महाभारतम् — ४.१

जनमेजय उवाच ।

कथं विराटनगरे मम पूर्वपितामहाः ।
अज्ञातवासमुषिता दुर्योधनभयार्दिताः ॥

M N Dutt Janamejaya said How did my great grand fathers, stricken with the fear of Duryodhana, live incognito in the city of Virata?

वैशंपायन उवाच ।

४.१.२

तथा तु स वराल्लब्ध्वा धर्माद्धर्मभृतां वरः ।
गत्वाश्रमं ब्राह्मणेभ्य आचख्यौ सर्वमेव तत् ॥

M N Dutt Having thus received the boon from Dharma (the god of virtue) the best of the virtuous retired to the asylum, and described to the Brahmanas, all that came to pass.

४.१.३

कथयित्वा तु तत्सर्वं ब्राह्मणेभ्यो युधिष्ठिरः ।
अरणीसहितं तस्मै ब्राह्मणाय न्यवेदयत् ॥

M N Dutt Having described everything to the Brahmanas, Yudhishthira gave over to the Brahmana the fire sticks along with the churning staff which he had lost.

४.१.४

ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा धर्मपुत्रो महामनाः ।
संनिवर्त्यानुजान्सर्वानिति होवाच भारत ॥

M N Dutt 0 Bharata, then the high-souled potentate Yudhishthira, the offspring of Dharma, called all his younger brothers together and addressed them thus:

४.१.५

द्वादशेमानि वर्षाणि राष्ट्राद्विप्रोषिता वयम् ।
त्रयोदशोऽयं संप्राप्तः कृच्छ्रः परमदुर्वसः ॥

M N Dutt For these twelve years, we have been exiled from our kingdom. This is the thirteenth year very had to pass.

४.१.६

स साधु कौन्तेय इतो वासमर्जुन रोचय ।
यत्रेमा वसतीः सर्वा वसेमाविदिताः परैः ॥

M N Dutt Therefore, O Arjuna, the son of Kunti, from here make a judicious choice of a place where we may stay one year without being known by our enemies.

अर्जुन उवाच ।

४.१.७

तस्यैव वरदानेन धर्मस्य मनुजाधिप ।
अज्ञाता विचरिष्यामो नराणां भरतर्षभ ॥

M N Dutt Arjuna said O lord of men, by virtue of Dharma's gift of boon we shall to about without being known to the people. There is no doubt of it.

४.१.८

किं तु वासाय राष्ट्राणि कीर्तयिष्यामि कानिचित् ।
रमणीयानि गुप्तानि तेषां किंचित्स्म रोचय ॥

M N Dutt from among But for purposes of our abode I shall mention some places some places both pleasant and sequestered, please fix upon those.

४.१.९

सन्ति रम्या जनपदा बह्वन्नाः परितः कुरून् ।
पाञ्चालाश्चेदिमत्स्याश्च शूरसेनाः पटच्चराः ।
दशार्णा नवराष्ट्रं च मल्लाः शाल्वा युगंधराः ॥

M N Dutt About the kingdom of Kurus there are many beautiful countries with plenty of corn viz. Panchala, Chedi, Matsya, Shurasena, Patachchara, Dasharna, Navarashtra, Malla, Shalva, Yugandhara and extensive Kuntirashtra, Saurashtra and Avanti.

४.१.१०

एतेषां कतमो राजन्निवासस्तव रोचते ।
वत्स्यामो यत्र राजेन्द्र संवत्सरमिमं वयम् ॥

M N Dutt Which of these, O king, do you select for your abode, where we may live all the year round. On which of these places, Oking, does your choice fall, where we may live all the year round.

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।

४.१.११

एवमेतन्महाबाहो यथा स भगवान्प्रभुः ।
अब्रवीत्सर्वभूतेशस्तत्तथा न तदन्यथा ॥

M N Dutt Yudhishthira said O you of mighty arms, what the worshipful deity (Dharma), the lord of all beings, has said must be so; there can be no other alternative.

४.१.१२

अवश्यं त्वेव वासार्थं रमणीयं शिवं सुखम् ।
संमन्त्र्य सहितैः सर्वैर्द्रष्टव्यमकुतोभयम् ॥

M N Dutt After consulting together we must seek out a pleasant auspicious and agreeable place, where we may live all together without fear.

४.१.१३

मत्स्यो विराटो बलवानभिरक्षेत्स पाण्डवान् ।
धर्मशीलो वदान्यश्च वृद्धश्च सुमहाधनः ॥

M N Dutt The aged Virata, the king of Matsya, is powerful, charitable, of righteous disposition, ever beloved and also attached to the Pandavas.

४.१.१४

विराटनगरे तात संवत्सरमिमं वयम् ।
कुर्वन्तस्तस्य कर्माणि विहरिष्याम भारत ॥

M N Dutt In the city of Virata, O dear one, we shall, O Bharata, spend the whole of his year, doing his work.

४.१.१५

यानि यानि च कर्माणि तस्य शक्ष्यामहे वयम् ।
कर्तुं यो यत्स तत्कर्म ब्रवीतु कुरुनन्दनाः ॥

M N Dutt Tell me, O sons of Kuru, in what capacities we shall have to present ourselves after we shall have gone to the king of the Matsya.

अर्जुन उवाच ।

४.१.१६

नरदेव कथं कर्म राष्ट्रे तस्य करिष्यसि ।
विराटनृपतेः साधो रंस्यसे केन कर्मणा ॥

M N Dutt Arjuna said O god among men, how will you work in his domain, O virtuous one, in what capacity will you reside in the city of Virata?

४.१.१७

मृदुर्वदान्यो ह्रीमांश्च धार्मिकः सत्यविक्रमः ।
राजंस्त्वमापदा क्लिष्टः किं करिष्यसि पाण्डव ॥

M N Dutt O king, you are gentle, charitable, modest, righteous, and true to promise. O Pandava, what will you do, although afflicted with calamity.

४.१.१८

न दुःखमुचितं किंचिद्राजन्वेद यथा जनः ।
स इमामापदं प्राप्य कथं घोरां तरिष्यसि ॥

M N Dutt Like an ordinary person a king is not accustomed to hardships; how will you, as a king, thus get over the awful calamity that has overtaken you.

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।

४.१.१९

शृणुध्वं यत्करिष्यामि कर्म वै कुरुनन्दनाः ।
विराटमनुसंप्राप्य राजानं पुरुषर्षभम् ॥

M N Dutt Yudhishthira said O you sons of Kuru, O you best among men, listen what work I shall do after having come before the king Virata.

४.१.२०

सभास्तारो भविष्यामि तस्य राज्ञो महात्मनः ।
कङ्को नाम द्विजो भूत्वा मताक्षः प्रियदेविता ॥

M N Dutt Appearing as a twice-born one, Kanka by name, expert in dice and fond of game, I shall be a counter of that high-minded king.

४.१.२१

वैडूर्यान्काञ्चनान्दान्तान्फलैर्ज्योतीरसैः सह ।
कृष्णाक्षाल्लोहिताक्षांश्च निर्वर्त्स्यामि मनोरमान् ॥

M N Dutt Moving upon boards nice ivory pawns, blue, yellow, red and white, by means of red and black dice I shall please the king with his friends and ministers. When I shall thus be satisfying the king no body shall be able to find me out.

४.१.२२

आसं युधिष्ठिरस्याहं पुरा प्राणसमः सखा ।
इति वक्ष्यामि राजानं यदि मामनुयोक्ष्यते ॥

M N Dutt If the king asks me I shall say-"formerly I was the friend of Yudhishthira, as dear as his life.”

४.१.२३

इत्येतद्वो मयाख्यातं विहरिष्याम्यहं यथा ।
वृकोदर विराटे त्वं रंस्यसे केन कर्मणा ॥

M N Dutt I have told you all that-how I would pass my days there. O Vrikodara, in what capacity will you live in the city of Virata?