04.012
janamejaya uvāca॥
Janamejaya said.
evaṃ matsyasya nagare vasantas tatra pāṇḍavāḥ। ata ūrdhvaṃ mahāvīryāḥ kim akurvanta vai dvija ॥04-12-1॥
Thus, the Pāṇḍavas dwelled in the city of Matsya. After that, O twice-born, what did those mighty heroes do next? (04-12-1)
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
evaṃ te nyavasaṃs tatra pracchannāḥ kurunandanāḥ। ārādhayanto rājānaṃ yad akurvanta tac chṛṇu ॥04-12-2॥
Thus the Kuru princes stayed there in concealment. Listen to what they did while honoring the king. (04-12-2)
yudhiṣṭhiraḥ sabhāstāraḥ sabhyānām abhavat priyaḥ। tathaiva ca virāṭasya saputrasya viśāṃ pate॥04-12-3॥
Yudhiṣṭhira, the foremost in the assembly, became dear to the members of the assembly. Likewise, O lord of the people, he was dear to Virāṭa and his son. (04-12-3)
sa ha akṣa-hṛdaya-jñaḥ tān krīḍayāmāsa pāṇḍavaḥ। akṣavatyām yathā-kāmam sūtra-baddhān iva dvijān॥04-12-4॥
He, the skilled dice-player, the son of Pāṇḍu, indeed played with them on the dice-board at will, as if the twice-born were strung on a thread. (04-12-4)
ajñātaṁ ca virāṭasya vijitya vasu dharmarāṭ. bhrātṛbhyaḥ puruṣavyāghro yathārhaṁ sma prayacchati ॥04-12-5॥
Dharmarāṭ (Yudhiṣṭhira), the tiger among men, having conquered the unknown wealth of Virāṭa, indeed gives it suitably to his brothers. (04-12-5)
bhīmaseno'pi mānsāni bhakṣyāṇi vividhāni ca। atisṛṣṭāni matsyena vikrīṇāti yudhiṣṭhire ॥04-12-6॥
Bhīmasena also sells to Yudhiṣṭhira various edible meats left over by Matsya. (04-12-6)
vāsāṁsi parijīrṇāni labdhāny antaḥpure 'rjunaḥ। vikrīṇānaś ca sarvebhyaḥ pāṇḍavebhyaḥ prayacchati ॥04-12-7॥
Arjuna obtains worn out garments in the inner chambers, sells them, and gives them to all the Pāṇḍavas. (04-12-7)
sahadevo'pi gopānāṃ veṣam āsthāya pāṇḍavaḥ। dadhi kṣīraṃ ghṛtaṃ caiva pāṇḍavebhyaḥ prayacchati॥04-12-8॥
Sahadeva, the Pāṇḍava, also, having assumed the attire of cowherds, gives curd, milk, and ghee to the Pāṇḍavas. (04-12-8)
nakulo'pi dhanaṃ labdhvā kṛte karmaṇi vājinām। tuṣṭe tasminnarapatau pāṇḍavebhyaḥ prayacchati ॥04-12-9॥
Nakula also, having acquired wealth after the horse-sacrifice was accomplished and the king was pleased, gives it to the Pāṇḍavas. (04-12-9)
kṛṣṇāpi sarvān bhrātṝṁs tān nirīkṣantī tapasvinī। yathā punar avijñātā tathā carati bhāminī॥04-12-10॥
Kṛṣṇā too, looking at all those brothers, that ascetic lady moved about just as if she were unrecognized—the illustrious woman conducted herself in that way. (04-12-10)
evaṃ sampādayantaste tathānyonyaṃ mahārathāḥ। prekṣamāṇāstadā kṛṣṇāmūṣuśchannā narādhipa ॥04-12-11॥
Thus, O king, those great chariot-warriors, while accomplishing (their aims) in this way with each other and watching Kṛṣṇā, concealed themselves and stayed in hiding. (04-12-11)
atha māse caturthe tu brahmaṇaḥ sumahotsavaḥ । āsītsamṛddho matsyeṣu puruṣāṇāṃ susammataḥ ॥04-12-12॥
Then, in the fourth month, there was a very great and prosperous festival of Brahmā among the Matsyas, highly esteemed by men. (04-12-12)
tatra mallāḥ samāpetur digbhyo rājan sahasraśaḥ। mahākāyā mahāvīryāḥ kālakhañjā ivāsurāḥ॥04-12-13॥
O king, there wrestlers by the thousands gathered from all directions—great-bodied and mighty, misshapen by Time, like demons. (04-12-13)
vīryonnaddhā balodgrā rājñā samabhipūjitāḥ। siṃhaskandhakatigrīvāḥ svavadātā manasvinaḥ॥ asakṛllabdhalakṣāste raṅge pārthivasaṃnidhau॥04-12-14॥
Endowed with great heroism, exceedingly strong, honored by the king, with the shoulders, waist, and necks of lions, possessing self-born radiance and a noble mind—those men repeatedly achieved their aims on the arena in the presence of the king. (4-12-14)
teṣām eko mahān āsīt sarva-mallān samāhvayat। āvalgamānaṃ taṃ raṅge nopatiṣṭhati kaścana॥04-12-15॥
Among them, there was one great wrestler who challenged all the wrestlers together. Although he was leaping in the arena, not a single person approached him. (04-12-15)
yadā sarve vimanasaste mallā hatacetasaḥ। atha sūdena taṃ mallaṃ yodhayāmāsa matsyarāṭ॥04-12-16॥
When all the wrestlers became dispirited and downcast, then the king of Matsya had the charioteer make that wrestler fight. (04-12-16)
codyamānas tato bhīmo duḥkhenaiva akarot matim। na hi śaknoti vivṛte pratyākhyātuṃ narādhipam॥04-12-17॥
Then, being questioned, Bhīma, deeply grieved, made up his mind, for he could not openly refuse the king. (04-12-17)
tataḥ sa puruṣavyāghraḥ śārdūlaśithilaṃ caran। praviveśa mahāraṅgaṃ virāṭam abhiharṣayan॥04-12-18॥
Then that tiger among men, moving with the looseness of a tiger, entered the great arena, bringing joy to King Virāṭa. (04-12-18)
babandha kakṣyāṁ kaunteyas tatas taṁ harṣayañjanam। tatas taṁ vṛtra-saṅkāśaṁ bhīmo mallaṁ samāhvayat ॥04-12-19॥
Kaunteya tied on his girdle and, gladdening the people, then Bhima challenged that wrestler who resembled Vṛtra. (04-12-19)
tāvubhau sumahotsāhāvubhau tīvraparākramau। mattāviva mahākāyau vāraṇau ṣaṣṭihāyanau ॥04-12-20॥
Those two, both with great enthusiasm and intense valor, resembled sixty-year-old, great-bodied, intoxicated elephants. (04-12-20)
cakarṣa dorbhyām utpāṭya bhīmo mallam amitrahā। vinadantam abhikrośan śārdūla iva vāraṇam॥04-12-21॥
Bhima, the destroyer of enemies, uprooted the wrestler with his two arms and dragged him, roaring and shouting at him, like a tiger attacks an elephant. (04-12-21)
tam udyamya mahābāhur bhrāmayām āsa vīryavān। tato mallāś ca matsyāś ca vismayaṃ cakrire param॥04-12-22॥
The mighty-armed, powerful one lifted him up and whirled him. Then the wrestlers and the people of Matsya were greatly astonished. (04-12-22)
bhrāmayitvā śataguṇaṁ gatasattvamacetanam. pratyapiṁṣanmahābāhurmallaṁ bhuvi vṛkodaraḥ ॥04-12-23॥
Vṛkodara, the mighty-armed, whirled the wrestler a hundred times and, when he was devoid of strength and unconscious, threw him down on the ground. (04-12-23)
tasmin-vinihate malle jīmūte loka-viśrute। virāṭaḥ paramaṃ harṣam agacchad bāndhavaiḥ saha॥04-12-24॥
When that wrestler Jīmūta, renowned in the world, was slain, Virāṭa, along with his kinsmen, attained the highest joy. (04-12-24)
saṁharṣāt pradadau vittaṁ bahu rājā mahā-manāḥ। ballavāya mahā-raṅge yathā vaiśravaṇas tathā॥04-12-25॥
Out of great joy, the magnanimous king gave much wealth to Ballava in the great arena, just as Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera) would do. (04-12-25)
evaṃ sa subahūn mallān puruṣāṃś ca mahābalān। vinighnan matsyarājasya prītim āvahad uttamām॥04-12-26॥
In this way, while defeating many wrestlers and mighty men, he brought the utmost delight to the king of the Matsyas. (04-12-26)
yadāsya tulyaḥ puruṣo na kaścittatra vidyate। tato vyāghraiśca siṁhaiśca dviradaiścāpyayodhayat ॥04-12-27॥
When there was no man equal to him there, then he fought with tigers, lions, and elephants also. (04-12-27)
punarantaḥpuragataḥ strīṇām madhye vṛkodaraḥ. yodhyate sma virāṭena siṃhair mattair mahābalaiḥ ॥04-12-28॥
Again, having entered the inner quarters, Vṛkodara (Bhīma) was engaged in battle by Virāṭa with mad and mighty lions, in the presence of the women. (04-12-28)
bībhatsur api gītena sunṛttena ca pāṇḍavaḥ। virāṭaṃ toṣayāmāsa sarvāś cāntaḥpurastriyaḥ॥04-12-29॥
Arjuna, even as Bībhatsu, delighted King Virāṭa and all the women of the inner palace with his singing and excellent dancing. (04-12-29)
aśvairvinītairjavanaistatra tatra samāgataiḥ। toṣayāmāsa nakulo rājānaṃ rājasattama ॥04-12-30॥
Nakula gratified the king, the best among kings, by assembling disciplined and swift horses here and there. (04-12-30)
tasmai pradeyaṃ prāyacchatprīto rājā dhanaṃ bahu। vinītānvṛṣabhāndṛṣṭvā sahadevasya cābhibho ॥04-12-31॥
The king, pleased, gave much wealth to him, having seen the humble bulls of Sahadeva, O chief. (04-12-31)
evaṁ te nyavasaṁs tatra pracchannāḥ puruṣarṣabhāḥ। karmāṇi tasya kurvāṇā virāṭanṛpates tadā॥04-12-32॥
Thus, those foremost of men lived there concealed, performing tasks for King Virāṭa at that time. (04-12-32)
