जनमजेय उवाच प्रभासतीर्थमासाद्य पाण्डवा वृष्णयस्तथा। किमकुर्वन् कथाश्चैषां कास्तत्रासंस्तपोधन॥ ते हि सर्वे महात्मनः सर्वशास्त्रविशारदाः। वृष्णयः पाण्डवाश्चैव सुहदश्च परस्परम्॥
Janamejaya said: O great ascetic, when the Pandavas and the Vrishnis reached the sacred Prabhasa, what did they do? What conversation was held by them there? For all of them were high-souled, proficient in all the branches of Science and both the Vrishnis and the Pandavas held one another in friendly estimation.
वैशम्पायन उवाच प्रभासतीर्थं सम्प्राप्य पुण्यं तीर्थं महोदधेः। वृष्णयः पाण्डवान् वीराः परिवार्योपतस्थिरे॥
Vaishampayana said: Having arrived at the sacred Tirtha on the coast of sea, the heroic Vrishni surrounded the sons of Pandu and waited upon them.
ततो गोक्षीरकुन्देन्दुमृणालरजतप्रभः। वनमाली हली रामो बभाषे पुष्करेक्षणम्॥
Thereupon Rama, the wielder of ploughshare, as white as the milk of a cow or the Kunda flowers or the moon or the silver or the lotus-root, who was adorned with garlands of wild-flowers, thus spoke to the lotus-eyed one.
बलदेव उवाच न कृष्णधर्मश्चरितो भवाय जन्तोरधर्मश्च पराभवाय। युधिष्ठिरो यत्र जटी महात्मा वनाश्रयः क्लिश्यति चीरवासाः॥
Rama said: O. Krishna, I do not find that the practice of virtue leads to any good or that sinful practices cause any evil, for the magnanimous Yudhishthira is miserable with matted locks, a wanderer in the forest with barks of trees as his garments.
दुर्योधनश्चापि महीं प्रशास्ति न चास्य भूमिर्विवरं ददाति। नितीव मन्येत नरोऽल्पबुद्धिः॥
Duryodhana is ruling the earth; the earth does not swallow him up. From this men with little intelligent would consider that a sinful life is preferable to a virtuous one.
दुर्योधने चापि विवर्धमाने युधिष्ठिरे चासुखमात्तराज्ये। किं त्वत्र कर्तव्यमिति प्रजाभिः शङ्का मिथः संजनिता नराणाम्॥
When Duryodhana is flourishing and Yudhishthira is miserable being robbed as he is of his throne, what should people do in this matter? This is the doubt that is perplexing the mind of every man.
अयं सधर्मप्रभावो नरेन्द्रो धर्मेधृतः सत्यधृतिः प्रदाता। चलेद्धि राज्याच्च सुखाच्च पार्थो धर्मादपेतस्तु कथं विवर्धेत्॥ कथं नु भीष्मश्च कृपश्च विप्रो द्रोणश्च राजा च कुलस्य वृद्धः। प्रव्राज्य पार्थान् सुखमाप्नुवन्ति धिक् पापबुद्धीन् भरतप्रधानान्॥
Here is this lord of men born of Dharma himself, ever steady in the path of virtue, devoted to truthfulness and possessing a liberal heart, this son of Pritha who should give up his kingdom, but who would not swerve from the path of virtue. How is it that Bhishma, Kripa, Brahmana, Drona, the aged king (Dhritarashtra), the senior members of the (Kuru) race are all living happily after banishing the sons of Pritha? Fie to the viciousminded leaders of the Bharata race!
किं नाम वक्ष्यत्यवनिप्रधानः पितॄन् समागम्य परत्र पापः। पुत्रेषु सम्यक् चरितं मयेति पुत्रानपापान् व्यपरोप्य राज्यात्॥
What will that sinful man, that ruler of earth say to his (deceased) ancestors when he will meet them in the next world? Having driven away his inoffensive sons from the throne, will he be able to say that he treated them in a blameless way?
नासौ धिया सम्प्रति पश्यति स्म किं नाम कृत्वाहमचक्षुरेवम्। जातः पृथिव्यामिति पार्थिवेषु प्रवाज्य कौन्तेयमिति स्म राज्यात्॥
He does not now see with his minds eye how he has become so sightless and for what act he has grown blind among the kings of this entire earth. It is because he has banished the sons of Kunti.
नूनं समृद्धान् पितृलोकभूमौ चामीकराभान् क्षितिजान् प्रफुल्लान्। विचित्रवीर्यस्य सुतः सपुत्रः कृत्वा नृशंसं बत पश्यति स्म॥
I have no doubt that son of Vichitravirya's son when he with his sons perpetrated this cruel act, here saw blossoming trees of gold in the abode of the Pitris.
व्यूढोत्तरांसान् पृथुलोहिताक्षान् नेमान् स्म पृच्छन् स शृणोति नूनम्। प्रास्थापयद् यत् सवनं सशङ्को युधिष्ठिरं सानुजमात्तशस्त्रम्॥
When he had farelessly banished Yudhishthira to the forest who had all his weapons with him and who was accompanied by his younger brothers, he must have asked (some questions) them with their shoulders projecting towards him and their red eyes staring at him; and he must have heard their reply.
योऽयं परेषां पृतनां समृद्धां निरायुधो दीर्घभुजो निहन्यात्। श्रुत्वैव शब्दं हि वृकोदरस्य मुञ्चन्ति सैन्यानि शकृत् समूत्रम्॥
This Vrikodara (Bhima) here is able to destroy with the strength of his powerful arms only and without the help of any weapons a great array of hostile troops. Hearing his warcry the soldiers on a field of battle utterly lose their heart.
स क्षुत्पिपासाध्वकृशस्तरवी समेत्य नानायुधबाणपाणिः। वने स्मरन् वासमिमं सुघोरं शेषं न कुर्यादिति निश्चितं मे॥
The greatly strong hero is now suffering from hunger and thirst and is emaciated with toilsome journeys. It is certain when he will take up in his hand arrows and other weapons and meet his enemies on the field of battle, he will then remember the sufferings of this forest-life and kill all his enemies.
न ह्यस्य वीर्येण बलेन कश्चित्। समः पृथिव्यापपि विद्यतेऽन्यः। स शीतवातातपकर्शिताङ्गो न शेषमाजावसुहृत्सु कुर्यात्॥
None exists in the world who is equal to him in strength or in prowess. He is now emaciated with cold, heat and wind, but when he will stand up for fight, he will kill all.
प्राच्यां नृपानेकरथेन जित्वा वृकोदरः सानुचरान् रणेषु। स्वस्त्यागमद् योऽतिरथस्तरस्वी सोऽयं वने क्लिश्यति चीरवासाः॥ यः सिन्धुकूले व्यजयवृदेवान् समागतान् दाक्षिणात्यान् महीपान्। तं पश्यतेमं सहदेवमद्य तरस्विनं तापसवेषरूपम्॥
This powerful hero, this Vrikodara, conquered single-handed all the rulers of men of the eastern countries along with those who followed them in battle. He returned from the war safe and uninjured. Even he is now miserably passing his days in the forest wearing barks of trees. This mighty-Sahadeva defeated all the kings of the southern countries, those ruler of men who had assembled on the shore of the sea. they now see him in the garb of an anchorite.
यः पार्थिवानेकरथेन जिग्ये दिशं प्रतीची प्रति युद्धशौण्डः। अटी चरत्यद्य मलाचिताङ्गः॥
This hero (Nakula), valiant in battle defeated single-handed the kings who ruled over the western countries. He now roams in the forest living on fruits and roots, with matted locks on his head and his body besmeared with dirts.
सत्रे समृद्धेऽतिरथस्य राज्ञो वेदीतलादुत्पतिता सुता या। सेयं वने वासमिमं सुदुःखं कथं सहत्यद्य सती सुखार्हा॥
This princess (Draupadi), the daughter of a king, who is a great car-warrior, rose from the sacrificial altar. She was always accustomed to a life of comfort and ease. How is she now enduring the miserable life in the forest?
त्रिवर्गमुख्यस्य समीरणस्य देवेश्वरस्याप्यथवाश्विनोश्च। एषां सुराणां तनयाः कथं नु वनेऽचरन् ह्यस्तसुखाः सुखार्हाः॥
How are (the men), the son of Dharma who stands at the head of all the three Vargas (Dharma, Artha and Kama), this, son of Vayu, this son of king of the celestials these two sons of Ashvins, being all the sons of celestials and accustomed to a life of comfort and ease, living in this forest deprived of all comforts,
जिते हिधर्मस्य सुते सभार्य सभ्रातृके सानुचरे निरस्ते। दुर्योधने चापि विवर्धमाने कथं न सीदत्यवनिः सशैला।॥
Why did not the earth sink with all these hills when the son of Dharma met with defeat and when his wife, brothers, followers and he himself, were driven away (from the kingdom) and when Duryodhana began to flourish.