वैशम्पायन उवाच उपासीनेषु विप्रेषु पाण्डवेषु महात्मसु। द्रौपदी सत्यभामा च विविशाते तदा समम्॥
Vaishampayana sajd : When the high-souled Pandavas and the Brahmanas had taken their seats. Draupadi and Satyabhama entered the hermitage.
जाहस्यमाने सुप्रीते सुखं तत्र निषीदतुः। चिरस्य दृष्ट्वा राजेन्द्र तेऽन्योन्यस्य प्रियंवदे॥ कथयामासतुश्चित्राः कथा: कुरुयत्थिताः। अथाब्रवीत् सत्यभामा कृष्णस्य महिषी प्रिया।॥ सात्राजिती याज्ञसेनी रहसीदं सुमध्यमा। केन द्रौपदि वृत्तेन पाण्डवानधितिष्ठसि॥
O king of kings, with hearts full of joy, they laughed merrily and they seated themselves at their ease. Those ladies who always spoke sweetly to each other, having met after a long time, began to talk upon various delightful topics arising out of the accounts of the Kurus and the Yadus. The slender waited Satyabhama, the favourite wife of Krishna and the daughter of Satrajit then asked (Draupadi) in private saying, "How, O Draupadi, can you rule the sons of Pandu.
लोकपालोपमान् वीरान् पुन: परमसंहतान्। कथं च वशगास्तुभ्यं न कुप्यन्ति च ते शुभे॥
Those heroes who are endued with great strength and beauty and who are like the Lokapalas themselves. O beautiful lady, how is it that they are so obedient to you and that they are never angry with you?
तव वश्या हि सततं पाण्डवाः प्रियदर्शने। मुखप्रेक्षाश्च ते सर्वे तत्त्वमेतद् ब्रवीहि मे॥
O lady of lovely feature, the Pandavas are always obedient to you. They are all watchful to do your bidding. Tell me its reason.
व्रतचर्या तपो वापि स्नानमन्त्रौषधानि वा। विद्यावीर्यं मूलवीर्यं जपहोमागदास्तथा॥
It is vows or asceticism or incantations or drug in your season or the efficacy of science or the influence of youthful appearance or the recitation of particular formulae or homa or collyrium and other medicament?
ममाद्याचक्ष्व पाञ्चालि यशस्यं भगदैवतम्। येन कृष्णे भवेन्नित्यं मम कृष्णो वशानुगः॥
Tell me, O Panchala princess, of that blessed and auspicious thing by which, O Krishna, (Draupadi) my husband (Krishna) may be ever obedient to me.”
एवमुक्त्वा सत्यभामा विरराम यशस्विनी। पतिव्रता महाभागा द्रौपदी प्रत्युवाच ताम्॥
Having said this, the illustrious Satyabhama stopped. The greatly blessed and chaste Draupadi thus replied to her,
असत्स्त्रीणां समाचारं सत्ये मामनुपृच्छसि। असदाचरिते मार्गे कथं स्यादनुकीर्तनम्॥
“O Satyabhama, you ask me of the practices of wicked women. How can I speak of practices adopted by wicked women?
अनुप्रश्नः संशयो वा नैतत् त्वय्युपपद्यते। तथा छुपेता बुद्ध्या त्वं कृष्णस्य महिषी प्रिया॥
It does not become you to put further questions to me or to doubt me. You are intelligent, you are the favourite wife of Krishna.
यदैव भर्ता जानीयान्मन्त्रमूलपरां स्त्रियम्। उद्विजेत तदैवास्याः सर्पाद् वेश्मगतादिव।॥
When the husband learns that his wife is addicted to incantations and drugs, from that day he begins to dread her as if a poisonous snake has entered into his sleeping chamber.
उद्विग्नस्य कुतः शान्तिरशान्तस्य कुतः सुखम्। न जातु वशगो भर्ता स्त्रियाः स्यान्मन्त्रकर्मणा॥
Can a man afflicted with fear have peace? How can one who has no peace have happiness? A husband can never be made obedient by a wife with the help of mantras.
अमित्रप्रहितांश्चापि गदान् परमदारुणान्। मूलप्रचारैर्हि विषं प्रयच्छन्ति जिघांसवः॥ जिह्वया यानि पुरुषस्त्वचा वाप्युपसेवते। तत्र चूर्णानि दत्तानि हन्युः क्षिप्रमसंशयम्॥
We hear of painful diseases transmitted by enemies. Those that desire to kill others send poison in the shape of gifts, so that the man that takes the powders so sent by tongues or skin is certainly deprived of his life as soon as possible.
जलोदरसमायुक्ताः श्चित्रिणः पलितास्तथा। अपुमांसः कृताः स्त्रीभिर्जडान्धबधिरास्तथा॥
Women have sometimes caused dropsy and leprosy, decrepitude, impotency and idiocy, blindness and deafness in men (by administering drugs to enchant them).
पापानुगास्तु पापास्ताः पतीनुपसृजन्त्युत। न जातु विप्रियं भर्तुः स्त्रिया कार्यं कथंचन॥
These wicked women, ever treading in the path of sin, do some times injure their husbands. But the wife should never do injury to her husband.
वर्ताम्यहं तु यां वृत्तिं पाण्डवेषु महात्मसु। तां सर्वां शृणु मे सत्यां सत्यभामे यशस्विनि॥
O illustrious Satyabhama, hear now of my conduct towards the high-souled Pandavas.
अहंकारं विहायाहं कामक्रोधौ च सर्वदा। सदारान् पाण्डवान् नित्यं प्रयतोपचराम्यहम्॥
Abandoning vanity and subduing desire and wrath, I always serve with devotion the Pandavas with all their wives.
प्रणयं प्रतिसंहृत्य निधायात्मानमात्मनि। शुश्रुषुनिरहंमाना पतीनां चित्तरक्षिणी॥
Restraining jealously with devotion of heart and without any feeling of degradation at the service I perform, I always serve my husbands.
दुर्व्याहताच्छङ्कमाना दुःस्थिताद् दुरवेक्षितात्। दुरासिताद् दुर्वजितादिङ्गिताध्यासितादपि॥ सूर्यवैश्वानरसमान् सोमकल्पान् महारथान्। सेवे चक्षुर्हणः पार्थानुचवीर्यप्रतापिनः॥
Ever fearing to utter what is evil and false or to look or sit or walk with impropriety or to cast glances indicative of the feelings of the heart, I serve the sons of Pritha, those mighty warriors as blazing as the sun or fire and as handsome as the moon, those heroes who are endued with fearful energy and prowess and who are capable of killing their enemies by a glance of their eyes.
देवो मनुष्यो गन्धर्वो युवा चापि स्वलंकृतः। द्रव्यवानभिरूपो वा न मेऽन्यः पुरुषो मतः॥
Celestials or men or Gandharvas, young or handsome, wealthy and adorned with ornaments, my heart is never attracted to any other.
नाभुक्तवति नास्नाते नासंविष्टे च भर्तरि। न संविशामि नाश्नामि सदा कर्मकरेष्वपि॥
I never bathe or eat or sleep till he that is my husband has bathed or eaten or slept, till all our servants and followers have bathed, eaten and slept.
क्षेत्राद् वनाद् वा ग्रामाद् वा भर्तारं गृहमागतम्। अभ्युत्थायाभिनन्दामि आसनेनोदकेन च॥
Whether returning from the field, the forest or the town or hastily rising up I always salute my husband with water and seat.
प्रमृष्टभाण्डा मृष्टान्ना काले भोजनदायिनी। संयता गुप्तधान्या च सुसम्मृष्टनिवेशना॥
I always keep the house and all the household articles and the food that is to be taken well-ordered and clean. I carefully keep the rice and serve them the food at the proper time.
अतिरस्कृतसम्भाषा दुःस्त्रियो नानुसेवती। अनुकूलवती नित्यं भवाम्यनलसा सदा॥
I am never angry, I never speak harsh words, I never imitate women that are wicked. Avoiding idleness, I always do what is agreeable.
अनर्म चापि हसितं द्वारि स्थानमभीक्षणशः। अवस्करे चिरस्थानं निष्कुटेषु च वर्जये॥
I never laugh except at a jest, I never stay for a long time at the gate of the house, I never stay long in places of nature's call or in pleasure gardens of the house.
अतिहासातिरोषौ च क्रोधस्थानं च वर्जये। निरताहं सदा सत्ये भर्तृणामुपसेवने।॥
I always refrain from laughing loudly or indulging in high passion and from everything that may give offence. O Satyabhama, I am always engaged in serving my husbands.
सर्वथा भर्तृरहितं न ममेष्ट कथंचन। यदा प्रवसते भर्ता कुटुम्बार्थेन केनिचत्॥
A separation from my husband is never agreeable to me. When my husbands leave home to go to my relatives,
सुमनोवर्णकापेता भवामि व्रतचारिणी। यच्च भर्ता न पिवति यच्च भर्ता न सेवते॥
I give up flowers and fragrant paste of every kind and I undergo penances. Whatever my husband does not drink, whatever he does not eat.
यच्च नाश्नाति मे भर्ता सर्वं तद् वर्जयाम्यहम्। यथोपदेशं नियता वर्तमाना वराङ्गने॥ स्वलंकृता सुप्रयता भर्तुः प्रियहिते रता। ये च धर्माः कुटुम्बेषु श्वश्र्वा मे कथिताः पुरा॥
Whatever my husband does not enjoy, I always renounce. O beautiful lady, adorned with ornaments and ever self-controlled by the instructions received by me, I always devotedly seek the welfare of my husbands. I always perform those duties that my mother-in-law formerly told me in respect of relatives.
भिक्षाबलिश्राद्धमिति स्थालीपाकाच पर्वसु। मान्यानां मानसत्कारा ये चान्ये विदिता मम॥ तान् सर्वाननुवर्तेऽहं दिवारात्रमतन्द्रिता। विनयान् नियमांश्चैव सदा सर्वात्मना श्रिता॥ मृदून् सतः सत्यशीलान् सत्यधर्मानुपालिनः। आशीविषानिव क्रुद्धान् पतीन् परिचराम्यहम्॥
As also in respect of alms-giving, of offering worship to the celestials, of offering oblations to the Pitris or boiling food on auspicious days in order to offer it to the Pitris and the guests, of reverence and of service to those that deserve our respect and of all else that are known to me. I always perform my duty night and day without the least idleness. Having my heart firmly fixed in humility and fixed in approved rules, I serve my gentle, truthful and virtuous husbands, considering them always as so many poisonous snakes capable of being enraged at trifle.
पत्याश्रयो हि मे धर्मो मतः स्त्रीणां सनातनः। स देवः सा गतिर्नान्या तस्य का विप्रियं चरेत्॥
My opinion is that to depend on one's husband is the eternal virtue of women. The husband is wife's god, he is her (sole) refuge. There is no other refuge for her. How can then a wife act what is disagreeable to her husband?
अहं पतीन् नातिशये नात्यश्ने नातिभूषये। नापि श्वश्रू परिवदे सर्वदा परियन्त्रिता॥
I never either in sleeping or in eating or in adorning my person act against the wishes of my husbands. I am always guided by my husbands. I never speak ill of my mother-inlaw.
अवधानेन सुभगे नित्योत्थिततयैव च। भर्तारो वशगा मह्यं गुरुशुश्रूषयैव च॥
O blessed lady, my husband has become obedient to me for my diligence, my alacrity and for the humility with which I serve my Gurus.
नित्यमार्यामहं कुन्तीं वीरसूं सत्यवादिनीम्। स्वयं परिचराम्येतां पानाच्छादनभोजनैः॥
Every day I personally wait with food and drink and clothes upon the revered and truthful Kunti, the mother of those heroes.
नैतामतिशये जातु वस्त्रभूषणभोजनैः। नापि परिवदे चाहं तां पृथां पृथिवीरामाम्॥
I never show any preference for myself over her in matters of food and attire and ornaments. I never reprove in words Pritha (Kuni) who is equal to the earth herself in forgiveness.
अष्टावचे ब्राह्मणानां सहस्राणि स्म नित्यदा। भुञ्जते रुक्मपात्रीषु युधिष्ठिरनिवेशने॥
Eight thousand Brahmanas were formerly fed every day in the palace of Yudhishthira from plates of gold.
अष्टाशीतिसहस्राणि स्नातका गृहमेधिनः। त्रिंशद्दासीक एकैको यान् बिभर्ति युधिष्ठिरः॥
Eighty thousand Snataka Brahmanas, all leading domestic lives, were entertained by Yudhishthira with thirty maid-servants assigned to each.
दशाऱ्यानि सहस्राणि येषामन्नं सुसंस्कृतम्। ह्रियते रुक्मपात्रीभिर्यतीनामूवरेतसाम्॥
Besides these, ten thousand Yatis with their desire under complete control had their pure and well-cooked food carried to them in golden plates.
तान् सर्वानग्रहारेण ब्राह्मणान् वेदवादिनः। यथार्ह पूजयामि स्म पानाच्छादनभोजनैः॥
All those Brahmanas that were the utterers of the Vedas, I used always to worship duty with food, drink and clothes taken from stores, when a portion of them had been dedicated to Vishvadeva.
शतं दासीसहस्राणि कौन्तेयस्य महात्मनः। कम्बुकेयूरधारिण्यो निष्ककण्ठ्यः स्वलकृताः॥ महार्हमाल्याभरणाः सुवर्णाश्चन्दनोक्षिताः। मणीन् हेम च बिभ्रत्यो नृत्यगीतविशारदाः॥
The illustrious son of Kunti, had one hundred thousand well-dressed maid-servants with bracelets of their arms and golden ornaments on their necks; they were adorned with costly garlands and gold in profusion and they were sprinkled with sandal paste. Adorned with gems and gold, they were all well-skilled in dancing and singing.
तासां नाम च रूपं च भोजनाच्छादनानि च। सर्वासामेव वेदाहं कर्म चैव कर्म चैव कृताकृतम्॥
I knew the names and features of every one of those girls and also what they used to eat and what they used to wear and what they used not to do.
शतं दासीसहस्राणि कुन्तीपुत्रस्य धीमतः। पात्रीहस्ता दिवारात्रमतिथीन् भोजयन्त्युत॥
The greatly intelligent son of Kunti had also one hundred thousand maid-servants who duly used to feed the guests with plates of gold in their hands.
शतमश्वसहस्राणि दशनागायुतानि च। युधिष्ठिरस्यानुयात्रमिन्द्रप्रस्थनिवासिनः॥
When Yudhishthira lived in Indraprastha, one lakh horses and one lakh elephants used to follow him.
एतदासीत् तदा राज्ञो यन्महीं पर्यपालयत्। येषां संख्याविधिं चैव प्रदिशामि शृणोमि च॥ अन्तःपुराणां सर्वेषां भृत्यानां चैव सर्वशः। आगोपालाविपालेभ्यः सर्वं वेद कृताकृतम्॥ सर्वं राज्ञः समुदयमायं च व्ययमेव च। एकाहं वेधि कल्याणि पाण्डवानां यशस्विनि॥
Such was the procession of Yudhishthira when he ruled over earth. It was I who regulated their number and formed the rules to be observed in respect to them. It was I who had to listen to all their complaints. I knew everything about the maid-servants of the palace and other servants, nay even of the cowherds and shepherds of the royal household. O blessed and illustrious lady, it was I alone among the Pandavas who knew the (real) income and expenditure of the king and what (really) their (Pandavas') whole income was.
मयि सर्वं समासज्य कुटुम्ब भरतर्षभाः। उपासनरताः सर्वे घटयन्ति वरानने॥
O beautiful lady, those foremost of Bharatas, throwing upon me the (whole) burden of looking after all those that were to be fed by them, would .iways pay their court to me.
तमहं भारमासक्तमनाधृष्यं दुरात्मभिः। सुखं सर्वं परित्यज्य राज्यहानि घटामि वै॥
This load, so heavy and incapable of being borne by persons of evil heart, 1 sacrificing my ease used to bear day and night, all the while being affectionately devoted to them.
अधृष्यं वरुणस्येव निधिपूर्णमिवोदधिम्। एकाहं वेद्मि कोशं वै पतीनां धर्मचारिणाम्॥
While my husbands were engaged in virtuous pursuits, I supervised their treasury as inexhaustible as the ever full abode of Varuna (ocean).
अनिशायां निशायां च सहा या क्षुत्पिपासयोः। आराधयन्त्याः कौरव्यांस्तुल्या रात्रिरहश्च मे॥
Day and night bearing hunger and thirst, I used to wait upon the Kuru princes, so that my nights and days were equal to me.
प्रथमं प्रतिबुध्यामि चरमं संविशामि च। नित्यकालमहं सत्ये एतत् संवननं मम॥
I used to rise up from my bed first and to go to my bed last. O Satyabhama, this has ever been my custom.
एतज्जानाम्यहं कर्तुं भर्तृसंवननं महत्। असत्स्त्रीणां समाचार नाहं कुर्यां न कामये॥
This is the great charm ever known to me for making my husbands obedient to me. I have never used any charms of wicked women and I never wish to use them."
वैशम्पायन उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा धर्मसहितं व्याहृतं कृष्णया तदा। उवाच सत्या सत्कृत्य पाञ्चालीं धर्मचारिणीम्॥ अभिपन्नास्मि पाञ्चालि याज्ञसेनि क्षमस्व मे। कामकारः सखीनां हि सोपहासं प्रभाषितम्॥
Vaishampayana said : Having heard these virtuous words of Krishna (Draupadi), Satyabhama expressed her greatest reverence for the Panchala princess and she thus spoke to her, "O Panchala princess, O Yajnaseni, I am in fault, forgive me. Among friends conversations in jest naturally and without premeditation arise."