वैशम्पायन उवाच ते वीरा बद्धनिस्त्रिंशास्तथा बद्धकलापिनः। बद्धगोधाङ्गुलित्राणा: कालिन्दीमभितो ययुः॥
Vaishampayana said Those heroes equipped with swords and finger-protectors made of Iguna leather and furnished with weapons and quivers proceeded in the direction of the river Kalindi.
ततस्ते दक्षिणं तीरमन्वगच्छन् पदातयः। निवृत्तवनवासा हि स्वराष्ट्र प्रेप्सवस्तदा। वसन्तो गिरिदुर्गेषु वनदुर्गेषु धन्विनः॥
Then they desirous of regaining their own kingdom put an end to their forest-life and walked on foot to the southern bank of the river (Kalindi).
विध्यन्तो मृगजातानि महेष्वासा महाबलाः। उत्तरेण दशार्णांस्ते पञ्चालान् दक्षिणेन च॥ अन्तरेण यकृल्लोमान् शूरसेनांश्च पाण्डवाः। लुब्धा ब्रुवाणा मत्स्यस्य विषयं प्राविशन् वनात्॥ धन्विनो बद्धनिस्त्रिंशा विवर्णाः श्मश्रुधारिणः। ततो जनपदं प्राप्य कृष्णा राजानमब्रवीत्॥
Having put an end to their forest life, those sons of Pandu, wielders of great bows, endued with great strength, equipped with swords, wearing beards and looking wan proceeded through Yakrilloma and and Shurasena, and leaving the country of Panchalas on the south and that of Dasharna on the north, dwelling (sometimes) in hill-forts and forest fastness and killing the deer (in their journey) entered Matsya's dominions giving out themselves as hunters.
पश्यैकपद्यो दृश्यन्ते क्षेत्राणि विविधानि च। व्यक्तं दूरे विराटस्य राजधानी भविष्यति। वसामेहापरां रात्रिं बलरान् मे परिश्रमः॥
Having arrived at the country Krishna said to the king-“Look here, there are seen many foot-paths and these indicate the existence of Virata's metropolis in the distance. Spend the remaining part of the night here for great is my fatigue."
युधिष्ठिर उवाच धनंजय समुद्यम्य पाञ्चालीं वह भारत। राजधान्यां निवत्स्यामो विमुक्ताश्च वनादितः॥
Yudhishthira said 0 Dhananjaya, o Bharata, take up Panchali and carry her. As we are come out of this forest we shall settle ourselves in the capital.
वैशम्पायन उवाच तामादायार्जनुस्तूर्णं द्रौपदीं गजराडिव। सम्प्राप्य नगराभ्याशमवतारयदर्जुनः॥
Vaishampayana said Arjuna, like the leader of elephants, quickly took up Draupadi (Drupada's daughter) and on reaching the skirts of the forest let her down.
स राजधानी सम्प्राप्य कौन्तेयोऽर्जुनमब्रवीत्। क्वायुधानि समासज्ज्य प्रवेक्ष्यामः पुरं वयम्॥
After having arrived at the capital the son of Kunti, asked Arjuna-where shall we keep our weapons before we enter the city?
सायुधाश्च प्रवेक्ष्यामो वयं तात पुरं यदि। समुद्वेगं जनस्यास्य करिष्यामो न संशयः॥ गाण्डीवं च महद् गाढं लोके च विदितं नृणाम्। तच्चेदायुधमादाय गच्छामो नगरं वयम्। क्षिप्रमस्मान् विजानीयुर्मनुष्या नात्र संशयः॥
If we enter the city with our weapons we shall undoubtedly cause terror to the citizens. Moreover your gigantic bow, the Gandiva, is known to the people of the world, therefore, if we enter the city with that weapon, the people will undoubtedly cognizant us very soon.
ततो द्वादश वर्षाणि प्रवेष्टव्यं वने पुनः। एकस्मिन्नपि विज्ञाते प्रतिज्ञातं हि नस्तथा॥
And if any one of us be discovered we hall have to enter the forest again for another twelve years, for that has truly been our promise.
अर्जुन उवाच इयं कूटे मनुष्येन्द्र गहना महती शमी। भीमशास्त्रा दुरारोहा श्मशानस्य समीपतः॥
Arjuna said O lord of men, close by the cremation ground there stands, on the mountain peak, a large Shami tree, gigantic in size, hard to climb upon and with tremendous boughs.
न चापि विद्यते कश्चन्मनुष्य इति मे मतिः। योऽस्मान् निदधतो द्रष्टा भवेच्छस्त्राणि पाण्डवाः।।१४।
Nor is their any human being I believe who can observe us, O Pandava, depositing our weapons.
उत्पथे हि वने जाता गृगव्यालनिषेविते। समीपे च श्मशानस्य गहनस्य विशेषतः॥
Remote from the road there grows the tree in the forest inhabited by beasts and snakes and it stands beside a dismal cremation ground,
समाधायायुधं शम्यां गच्छामो नगरं प्रति। एवमत्र यथायोगं विहरिष्याम भारत॥
Having thus deposited our weapons on the Shami tree we shall, O Bharata, go to the city and pass our days there in style befitting us.
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्त्वा स राजानं धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरम्। प्रचक्रमे निधानाय शस्त्राणां भरतर्षभ॥
Vaishampayana said Having spoken thus the king Yudhishthira, the virtuous Arjuna, O best of the Bharata race, prepared for putting aside the weapons on that tree. W to
येन देवान् मनुष्यांश्च सर्वांश्चैकरथोऽजयत्। स्फीताञ्जानपदांश्चान्यानजयत् कुरुपुङ्गवः॥ तदुदारं महाघोषं सम्पन्नबलसूदनम्। अपज्यमकरोत् पार्थो गाण्डीवं सुभयङ्करम्॥
Pritha's son, the best of the Kurus, loosened the string of the large and tremendous Gandiva, capable of producing a deeply terrific twang, of destroying the mighty hosts of enemies and by which he, on a single car, had conquered all the gods and men and many opulent countries.
येन वीरः करुक्षेत्रमभ्यरक्षत् परंतपः। अमुञ्चद् धनुषस्तस्य ज्यामक्षय्यां युधिष्ठिरः॥
The warlike Yudhishthira, the chastiser of enemies, loosened the undecaying string of bow with which he had protected the field of the Kurus (Kurukshetra).
पाञ्चालान् येन संग्रामे भीमसेनोऽजयत् प्रभुः। प्रत्यषेधद् बहूनेकः सपत्नांश्चैव दिग्जये॥ निशम्य यस्य विस्फारं व्यद्रवन्त रणात् परे। पर्वतस्येव दीर्णस्य विस्फोटमशनेरिव॥ सैन्धवं येन राजानं पर्यामृषितवानथ। ज्यापाशं धनुषस्तस्य भीमसेनोऽवतारयत्॥
The mighty Bhimasena unfastened the string of the bow with which the sinless one had conquered the Panchalas in fight, defeated the lord of Sindhu, opposed many of his foes alone at the time of spreading his conquest in all directions and hearing whose twang like the splitting of a mountain, or like the roar of the thunder, the enemies had fled from the field.
अजयत् पश्चिमामाशां धनुषा येन पाण्डवः। माद्रीपुत्रो महाबाहुस्ताम्रास्यो मितभाषिता॥ तस्य मौर्वीमपाकर्षच्छूरः संक्रन्दनो युधि। कुले नास्ति समो रूपे यस्येति नकुलः स्मृतः।।२५।
The heroic son of Pandu by Madri, having large arms, copper complexion, frugal speech and immense prowess in the field of battle, known by the name Nakula by virtue of his matchless beauty in the family, took away the string of his bow with which he had conquered all the regions of the west.
दक्षिणां दक्षिणाचारो दिशं येनाजयत् प्रभुः। अपज्यमकरोद् वीरः सहदेवस्तदायुधम्॥
The heroic Sahadeva of noble conduct rendered his bow stringless with which he made conquests in the southern regions.
खगांश्च दीप्तान् दीर्घाश्च कलापांश्च महाधनान्। विपाठान् क्षुरधारांश्च धनुर्भिनिदधुः सह॥
Along with their bows they deposited their long and shining swords, quivers of great value, and arrows with edges as sharp as those of razors.
वैशम्पायन उवाच अथान्वशासन्नकुलं कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः। आरुह्येमां शमी वीर धनूंष्येतानि निक्षिप॥
Vaishampayana said: Then Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, commanded Nakula-"O heroic one ascend this Shami tree and deposit those bows thereon.”
तामुपारुह्य नकुलो धनूंषि निदधे स्वयम्। यानि तस्यावकाशानि दिव्यरूपाण्यमन्यत॥ यत्र चापश्यत स वै तिरोवर्षाणि वर्षति। तत्र तानि दृढैः पाशैः सुगाढं पर्यबन्धत॥
Having ascended the Shami tree Nakula himself placed these bows. He tied them with strong ropes with those parts of the tree which he thought to be well-formed and where the rain in an oblique lines.
शरीरं च मृतस्यैकं समबनन्त पाण्डवाः। विवर्जयिष्यन्ति नरा दूरादेव शमीमिमाम्॥
There also the Pandavas fastened a corpse so that the people getting the bad smell and saying-"there is a corpse fastened, will shun this Shami from a distance."
आबद्धं शवमत्रेति गन्धमाघ्राय पूतिकम्। अशीतिशतवर्षेयं माता न इति वादिनः॥ कुलधर्मोऽयमस्माकं पूर्वैराजरितोऽपि वा। समासज्ज्याथ वृक्षेऽस्मिन्निति वै व्याहरन्ति ते॥
After having finished the fastening they gave out-"This is our mother, one hundred and eight years old. This is our ancestral custom, observed by our forefathers."
आगोयालाविपालेभ्य आचक्षाणाः परंतपाः। आजग्मुर्नगराभ्याशं पार्थाः शत्रुनिबर्हणाः॥
Having said this to the cow-herds and shipherds Pritha's sons, the subduers of enemies, approached the capital.
जयो जयन्तो विजयो जयत्सेनो जयद्बलः। इति गुह्यानि नामानि चक्रे तेषां युधिष्ठिरः॥
(In order to live incognito) Yudhishthira selected for himself and his brothers these false names-Jaya, Jayanta, Vijaya, Jayatsena and Jayadbala.
ततो यथाप्रतिज्ञाभिः प्राविशान् नगरं महत्। अज्ञातचर्यां वत्स्यन्तो राष्ट्र वर्षं त्रयोदशम्॥
For the purpose of passing the thirteenth year undiscovered in that kingdom they entered the great city in conformity to their promise (to Duryodhana).