वैशम्पायन उवाच स तैः सह नरव्याप्रैर्धातृभिर्भरतर्षभ। राजा रुचिरपद्माक्षरासांचक्रे तदाश्रमे॥
Vaishmpayana said The king, O chief of Bharatas' race, with those foremost of men, viz., his brothers who all had eyes resembling lotus petals, took his seat in the hermitage of his eldest sire.
तापसैश्च महाभागैर्नानादेशसमागतैः। द्रष्टुं कुरुपतेः पुत्रान् पाण्डवान् पृथुवक्षसः॥
There sat around him many highly blessed ascetics, coming from various regions, from desire of seeing the sons of that lord of Kuru's race, viz., the Pandavas of wide chests.
तेऽब्रुवज्ञातुमिच्छामः कतमोऽत्र युधिष्ठिरः। भीमार्जुनौ यमौ चैव द्रौपदी च यशस्विनी॥
They said, 'We wish to know who amongst these is Yudhishthira, who are Bhima and Arjuna, who the twins, and who is the illustrious Draupadi?'
सर्वोस्तानभिनामतः। संजयो द्रौपदी चैव सर्वाश्चान्या कुरुस्त्रियः॥
Then the Suta, Sanjaya, in answer to their queries, pointed out to them the Pandavas, naming each, and Draupadi too as also the other ladies of the Kururace.
संजय उवाच स्तनुर्महासिंह इव प्रवृद्धः। स्ताम्रायताक्षः कुरुराज एषः॥
Sanjaya said This one fair like pure gold, who is endued with a body which looks like that of a fullgrown lion, who is possessed of a large aquiline nose, and wide and expansive eyes of a coppery hue, is the Kuru king.
तानाचख्यौ तदा सूत: अयं पुनर्मत्तगजेन्द्रगामी प्रतप्तचामीकरशुद्धगौरः। वृकोदरः पश्यत पश्यतेमम्॥
This one whose tread is like that of an infuriate elephant, whose complexion is as fair as that of heated gold, whose frame is of large and expansive proportions, and whose arms are long sand stout, is Vrikodara. See him well.
यस्त्वेष पार्वेऽस्य महाधनुष्मान् श्यामो युवावारणयूथपाभः। सिंहोन्नतांसो गजखेलगामी पद्मायताक्षोऽर्जुन एष वीरः॥
The powerful bowmen who sits besides him, of darkish color and youthful frame, who resembles the leader of an elephantine herd, whose shoulders are as high as those of a lion, who walks like a sporting elephant, and whose eyes are as expansive as the petals of a lotus, is the hero called Arjuna.
कुन्तीसमीपे पुरुषोत्तमौ तु यमाविमौ विष्णुमहेन्द्रकल्पौ। मनुष्यलोके सकले समोऽस्ति ययोर्न रूपे न बले न शीले॥
Those two foremost of men, who are sitting beside Kunti, are the twins resembling Vishnu and Mahendra. In the entire world, they have not their cquals in beauty and strength and excellence of conduct.
इयं पुन: पद्मदलायताक्षी मध्यं वयः किञ्चिदिव स्पृशन्ती। नीलोत्पलाभा सुरदेवतेव कृष्णा स्थिता मूर्तिमतीव लक्ष्मीः॥
This lady having eyes expansive as lotuspetals, who seems to have touched the middle age of life, whose complexion resembles that of the blue lotus, and who looks like goddess, is Krishna, the embodied form of the goddess of prosperity.
अस्थास्तु पार्वे कनकोत्तमाभा यैषा प्रभा मूर्तिमतीव सौमी। श्चक्रायुधस्याप्रतिमस्य तस्य।॥
She who sits besides her, possessed of the complexion of pure gold, who looks like the embodied rays of the moon, in the midst of other ladies, O foremost of twice-born oncs, is the sister that unrivaled hero who holds the discus.
इयं च जाम्बूनदशुद्धगौरी पार्थस्य भार्या भुजगेन्द्रकन्या। चित्राङ्गदा चैव नरेन्द्रकन्या यैषा सवर्णामधूकपुष्पैः॥
This other, as fair as pure gold, is the daughter of the Naga king and wife of Arjuna. This other whose complexion is like of pure gold or like that of Madhuka flowers, is the princess Chitrangada.
इयं स्वसा राजचमूपतेश्च प्रवृद्धनीलोत्पलदामवर्णा। पस्पर्ध कृष्णेन सदा नृपो यो वृकोदरस्यैष परिग्रहाय्यः॥
This one, whose complexion is like an assemblage of blue lotuses, is the sister of that monarch, that lord of hosts, who used to always challenge Krishna. She is the foremost wife of Vrikodara.
इयं च राज्ञो मगधाधिपस्य सुता जरासन्ध इति श्रुतस्य। यवीयसो भाद्रवतीसुतस्य भार्या मता चम्पकदामगौरी॥
This is the daughter of the king of Magadha who was known by the name of Jarasandha. Possessed of the complexion of an assemblage of Champakas, she is the wife of the youngest son of Madravati.
इन्दीवरश्यामतनुः स्थिता तु यैषा परासन्नमहीतले च। भार्या मता माद्रवतीसुतस्य ज्येष्ठस्य सेयं कमलायताक्षी॥
Possessed of complexion dark as the blue lotus, she who sits there on the earth, and whose eyes are as expansive as lotus-petals, she is the wife of the eldest son of Madravati,
इयं तु निष्टप्तसुवर्णगौरी राज्ञो विराटस्य सुता सपुत्रा। भार्याभिमन्योर्निहतो रणे यो द्रोणादिभिस्तैर्विरथो रंथस्थैः॥
This lady whose complexion is as fair as that of heated gold and who sits with her child on her lap, is the daughter of king Virata. She is the wife of that Abhimanyu who while divested of his car, was killed by Drona and other fighting from their cars.
एतास्तु सीमन्तशिरोरुहायाः शुल्कोत्तरीया नरराजपल्यः। राज्ञोऽस्य वृद्धस्य परं शताख्या: स्नुषा नृवीरा हतपुत्रनाथाः॥
These ladies, the hair on whose heads shows not the parted line, and who are clad in white, are the widows of the killed sons of Dhritarashtra. They are the daughters-in-law of this old king, the wives of his hundred sons, now deprived of both their husbands and children who have been killed by heroic enemies.
एता यथामुख्यमुदाहता वो ब्राह्मण्यभावादृजुबुद्धिसत्त्वाः। सर्वा भवद्भिः परिपृच्छ्यमाना नरेन्द्रपल्यः सुविशुद्धसत्त्वाः॥
I have now pointed them out in the order of precedence. On account of their devotion to Brahmanas, their understanding and hearts are divested of every kind of crookedness. Possessed of pure souls, they have all been pointed out by men, these princesses of the Kaurava line, in answer to your queries.
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवं स राजा कुरुवृद्धवर्यः समागतस्तैर्नरदेवपुत्रैः पप्रच्छ सर्वं कुशलं तदानीं गतेषु सर्वेष्वथ तापसेषु॥
Vaishampayana said Thus that aged king of Kuru's race, having met with those sons of him that was a celestial among men, enquired about their well-being after all the ascetics had departed.
योधेषु वाप्याश्रममण्डलं तं मुक्त्वा निविष्टेषु विमुच्य पत्रम्। स्त्रीवृद्धबाले च सुसंनिविष्टे यथार्हतस्तान् कुशलान्यपृच्छत्॥
The warriors who had accompanied the Pandavas, leaving the retreat, sat themselves down at a little distance, getting down from their cars and the animals they rode. Indeed, after all the crowd, viz., the ladies the old men and the children, had been seated, the old king duly addressed thein after making the usual polite enquireis.