नारायणं नमस्कृत्यं नरं चैव नरोत्तमम्। देवी सरस्वतीं व्यासं ततो जयमुदीरयेत्॥
Having saluted Narayana and Nara the best of male beings as also the goddess of learning let us cry success.
जनमेजय उवाच कथं विराटनगरे मम पूर्वपितामहाः। अज्ञातवासमुषिता दुर्योधनभयार्दिताः॥
Janamejaya said How did my great grand fathers, stricken with the fear of Duryodhana, live incognito in the city of Virata?
पतिव्रतः महाभागा सततं ब्रह्मवादिनी। द्रौपदी च कथं ब्रह्मन्नज्ञाता दुःखितावसत्॥
O Brahmana, how did the highly lucky Draupadi, devoted to her husbands, afflicted with woe and in the habit of reciting the names of the Supreme being, live undiscovered?
वैशम्पायन उवाच यथा विराटनगरे तव पूर्वपितामहाः। अज्ञातवासमुषितास्तच्छृणुष्व नराधिप॥
Vaishampayana said Listen, O ruler of men, how your great grand-fathers spent their days in the city of Virata without being discovered.
तथा स तु वरॉल्लब्ध्वा धर्मो धर्मभृतां वरः। गत्वाऽऽश्रमं ब्राह्मणेभ्य आचख्यौ सर्वमेव तत्॥
Having thus received the boon from Dharma (the god of virtue) the best of the virtuous retired to the asylum, and described to the Brahmanas, all that came to pass.
कथयित्वा तु तत् सर्वं ब्राह्मणेभ्यो युधिष्ठिरः। अरणीसहितं तस्मै ब्राह्मणाय न्यवेदयत्॥
Having described everything to the Brahmanas, Yudhishthira gave over to the Brahmana the fire sticks along with the churning staff which he had lost.
ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा धर्मपुत्रो महामनाः। संनिवर्त्यानुजान् सर्वानिति होवाच भारत॥
0 Bharata, then the high-souled potentate Yudhishthira, the offspring of Dharma, called all his younger brothers together and addressed them thus:
द्वादशेमानि वर्षाणि राज्यविप्रोषिता वयम्। त्रयोदशोऽयं सम्प्राप्तः कृच्छ्रात् परमदुर्वसः॥
For these twelve years, we have been exiled from our kingdom. This is the thirteenth year very had to pass.
स साधु कौन्तेय इतो वासमर्जुन रोचय। संवत्सरमिमं यत्र वसेमाविदिताः परैः॥
Therefore, O Arjuna, the son of Kunti, from here make a judicious choice of a place where we may stay one year without being known by our enemies.
अर्जुन उवाच तस्यैव वरदानेन धर्मस्य मनुजाधिप। अज्ञाता विचरिष्यामो नराणां नात्र संशयः॥
Arjuna said O lord of men, by virtue of Dharma's gift of boon we shall to about without being known to the people. There is no doubt of it.
तत्र वासाय राष्ट्राणि कीर्तयिष्यामि कानिचित्। रमणीयानि गुप्तानि तेषां किञ्चित् स्म रोचया॥
from among But for purposes of our abode I shall mention some places some places both pleasant and sequestered, please fix upon those.
सन्ति रम्या जनपदा बनाः परितः कुरून्। पाञ्चालाचैदिमत्स्याश्च शूरसेनाः पटच्चराः॥ दशार्णा नवराष्ट्राश्च मल्लाः शाल्वा युगन्धराः। कुन्तिराष्ट्रं च विपुलं सुराष्ट्रावन्तयस्तथा॥
About the kingdom of Kurus there are many beautiful countries with plenty of corn viz. Panchala, Chedi, Matsya, Shurasena, Patachchara, Dasharna, Navarashtra, Malla, Shalva, Yugandhara and extensive Kuntirashtra, Saurashtra and Avanti.
एतेषां कतमो राजन् निवासस्तव रोचते। यत्र वत्स्यामहे राजन् संवत्सरमिमं वयम्॥
Which of these, O king, do you select for your abode, where we may live all the year round. On which of these places, Oking, does your choice fall, where we may live all the year round.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच श्रुतमेतन्महाबाहो यथा स भगवान् प्रभुः। अब्रवीत् सर्वभूतेशस्तत् तथा न तदन्यथा॥
Yudhishthira said O you of mighty arms, what the worshipful deity (Dharma), the lord of all beings, has said must be so; there can be no other alternative.
अवश्यं त्वेव वासार्थं रमणीयं शिवं सुखम्। सम्मन्त्र्य सहितैः सर्वैर्वस्तव्यमकुतोभयैः॥
After consulting together we must seek out a pleasant auspicious and agreeable place, where we may live all together without fear.
मत्स्यो विराटो बलवानभिरक्तोऽथ पाण्डवान्। धर्मशीलो वदान्यश्च वृद्धश्च सततं प्रियः॥
The aged Virata, the king of Matsya, is powerful, charitable, of righteous disposition, ever beloved and also attached to the Pandavas.
विराटनगरे तात संवत्सरमिमं वयम्। कुर्वन्तस्तस्य कर्माणि विहरिष्याम भारत॥
In the city of Virata, O dear one, we shall, O Bharata, spend the whole of his year, doing his work.
तत् कर्म यानि यानि च कर्माणि तस्य वक्ष्यामहे वयम्। आसाद्य मत्स्यं प्रबूत कुरुनन्दनाः॥
Tell me, O sons of Kuru, in what capacities we shall have to present ourselves after we shall have gone to the king of the Matsya.
अर्जुन उवाच नरदेव कथं तस्य राष्ट्रे कर्म करिष्यसि। विराटनगरे साधो रंस्यसे केन कर्मणा॥
Arjuna said O god among men, how will you work in his domain, O virtuous one, in what capacity will you reside in the city of Virata?
मृदुर्वदान्यो ह्रीमांश्च धार्मिकः सत्यविक्रमः। राजंस्त्वमापदाऽऽकृष्टः किं करिष्यसि पाण्डव॥
O king, you are gentle, charitable, modest, righteous, and true to promise. O Pandava, what will you do, although afflicted with calamity.
न दुःखमुचितं किञ्चिद् राजन् वेद यथा जनः। स इमामापदं प्राप्य कथं घोरां तरिष्यसि॥
Like an ordinary person a king is not accustomed to hardships; how will you, as a king, thus get over the awful calamity that has overtaken you.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच शृणुध्वं यत् करिष्यामि कर्म वै कुरुनन्दनाः। विराटमनुसम्प्राप्य राजानं पुरुषर्षभाः॥
Yudhishthira said O you sons of Kuru, O you best among men, listen what work I shall do after having come before the king Virata.
सभास्तारो भविष्यामि तस्य राज्ञो महात्मनः। कङ्को नाम द्विजो भूत्वा मताक्षः प्रियदेवनः॥
Appearing as a twice-born one, Kanka by name, expert in dice and fond of game, I shall be a counter of that high-minded king.
वैदूर्यान् काञ्चनान् दान्तान् फलैर्योतीरसैः सह। कृष्णाँल्लोहितवर्णाश्च निर्वामि मनोरमान्॥ विराटराजं रमयन् सामात्यं सहबान्धवम्। न च मां वेत्स्यते कश्चित् तोषयिष्ये च तं नृपम्।।२६
Moving upon boards nice ivory pawns, blue, yellow, red and white, by means of red and black dice I shall please the king with his friends and ministers. When I shall thus be satisfying the king no body shall be able to find me out.
आसं युधिष्ठिरस्याहं पुरा प्राणसमः सखा। इति वक्ष्यामि राजानं यदि मां सोऽनुयोक्ष्यते॥
If the king asks me I shall say-"formerly I was the friend of Yudhishthira, as dear as his life.”
इत्येतद् वो मयाऽऽख्यातं विहरिष्याम्यहं यथा। वृकोदर विराटे त्वं रंस्यसे केन हेतुना॥
I have told you all that-how I would pass my days there. O Vrikodara, in what capacity will you live in the city of Virata?