वैशम्पायन उवाच ततस्ते पाण्डवा दूरादवतीर्य पदातयः। अभिजग्मुर्नरपतेराश्रमं विनयानताः॥
Vaishampayana said The Pandavas got down at a distance, from their cars and proceeded on foot to the hermitage of the king, bending themselves in humility.
स च योधजनः सर्वो ये च राष्ट्रनिवासिनः। स्त्रियश्च कुरुमुख्यानां पद्भिरेवान्वयुस्तदा।॥
All the combatants also, and the citizens and the wives of the Kuru chiefs, followed them on foot.
आश्रमं ते ततो जग्मुधृतराष्ट्रस्य पाण्डवाः। शून्यं मृगगणाकीर्णं कदलीवनशोभितम्॥
The Pandavas then reached the sacred hermitage of Dhritarashtra which abounded with herds of deer and which was adorned with plantain plants.
ततस्तत्र समाजग्मुस्तापसा नियतव्रताः। पाण्डवानागतान् द्रष्टुं कौतूहलसमन्विताः॥
Many ascetics of rigid vows, filled with curiosity, came there for seeing the Pandavas who had arrived at the hermitage.
तानपृच्छत् ततो राजा क्वासौ कौरववंशभृत्। पिता ज्येष्ठो गतोऽस्माकमिति बाष्पपरिप्लुतः॥
The king, with tears in his eyes, asked them, saying, 'Where has my eldest sire the perpetuator of Kuru's race, gone?
ते तमूचुस्ततो वाक्यं यमुनामवगाहितुम्। युष्याणामुदकुम्भस्य चार्थे गत इति प्रभो॥
They answered, O monarch, telling him that he had gone to the Yamuna, for his ablutions, as also for fetching flowers and waters.
तैराख्यातेन मार्गेण ततस्ते जग्मुरञ्जसा। ददृशुश्चाविदूरे तान् सर्वानथ पदातयः॥
Proceeding quickly on foot along the path pointed out by them, the Pandavas saw all of them from a distance.
ततस्ते सत्वरा जग्मुः पितुर्दर्शनकाक्षिणः। सहदेवस्तु वेगेन प्राधावद् यत्र सा पृथा।॥
Desirous of meeting with their sire they walked rapidly. Then Sahadeva ran quickly towards the spot where Pritha was.
सुस्वरं रुरुदे धीमान् मातुः पादावुपस्पृशन्। सा च बाष्पाकुलमुखी ददर्श दयितं सुतम्॥
Touching the feet of his mother, he began to weep aloud. With tears running down her cheeks, she saw her darling child.
बाहुभ्यां सम्परिष्वज्य समुन्नाम्य च पुत्रकम्। गान्धार्याः कथयामास सहदेवमुपस्थितम्॥
Raising her son up and embracing him with her arms she informed Gandhari of Sahadeva's arrival.
अनन्तरं च राजानं भीमसेनमथार्जुनम्। नकुलं च पृथा दृष्ट्वा त्वरमाणोपचक्रमे॥
Then seeing he king Bhimasena, Arjuna and Nakula, Pritha tried to advance quickly towards them.
सा ह्यग्रे गच्छति तयोर्दम्पत्योर्हतपुत्रयोः। कर्यन्ती तौ ततस्ते तां दृष्ट्वा संन्यपतन भुवि॥
She was walking in advance of the childless old pair, and was dragging them forward. Seeing her, the Pandavas feel down on the earth.
राजा तान् स्वरयोगेन स्पर्शेन च महामनाः। प्रत्यभिज्ञाय मेधावी समाश्वासयत प्रभुः॥
The powerful and the great monarch, gifted with great intelligence, recognising them by their voices ard also by touch, comforted them one after another.
ततस्ते बाष्पमुत्सृज्य गान्धारीसहितं नृपम्। उपतस्थुर्महात्मानो मातरं च यथाविधि॥
Shedding tears, those great princes, with due formalities, approached the old king and Gandhari, as also their own mother.
सर्वेषां तोयकलशाजगृहुस्ते स्वयं तदा। पाण्डवा लब्धसंज्ञास्ते मात्रा चाश्वासिताः पुनः॥
Indeed, regaining their senses, and once more consoled by their mother, the Pandavas took away from the king and their aunt and mother the jars full of water which they ha been carrying
तथा नार्यो नृसिंहानां सोऽवरोधजनस्तदा। पौरजानपदाश्चैव ददृशुस्तं जनाधिपम्॥
The ladies of those leading men, and all the women of the royal household, as also all the inhabitants of the city and the provinces, then saw the old king.
निवेदयामास तदा जनं तन्नामगोत्रतः। युधिष्ठिरो नरपति: स चैनं प्रत्यपूजयत्॥
King Yudhishthira presented all those individuals one after another to the old king, repeating their names and families and then himself adored his eldest sire with respect.
स तैः परिवृत्तो मेने हर्षबाष्पाविलेक्षणः। राजाऽऽत्मानं गृहगतं पुरेव गजसाह्वये॥
Surrounded by them all, the old monarch, with eyes bathed in tears of joy, considered himself as once more staying in the midst of the city of Hastinapur.
अभिवादितो वधूभिश्च कृष्णाद्याभिः स पार्थिवः। गान्धार्या सहितो धीमान् कुन्त्या च प्रत्यनन्दत॥
Saluted with respect by all his daughters-inlaw headed by Krishna, king Dhritarashtra, gifted with great intelligence, with Gandhari and Kunti became filled with joy.
ततश्चाश्रममागच्छत् सिद्वयारणसेवितम्। दिदृक्षुभिः समाकीर्णं नमस्तारागणैरिव॥
He then reached his forest-retreat which was highly spoken of by Siddhas and Charanas, and that then was filled up with vast crowds of men all desirous of seeing him, like the sky teeming with my raids of stars.