04.009
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
सहदेवोऽपि गोपानां कृत्वा वेषमनुत्तमम्। भाषां चैषां समास्थाय विराटमुपयादथ ॥०४-९-१॥
Sahadeva also, adopting the unsurpassed appearance and language of the cowherds, then approached Virata. (04-9-1)
तमायान्तमभिप्रेक्ष्य भ्राजमानं नरर्षभम्। समुपस्थाय वै राजा पप्रच्छ कुरुनन्दनम् ॥०४-९-२॥
Seeing him coming, the shining bull among men, the king approached and asked the Joy of the Kurus. (04-9-2)
कस्य वा त्वं कुतो वा त्वं किं वा तात चिकीर्षसि। न हि मे दृष्टपूर्वस्त्वं तत्त्वं ब्रूहि नरर्षभ ॥०४-९-३॥
Whose are you, or from where are you, or what do you intend to do, dear sir? You have certainly not been seen by me before. Tell the truth, O best of men. (04-9-3)
स प्राप्य राजानममित्रतापन; स्ततोऽब्रवीन्मेघमहौघनिःस्वनः। वैश्योऽस्मि नाम्नाहमरिष्टनेमि; र्गोसङ्ख्य आसं कुरुपुङ्गवानाम् ॥०४-९-४॥
Having approached the king, the tormentor of enemies, he spoke with a voice like a great cloud-mass: "I am a Vaiśya named Ariṣṭanemi. In the number of cows, I was among the chief of the Kurus." (04-9-4)
वस्तुं त्वयीच्छामि विशां वरिष्ठ; तान्राजसिंहान्न हि वेद्मि पार्थान्। न शक्यते जीवितुमन्यकर्मणा; न च त्वदन्यो मम रोचते नृपः ॥०४-९-५॥
O best among men! I wish to live with you; I truly do not know those lion-hearted kings, the sons of Pritha. It is not possible for me to live through any other means, nor does any other king but you appeal to me. (04-9-5)
विराट उवाच॥
Virāṭ said.
त्वं ब्राह्मणो यदि वा क्षत्रियोऽसि; समुद्रनेमीश्वररूपवानसि। आचक्ष्व मे तत्त्वममित्रकर्शन; न वैश्यकर्म त्वयि विद्यते समम् ॥०४-९-६॥
You are either a brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya; you possess the form of a lord, O ocean-chakraed one. Tell me the truth, O chastiser of enemies; the function of a vaiśya is not seen in you at all. (04-9-6)
कस्यासि राज्ञो विषयादिहागतः; किं चापि शिल्पं तव विद्यते कृतम्। कथं त्वमस्मासु निवत्स्यसे सदा; वदस्व किं चापि तवेह वेतनम् ॥०४-९-७॥
From which king's realm have you come here? What craft or skill do you also possess that is accomplished? How will you always reside among us? Speak also, what shall your wage here be? (04-9-7)
सहदेव उवाच॥
Sahadeva said.
पञ्चानां पाण्डुपुत्राणां ज्येष्ठो राजा युधिष्ठिरः। तस्याष्टशतसाहस्रा गवां वर्गाः शतं शताः ॥०४-९-८॥
Of the five sons of Pāṇḍu, the eldest king is Yudhiṣṭhira. He had groups of cows numbering eight hundred thousand, in hundreds of hundreds. (04-9-8)
अपरे दशसाहस्रा द्विस्तावन्तस्तथापरे। तेषां गोसङ्ख्य आसं वै तन्तिपालेति मां विदुः ॥०४-९-९॥
There were other groups of ten thousand each, and likewise yet others of twice that number. Among them, as a cowherd, I truly was known as Tantipāla.
भूतं भव्यं भविष्यच्च यच्च सङ्ख्यागतं क्वचित्। न मेऽस्त्यविदितं किञ्चित्समन्ताद्दशयोजनम् ॥०४-९-१०॥
Nothing, past, present, or future, or whatever is present in number anywhere within a radius of ten yojanas from all sides, is unknown to me. (04-9-10)
गुणाः सुविदिता ह्यासन्मम तस्य महात्मनः। आसीच्च स मया तुष्टः कुरुराजो युधिष्ठिरः ॥०४-९-११॥
The qualities of that great-souled one were indeed well-known to me, and King Yudhiṣṭhira of the Kurus was pleased with me. (04-9-11)
क्षिप्रं हि गावो बहुला भवन्ति; न तासु रोगो भवतीह कश्चित्। तैस्तैरुपायैर्विदितं मयैत; देतानि शिल्पानि मयि स्थितानि ॥०४-९-१२॥
Cows quickly become numerous, indeed; there is no disease among them here. By various methods, these skills become known by me and reside within me. (04-9-12)
वृषभांश्चापि जानामि राजन्पूजितलक्षणान्। येषां मूत्रमुपाघ्राय अपि वन्ध्या प्रसूयते ॥०४-९-१३॥
O king, I also know the bulls possessing auspicious marks of honor, by smelling the urine of whom even a barren woman becomes capable of bearing offspring. (04-9-13)
विराट उवाच॥
Virāṭ said;
शतं सहस्राणि समाहितानि; वर्णस्य वर्णस्य विनिश्चिता गुणैः। पशून्सपालान्भवते ददाम्यहं; त्वदाश्रया मे पशवो भवन्त्विह ॥०४-९-१४॥
I give you one hundred thousand well-selected cattle of each class, all distinguished by their qualities, together with herdsmen. May my cattle here become dependent upon you. (04-9-14)
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
तथा स राज्ञोऽविदितो विशां पते; उवास तत्रैव सुखं नरेश्वरः। न चैनमन्येऽपि विदुः कथञ्चन; प्रादाच्च तस्मै भरणं यथेप्सितम् ॥०४-९-१५॥
Thus, he remained there comfortably, unknown to the king, O lord of the people. Not even others knew him in any way. He gave him sustenance as much as he desired. (04-9-15)
