वैशम्पायन उवाच ततस्ते पाण्डवाः सर्वे पाञ्चाल्यश्च महायशाः। प्रत्युत्थाय महात्मानं कृष्णं सर्वेऽभ्यवादयन्॥
Vaishampayana said : Thereupon all the Pandavas and the illustrious Panchala king and all others stood up; and they saluted the illustrious Krishna (Dvaipayana).
प्रतिनन्द्य स तां पूजां पृष्ट्वा कुशलमन्ततः। आसने काञ्चने शुद्धे निषसाद महामनाः॥
The high-souled (Rishi) saluted them in return and inquired after their welfare; he then sat down on a holy carpet made of gold.
अनुज्ञातास्तु ते सर्वे कृष्णेनामिततेजसा। आसनेषु महार्हेषु निषेदुर्द्विपदां वराः॥
Commanded by the immeasurable energetic Krishna (Dvaipayana), those foremost of men all sat down on costly seats.
ततो मुहूर्तान्मधुरां वाणीमुच्चार्य पार्षतः। पप्रच्छ तं महात्मानं द्रौपद्यर्थं विशाम्पते॥
Thereupon a moment after the son of Prishata in sweet words asked that illustrious man about the marriage of Draupadi.
कथमेका बहूनां स्याद् धर्मपत्नी न संकरः। एतन्मे भगवान् सर्वं प्रब्रवीतु यथातथम्॥
Drupada said : O illustrious one, how can one women become the wife of many men without being defiled by sin. Tell me truly all this in detail.
व्यास उवाच अस्मिन् धर्मे विप्रलब्धे लोकवेदविरोधके। यस्य यस्य मतं यद् यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि तस्य तत्॥
Vyasa said : O king, this, being opposed to both usage and the Vedas, has become obsolete. I desire to hear what is the opinion of each of you in this matter.
दुपद उवाच अधर्मोऽयं मम मतो विरुद्धो लोकवेदयोः। न ह्येका विद्यते पत्नी बहुनां द्विजसत्तम॥
Drupada said : In my opinion this practice is sinful, because it is opposed to both the usage and the Vedas. O best of the twice born, there is nowhere a wife with many husbands.
न चाप्याचरितः पूर्वैरयं धर्मो महात्मभिः। न चाप्यधर्मो विद्वद्भिश्चरितव्यः कथंचन॥
The illustrious men of former ages had never such an usage amongst them. The wise should never commit a sin,
ततोऽहं न करोम्येनं व्यवसायं क्रियां प्रति। धर्मः सदैव संदिग्धः प्रतिभाति हि मे त्वयम्॥
I can therefore never make up my mind to act in this way. The practice appears to me to be of doubtful morality.
धृष्टद्युम्न उवाच यवीयसः कथं भार्या ज्येष्ठो भ्राता द्विजर्षभ। ब्रह्मन् समभिवर्तेन सवृत्तः संस्तपोधन॥
Dhristadyumna said : O best of the twice born, O ascetic Rishi, O Brahmana, how can the elder brother, if he is at all of good character, can approach the wife of his younger brother?
न तु धर्मस्य सूक्ष्मत्वाद् गतिं विद्म कथंचन। अधर्मो धर्म इति वा व्यवसायो न शक्यते॥
The ways of morality are always subtle. Therefore, we do not know them. We cannot, therefore, say what is comfortable to virtue and what is not.
कर्तुमस्मद्विधैर्ब्रह्मस्ततोऽयं न व्यवस्यते। पञ्चानां महिषी कृष्णा भवत्विति कथंचन॥
We cannot therefore perform such an act with a safe mind. O Brahmana, I can never say, "Let Krishna be the wife of five (husbands).
युधिष्ठिर उवाच न मे वागनृतं प्राह नाधर्मे धीयते मतिः। वर्तते हि मनो मेऽत्र नैषोऽधर्मः कथंचन॥
Yudhishthira said : My tongue never utters an untruth and my heart never turns to sin. When my heart approves it, it can never be sinful.
श्रूयते हि पुराणेऽपि जटिला नाम गौतमी। ऋषीनध्यासितवती सप्त धर्मभृतां वरा॥
I have heard in the Puranas that a lady of the Gautama race named Jatila, the foremost of all virtuous women, married seven Rishis (all together.)
तथैव मुनिजा वाक्षी तपोभिर्भावितात्मनः। संगताभूद् दश भ्रातहनेकनाम्नः प्रचेतसः॥
So also the daughter of an ascetic married ten brothers, all of them bearing the same name of Prachetas and all of their souls were exalted by asceticism.
गुरोर्हि वचनं प्राहुर्धर्म्य धर्मसत्तम। गुरूणां चैव सर्वेषां माता परमको गुरुः॥
O foremost of all men learned in the precepts of virtue, it is a cardinal virtue. Of all superiors the mother is the foremost.
सा चाप्युक्तवती वाचं भैक्षवद् भुज्यतामिति। तस्मादेतदहं मन्ये परं धर्मं द्विजोत्तम॥
She has commanded us, saying “Enjoy all of you that which you have obtained.” O best of the twice born, it is therefore I consider this act to be virtuous.
कुत्युवाच एवमेतद् यथा प्राह धर्मचारी युधिष्ठिर। अनृतान्मे भयं तीव्र मुच्येऽहमनृतात् कथम्॥
Kunti said: It is so as the virtuous Yudhishthira has said. I am in great fear lest my words become untrue. How shall I be saved from untruth?
व्यास उवाव अनृतान्मोक्ष्यसे भद्रे धर्मश्चैष सनातनः। न तु वक्ष्यामि सर्वेषां पाञ्चाल शृणु मे स्वयम्॥
Vyasa said: O amiable one, you shall be saved from untruth. This is eternal virtue. O Panchala king, I will not talk on this matter before you all. You alone will hear it.
यथायं विहितो धर्मो यतश्चायं सनातनः। यथा च प्राह कौन्तेय स्तथा धर्मो न संशयः॥
(I shall tell you) how this practice has been established and why it is to be regarded as old and eternal. There is no doubt that what the son of Kunti, Yudhishthira, has said is quite conformable to virtue.
वैशम्पायन उवाच तत उत्थाय भगवान् व्यासो द्वैपायनः प्रभुः। करे गृहीत्वा राजानं राजवेश्म समाविशत्॥
Vaishampayana said : Thereupon rose the illustrious Vyasa, the lord Dvaipayana; and taking hold of Drupada's hand he went into the palace.
पाण्डवाश्चापि कुन्ती च धृष्टद्युम्नश्च पार्षतः। विविशुर्यत्र तत्रैव प्रतीक्षन्ते स्म तावुभौ॥
The Pandavas, Kunti and the descendant of Prishata Dhrishtaduymna, waited in that place for those two (Vyasa and Drupada).
ततो द्वैपायनस्तस्मै नरेन्द्राय महात्मने। आचख्यौ तद् यथा धर्मो बहूनामेकपत्निता॥
Thereupon Dvaipayana explained to that illustrious king how the marriage of one wife with many husbands is conformable to virtue.