04.030
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
tatasteṣāṃ mahārāja tatraivāmitatejasām। chadmalıṅgapraviṣṭānāṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ mahātmanām ॥04-30-1॥
Then, O great king, right there were the Pāṇḍavas, those great-souled ones of limitless splendor, who had entered in disguise. (04-30-1)
vyatītaḥ samayaḥ samyag-vasatāṃ vai purottame। kurvatāṃ tasya karmāṇi virāṭasya mahīpateḥ ॥04-30-2॥
The time passed as they resided well in the foremost city, carrying out the duties of King Virata. (04-30-2)
tatas trayodaśasyānte tasya varṣasya bhārata। suśarmaṇā gṛhītaṃ tu godhanaṃ tarasā bahu ॥04-30-3॥
Then, O Bhārata, at the end of that thirteenth year, the herd of cattle was forcefully seized in great numbers by Suśarman. (04-30-3)
tato javena mahatā gopāḥ puram athāvrajat। apaśyan matsyarājaṃ ca rathāt praskandya kuṇḍalī ॥04-30-4॥
Then the cowherds, with great speed, approached the city. They saw the king of the fish and, having leaped down from the chariot, the coiled one. (04-30-4)
śūraiḥ parivṛtaṃ yodhaiḥ kuṇḍalāṅgada-dhāribhiḥ। sadbhiś ca mantribhiḥ sārdhaṃ pāṇḍavaiś ca nararṣabhaiḥ ॥04-30-5॥
He was surrounded by brave warriors wearing earrings and armlets, together with virtuous counselors and the Pāṇḍavas, the best of men. (04-30-5)
taṃ sabhāyāṃ mahārājam āsīnaṃ rāṣṭravardhanam। saḥ abravīd upasaṅgamya virāṭam praṇataḥ tadā ॥04-30-6॥
He, seeing the great king and prosperer of the kingdom seated in the assembly, then, bowing, approached Virata and spoke to him. (04-30-6)
asmān yudhi vinirjitya paribhūya sabāndhavān। gavāṃ śata-sahasrāṇi trigartāḥ kālayanti te ॥ tān parīpsa manuṣyendra mā neśuḥ paśavas tava ॥04-30-7॥
Having completely conquered us along with our kinsmen in battle, the Trigartas are driving away hundreds of thousands of your cows. O king among men, do not let your animals be taken; determine to recover them. (04-30-7)
tac chrutvā nṛpatiḥ senāṃ matsyānāṃ samayojayat। rathanāgāśvakalilāṃ pattidhvajasamākulām ॥04-30-8॥
Upon hearing that, the king assembled the Matsya army, teeming with chariots, elephants, and horses, and crowded with infantry and banners. (04-30-8)
rājāno rājaputrāś ca tanutrāṇy atra bhejire. bhānumanti vicitrāṇi sūpasevyāni bhāgaśaḥ ॥04-30-9॥
Kings and princes here partook of thin, shining, and variegated delicacies, to be eaten with soup, served in portions. (04-30-9)
savajrāyasagarbhaṁ tu kavacaṁ taptakāñcanam। virāṭasya priyo bhrātā śatānīko'bhyāharayat ॥04-30-10॥
But Śatānīka, the beloved brother of Virāṭa, brought the armor made of molten gold with a core of thunderbolt-iron. (04-30-10)
sarvapārasavaṃ varma kalyāṇapaṭalaṃ dṛḍham। śatānīkād avara jo madirāśvo'bhyāharayat ॥04-30-11॥
The younger brother of Śatānīka, whose horses were spirited, brought near the firm, auspicious, all-protecting armor. (04-30-11)
śatasūryaṁ śatāvartaṁ śatabindu śatākṣimat। abhedyakalpaṁ matsyānāṁ rājā kavacamāharat ॥04-30-12॥
The king brought an armor of the fishes that was like one with a hundred suns, a hundred circles, a hundred spots, and a hundred eyes, and was impervious. (04-30-12)
utsedhe yasya padmāni śataṃ saugandhikāni ca। suvarṇapṛṣṭhaṃ sūryābhaṃ sūryadatto'bhyāharayat॥04-30-13॥
Suryadatta brought from the reservoir of that person a hundred fragrant lotuses, golden-petalled and shining like the sun. (04-30-13)
dṛḍham-āyasa-garbhaṃ tu śvetaṃ varma śatākṣimat. virāṭasya suto jyeṣṭho vīraḥ śaṅkhaḥ abhyāharayat ॥04-30-14॥
But the eldest son of Virāṭa, the hero Śaṅkha, brought the white armor with an iron core of Śatākṣimat. (04-30-14)
śataśaś ca tanutrāṇi yathāsvāni mahārathāḥ। yotsyamānābhyanahyanta devarūpāḥ prahāriṇaḥ॥04-30-15॥
The great chariot-warriors, resplendent like gods and ready for battle, each donned their own hundreds of body-armors as they prepared to fight. (04-30-15)
sūpaskareṣu śubhreṣu mahatsu ca mahārathāḥ। pṛthak kāñcana-saṃnāhān ratheṣu aśvān ayojayan ॥04-30-16॥
The great chariot-warriors yoked the horses, each adorned with golden harnesses, to their large, shining, fully-equipped chariots. (04-30-16)
sūryacandrapratīkāśo rathe divye hiraṇmayaḥ। mahānubhāvo matsyasya dhvaja ucchiśriye tadā ॥04-30-17॥
Then, upon the divine golden chariot, the grandly majestic banner bearing Matsya, shining like the sun and moon, stood tall. (04-30-17)
athānyān vividhākārān dhvajān hema-vibhūṣitān। yathā-svaṁ kṣatriyāḥ śūrā ratheṣu samayojayan ॥04-30-18॥
Then the heroic kṣatriya warriors mounted banners of various forms, adorned with gold, on their respective chariots. (04-30-18)
atha matsyo'bravīdrājā śatānīkaṃ jaghanyajam। kaṅka-ballava-gopālā dāmagrantiś ca vīryavān॥ yudhyeyur iti me buddhir vartate nātra saṃśayaḥ॥04-30-19॥
Then Matsya said, "King Śatānīka, the youngest one, Kaṅka, Ballava, Gopāla, Dāmagranthi and the mighty one should fight; this is my thought, and there is no doubt about it." (04-30-19)
eteṣām api dīyantāṃ rathā dhvajapatākinaḥ। kavacāni vicitrāṇi dṛḍhāni ca mṛdūni ca॥ pratimuncaṃtu gātreṣu dīyantām āyudhāni ca॥ 04-30-20॥
Let chariots adorned with banners be given to these men as well. Let them be supplied with armors—varied, strong, and soft—and let them put them on their bodies. Weapons too should be distributed. (04-30-20)
vīrāṅgarūpāḥ puruṣā nāgarājakaropamāḥ। neme jātu na yudhyeranniti me dhīyate matiḥ ॥04-30-21॥
These men, heroic in form and with arms like the king of serpents, I do not ever think that they would not fight. (04-30-21)
etac chrutvā tu nṛpater vākyaṃ tvarita-mānasaḥ। śatānīkas tu pārthebhyo rathān rājan samādiśat ॥ sahadevāya rājñe ca bhīmāya nakulāya ca ॥04-30-22॥
Hearing these words of the king, Śatānīka, his mind full of haste, ordered chariots for the sons of Pṛthā—Sahadeva, the king (Yudhiṣṭhira), Bhīma, and Nakula, O king. (04-30-22)
tān prahṛṣṭās tataḥ sūtā rājabhakti-puraskṛtāḥ। nirdiṣṭān naradevena rathān śīghram ayojayan॥04-30-23॥
Then the delighted charioteers, honored due to their loyalty to the king, quickly yoked the chariots as ordered by the king. (04-30-23)
kavacāni vicitrāṇi dṛḍhāni ca mṛdūni ca। virāṭḥ prādiśadyāni teṣām akliṣṭa-karmaṇām॥ tāni āmuñca śarīreṣu daṃśitāḥ te parantapāḥ॥ 04-30-24॥
Virāṭ gave them various armour—some strong, some soft—to those faultless in action. Putting these on their bodies, they, destroyers of their enemies, became armed. (4-30-24)
tarasvinaś channarūpāḥ sarve yuddhaviśāradāḥ। virāṭam anvayuḥ paścāt sahitāḥ kurupuṅgavāḥ॥ catvāro bhrātaraḥ śūrāḥ pāṇḍavāḥ satyavikramāḥ॥04-30-25॥
All the energetic ones, skilled in battle and in disguise, together with the foremost among the Kurus, followed Virāṭa from behind. The four valiant brothers, the Pāṇḍavas of true might. (04-30-25)
bhīmāś ca mattamātaṅgāḥ prabhinnakaraṭāmukhāḥ। kṣaranta iva jīmūtāḥ sudantāḥ ṣaṣṭihāyanāḥ ॥04-30-26॥
Terrible, intoxicated elephants, with mouths broken by tusks, streaming like clouds, sixty years old and having good teeth. (04-30-26)
svārūḍhā yuddhakuśalaiḥ śikṣitaiḥ hastisādibhiḥ। rājānam anvayuḥ paścāc calanta iva parvatāḥ ॥04-30-27॥
Mounted with trained and battle-skilled elephant riders and others, they followed the king from behind, moving like mountains. (04-30-27)
viśāradānāṃ vaśyānāṃ hṛṣṭānāṃ cānuyāyinām। aṣṭau rathasahasrāṇi daśa nāgaśatāni ca ॥ ṣaṣṭiścāśvasahasrāṇi matsyānām abhiniryayuḥ ॥04-30-28॥
Eight thousand chariots, one thousand elephants, and sixty thousand horses of the Matsyas, all skilled, obedient, joyful, and loyal followers, marched out. (04-30-28)
tadanīkaṃ virāṭasya śuśubhe bharatarṣabha। samprayātaṃ mahārāja ninīṣantaṃ gavāṃ padam ॥04-30-29॥
O great king, O bull of the Bharatas, that army of Virāṭa appeared splendid as it set forth, desiring to follow the track of the cows. (04-30-29)
tadbalāgryaṃ virāṭasya samprasthitamaśobhata। dṛḍhāyudhajanākīrṇaṃ gajāśvarathasaṅkulam ॥04-30-30॥
The foremost army of Virāṭa, having set out, looked magnificent, filled with warriors bearing sturdy weapons, and crowded with elephants, horses, and chariots. (04-30-30)
