत्रः पश्चादिदं तां भगिनीमुवाच। नाम्ना च गोत्रेण च कर्मणा च संकीर्तयन् भूमिपतीन् समेतान्॥
Vaishampayana said : Having thus addressed the assembled kings, Drupada's son (Dhrishtadyumna) then spoke thus to his sister, reciting to her the names and the lineage and the achievements of those assembled potentates.