जनमेजय उवाच एवं हृतायां कृष्णायां प्राप्य क्लेशमनुत्तमम्। अत ऊर्ध्वं नरव्याघ्राः किमकुर्वत पाण्डवाः॥
Janamejaya said : Having suffered such misery consequent upon Draupadi's being carried away what did those Pandavas, the foremost of men, do?
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवं कृष्णां मोक्षयित्वा विनिर्जित्य जयद्रथम्। आसांचक्रे मुनिगणैर्धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः॥
Vaishampayana said : Having thus released Krishna and vanquished Jayadratha, the pious king Yudhishthira took his seat by the side of the ascetics.
तेषां मध्ये महर्षीणां शृण्वतामनुशोचताम्। मार्कण्डेयमिदं वाक्यमब्रवीत् पाण्डुनन्दनः॥
Amongst those great ascetics who were expressing their sorrow on hearing of the incident) the descendant of Pandu, addressing Markandeya, gave vent to the following.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच भगवन् देवर्षीणां त्वं ख्यातो भूतभविष्यवित्। संशयं परिपृच्छामि छिन्धि मे हृदि संस्थितम्॥
Yudhishthira said : O venerable sir, amongst the ascetics and the celestials, you are reputed to have the fullest knowledge of both the past and future. I have a doubt in my mind, I shall ask you, (kindly) solve it.
दुपदस्य सुता ह्येषा वेदिमध्यात् समुत्थिता। अयोनिजा महाभागा स्नुषा पाण्डोर्महात्मनः॥
This lady is the daughter of Drupada and has sprung from the sacrificial altar. She is not begotten of flesh; she is the mighty and illustrious daughter-in-law of the high-souled Pandu.
मन्ये कालश्च भगवान् दैवं च विधिनिर्मितम्। भवितव्यं च भूतानां यस्य नास्ति व्यतिक्रमः॥
Me-thinks, Time and Destiny, instituted by the Deity, are inevitable io creatures and cannot be warded off.
इमां हि पत्नीमस्माकं धर्मज्ञां धर्मचारिणीम्। संस्पृशेदीदृशो भावः शुचिं स्तैन्यमिवानृतम्॥
How could (such a misfortune) overcome such a pious, chaste wife of ours, abiding by virtue, like a false accusation of theft against an honest man?
न हि पापं कृतं किंचित् कर्म वा निन्दितं क्वचित् द्रौपद्या ब्राह्मणेष्वेव धर्मः सुचरितो महान्॥
Draupadi has not committed any iniquity or heinous deed; she has always practised highest virtues towards the Brahmanas.
तां जहार बलाद् राजा मूढबुद्धिर्जयद्रथः। तस्याः संहरणात् पापः शिरसः केशपातनम्॥ पराजयं च संग्रामे ससहायः समाप्तवान्। प्रत्याहृता तथास्माभिर्हत्वा तत् सैन्धवं बलम्॥
The foolish king Jayadratha took her away by force; on account of this violence on her that sinful man has got his hair shaved off and has met with defeat in battle along with his soldiers. True it is, that we have rescued her after slaying the army of Saindhava.
तद् दारहरणं प्राप्तमस्माभिरवितर्कितम्। ज्ञातिभिर्विप्रवासश्च मिथ्याव्यवसितैरियम्॥
Forsooth this disgrace, of our wife, being carried away during a moment of carelessness, has sullied us. This forest life is full of miseries; we live on chase. Though we live in forest we (always) injure the dwellers thereof. This banishment of ours is owing to our deceitful relatives.
अस्ति नूनं मया कश्चिदल्पभाग्यतरो नरः। भवता दृष्टपूर्वो वा श्रुतपूर्वोऽपि वा भवेत्॥
Is there any one indeed who is more unfortunate than I am. Have you heard or seen of any such man before.