महाभारतम् — ४.१२

जनमेजय उवाच ।

एवं मत्स्यस्य नगरे वसन्तस्तत्र पाण्डवाः ।
अत ऊर्ध्वं महावीर्याः किमकुर्वन्त वै द्विज ॥

M N Dutt Janamejaya said O twice-born one, living thus disguised in the city of the Matsyas what did the Kuru's sons of exceeding might do.

वैशंपायन उवाच ।

४.१२.२

एवं ते न्यवसंस्तत्र प्रच्छन्नाः कुरुनन्दनाः ।
आराधयन्तो राजानं यदकुर्वन्त तच्छृणु ॥

M N Dutt Vaishampayana said Hear, what the descendants of Kuru did living thus disguised in the city of the Matsyas and serving the king thereof.

४.१२.३

युधिष्ठिरः सभास्तारः सभ्यानामभवत्प्रियः ।
तथैव च विराटस्य सपुत्रस्य विशां पते ॥

M N Dutt Yudhishthira as a courtier made himself a favorite to Virata and his son, as well as to all the Matsyas, O lord of people.

४.१२.४

स ह्यक्षहृदयज्ञस्तान्क्रीडयामास पाण्डवः ।
अक्षवत्यां यथाकामं सूत्रबद्धानिव द्विजान् ॥

M N Dutt Well versed in the mysteries of the dice he caused him to play at dice in the dice-hall in accordance with his pleasure like the birds bound by the string.

४.१२.५

अज्ञातं च विराटस्य विजित्य वसु धर्मराट् ।
भ्रातृभ्यः पुरुषव्याघ्रो यथार्हं स्म प्रयच्छति ॥

M N Dutt That best of men, the king of justice (Yudhishthira) having won the wealth of Virata duly distributed it without the knowledge of the monarch among his brothers.

४.१२.६

भीमसेनोऽपि मांसानि भक्ष्याणि विविधानि च ।
अतिसृष्टानि मत्स्येन विक्रीणाति युधिष्ठिरे ॥

M N Dutt Bhimsena also sold to Yudhishthira, the meat and the viands of various sorts which were given by the king of the Matsyas.

४.१२.७

वासांसि परिजीर्णानि लब्धान्यन्तःपुरेऽर्जुनः ।
विक्रीणानश्च सर्वेभ्यः पाण्डवेभ्यः प्रयच्छति ॥

M N Dutt Arjuna parted with the worn out clothes by sale, which he obtained from women's quarters, to the other sons of Pandu.

४.१२.८

सहदेवोऽपि गोपानां वेषमास्थाय पाण्डवः ।
दधि क्षीरं घृतं चैव पाण्डवेभ्यः प्रयच्छति ॥

M N Dutt Sahadeva also, who had assumed the dress of a cow-herd, distributed to them curds, milk and clarified butter.

४.१२.९

नकुलोऽपि धनं लब्ध्वा कृते कर्मणि वाजिनाम् ।
तुष्टे तस्मिन्नरपतौ पाण्डवेभ्यः प्रयच्छति ॥

M N Dutt Nakula also gave the wealth to his brothers which he acquired from the king who was satisfied with him for his tending the horses.

४.१२.१०

कृष्णापि सर्वान्भ्रातॄंस्तान्निरीक्षन्ती तपस्विनी ।
यथा पुनरविज्ञाता तथा चरति भामिनी ॥

M N Dutt In the form of ascetic and very charmful draupadi served their husband, so nobody can identify their reality.

४.१२.११

एवं संपादयन्तस्ते तथान्योन्यं महारथाः ।
प्रेक्षमाणास्तदा कृष्णामूषुश्छन्ना नराधिप ॥

M N Dutt They, the mighty warriors, then looking after the interest of one another, lived in the city of Virata in such a manner, as if they were once more in the house of their mother.

४.१२.१२

अथ मासे चतुर्थे तु ब्रह्मणः सुमहोत्सवः ।
आसीत्समृद्धो मत्स्येषु पुरुषाणां सुसंमतः ॥

M N Dutt Then in the fourth month there happened a great festival, in honor of the divine Brahma, slender in form and highly valued by people, in the city of the Matsya's.

४.१२.१३

तत्र मल्लाः समापेतुर्दिग्भ्यो राजन्सहस्रशः ।
महाकाया महावीर्याः कालखञ्जा इवासुराः ॥

M N Dutt 0 king, there came, by thousands, wrestlers from all quarters in that field of festivity in honour of the divine Brahma, as also on the occasion of a festival held in honor of Shiva.

४.१२.१४

वीर्योन्नद्धा बलोदग्रा राज्ञा समभिपूजिताः ।
सिंहस्कन्धकटिग्रीवाः स्ववदाता मनस्विनः ।
असकृल्लब्धलक्षास्ते रङ्गे पार्थिवसंनिधौ ॥

M N Dutt Their shoulders, waists and necks were like those of lions, their bodies were free from dirt, and their hearts were large. Many times before they achieved success in the lists in the very august presence of the king.

४.१२.१५

तेषामेको महानासीत्सर्वमल्लान्समाह्वयत् ।
आवल्गमानं तं रङ्गे नोपतिष्ठति कश्चन ॥

M N Dutt Amongst them there was one who was the greatest of all and challenged all other combatants to a wrestle; there was none that ventured to encounter him as he strided over in the arena.

४.१२.१६

यदा सर्वे विमनसस्ते मल्ला हतचेतसः ।
अथ सूदेन तं मल्लं योधयामास मत्स्यराट् ॥

M N Dutt When all the wrestlers stood stupefied and dejected in spirit then the king of the Matsyas made him fight with his cook.

४.१२.१७

चोद्यमानस्ततो भीमो दुःखेनैवाकरोन्मतिम् ।
न हि शक्नोति विवृते प्रत्याख्यातुं नराधिपम् ॥

M N Dutt Impelled by the king, Bhima made up his mind with reluctance, for it was not in his power to openly disobey the royal mandate.

४.१२.१८

ततः स पुरुषव्याघ्रः शार्दूलशिथिलं चरन् ।
प्रविवेश महारङ्गं विराटमभिहर्षयन् ॥

M N Dutt Then that the best of men, having worshipped the king Virata, entered the spacious arena with listless steps like those of a lion.

४.१२.१९

बबन्ध कक्ष्यां कौन्तेयस्ततस्तं हर्षयञ्जनम् ।
ततस्तं वृत्रसंकाशं भीमो मल्लं समाह्वयत् ॥

M N Dutt Then Bhima, the son of Kunti, girded up his lions and caused the delight of the spectators. There he summoned the wrestler of distinguished prowess named Jimuta resembling Vritra himself. were

४.१२.२०

तावुभौ सुमहोत्साहावुभौ तीव्रपराक्रमौ ।
मत्ताविव महाकायौ वारणौ षष्टिहायनौ ॥

M N Dutt Both of them were of exceeding energy and of terrible prowess, and they both were like a couple of infuriated elephants of gigantic form each being sixty years old. Then those two best of men became engaged in hand-tohand fight.

४.१२.२१

चकर्ष दोर्भ्यामुत्पाट्य भीमो मल्लममित्रहा ।
विनदन्तमभिक्रोशञ्शार्दूल इव वारणम् ॥

M N Dutt Bhima, the slayer of enemies, seized, with a big seized, his vociferous rival wrestler by the arms and drew him near even as the lion seizes the elephant.

४.१२.२२

तमुद्यम्य महाबाहुर्भ्रामयामास वीर्यवान् ।
ततो मल्लाश्च मत्स्याश्च विस्मयं चक्रिरे परम् ॥

M N Dutt Then the mighty-armed Bhima of great prowess raised him up and began to whirl him round; then all the athlete and the people of the Matsya's, who had assembled on the occasion, were greatly astonished.

४.१२.२३

भ्रामयित्वा शतगुणं गतसत्त्वमचेतनम् ।
प्रत्यपिंषन्महाबाहुर्मल्लं भुवि वृकोदरः ॥

M N Dutt Then having whirled him round and round a hundred times, the mighty armed Vrikodara inade him utterly insensible and threw him down lifeless on the ground.

४.१२.२४

तस्मिन्विनिहते मल्ले जीमूते लोकविश्रुते ।
विराटः परमं हर्षमगच्छद्बान्धवैः सह ॥

M N Dutt That distinguished athlete Jimuta being slain, Virata and his friends were exceedingly delighted.

४.१२.२५

संहर्षात्प्रददौ वित्तं बहु राजा महामनाः ।
बल्लवाय महारङ्गे यथा वैश्रवणस्तथा ॥

M N Dutt In his great joy the high-minded king gave away to Ballava plenty of riches in the shape of a reward on the very field of combat with as much liberality as that of Kubera.

४.१२.२६

एवं स सुबहून्मल्लान्पुरुषांश्च महाबलान् ।
विनिघ्नन्मत्स्यराजस्य प्रीतिमावहदुत्तमाम् ॥

M N Dutt Having thus slain numerous athletes and many other persons of great strength he received the great favour of the king of the Matsya's.

४.१२.२७

यदास्य तुल्यः पुरुषो न कश्चित्तत्र विद्यते ।
ततो व्याघ्रैश्च सिंहैश्च द्विरदैश्चाप्ययोधयत् ॥

M N Dutt When there was found no one such as to stand equal to him the king made him fight with tigers and lions and elephants.

४.१२.२८

पुनरन्तःपुरगतः स्त्रीणां मध्ये वृकोदरः ।
योध्यते स्म विराटेन सिंहैर्मत्तैर्महाबलैः ॥

M N Dutt Again the king made Vrikodara fight with furious lions of exceeding strength in the assembly of the ladies of the harem.

४.१२.२९

बीभत्सुरपि गीतेन सुनृत्तेन च पाण्डवः ।
विराटं तोषयामास सर्वाश्चान्तःपुरस्त्रियः ॥

M N Dutt Bibhatsu, the son of Pandu, pleased Virata and all the ladies of the harem by singing and dancing.

४.१२.३०

अश्वैर्विनीतैर्जवनैस्तत्र तत्र समागतैः ।
तोषयामास नकुलो राजानं राजसत्तम ॥

M N Dutt Nakula pleased the king, the best of kings by showing him the fast-going and well-trained horses and the king, pleased gave him a plenty of money as a reward.

४.१२.३१

तस्मै प्रदेयं प्रायच्छत्प्रीतो राजा धनं बहु ।
विनीतान्वृषभान्दृष्ट्वा सहदेवस्य चाभिभो ॥

४.१२.३२

एवं ते न्यवसंस्तत्र प्रच्छन्नाः पुरुषर्षभाः ।
कर्माणि तस्य कुर्वाणा विराटनृपतेस्तदा ॥

M N Dutt Those best among men began to live there in disguise rendering services to the king Virata.