वैशम्पायन उवाच तथा तु दृष्ट्वा बहु तत्र देवीं रोरूयमाणां कुररीमिवार्ताम्। नोचुर्वचः साध्वथ वाप्यसाधु महीक्षितो धार्तराष्ट्रस्य भीताः॥
Vaishampayana said Through the kings present there saw the lady (Draupadi) crying piteously in affliction like a female osprey, yet they, out of the fear for the son of Dhritarashtra (Duryodhana), did not utter a word good or evil.
स्तूष्णीभूतान् धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्रः। स्मयन्निवेदं वचनं बभाषे पाञ्चालराजस्य सुतां तदानीम्॥
Seeing the sons and grandsons of kings sitting silent, the son of Dhritarashtra (Duryodhana) smiled and spoke thus to the daughter of the Panchala king.
दुर्योधन उवाच तिष्ठत्वयं प्रश्न उदारसत्त्वे भीमेऽर्जुने सहदेवे तथैव। पत्यौ च ते नकुले याज्ञसेनि वदन्त्वेते वचनं त्वत्प्रसूतम्॥
Duryodhana said O Yajnaseni, the question you have asked depends on the greatly powerful Bhima, on Arjuna, on Nakula and on Sahadeva. Let them answer your question.
अनीश्वरं विब्रुवन्त्वार्यमध्ये युधिष्ठिरं तव पाञ्चालि हेतोः। कुर्वन्तु सर्वे चानृतं धर्मराज पाञ्चालि त्वं मोक्ष्यसे दासभावात्॥
O Panchali, let them for them for your sake declare in the midst of these most noblemen (present here) that Yudhisthira is not their lord and that he is a liar; you will then be freed from the slavery.
धर्मे स्थितो धर्मसुतो महात्मा स्वयं चेदं कथयत्विन्द्रकल्पः। ईशो वा ते ह्यनीशोऽथ वैष वाक्यादस्य क्षिप्रमेकं भजस्व॥
Let the illustrious son of Dharma (Yudhisthira), ever devoted to virtue, who is like Indra himself, declare whether he is or is not your lord. At his words, accept us or accept the Pandavas without (further) delay.
सर्वे हीमे कौरवेयाः सभायां दुःखान्तरे वर्तमानास्तवैव। न विब्रुवन्त्यार्यसत्त्वा यथावत् पतींश्च ते समवेक्ष्याल्पभाग्यान्॥
All the Kurus present in this assembly are floating in the sea of your affliction. They are endued with magnanimity and looking at your husbands they are unable to answer your question.
वैशम्पायन उवाच ततः सभ्याः कुरुराजस्य तस्य वाक्यं सर्वे प्रशशंसुस्तथोच्चैः। चेलावेधांश्चापि चक्रुर्नदन्तो हाहेत्यासीदपि चैवार्तनादः॥
Vaishampayana said Hearing these words of the Kuru king (Duryodhana), all persons present in the assembly loudly applauded him. Some shouting approvingly made signs to one another by motions of their eyes and lips and some made sounds of distress such as "Oh," "Alas."
द्धर्षश्चासीत् कौरवाणां सभायाम्। सर्वे चासन् पार्थिवाः प्रीतिमन्तः कुरुश्रेष्ठं धार्मिकं पूजयन्तः॥
Hearing his these delightful words, the Kurus present in the assembly become exceedingly glad. All the kings, becoming much pleased, applauded the virtuous chief of the Kurus.
युधिष्ठिरं च ते सर्वे समुदैक्षन्त पार्थिवाः। किं नु वक्ष्यति धर्मज्ञ इति साचीकृताननाः॥
All the kings, turning their faces sideways, looked at Yudhisthira, learned in the precepts of morality, and they all became curious to learn what he would say,
किं नु वक्ष्यति बीभत्सुरजितो युधि पाण्डवः। भीमसेनो यमौ चोभौ भृशं कौतूहलान्विताः॥
And they became curious to learn also invincible Pandavas, Bibhatsa (Arjuna), Bhimasena and the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva) would say.
तस्मिन्नपरते शब्दे भीमसेनोऽब्रवीदिदम्। प्रगृह्य रुचिरं दिव्यं भुजं चन्दनचर्चितम्॥
When the noise was silenced, Bhimasena, waving his strong and well armed arms smeared with sandal paste, thus spoke (in the assembly).
भीमसेन उवाच योष गुरुरस्माकं धर्मराजो महामनाः। न प्रभुः स्यात् कुलस्यास्य न वयं मर्षयेमहि॥
Bhima said If our this Guru (superior), this high-souled Dharmaraja, were not our lord, we would not have pardoned this (Kuru) race.
ईशो नः पुण्यतपसां प्राणानामपि चेश्वरः। मन्यतेऽजितमात्मानं यद्येष विजिता वयम्॥
He is the lord of our all religions and ascetic merits, he is the lord even of our lives. If he considers himself won, then we are all won.
न हि मुच्येत मे जीवन् पदा भूमिमुपस्पृशन्। मर्त्यधर्मा परामृश्य पाञ्चाल्या मूर्धजानिमान्॥
If it were not so, who is there amongst creatures that touch the earth with his feet or amongst the mortals that would escape from me with life after having touched the hair of the Panchala princess?
पश्यध्वं ह्यायतौ वृत्तौ भुजौ मे परिघाविव। तयोरन्तरं प्राप्य मुच्येतापि शतक्रतुः॥
Look at my powerful and well formed arms like two iron clubs, if once within them, even Shatakratu (Indra) cannot escape.
धर्मपाशसितस्त्वेवं नाधिगच्छामि संकटम्। गोरवेण विरुद्धश्च निग्रहादर्जुनस्य च॥
Bound by the ties of virtue, for the reverence that is due to our elder brother and repeatedly urged by Arjuna to remain silent, I am doing nothing awful.
धर्मराजनिसृष्टस्तु सिंहः क्षुद्रमृगानिव। धार्तराष्ट्रानिमान् पापान् निष्पिधेयं तलासिभिः॥
If I am once commanded by Dharmaraja (Yudhisthira), I would, by making my slaps do the work of swords, kill these sinful sons of Dhritarashtra as a lion kills a number of small animals.
वैशम्पायन उवाच तमुवाच तदा भीष्मो द्रोणो विदुर एव च। क्षम्यतामिदमित्येवं सर्वं सम्भाव्यते त्वयि॥
Vaishampayana said Thereupon Bhisma, Drona, and Vidura spoke thus to Bhima, “Forbear, everything is possible in you."