वैशम्पायन उवाच ततस्तेषां महाराज तत्रैवामिततेजसाम्। छद्मलिङ्गप्रविष्टानां पाण्डवानां महात्मनाम्॥ व्यतीतः समयः सम्यग् वसतां वै पुरोत्तमे। कुर्वतां तस्य कर्माणि विराटस्य महीपतेः। :॥
Vaishampayana said O great king, entering the service of the king Virata and living in that excellent city, the high-souled Pandavas of immeasurable prowess, passed the promised period in disguise, without being detected.
कीचके तु हते राजा विराटः परवीरहा। परां सम्भावनां चक्रे कुन्तीपुत्रे युधिष्ठिरे॥
After the death of Kichaka, the powerful king Virata, the slayer of hostile heroes, began to form great expectations of the sons of Kunti.
ततस्त्रयोदशस्यान्ते तस्य वर्षस्य भारत। सुशर्मणा गृहीतं तद् गोधनं तरसा बहु॥
Thereupon, O descendant of Bharata, after the expiration of the thirteenth year, Susharma by force seized many of his kine.
ततो जवेन महता गोपः पुरमथाव्रजत्। स दृष्ट्वा मत्स्यराजं च रथात् प्रस्कन्ध कुण्डली॥५। शूरैः परिवृतं योधैः कुण्डलाङ्गदधारिभिः। संवृतं मन्त्रिभिः सार्धं पाण्डवैस्च महात्मभिः॥
Then a herdsman came with great speed to the city; coming down from the car and seeing the king of Matsya with ear-rings, consulting with his counsellors, the high-souled Pandavas and surrounded by heroes and warriors, adorned with ear-rings and bracelets,
तं सभायां महाराजमासीनं राष्ट्रवर्धनम्। सोऽब्रवीदुपसंगम्य विराटं प्रणतस्तदा॥
And approaching the great king Virata, the enhancer of kingdom, seated in the court, he, with humility, said.
अस्मान् युधि विनिर्जित्य परिभूय सबान्धवान्। गवां शतसहस्राणि त्रिगर्ताः कालयन्ति ते॥
Vanquishing and humiliating us with our relatives in battle, the Trigartas are taking away thousands of your kine.'
तान् परीप्सस्व राजेन्द्र मा नेशुः पशवस्तव। तच्छ्रुत्वा नृपतिः सेनां मत्स्यानां समयोजयत्।।९।
O king of kings, "rescue them speedily so that they may not be lost.” Hearing his words the king collected his Matsya, army.
रथनागाश्वकलिलां पत्तिध्वजसमाकुलाम्। राजानो राजपुत्राश्च तनुत्राण्यथ भेजिरे॥
Consisting of cars, elephants, horses, infantry and pennons. The kings and princes put on their respective armours.
भानुमन्ति विचित्राणि शूरसेव्यानि भागशः। सवज्रायसग तु कवचं तत्र काञ्चनम्॥ विराटस्य प्रियो भ्राता शतानीकोऽभ्यहारयत्। सर्वपारसवं वर्म कल्याणपटलं दृढम्॥ शतानीकादवरजो मदिराक्षोऽभ्यहारयत्। शतसूर्यं शतावर्ती शतबिन्दु शताक्षिमत्॥ अभेद्यकल्पं मत्स्यानां राजा कवचमाहरत्। उत्सेधे यस्य पद्मानि शतं सौगन्धिकानि च॥ सुवर्णपृष्ठं सूर्याभं सूर्यदत्तोऽभ्यहारयत्। दृढमायसगर्भं च श्वेतं वर्म शताक्षिमत्॥ विराटस्य सुतो ज्येष्ठो वीरः शङ्खोऽभ्यहारयत्। शतशश्च तनुत्राणि यथास्वं ते महारथाः॥ योत्स्यमाना अनह्यन्त देवरूपाः प्रहारिणः। सूपस्करेषु शुभ्रेषु महत्सु च महारथाः॥
Brilliant, variegated and worthy of being worn by heroes according to their respective divisions. Virata's beloved brother Shatanika put on an armour made of adamant and adorned with gold. Madiraksha, next born to Shatanika, put on a strong armour plaited with gold and capable of withstanding every weapon. The armour, which the king of Matsya's himself wore, invincible, adorned with a hundred suns, a hundred was circles, a hundred spots, and a hundred eyes. The armour, that Suryadatta put on, was radiant like the sun, plaited with gold and broad like a hundred fragrant lotuses. The one, that Virata's eldest son Sankasha put on, was invulnerable, inade of burnished steel and adorned with a hundred golden eyes. In this way hundreds of god-like and powerful heroes, mighty carwarriors, adorned with weapons, put on their coats of mail.
पृथक् काञ्चनसंनाहान् रथेष्वश्वानयोजयन्। सूर्यचन्द्रप्रतीकाशे रथे दिव्ये हिरण्मये॥ महानुभावो मत्स्यस्य ध्वज उच्छिश्रिये तदा। अथान्यान् विविधाकारान् ध्वजान् हेमपरिष्कृतान्।।१९ यथास्वं क्षत्रियाः शूरा रथेषु समयोजयन्। अथ मत्स्योऽब्रवीद् राजा शतानीकं जघन्यजम्॥
Then they yoked to their excellent white cars, horses, equipped in mail. Matsya's glorious standard was hoisted on his beautiful car decked with gold and resembling the sun or moon in lustre. Other Kshatriya heroes too hoisted on their own cars golden flags of various forms and contrivances. Then the king of Matsya said to his younger brother Shatanika.
कङ्कबल्लवगोपाला जामग्रन्थिश्च वीर्यवान्। युद्ध्येयुरिति मे बुद्धिवर्तते नात्र संशयः॥
There is no doubt Kanka, Ballava, Tantipala and the greatly energetic Damagranthi will fight.
एतेषामपि दीयन्तां रथा ध्वजपताकनः। कवचानि च चित्राणि दृढानि च मृदूनि च॥
Give them cars adorned with flags and pennons, and variegated armours, invulnerable, and easy to wear.
प्रतिमुढान्तु गात्रेषु दीयन्तामायुधानि च। वीराङ्गरूपाः पुरुषा नागराजकरोपमाः॥
Let them put on these on their persons; give them also weapons. That persons thus assuming heroic forms and resembling arms of elephant chiefs,
नेमे जातु न युध्येरन्निति मे धीयते मतिः। एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु नृपतेर्वाक्यं त्वरितमानसः।
Cannot fight, I can not lead myself to believe.” Hearing those words of the king, who was anxiously hurrying on,
शतानीकस्तु पार्थेभ्यो स्थान् राजन् समादिशत्॥ सहदेवाय राज्ञे च भीमाय नकुलाय च।
O king, Shatanika, ordered chariots for the sons of Pritha-Sahadeva, the king Bhima and Nakula.
तान् प्रहृष्टांस्तत: सूता राजभक्तिपुरस्कृताः॥ निर्दिष्टा नरदेवेन रथाञ्छीघ्रमयोजयन्।
Then those charioteers, delightedly having the devotion to the king always before them, speedily got the cars ready as commanded by the king.
कवचानि विचित्राणि मृदूनि च दृढानि च।॥ विराटः प्रादिशद् यानि तेषामक्लिष्टकर्मणाम्। तान्यामुच्य शरीरेषु दंशितास्ते परंतपाः॥ रथान् हयैः सुसम्पन्नानास्थाय च नरोत्तमाः।
Those slayers of foes then put on their persons those strong, easy and variegated armours which the king Virata had ordered for (those heroes) of unwearied actions. Then ascending cars drawn by good horses, those best of men,
निर्ययुर्मुदिताः पार्थाः शत्रुसंघावमर्दिनः॥ तरस्विनश्छन्नरूपाः सर्वे युद्धविशारदाः। रथान् हेमपरिच्छन्नानास्थाय च महारथाः॥ विराटमन्वयुः पार्थाः सहिताः कुरुपुङ्गवाः। चत्वारो भ्रातरः शूराः पाण्डवाः सत्यविक्रमाः॥ भीमाश्च मत्तमातङ्गा प्रभिन्नकरटामुखाः। क्षरन्तश्चैव नागेन्द्राः सुदन्ताः षष्टिहायनाः॥ स्वारूढा युद्धकुशलैः शिक्षिता हस्तिसादिभिः। राजानमन्वयुः पश्चाच्चलन्त इव पर्वताः॥ विशारदानां मुख्यानां हृष्टानां चारुजीविनाम्। अष्टौ रथसहस्राणि दश नागशतानि च॥ षष्टिश्चाश्वसहस्राणि मत्स्यानामभिनिर्ययुः।
The repressors of hostile army, the sons of Pritha, delightedly issued out. Those mighty car-warriors, the four heroic brothers, the Pandavas, of unfailing prowess, living in disguise, endue with celerity of movements and all well-skilled in the art of war, the sons of Pritha, ascending golden cars, those foi most of Kurus, followed Virata. Dreadful and infuriated elephants, sixty years old with beautiful tusks and rent temples and temporal juice trickling down, appearing like clouds pouring rain, driven by trained and skilled heroes, followed the king like so many moving hills. The leading heroes of Matsya who delightedly followed the king had eight thousand cars, a thousand elephants and sixty thousand horses.
तदनीकं विराटस्य शुशुभे भरतर्षभ॥ सम्प्रयातं तदा राजन् निरीक्षन्तं गवां पदम्।
O foremost of the Bharatas, that army of Virata, issuing out marking the foot-prints of the kine, looked beautiful.
तद् बलाग्यं विराटस्य सम्प्रस्थितमशोभत। दृढायुधजनाकीर्णं गजाश्वरथसंकुलम्॥
While marching, that best of armies, belonging to Virata, filled with soldiers armed with strong weapons, abounding in elephants, horses and cars, looked really splendid.