वैशम्पायन उवाच ततस्ते यक्षवचनादुदतिष्ठन्त पाण्डवाः। क्षुत्पिपासे च सर्वेषां क्षणेन व्यपगच्छताम्॥
Vaishampayana said : Then, at the words of the Yaksha the Pandavas rose up and their hunger and thirst forsook them in a short time.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच सरस्येकेन पादेन तिष्ठन्तमपराजितम्। पृच्छामि को भवान् देवो न मे यक्षो मतो भवान्॥
Yudhishthira said: I ask you, who stand on one leg in the lake and who are unconquerable, what god you are. I can not believe that you are a Yaksha.
वसूनां वा भवानेको रुद्राणामथवा भवान्। अथवा मरुतां श्रेष्ठो वलशी वा त्रिदशेश्वरः॥
Are you the best of the Marutas or the Rudras or the lord of the celestials, the wielder of the thunderbolt.
मम हि भ्रातर इमे सहस्रशतयोधिनः। तं योधं न प्रपश्यामि येन सर्वे निपातिताः॥
Each of these my brothers is able to fight a thousand warriors and I do not find any warrior capable of destroying them all.
सुखं प्रतिप्रबुद्धानामिन्द्रियाण्युपलक्षये। स भवान् सुहृदोऽस्माकमथवा न: पिता भवान्॥
Their organs of sense indicate as if they have awakened from an agreeable slumber. Are you a friend of ours or are you our father himself?
यक्ष उवाच अहं ते जनकस्तात् धर्मोऽमृदुपराक्रम। त्वां दिदृक्षुरनुप्राप्तो विद्धि मां भरतर्षभ॥
The Yaksha said: O child, I am your father Dharma of great strength. Know, O best of the Bharatas, that I have come with the intention on seeing you.
यशः सत्यं दमः शौचमार्जवं ह्रीरचापलम्। दानं तपो ब्रह्मचर्यमित्येतास्तनवो मम॥
Fame, truth, self-control, purity, simplicity, modesty steadiness, charity, asceticism and Brahmacharya are my limbs.
अहिंसा समता शान्तिरानृशंस्यममत्सरः। द्वाराण्येतानि मे विद्धि प्रियो ह्यसि सदा मम॥
Know that absence of cruelty, impartiality, peacefulness, asceticism, purity and want of pride are the (so many) avenues (of attaining to me). You are always (very) dear to me.
दिष्ट्या पञ्चसुरक्तोऽसि दिष्ट्या तेषट्पदी जिता। द्वे पूर्वे मध्यमे द्वे च द्वे चान्ते साम्परायिके॥
It is by good fortune that you are given to the (practice of the) five (virtues namely, equanimity of the mind, self-control, abstenance from sensual indulgence, forgiveness and Yoga). You have by good luck conquered the six (i.e. hunger and thirst, sorrow, delusion, decrepitude and death). (Of these six the first) two show themselves in the first stage of life; the second two in the middle stage and the third two in the last part in order to make creatures go to the next world.
धर्मोऽहमिति भद्रं ते जिज्ञासुस्त्वामिहागतः। आनृशंस्येन तुष्टोऽस्मि वरं दास्यामि तेऽनघ॥
I am Dharma, May you be in bliss. I came here to test you and have been pleased with your spirit of mercy. O sinless one, I will give you boons.
वरं वृणीष्व राजेन्द्र दाता ह्यस्मि तवानघ। ये हि मे पुरुषा भक्ता न तेषामस्ति दुर्गतिः॥
O foremost of kings, crave boons, O sinless one, I will bestow them on you. Those persons that are devoted to me never experience misfortune.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच अरणीसहितं यस्य मृगो ह्यादाय गच्छति। तस्याग्नयो न लुप्येरन् प्रथमोऽस्तु वरो मम॥
Yudhishthira said: May the Agni of the Brahmana whose firesticks are being carried away by that deer, be not destroyed. This the first boon that I crave.
यक्ष उवाच अरणीसहितं ह्यस्य ब्राह्मणस्य हृतं मया। मृगवेषेण कौन्तेय जिज्ञासार्थं तव प्रभो॥
The Yaksha said: O effulgent son of Kunti, it was in order to test you that I, in the shape of a deer, carried off the fire sticks of that Brahmana.
वैशम्पायन उवाच ददानीत्येव भगवानुत्तरं प्रत्यपद्यत। अन्यं वरय भद्रं ते वरं त्वममरोपम॥
Vaishampayana said : Thereupon, that exalted one replied “ I give (you this boon). Be blessed. Do you who are like an immortal ask for another boon.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच वर्षाणि द्वादशारण्ये त्रयोदशमुपस्थितम्। तत्र नो नाभिजानीयुर्वसतो मनुजाः क्वचित्॥
Yudhishthira said: The twelve years O our forest life have passed away and the thirteenth is come. May no man recognise us in the course of this year wherever we may live.
वैशम्पायन उवाच ददानीत्येव भगवानुत्तरं प्रत्यपद्यत। भूयश्चाश्वासयामास कौन्तेयं सत्यविक्रमम्॥
Vaishampayana said : That god then replied “I give you (this boon also)” He then consoled the son of Kunti endued with the strength of truth (in these words),
यद्यपि स्वेन रूपेण चरिष्यथ महीमिमाम्। न वो विज्ञास्यते कश्चित् त्रिषु लोकेषु भारत॥
"O Bharata, even if you wander in the world in your own proper shapes, no one in the three worlds shall be able to recognize you.
वर्षं त्रयोदशमिदं मत्प्रसादात् कुरूद्वहाः। विराटनगरे गूढा अविज्ञाताश्चरिष्यथ॥
Through my favour, O perpetuator of the Kuru race, you will lead a secret and incognito life in the city of Virata during this thirteenth year.
यद् वः संकल्पितं रूपं मनसा यस्य यादृशम्। तादृशं तादृशं सर्वे छन्दतो धारयिष्यथ॥
And whatever shape every one of you desires in his mind to assume, he will be able to wear (that form) at will.
अरणीसहितं चेदं ब्राह्मणाय प्रयच्छत। जिज्ञासार्थं मया ह्येतदाहृतं मृगरूपिणा॥
Now give to that Brahmana these fire-sticks which I carried away in the shape of a deer in order to test you.
प्रवृणीष्वापरं सौम्य वरमिष्टं ददानि ते। न तृष्यामि नरश्रेष्ठ प्रयच्छन् वै वरांस्तथा।॥
O amiable one, crave another boon that you desire. I will give it. O best of men, I am not satisfied with conferring boons on you.
तृतीयं गृह्यतां पुत्र वरमप्रतिमं महत्। त्वं हि मत्प्रभवो राजन् विदुरश्च ममांशजः॥
O son, accept a third great and unparalleled boon. O king, you have been begotten by me and Vidura is born of a portion of mine.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच देवदेवो मया दृष्टो भवान् साक्षात् सनातनः। यं ददासि वरं तुष्टस्तं ग्रहीष्याम्यहं पितः॥
Yudhishthira said : You are the god of gods. It is enough that I have seen you in our own shape. I will, O father, accept whatsoever boon you may be pleased to grant me.
जयेयं लोभमोहौ च क्रोधं चाहं सदा विभो। दाने तपसि सत्ये च मनो मे सततं भवेत्॥
O adorable one, may I always get the better of avarice, folly and anger and may my mind be always inclined towards charity, asceticism and truth.
धर्म उवाच उपपन्नो गुणैरेतैः स्वभावेनासि पाण्डव। भवान् धर्मः पुनश्चैव यथोक्तं ते भविष्यति॥
Dharma said: You are by nature gifted with all those virtues, O Pandava. You are (the very embodiment of) Virtue (itself) However, may you again have what you desire.
वैशम्पायन उवाच इत्युक्त्वान्तर्दधे धर्मो भगवाँल्लोकभावनः। समेताः पाण्डवाश्चैव सुखसुप्ता मनस्विनः॥
Vaishampayana said: Saying this, the adorable Dharma, whom all the worlds pay homage to, disappeared. And the magnanimous sons of Pandu were joined together after they had enjoyed and agreeable sleep.
उपेत्य चाश्रमं वीराः सर्व एव गतक्लमाः। आरणेयं ददुस्तस्मै ब्राह्मणाय तपस्विने॥
All those heroes, free from fatigue, arriving. at the hermitage gave to that ascetic Brahmana his fire-sticks.
इदं समुत्थानसमागतं महत्। पितुश्च पुत्रस्य च कीर्तिवर्धनम्। पठन् नरः स्याद् विजितेन्द्रियो वशी सपुत्रपौत्रः शतवर्षभाग् भवेत्॥
The man who reads this great and fameenhancing story of the restoration to life (of the Pandavas) and the meeting of the father and the son (i.e. Dharma and Yudhishthira) becomes self controlled, obtains masters over the passions, is blessed with sons and grandsons and lives to a hundred years.
न चाप्यधर्मे न सुहृद्विभेदने परस्वहारे परदारमर्शने। कदर्यभावे न रमेन्मनः सदा नृणां सदाख्यानमिदं विजानताम्॥
Those men that thoroughly apprehend this story are never inclined towards unrighteousness, breaking friendships, misappropriating other peoples property or violating other peoples wives and they never indulge in vile thoughts.