अर्जुन उवाच किमागमनकृत्यं ते कौरव्यकुलनन्दिनि। मणिपूरपतेर्मातस्तथैव च रणाजिरे।।।।
What brings you here, O daughter (in-law) of Kuru's race, and what, also, is the cause of the arrival on the field of battle of her who is the mother of the king of Manipura?
कच्चित् कुशलकामासि राज्ञोऽस्य भुजगात्मजे। मम वा चपलापाङ्गि कच्चित् त्वं शुभमिच्छसि॥
Do you entertain friendly motives towards this king, O daughter of a snake? O you of restless glances, do you wish good to me too?
कच्चित् ते पृथुलश्रोणि नाप्रियं प्रियदर्शने। अकार्षमहमज्ञानादयं वा बभ्रुवाहनः॥
I hope, O you of ample hips, that neither I, nor this Babruvahana here, have, O beautiful lady, donc any injury to you unconsciously?
कच्चिन्नु राजपुत्री ते सपत्नी चैत्रवाहनी। चित्राङ्गदा वरारोहा नापराध्यति किंचन॥
Has Chitrangada of faultless limbs, descended from the line of Chitravahana, done you any wrong?
तमुवाचोरगपतेर्दुहिता प्रहसन्निवा न मे त्वमपराद्धोऽसि न हि मे बभ्रुवाहनः॥
To him, the daughter of the Prince of Snakes answered sinilingly, You have not offended me, nor has Babhruvahana done me any wrong.
न जनित्री तथास्येयं मम या प्रेष्यवत् स्थिता। श्रूयतां यद् यथा चेदं मया सर्वं विचेष्टितम्॥
Nor this prince's mother who is always obedient to me as a hand-maid. Listen, how all this has been caused by me.
न मे कोपस्त्वया कार्य: शिरसा त्वां प्रसादये। त्वत्प्रियार्थं हि कौरव्य कृतमेतन्मया विभो॥
You should not be angry with me. Indeed, I seek to please you by bending my head in respect. O you of Kuru's race, all this has been done by me for your good, O powerful one!
यत्तच्छृणु महाबाहो निखिलेन धनंजय। महाभारतयुद्धे यत् त्वया शान्तनवो नृपः॥ अधर्मेण हतः पार्थ तस्यैषा निष्कृतिः कृता। न हि भीष्मस्त्वया वीर युद्ध्यमानो हि पातितः॥
O mighty-armed Dhananjaya, Hear all that I have done. In the great battle of the BharataPrinces, you had killed the royal son of Shantanu by unfair ways. What I have done has expiated your sin. You did not overthrow Bhishma while fighting with you!
शिखण्डिना तु संयुक्तस्तमाश्रित्य हतस्त्वया। तस्य शान्तिमकृत्वा त्वं त्यजेथा यदि जीवितम्॥ कर्मणा तेन पापेन पतेथा निरये ध्रुवम्। एषा तु विहिता शान्तिः पुत्राद् यां प्राप्तवानसि।
He was engaged with Shikandin. Relying on him as your help, you did bring about the overthrow of Shantanu's son. Of you had died without having expiated your sin, you would then have fallen, forsooth, into Hell on account of that sinful deed of yours. Even this which you have got from your son is the expiation of that sin!
वसुभिर्वसुधापाल गङ्गया च महामते॥ पुरा हि श्रुतमेतत् ते वसुभिः कथितं मया।
Formerly, o king, I heard this said by the Vasus while they were in the company of Ganga, O you of great intelligence.
गङ्गायास्तीरमाश्रित्य हते शान्तनवे नृप॥ आप्लुत्य देवा वसवः समेत्य च महानदीम्। इदमूचुर्वचो घोरं भागीरथ्या मते तदा॥ एष शान्तनवो भीष्मो निहतः सव्यसाचिना।
After the fall of Shantanu's son, those celestials, viz., the Vasus, coming to the banks of Ganga, bathed in her waters, and calling the goddess of that stream, they uttered these terrible words having the sanction of Bhagirati herself, viz., Shantanu's son Bhishma has been killed by Dhananjaya.
अयुध्यमानः संग्रामे संसक्तोऽन्येन भाविनि। तदनेनानुषङ्गेण वयमद्य धनंजयम्॥
Indeed, O goddess, Bhishma then was engaged with another, and had ceased to fight. For this fault we shall today imprecate a curse on Dhananjaya!
शापेन योजयामेति तथास्त्विति च साब्रवीत्। तदहं पितुरावेद्य प्रविश्य व्यथितेन्द्रिया॥
To this, the goddess Ganga readily agreed, saying, Be it so! Hearing these words I became very much distressed and penetrating into the nether regions represented everything to my father.
अभवं स च तच्छ्रुत्वा विषादमगमत् परम्। पिता त मे तु मे वसून् गत्वा त्वदर्थे समयाचत॥ पुनः पुनः प्रसाद्यैतांस्त एनमिदमब्रुवन्। पुत्रस्तस्य महाभाग मणिपूरेश्वरो युवा॥
Informed of what had taken place, my father became plunged in grief. Going to the Vasus, he begged them for your sake, again and again gratifying them by every means in his power. They then said to him, Dhananjaya has a highly blessed son who, youthful as he is, is the king of Manipura.
स एनं रणमध्यस्थः शरैः पातयिता शुवि। एवं कृते स नागेन्द्र मुक्तशापो भविष्यति॥
He will, standing on the field of battle, cast Dhananjaya down on the Earth. When this will take place, O Prince of Snakes, Arjuna will be freed from our curse!
गच्छेति वसुभिश्चोक्तो मम चेदं शशंस सः। तच्छ्रुत्वात्वं मया तस्माच्छापादसि विमोक्षितः॥
Do you return! Thus addressed by the Vasus, he came back and informed me of what had taken place. Having learnt all this, O hero, I have freed you from the curse of the Vasus in thus.
न हि त्वां देवराजोऽपि समरेषु पराजयेत्। आत्मा पुत्रः स्मृतस्तस्मात् तेनेहासि पराजितः॥
The king of the celestials himself, incapable of defeating you in battle. The son is one's own self. It is for this that you have been defeated by him.
न हि दोषो मम मतः कथं वा मन्यसे विभो। इत्येवमुक्तो विजयः प्रसन्नात्माब्रवीदिदम्॥ सर्वे मे सुप्रियं देवि यदेतत् कृतवत्यसि।
I cannot be held, O powerful one, to have committed any sin. How, indeed, would you hold me censurable? Thus addressed (by Ulupi), Vijaya became cheerful of heart and said to her, All this you have done, O goddess, is highly agreeable to me.
इत्युक्त्वा सोऽब्रवीत् पुत्रं मणिपूरपतिं जयः॥ चित्राङ्गदायाः शृण्वत्याः कौरव्यदुहितुस्तदा। युधिष्ठिरस्याश्वमेधः परिचैत्री भविष्यति॥ तत्रागच्छेः सहामात्यो मातृभ्यां सहितो नृप॥
After this, Jaya addressed his son, the king of Manipura, and said to him in the hearing of Chitrangada, the daughter (-in-law) of Kuru's race, the Horse-Sacrifice of Yudhishthira will take place on the day of full moon in the coming month of Chaitra.Come there, O king, with your mother and your counsellors and officers!'
इत्येवमुक्तः पार्थन स राजा बभ्रुवाहनः। उवाच पितरं धीमानिदमस्राविलेक्षणः॥ उपयास्यामि धर्मज्ञ भवतः शासनादहम्। अश्वमेधे महायज्ञे द्विजातिपरिवेषकः॥
Thus addressed by Partha, king Babhruvahana of great intelligence, with tearful eyes, said these words to his father, 'O you who are conversant with every duty, I shall certainly go, at your command, to the great Horse-Sacrifice, and take upon myself the task of distributing food among the twice-born ones!
मम त्वनुग्रहार्थाय प्रविशस्व पुरं स्वकम्। भार्याभ्यां सह धर्मज्ञ मा भूत् तेऽत्र विचारणा॥
For, however, showing your grace towards me, do you enter your own city with your two wives. Do not cherish any scruple about this, O you who are fully acquainted with every duty!
उषित्वेह निशामेकां सुखं स्वभवने प्रभो। पुनरश्वानुगमनं कर्तासि जयतां वर॥
O lord, having lived for one night in your own palace in happiness, you may then follow the horse, O foremost of victorious warriors!
इत्युक्तः स तु पुत्रेण तदा वानरकेतनः। स्मयन् प्रोवाच कौन्तेयस्तदा चित्राङ्गदासुतम्॥ विदितं ते महाबाहो यथा दीक्षां चराम्यहम्। न स तावत् प्रवेक्ष्यामि पुरं ते पृथुलोचन॥
The ape-bannered son of Kunti, thus addressed by his son, answered the child Chitrangada, saying, You know, mighty-armed one, what vow I am observing? O you of large eyes, till the termination of this my vow, I cannot enter your city.
यथाकामं व्रजत्येष यज्ञियाश्वो नरर्षभा स्वस्ति तेऽस्तु गमिष्यामि न स्थानं विद्यते मम॥
O foremost of men, this sacrificial horse wanders at will. Blessings on you. I must go away. I have no place to rest for even a short while!
स तत्र विधिवत् तेन पूजित: पाकशासनिः। भार्याभ्यामभ्यनुज्ञातः प्रायाद् भरतसत्तमः॥
The son of the chastiser of Paka then, duly adored by his son and obtaining the permission of his wives, left the spot and proceeded on his way.