वैशम्पायन उवाच स्तथार्जुनो धर्मभृतां वरिष्ठः। वाक्यं तथासौ विरराम भूयो नृपोऽपरं भ्रातरमाबभाषे॥
Vaishampayana said Having spoken thus, Arjuna, the best of men and the foremost of the virtuous, ceased, and the king again asked his another brother.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच किं त्वं नकुल कुर्वाणस्तत्र तात चरिष्यसि। कर्म तत् त्वं समाचक्ष्व राज्ये तस्य महीपतेः। सुकुमारश्च शूरश्च दर्शनीयः सुखोचितः॥
Yudhishthira said O Nakula, tender, heroic, graceful and accustomed to pleasurable pursuits as you are, what work will you do in the dominion of Virata, tell me that.
नकुल उवाच अश्वबन्धो भविष्यामि विराटनृपतेरहम्। सर्वथा ज्ञानसम्पन्नः कुशलः परिरक्षणे॥
Nakula said I shall be the keeper of the horses of king Virata; I possess thorough knowledge of the business, and am expert in the tending of them,
ग्रन्थिको नाम नाम्नाहं कमैतत् सुप्रियं मम। कुशलोऽस्म्यश्वशिक्षायां तथैवाश्वचिकित्सने।।
I shall be designated Granthika. The avocation is congenial to me. I am expert both in training and treating horses.
प्रियाश्च सततं मेऽश्वाः कुरुराज यथा तव॥ ये मामामन्त्रयिष्यन्ति विराटनगरे जनाः। तेभ्य एवं प्रवक्ष्यामि विहरिष्याम्यहं यथा॥ पाण्डवेन पुरा तात अश्वेष्वधिकृतः : पुरा। विराटनगरे छन्नश्चरिष्यामि महीपते॥
O king of the Kurus, horses are even dear to me as they are to you. Those who will question me in the city of the Virat will be thus told by me. "Formerly I was placed by Yudhishthira in charge of his horses. O ruler of the earth, I shall thus disguised go about in the city of Virata.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच सहदेव कथं तस्य समीपे विहरिष्यसि। किं वा त्वं कर्म कुर्वाणः प्रच्छन्नो विहरिष्यसि॥
Yudhishthira said O Sahadeva, how will you appear before him or what work will you do so that you may walk about undiscovered.
सहदेव उवाच गोसंख्याता भविष्यामि विराटस्य महीपतेः। प्रतिषेद्धा च दोग्धा च संख्याने कुशलो गवाम्॥
Sahadeva said I shall be the counter of the cows of the king Virata; I am skilled in taming, milking and counting them.
तन्तिपाल इति ख्यातो नाम्नाहं विदितस्त्वथ। निपुणं च चरिष्यामि व्येतु ते मानसो ज्वरः॥
Denominated as Tantipala and by that name I shall clearly do my duty. Let your mental anxiety be dispelled.
अहं हि सततं गोषु भवता प्रहितः पुरा। तत्र मे कौशलं सर्वमवबुद्धं विशाम्पते।॥
Very often was I formerly employed by you in looking after your cows. O Lord of the earth, all the arts that the business involves are known to me.
लक्षणं चरितं चापि गवां यच्चापि मङ्गलम्। तत् सर्वं मे सुविदितमन्यच्चापि महीपते॥
0 ruler of the earth, the nature, the characteristics and the favorable marks and other points regarding cows are well known to me.
वृषभानपि जानामि राजन् पूजितलक्षणान्। येषां मूत्रमुपाघ्राय अपि वध्या प्रसूयते॥
I also know the bulls bearing favourable marks whose urine on being smelt makes even the barren productive.
सोऽहमेवं चरिष्यामि प्रीतिरत्र हि मे सदा। न च मां वेत्स्यते कश्चित् तोषयिष्ये च पार्थिवम्॥१३
Thus shall I pass my days; there is always a delight for me in this work, and no one shall recognize me and moreover I will entertain the monarch.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच इयं हि नः प्रिया भार्या प्राणेभ्योऽपि गरीयसी। मातेव परिपाल्या च पूज्या ज्येष्ठेव च स्वसा॥
Yudhishthira said This is our beloved wife dearer even than life. Like a mother she is to be cherished and like an elder sister she is to be respected.
केन स्म द्रौपदी कृष्णा कर्मणा विचरिष्यति। न हि किञ्चिद् विजानाति कर्म कर्तुं यथा स्त्रियः।।१५
In what capacity will Krishna the daughter of Drupada, appear; like other women she does not know how to do any work.
सुकुमारी च बाला च राजपुत्री यशस्विनी। पतिव्रता महाभागा कथं नु विचरिष्यति॥
Tender and young is the king's daughter, endowed with eminence, devoted to her lords and highly virtuous; how will she pass her days?
माल्यगन्धानलङ्कारान् वस्त्राणि विविधानि च। एतान्येवाभिजानाति यतो जाता हि भामिनी॥
Since her very birth the handsome lady has only been accustomed to garlands, perfumes, ornaments and diverse kinds of robes.
द्रौपधुवाच सैरन्ध्रयो रक्षिता लोके भुजिष्याः सन्ति भारत। नैवमन्याः स्त्रियो यान्ति इति लोकस्य निश्चयः।। साहं ब्रुवाणा सैरन्ध्री कुशला केशकर्मणि॥
Draupadi said O Bharata, there is a class of maid-servants called Sairandhri employed in the service of others and it is the conviction of people that no (respectable) ladies will enter it.
युधिष्ठिरस्य गेहे वै द्रौपद्याः परिचारिका। उषितास्मीति वक्ष्यामि पृष्टा राज्ञा च भारत॥ आत्मगुप्ता चरिष्यामि यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि।॥
I shall call myself Sairandhri skilled in dressing hair; and asked by the king, O Bharata, I shall say “I was a waiting maid to Draupadi in the house of Yudhishthira," and as you ask me (I say) I, shall pass my days concealing myself.
सुदेष्णां प्रत्युपस्थास्ये राजभार्यां यशस्विनीम्। सा रक्षिष्यति मां प्राप्तां मा भूत् ते दुःखमीदृशम्।।२१
I shall serve Shudeshna the reputed wife, of the king, and getting me, she will keep me. Let this anxiety of yours be set at rest.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच कल्याणं भाषसे कृष्णे कुले जातासि भामिनि। न पापमभिजानासि साध्वी साधुव्रते स्थिता॥
Yudhishthira said O Krishna, you have spoken well, O fair one, you are born in a noble family; chaste as you are and engaged in pursuit of pious vows you are a stranger to sin.
यथा न दुहृदः पापा भवन्ति सुखिनः पुनः। कुर्यास्तत् त्वं हि कल्याणि लक्षयेयुर्न ते तथा॥
O blessed one, you should behave yourself in such a way that the wicked and sinful men inay have no chance of deriving pleasure from looking at you.