वैशम्पायन उवाच नगोत्तमं प्रस्रवणैरुपेतं दिशां गजैः किन्नरपक्षिभिश्च। सुखं निवासं जहतां हि तेषां न प्रीतिरासीद् भरतर्षभाणाम्॥
Vaishampayana said : Those foremost of the Bharatas, on leaving their delightful abode on that excellent mountain with waterfalls, the elephants of eight quarters, the Kinnaras and birds, were not happy at heart.
ततस्तु तेषां पुनरेव हर्षः कैलासमालोक्य महान् बभूव। कुबेरकान्तं भरतर्षभाणां महीधरं वारिधरप्रकाशम्॥
But those best of the Bharatas again experienced a great delight on beholding the favourite mountain of Kubera, the Kailasa looking (white as the clouds).
समुच्छ्रयान् पर्वतसंनिरोधरान् गोष्ठान् हरीणां गिरिसेतुमालाः। बहून् प्रपातांश्च समीक्ष्य वीराः स्थलानि निम्नानि च तत्र तत्र॥ तथैव चान्यानि महावनानि मृगद्विजानेकपसेवितानि। स्तेधन्विनः खड्गधरा नरावयाः॥
And those heroes, the excellent of mortals, armed with bows and swords, felt a great delight, beholding (on their way) elevations and defiles, dens of lions, rows of craggy causeways, numerous waterfalls, low lands here and there and various other great forests inhabited by numerous deer, birds and elephants.
वनानि रम्याणि नद्यो सरांसि गुहा गिरीणां गिरिगह्वराणि। दिवानिशं प्राप्य नरर्षभाणाम्॥
(And as they journeyed on), romantic forests, rivers, lakes, caves of mountain, mighty mountain, caverns-all these always, by day and night became the dwelling places of those most excellent men.
ते दुर्गवासं बहुधा निरुष्य व्यतीत्य कैलासमचिन्त्यरूपम्। आसेदुरत्यर्थमनोरमं ते तमाश्रमाचयं वृषपर्वणस्तु॥
(Thus) resting in many inaccessible places and crossing the mountain Kailasa of incomprehensible grandeur, they at length reached the exceedingly beautiful hermitage of Vrishaparva.
समेत्य राज्ञा वृषपर्वणा ते प्रत्यर्चितास्तेन च वीतमोहाः। शशंसिरे विस्तरशः प्रवासं गिरौ यथावद् वृषपर्वणस्ते॥
Meeting with the king, Vrishaparva and being welcomed by him they recovered from fatigue and then they related to him) faithfully and fully the story of their stay in the mountains.
सुखोषितास्तस्य त एकरात्रं पुण्याश्रमे देवमहर्षिजुष्टे। अभ्याययुस्ते बदरौं विशाला सुखेन वीराः पुनरेव वासम्॥
And having happily spent a night in that sacred hermitage frequented by the celestials and the Maharshis, those warriors gladly repaired to the great Jujube tree for a sojourn again.
ऊषुस्ततस्तत्र महानुभावा नारायणस्थानगताः समग्रा:। कुबेरकान्तां नलिनी विशोकाः सम्पश्यमानाः सुरसिद्धजुष्टाम्॥
Then arriving at the place of Narayana, all those high-souled men, devoid of sorrow, began to dwell there, beholding the beloved lake of Kubera, frequented by the celestials and he Siddhas.
तां चाथ दृष्टवा नलिनी विशोकाः पाण्डोः सुताः सर्वनरप्रधानाः। ते रेमिरे नन्दनवासमेत्य द्विजर्षयो वीतमला यथैव॥
(And) seeing that lake, those sons of Pandu, the best of all men, devoid of sorrow, began to sport there, (just) as the sinless Brahmana sages do on getting a habitation in the garden of Nandana.
ततः क्रमेणोपययुर्दैवीरा यथागतेनैव पथा समग्राः। विहत्य मासं सुखिनो बदाँ किरातराज्ञो विषयं सुबाहोः॥
Then having spent a month happily at Badari, all those heroes gradually proceeded towards the country of Subahu, the king of the Kiratas, along the same route by which they had come (before).
पीनांस्तुषारान् दरदांश्च सर्वान् देशान् कुलिन्दस्य च भूमिरलान्। अतीत्य दुर्गं हिमवत्प्रदेशं पुरं सुबाहोर्ददृशुर्नृवीराः॥
Journeying through China, Turaska, Darada and all the provinces of Kulinda, rich in heaps of jewels and crossing the inaccessible Himalayan regions, those warriors (at length) beheld the capital of Subahu.
श्रुत्वा च तान् पार्थिवपुत्रपौत्रान्। प्राप्तान् सुबाहुर्विषये समग्रान्। प्रत्युद्ययौ प्रीतियुतः स राजा तं चाभ्यनन्दन वृषभाः कुरूणाम्॥
Hearing of the arrival of those sons and grandsons of kings in his capital, King Subahu, full of joy, advanced to welcome them. And thosc best of the Kurus also greeted him.
समेत्य राज्ञा तु सुबाहुना सूतैर्विशोकप्रमुखैश्च सर्वे। सहेन्द्रसेनैः परिचारिकैश्च पौरोगवैर्ये च महानसस्था:॥ ते
Meeting with King Subahu and joined by their charioteers with Vishoka at their head, by all their attendants together with Indrasena, by the porters and by the servants of the kitchen,
सुखोषितास्तत्र त एकरात्रं सूतान् समादाय रथांश्च सर्वान्। घटोत्कचं सानुचरं विसृज्य ततोऽभ्ययुर्यामुनमदिराजम्॥
They spent a night there happily. Dismissing Ghatotkacha together with all his attendants and retaining all the charioteers and he cars, they then proceeded towards the prince of mountains in the neighbourhood of Yamuna.
हिमोत्तरीयारुणपाण्डुसानौ। स्तदा निवासं पुरुषप्रवीराः॥ वराहनानामृगपक्षिजुष्टं महावनं चैत्ररथप्रकाशम्। शिवेन पार्था मृगयाप्रधानाः संवत्सरं तत्र वने विजहुः॥
And having found in that mountainabounding in water falls-whose orange and grey coloured plateau is covered with a sheet of snow, the great forest (named) Vishakhayupa, inhabited by boars and birds and resembling the forest of Chitraratha, those heroic men began to dwell there. And those foremost of hunters, the Parthas lived peacefully in that forest for a year.
तत्राससादातिबलं भुजङ्गं क्षुधादितं मृत्युमिवोग्ररूपम्। वृकोदरः पर्वतकन्दरायां विषादमोहव्यथितान्तरात्मा॥
There, in a mountain cave, Vrikodara coming across a very powerful serpent distressed with hunger and terrible like death itself, became afflicted at heart with sorrow and distraction.
द्वीपोऽभवद् यत्र वृकोदरस्य युधिष्ठिरोधर्मभृतां वरिष्ठः। अमोक्षयद् यस्तमनन्ततेजा ग्राहेण संवेष्टितसर्वगात्रम्॥
(But) Yudhishthira, of immeasurable prowess, became the liberator of Vrikodara and extricated him from the gripe of the snake which coiled round his whole body.
ते द्वादशं वर्षमुपोपयातं वने विहर्तुं कुरवः प्रतीताः। तस्माद् वनाच्चैत्ररथप्रकाशात श्रिया ज्वलन्तस्तपसा च युक्ताः॥ ततश्च यात्वा मरुधन्वपार्श्व सदाधनुर्वेदरतिप्रधानाः। सरस्वतीमेत्य निवासकामाः सरस्ततो द्वैतवनं प्रतीयुः॥
And when the twelfth of their forest life had arrived, those descendants of the Kurus, blazing in splendour, engaged in asceticism and given principally to the practice of archery, leaving that forest looking like that of Chitraratha, repaired gladly towards the confines of the desert. Thence they arrived at the banks of the river Sarasvati and therefrom desirous of dwelling there repaired to the Lake Dvaitavana.
समीक्ष्य तान् द्वैतवने निविष्टान् निवासिनस्तत्र ततोऽभिजग्मुः। स्तृणोदपात्रावरणाश्मकुट्टाः॥
And seeing them enter Dvaitavana, the inhabitants of that place engaged in asceticism, restraining their passions, practising purity and fervid devotion and living on (foods) crushed with stone, approached them with grass mats and water vessels (in their hands for their reception).
प्लक्षाक्षरैहीतकवेतसाच तथा बदर्यः खदिराः शिरीषाः। बिल्वेड्दा: पीलुशमीकरीराः सरस्वतीतीररुहा बभूवुः॥
The banks of the river Sarasvati were adorned with the holy fig, the Rudraksha, the cane, the Jujube, the Catechu, the Sirisa, the Bel, the Inguda, the Pilu, the Shami and the Karira tree.
मागारभूतामिव देवतानाम्। सरस्वतीं प्रीतियुताश्चरन्तः सुखं विजहुर्नरदेवपुत्राः॥
Wandering joyfully by the Sarasvati, beloved by the Yakshas, the Gandharvas and the Maharshis and looking like the abode of the celestials, those sons of king lived there happily.