वैशम्पायन उवाच अथ दुर्योधनो राजा तत्र वने वसन्। जगाम घोषानभितस्तत्र चक्रे निवेशनम्॥
Vaishampayana said : Then the king Duryodhana, living in various parts of that forest, at last came to the cattle stations and encamped there.
रमणीये समाज्ञाते सोदके समहीरहे। देशे सर्वगुणोपेते चक्रुरावसथान् पराः॥
Selecting a well known charming place which had a plentiful supply of water and which abounded in trees and possessed every convenience, his attendants built a house for him.
तथैव तत्समीपस्थान् पृथगावसथान् बहून्। कर्णस्य शकुनेश्चैव भ्रातृणां चैव सर्वशः॥
Near the royal residence, they also erected separate houses for Karna, Shakuni and other brothers of the king.
ददर्श स तदा गावः शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः। अङ्कुर्लक्षैश्च ताः सर्वा लक्षयामास पार्थिवः॥
The king saw his cattle by hundreds and thousands. Examining their limbs and marks, he supervised their counting.
अङ्कयामास वत्सांश्च जज्ञे चोपसृतांस्त्वपि। बालवत्साश्च या गावः कालयामास ता अपि॥
He caused the calves to be marked and took notes of those that required to be tamed. He also counted all those cows of which calves had not yet been yeaned.
अथ स स्मारणं कृत्वा लक्षयित्वा त्रिहायनान्। वृतो गोपालकैः प्रीतो व्यहरत् कुरुनन्दनः॥
Completing the task of counting and marking every calf which was three years old, the Kuru prince, surrounded by the cow-herds, began cheerfully to sport and wander about (in that forest).
स च पौरजनः सर्वः सैनिकाच सहस्रशः। यथोपजोषं चिक्रीडुर्वने तस्मिन् यथामराः॥
The citizens and the soldiers by thousands sported in that forest as best pleased them like the celestials.
ततो गोपाः प्रगातारः कुशला नृत्यवादने। धार्तराष्ट्रमुपातिष्ठन् कन्याश्चैव स्वलंकृताः॥
The herdsman, well-skilled in singing and dancing and playing on musical instruments and maidens adorned with ornaments ministered to the pleasures of Dhritarashtra's son.
स स्त्रीगणावृतो राजा प्रहृष्टः प्रददौ वसु। तेभ्यो यथार्हमन्नानि पानानि विविधानि च॥
The king surrounded by the ladies of the royal household began cheerfully to distribute according to the merit of each, wealth, food and drinks of various kinds among those that sought to please him.
ततस्ते सहिताः सर्वे तरखून् महिषान् मृगान्। गवयर्डवराहांश्च समन्तात् पर्यकालयन्॥ स ताञ्छरैर्विनिर्भिद्य गजांश्च सुबहून् वने। रमणीयेषु देशेषु ग्राहयामास वै मृगान्॥
Attended by all his followers, the king killed many bison's, buffaloes, deer gavayas, bear and boars. Pierced by his arrows animals by thousands died in that deep forest. He caused the deer to be caught in the most delightful parts of the forest.
गोरसानुपयुञ्जान उपभोगांश्च भारत। पश्यन् स रणमीयानि वनान्युपवनानि च।॥ मत्तभ्रमरजुष्टानि बर्हिणाभिरुतानि च। अगच्छदानुपूर्येण पुण्यं द्वैतवनं सरः॥
Drinking milk and enjoying various other delicious articles, O descendant of Bharata and also seeing as he proceeded many delightful forests and woods swarming with bees intoxicated with the honey of flowers and resounding with the sweet notes of peacock, the king at last reached the sacred lake of Dvaitavana.
मत्तभ्रमरसंजुष्टं नीलकण्ठरवाकुलम्। सप्तच्छदसमाकीर्णं पुन्नागबकुलैर्युतम्॥
The place was swarmed with bees intoxicated with the honey of the flowers; it echoed with the sweet notes of blue throated jay (bird); it was shaded by Saptachadas and Punnyagas and Bakulas.
ऋद्ध्या परमया युक्तो महेन्द्र इव वलाभृत्। यदृच्छया च तत्रस्थो धर्मपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः॥ ईजे राजर्षियज्ञेन साद्यस्केन विशाम्पते। दिव्येन विधिना चैव वन्येन कुरुसत्तम॥ कृत्वा निवेशमभितः सरसस्तस्य कौरव। द्रौपद्या सहिता धीमान् धर्मपल्या नराधिपः॥
The king (Duryodhana) graced with great prosperity went there like the wielder of thunder, the lord of the celestials (Indra). O foremost of the Kuru race, the greatly intelligent Dharmaraja Yudhishthira was then, O king, living near that lake and was performing with his wife Draupadi the sacrifice called Rajarshi according to the ordinance sanctioned for the celestials and persons living in the forest.
ततो दुर्योधनः प्रेष्यानादिदेश सहस्रशः। आक्रीडावसथा: क्षिप्नं क्रियन्तामिति भारत॥
O descendant of Bharata, Duryodhana, having arrived at that place, commanded thousands of his men to build there pleasure houses with the least delay.
ते तथेत्येव कौरव्यमुक्त्वा वचनकारिणः। चिकीर्षन्तस्तदाऽऽक्रीडाञ्जग्मुद्वैतवनं सरः॥
Saying "So be it", they at the command of the king went towards the banks of the lake to build the pleasure houses.
प्रविशन्तं वनद्वारि गन्धर्वाः समवारयन्। सेनाच्यं धार्तराष्ट्रस्य प्राप्तं द्वैतवनं सरः॥
As the best of the soldiers of Dhritarashtra's son, having reached the lake, were about to enter the woods, many Gandharvas came forward and commanded them not to enter.
तत्र गन्धर्वराजो वै पूर्वमेव विशाम्पते। कुबेरभवनाद् राजन्नाजगाम गणावृतः॥
O monarch, the king of the Gandharvas with his followers had already arrived there from the abode of Kubera.
गणैरप्सरसां चैव त्रिदशानां तथाऽऽत्मजैः। विहारशीलः क्रीडार्थं तेन तत् संवृतं सरः॥
He had come surrounded by various Apsaras and also by many sons of the celestials. Having come to that lake to sport, he had closed the place to all comers.
तेन तत् संवृतं दृष्ट्वा ते राजपरिचारकाः। प्रतिजग्मुस्ततो राजन् यत्र दुर्योधनो नृपः॥
O king, finding the lake closed by the Gandharva king, the royal attendants (of Duryodhana) went back to the place where their king was.
स तु तेषां वचः श्रुत्वा सैनिकान् युद्धदुर्मदान्। प्रेषयामास कौरव्य उत्सारयत तानिति॥
O descendant of Kuru, hearing their words, he (Duryodhana) sent a number of his soldiers, to all difficult to be vanquished in battle, commanding them drive away the Gandharvas.
तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा राज्ञः सेनाचयायिनः। सरो द्वैतवनं गत्वा गन्धर्वानिदमब्रुवन्॥
Those warriors, who forned the vanguard of the Kuru army, having heard those words of the king, went back to the lake of the Dvaitavana and thus spoke to the Gandharvas.
राजा दुर्योधनो नाम धृतराष्ट्रसुतो बली। विजिहीर्षुरिहायाति तदर्थमपसर्पत॥
“The powerful king named Duryodhana, the son of Dhritarashtra, has come here for sport. Therefore leave this place at once.”
एवमुक्तास्तु गन्धर्वाः प्रहसन्तो विशाम्पते। प्रत्यब्रुवंस्तान् पुरुषानिदं हि परुषं वचः॥
Having been thus addressed. O king, the Gandharvas laughed aloud. They thus replied to them in harsh words,
न चेतयति वो राजा मन्दबुद्धिः सुयोधनः। योऽस्मानाज्ञापयत्येवं वैश्यानिव दिवौकसः॥
“Your wicked-minded Duryodhana has but little sense. Or else how could he thus command us who are dwellers of heaven as if we are his servants.
यूयं मुमूर्षवश्चापि मन्दप्रज्ञा न संशयः। ये तस्य वचनादेवमस्मान् ब्रूत विचेतसः॥
You are certainly fools to rush thus to the point of death. You are senseless idiots to bring such massage to us.
गच्छध्वं त्वरिताः सर्वे यत्र राजा स कौरवः। न चेदद्यैव गच्छध्वं धर्मराजनिवेशनम्॥
Go back soon where that Kuru king is or else you will today go to the abode of Dharmaraja (Yama)."
एवमुक्तास्तु गन्धर्वै राज्ञः सेनाचयायिनः। सम्प्राद्रवन् यतो राजा धृतराष्ट्रसुतोऽभवत्॥
Having been thus addressed by the Gandharvas, those vanguards (of the Kuru army) ran back to the place where the king (Duryodhana), the son of Dhritarashtra was.