जनमेजय उवाच । एवं ते मत्स्यनगरे प्रच्छन्नाः कुरुनन्दनाः। अत ऊर्ध्वं महावीर्याः किमकुर्वत वै द्विजः॥
Janamejaya said O twice-born one, living thus disguised in the city of the Matsyas what did the Kuru's sons of exceeding might do.
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवं मत्स्यस्य नगरे प्रच्छन्नाः कुरुनन्दनाः। आराधयन्तो राजानं यदकुर्वत तच्छृणु॥
Vaishampayana said Hear, what the descendants of Kuru did living thus disguised in the city of the Matsyas and serving the king thereof.
तृणबिन्दुप्रसादाच्च धर्मस्य च महात्मनः। अज्ञातवासमेवं तु विराटनगरेऽवसन्॥
By the grace of the ascetic Trinabindu and of the high-souled Dharma they began to live incognito in the city of Virata.
युधिष्ठिरः सभास्तारो मत्स्यानामभवत् प्रियः। तथैव च विराटस्य सपुत्रस्य विशाम्पते॥
Yudhishthira as a courtier made himself a favorite to Virata and his son, as well as to all the Matsyas, O lord of people.
स ह्यक्षहृदयज्ञस्तान् क्रीडयामास पाण्डवः। अक्षवत्यां यथाकामं सूत्रबद्धानिव द्विजान्॥
Well versed in the mysteries of the dice he caused him to play at dice in the dice-hall in accordance with his pleasure like the birds bound by the string.
अज्ञातं च विराटस्य विजित्य वसु धर्मराट्। भ्रातृभ्यः पुरुषव्याघ्रो यथार्ह सम्प्रयच्छति॥
That best of men, the king of justice (Yudhishthira) having won the wealth of Virata duly distributed it without the knowledge of the monarch among his brothers.
भीमसेनोऽपि मांसानि भक्ष्याणि विविधानि च। अतिसृष्टानि मत्स्येन विक्रीणीते युधिष्ठिरे॥
Bhimsena also sold to Yudhishthira, the meat and the viands of various sorts which were given by the king of the Matsyas.
वासांसि परिजीर्णानि लब्धान्यन्तःपुरेऽर्जुनः। विक्रीणानस्च सर्वेभ्यः पाण्डवेभ्यः प्रयच्छति॥
Arjuna parted with the worn out clothes by sale, which he obtained from women's quarters, to the other sons of Pandu.
सहदेवोऽपि गोपानां वेषमास्थाय पाण्डवः। दधि क्षीरं घृतं चैव पाण्डवेभ्यः प्रयच्छति॥
Sahadeva also, who had assumed the dress of a cow-herd, distributed to them curds, milk and clarified butter.
नकुलोऽपि धनं लब्ध्वा कृते कर्मणि वाजिनाम्। तुष्टे तस्मिन् नरपतौ पाण्डवेभ्यः प्रयच्छति॥
Nakula also gave the wealth to his brothers which he acquired from the king who was satisfied with him for his tending the horses.
कृष्णा तु सर्वान् भर्तृस्तान् निरीक्षन्ती तपस्विनी। यथा पुनरविज्ञाता तथा चरति भामिनी॥
In the form of ascetic and very charmful draupadi served their husband, so nobody can identify their reality.
एवं सम्पादयन्तस्ते तदान्योन्यं महारथाः। विराटनगरे चेरुः पुनर्गर्भधृता इव॥
They, the mighty warriors, then looking after the interest of one another, lived in the city of Virata in such a manner, as if they were once more in the house of their mother.
साशङ्का धार्तराष्ट्रस्य भयात् पाण्डुसुतास्तदा। प्रेक्षमाणास्तदा कृष्णामूषुश्छन्ना नराधिप॥
Then the sons of Pandu, the lords of men, appending evil from the sons of Dhritarashtra, continued to live there in disguise keeping vigilant eyes upon their wife Krishna.
अथ मासे चतुर्थे तु ब्रह्मणः सुमहोत्सवः। आसीत् समृद्धो मत्स्येषु पुरुषाणां सुसम्मतः॥
Then in the fourth month there happened a great festival, in honor of the divine Brahma, slender in form and highly valued by people, in the city of the Matsya's.
तत्र मल्लाः समापेतुर्दिग्भ्यो राजन् सहस्रशः। समाजे ब्रह्मणो राजन् यथा पशुपतेरिव॥
0 king, there came, by thousands, wrestlers from all quarters in that field of festivity in honour of the divine Brahma, as also on the occasion of a festival held in honor of Shiva.
महाकाया महावीर्याः कालखजा इवासुराः। वीर्योन्मत्ता बलोदग्रा राज्ञा समभिपूजिताः॥
They were of colossal forms and of exceeding might, like the demons named Kalakhanjas; they were maddened with their latent power; furious with their prowess and highly honored by the king.
सिंहस्कन्धकटिग्रीवाः स्वावदाता मनस्विनः। असकृल्लब्धलक्षास्ते रङ्गे पार्थिवसंनिधौ॥
Their shoulders, waists and necks were like those of lions, their bodies were free from dirt, and their hearts were large. Many times before they achieved success in the lists in the very august presence of the king.
तेषामेको महानासीत् सर्वमल्लानथाह्वयत्। आवल्गमानं तं रङ्गे नोपतिष्ठति कश्चन॥
Amongst them there was one who was the greatest of all and challenged all other combatants to a wrestle; there was none that ventured to encounter him as he strided over in the arena.
यदा सर्वे विमनसस्ते मल्ला हतचेतसः। अथ सूदेन तं मल्लं योधयामास मत्स्यराट्।॥
When all the wrestlers stood stupefied and dejected in spirit then the king of the Matsyas made him fight with his cook.
नोद्यमानस्तदा भीमो दुःखेनैवाकरोन्मतिम्। न हि शक्नोति विवृते प्रत्याख्यातुं नराधिपम्॥
Impelled by the king, Bhima made up his mind with reluctance, for it was not in his power to openly disobey the royal mandate.
ततः स पुरुषव्याघ्रः शार्दूलशिथिलश्चरन्। प्रविवेश महारङ्गं विराटमभिपूजयन्॥
Then that the best of men, having worshipped the king Virata, entered the spacious arena with listless steps like those of a lion.
बबन्ध कक्षां कौन्तेयस्ततः संहर्षयञ्जनम्। ततस्तु वृत्रसंकाशं भीमो मल्लं समाह्वयत्॥
Then Bhima, the son of Kunti, girded up his lions and caused the delight of the spectators. There he summoned the wrestler of distinguished prowess named Jimuta resembling Vritra himself. were
जीमूतं नाम तं तत्र मल्लं प्रख्यातविक्रमम्। तावुभौ सुमहोत्साहावुभौ भीमपराक्रमौ॥ मत्ताविव महाकायौ वारणौ षष्टिहायनौ। ततस्तौ नरशार्दूलो बाहुयुद्धं समीयतुः॥
Both of them were of exceeding energy and of terrible prowess, and they both were like a couple of infuriated elephants of gigantic form each being sixty years old. Then those two best of men became engaged in hand-tohand fight.
वीरौ परमसंहृष्टावन्योन्यजयकाक्षिणौ। आसीत् सुभीमः सम्पातो वज्रपर्वतयोरिव॥
Those two heroic combatants exceedingly cheerful, each being desirous of gaining victory over the other; exceedingly terrible was the encounter between them, just like the clash of the thunderbolt against the mountain.
उभौ परमसंहृष्टौ बलेनातिबलावुभौ। अन्योन्यस्यान्तरं प्रेप्सू परस्परजयैषिणौ॥
Both of them were exceedingly powerful and were highly pleased with each other's strength; each of them was desirous of winning the victory over the other and was vigilant to take advantage of his rival's lapse.
उभौ परमसंहष्टौ मत्ताविव महागजौ। कृतप्रतिकृतैश्चित्रैर्बाहुभिश्च सुसरूटैः।
Both of them were exceedingly delighted and resembled a couple of infuriated elephants of huge forms; and various were the manners of their attack and defence shown by means of their clenched fists.
संनिपातावधूतैश्च प्रमौथोन्मथनैस्तथा॥ क्षेपणैर्मुष्टिभिश्चैव वराहोद्भूतनि:स्वनैः।
They fought in a manner that each dashed against the other, threw his rival far off his stand, each crushed the other down, and pressed him hard on the ground, each showing the other off exchanged blows, and each whirled the other round with his head downward and threw him away with a loud noise.
तलैर्वज्रनिपातैश्च प्रसृष्टाभिस्तथैव च॥ शलाकानसखपातैश्च पादोद्भूतैश्च दारुणैः।
With their palms each gave a good slap to the other, striking as hard as the thunder bolt and with outstretched fingers they slapped each other. They thrust spear like nails into each other's person; each gave violent kicks to the other.
जानुभिश्चाश्मनिर्घोषैः शिरोभिश्चावघदनैः॥ तद् युद्धमभवद् घोरमशस्त्रं बाहुतेजसा।
They struck knee against knee, dashed head against head, producing the crash of one stone against another. That was the furious combat without weapons, sustained chiefly by the might of their arms.
बलप्राणेन शूराणां समाजोत्सवसंनिधौ॥ अरज्यत जन: सर्वः सोत्क्रुष्टनिनदोत्थितः।
By both physical and mental energy of the two heroic combatants, as represented in the presence of people assembled in the arena on the occasion of the festivity, all the spectators were extremely delighted, and their delight was manifested by joyous shouts given out at intervals.
बलिनोः संयुगे राजन् वृत्रवासवयोरिव॥ प्रकर्षणाकर्षणयोरभ्याकर्षविकर्षणैः। आकर्षतुरधान्योन्यं जानुभिश्चापि जघतुः॥ महता भर्त्सयन्तौ परस्परम्।
O king, in the wrestling of the two mighty persons, resembling Vitra and Vasava respectively, they pulled, pressed, whirled and hurried down each other and struck each other with their knees and expressed their hatred for each other in loud voices.
व्यूढोरस्कौ दीर्घभुजौ नियुद्धकुशलावुभौ। बाहुभिः समसज्जेतामायसैः परिधैरिव॥
Then they both of expansive chest, and long arms, and expert in wrestling began to fight with their arms resembling huge bolts of iron.
चकर्ष दोर्ध्यामुत्पात्य भीमो मल्लममित्रहा। निनदन्तमभिक्रोशन् शार्दूल इव वारणम्॥ ततः शब्देन
Bhima, the slayer of enemies, seized, with a big seized, his vociferous rival wrestler by the arms and drew him near even as the lion seizes the elephant.
समुद्यम्य महाबाहूर्धामयामास वीर्यवान्। ततो मल्लाच मत्स्याश्चं विस्मयं चक्रिरे परम्॥
Then the mighty-armed Bhima of great prowess raised him up and began to whirl him round; then all the athlete and the people of the Matsya's, who had assembled on the occasion, were greatly astonished.
भ्रामयित्वा शतगुणं गतसत्त्वमचेतनम्। प्रत्यपिंषन्महाबाहुर्मल्लं भुवि वृकोदरः॥
Then having whirled him round and round a hundred times, the mighty armed Vrikodara inade him utterly insensible and threw him down lifeless on the ground.
तस्मिन् विनिहते वीरे जीमूते लोकविश्रूते। विराटः परमं हर्षमगच्छद् बान्धवैः सह॥
That distinguished athlete Jimuta being slain, Virata and his friends were exceedingly delighted.
प्रहर्षात् प्रददौ वित्तं बहु राजा महामनाः। बल्लवाय महारङ्गे यथा वैश्रवणस्तथा॥
In his great joy the high-minded king gave away to Ballava plenty of riches in the shape of a reward on the very field of combat with as much liberality as that of Kubera.
एवं स सुबहून् मल्लान् पुरुषांश्च महाबलान्। विनिघ्नन् मत्स्यराजस्य प्रीतिमाहरदुत्तमाम्॥
Having thus slain numerous athletes and many other persons of great strength he received the great favour of the king of the Matsya's.
यदास्य तुल्यः पुरुषो न कश्चित् तत्र विद्यते। ततो व्याप्रैश्च सिंहैश्च द्विरदैश्चाप्ययोधयत्॥
When there was found no one such as to stand equal to him the king made him fight with tigers and lions and elephants.
पुनरन्तःपुरगतः स्त्राणां मध्ये वृकोदरः। योध्यते स विराटेन सिंहैर्मत्तैर्महाबलैः॥
Again the king made Vrikodara fight with furious lions of exceeding strength in the assembly of the ladies of the harem.
बीभत्सुरपि गीतेन स्वनृत्येन च पाण्डवः। विराटं तोषयामास सर्वाश्चान्तःपुरस्त्रियः॥
Bibhatsu, the son of Pandu, pleased Virata and all the ladies of the harem by singing and dancing.
अश्वैर्विनीतैर्जवनस्तत्र तत्र समागतः। तोषयामास राजानं नकुलो नृपसत्तमम्॥ तस्मै प्रदेयं प्रायच्छत् प्रीतो राजा धनं बहु।
Nakula pleased the king, the best of kings by showing him the fast-going and well-trained horses and the king, pleased gave him a plenty of money as a reward.
विनीतान् वृषभान् दृष्ट्वा सहदेवस्य चाभितः। धनं ददौ बहुविधं विराटः पुरुषर्षभः॥
Beholding a herd of well-trained bullocks around Sahadeva, Virata the best of men, gave him wealth of various kinds.
द्रौपदी प्रेक्ष्य तान् सर्वान् क्लिश्यमानान् महारथान्। नातिप्रीतमना राजन् निःश्वासपरमाभवत्॥
O king, beholding all these mighty warriors suffer pain, Draupadi felt herself dejected in mind and had recourse to constant sighs.
एवं ते न्यवसंस्तत्र प्रच्छन्नाः पुरुषर्षभाः। कर्माणि तस्य कुर्वाणा विराटनृपतेस्तदा॥
Those best among men began to live there in disguise rendering services to the king Virata.