वैशम्पायन उवाच तस्मिन् बहुमृगेऽरण्ये अटमाना महारथाः। काम्यके भरतश्रेष्ठा विजहस्ते यथामराः॥
Viashampayana said : Those mighty car-warriors, the foremost of the Bharata race, wandering like immortals in the forest of Kamyaka abounding in many deer, were pleased.
प्रेक्षमाणा बहुविधान् वनोद्देशान् समन्ततः। यथर्तुकालरम्याश्च वनराजीः सुपुष्पिताः॥
Beholding various wild tracts of country on all sides, the woodland decorated with the beautiful, blossming season flowers.
पाण्डवा मृगयाशीलाश्चरन्तस्तन्महद् वनम्। विजहुरिन्द्रप्रतिमाः कञ्चित् कालमरिंदम॥
Those Indra-like Pandavas, fond of hunting and subdues of their enemies, lived there for some time wandering in that huge forest.
ततस्ते यौगपद्येन ययुः सर्वे चतुर्दिशम्। मृगयां पुरुषव्याघ्रा ब्राह्मणार्थे परंतपाः॥ द्रौपदीमाश्रमे न्यस्य तृणबिन्दोरनुज्ञया। महर्षेर्दीप्ततपसो धौम्यस्य च पुरोधसः॥
One day those men, those repressors of their enemies, wandered about on all sides, in search of game for feeding the Brahmanas who were with them, leaving Draupadi alone in the hermitage with the permission of Trinabindu the great ascetic of burning asceticism and their priest Dhaumya.
ततस्तु राजा सिन्धूनां वार्द्धक्षत्रिर्महायशाः। विवाहकामः शाल्वेयान् प्रयात: सोऽभवत् तदा॥
At that time the illustrious king of Sindhu, the son of Vriddhakshatra was, for marriage, going to the territory of Shalva,
महता परिबहेण राजयोग्येन संवृतः। राजभिर्बहुभिः सार्धमुपायात् काम्यक च सः॥
Dressed in his best royal robe and accompanied by many princes he halted at the forest of Kamayaka.
वपुषा बिभ्रती तां तत्रापश्यत् प्रियां भार्यां पाण्डवानां यशस्विनीम्। तिष्ठन्तीमाश्रमद्वारि द्रौपदी निर्जने वने।॥
In that solitary place he found the handsome Draupadi, the beloved and the illustrious wife of the Pandavas, standing at the threshold of the hermitage.
विभ्राजमानां रूपमुत्तमम्। भ्राजयन्तीं वनोद्देशं नीलाभ्रमिव विद्युतम्॥
She appeared in her form having the most excellent beauty, shedding lustre on woodland like lightning illuminating masses of dark clouds.
अप्सरा देवकन्या वा माया वा देवनिर्मिता। इति कृत्वाञ्जलिं सर्वे ददृशुस्तामनिन्दिताम्॥
(Thinking): “Is she an Apsara or the daughter of a god or a celestials phantom,” they all with joined hands, stood gazing on the perfect and faultless beauty of her person.
ततः स राजा सिन्धूनां वार्द्धक्षत्रिर्जयद्रथः। विस्मितस्त्वनवद्यागीं दृष्ट्वा दुष्टमानसः॥
Seeing that lady of faultless feature, Jayadratha, the king of Sindhu, the son of Vriddhakshatra, possessed by evil intention.
स कोटिकास्यं राजानमब्रवीत् काममोहितः। कस्य त्वेषानवद्याङ्गी यदि वापि न मानुषी॥
Possessed by desire he said to the prince named Kotikasya, “Who is this lady of faultless feature? Is she a human being?
विवाहार्थो न मे कश्चिदिमां प्राप्यातिसुन्दरीम्। एतामेवाहमादाय गमिष्यामि स्वमालयम्॥
I do not desire to marry if I can secure this exquisitely beautiful lady. Taking her with me I shall go back to my house.
गच्छ जानीहि सौम्येमां कस्य वात्र कुतोऽपि वा। किमर्थमागता सुभूरिदं कण्टकितं वनम्॥
O gentle sir, go and enquire who she is and whence she has come and why she, of fine eyebrows, has come to this forest full of thorns.
अपि नाम वरारोहा मामेषा लोकसुन्दरी। भजेदद्यायतापाङ्गी सुदती तनुमध्यमा॥
was Will this most excellent beauty of the world, this slender-waisted lady, having beautiful teeth and large eyes, accept me as her lord?
अप्यहं कृतकामः स्यामिमां प्राप्य वरस्त्रियम्। गच्छ जानीहि को न्वस्या नाथ इत्येव कोटिक॥ स कोटिकास्यस्तच्छ्रुत्वा रथात् प्रस्कन्द्य कुण्डली। उपेत्य पप्रच्छ तदा क्रोष्टा व्याघ्रवधूमिव॥
I shall certainly consider myself successful if I can obtain this best of females. Go Kotika and learn who her husband is.” Hearing this Kotikasya, wearing a Kundala, jumped out of the car and approached her as a jackal comes near a tigress and spoke to her.