जनमेजय उवाच विजिते पाण्डवेयैस्तु प्रशान्ते च द्विजोत्तम। राष्ट्रे किं चक्रतुर्वीरौ वासुदेवधनंजयौ॥
O best of the twice-borns, when the Pandavas had reconquered and pacified their kingdom, what did the two warriors Vasudeva and Dhananjaya do?
वैशम्पायन उवाच विजिते पाण्डवै राजन् प्रशान्ते च विशाम्पते। राष्ट्र बभूवतुर्हष्टौ वासुदेवधनंजयौ॥ विजह्राते मुदा युक्तौ दिवि देवेश्वराविव। तौ वनेषु विचित्रेषु पर्वतेषु ससानुपु॥ तीर्थेषु चैव पुण्येषु पल्वलेषु नदीषु च। चक्रम्यमाणौ संहृष्टावश्विनाविव नन्दने॥
Vaishmpayana said. O king, Vasudeva and Dhananjaya were highly pleased when the Pandavas had succeeded in regaining and pacifying their kingdoms, and they deported themselves with great glcc, like Indra and his wife in the celestial regions, and amidst picturesque forest scenarios, and tablelands of mountains, and sacred places of pilgrimage, and lakes and rivers, they travelled with great pleasure like the two Ashvins in the Nandana garden of Indra.
इन्द्रप्रस्थे महात्मानौ रेमतुः कृष्णपाण्डवौ। प्रविश्य तां सभां रम्यां विजह्राते च भारत॥
And, O Bharata, the great Krishna and the son of Pandu (Dhananjaya) entering the beautiful hall of assembly at Indraprastha, passed their time in great merriment.
तत्र युद्धकथाश्चित्राः परिक्लेशांश्च पार्थिव। कथायोगे कथायोगे कथयामासतुः सदा॥
And there, O prince, they passed their time in describing the stirring incidents of the war, and the sufferings of their past lives.
ऋषीणां देवतानां च वंशांस्तावाहतुः सदा। प्रीयमाणौ महात्मानौ पुराणावृषिसत्तमौ॥
And those two great ancient sages, pleased, recited the genealogy of the races of saints and gods.
मधुरास्तु कथाचित्राश्चित्रार्थपदनिश्चयाः। निश्चप्रज्ञः स पार्थाय कथयामास केशवः॥
Then Keshava, knowing thc full significance of all matters, addressed Partha in sweet and beautiful words of excellent style and meaning.
पुत्रशोकाभिसंतप्तं ज्ञातीनां च सहस्रशः। कथाभिः शमयामास पार्थं शौरिर्जनार्दन॥
And then Janardana consoled the son of Pritha afflicted by the death of his sons, and thousands of other relatives.
स तमाश्वास्य विधिवद् विज्ञानज्ञो महातपाः। अपहृत्यात्मनो भारं विशश्रामेव सात्वतः॥
And he of great ascetic merit and knowing the science of all things duly comforting him, rested for a while, as if a great burden had been removed from his own body.
तत: कथान्ते गोविन्दो गुडाकेशमुवाच ह। सान्त्वयश्लक्ष्णया वाचा हेतुयुक्तमिदं वचः॥
Then Govinda (Krishna) comforting Arjuna with sweet speech, addressed these well reasoned words to himn.
वासुदेव उवाच विजितेयं धरा कृत्स्रा सव्यसाचिन् परंतप। त्वद्वाहुबलमाश्रित्य राज्ञा धर्मसुतेन ह॥
Vasudeva said O Arjuna, the terror of your enemies, this cntire earth has been conquered by the king, the son of Dharma, depending on the power of your arms.
असपत्नां महीं भुङ्क्ते धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः। भीमसेनानुभावेन यमयोश्च नरोत्तम॥
And, O best of men, the virtuous king Yudhishthira now enjoys the sovereignty of the earth without a rival, by the power of Bhimasena and the twin brothers.
धर्मेण राज्ञा धर्मज्ञ प्राप्तं राज्यमकण्टकम्। धर्मेण निहत: संख्ये स च राजा सुयोधनः॥ अधर्मरुचयो लुब्धाः सदा चाप्रियवादिनः। धार्तराष्ट्रा दुरात्मानः सानुबन्धा निपातिताः :॥ प्रशान्तामखिलां पार्थ प्रथिवीं पृथिवीपतिः। भुङ्क्ते धर्मसुतो राजा त्वया गुप्तः कुरुद्वह॥ रमे चाहं त्वया सार्धमरण्येष्वपि पाण्डव।
Oyou, who know what virtue is, it was by virtue alone, that the king has been able to regain his kingdom shorn of all enemies, and it was by the action of virtue, that king Suyodhana has been slain in battle, and, O son of Pritha and pillar of the Kuru race, the wicked sons sons of Dhritarashtra, avaricious, always rude in speech, and bent upon a sinful course of conduct, having been rooted out with their followers, the king, the son of Dharma and lord of the earth, now peaceably enjoys the cntire kingdom of the earth with your help, and I too, O son of Pandu, have been pleasantly passing away my time in your company, amidst woodland scenes.
किमु यत्र जनोऽयं वै पृथा चामित्रकर्षण॥ यत्र धर्मसुतो राजा यत्र भीमो महाबलः। यत्र माद्रवतीपुत्रौ रतिस्तत्र परा मम॥
O terror of your enemies, what more need I tell you, but that where you and Pritha, and the king, the son of Dharma, and the powerful Bhimasena and the two sons of Madri are, there am I drawn with exquisite delight.
तथैव स्वर्गकल्पेषु सभोद्देशेषु कौरव। रमणीयेषु पुण्येषु सहितस्य त्वयानघ॥ कालो महांस्त्वतीतो मे शूरसृनुमपश्यतः। बलदेवं च कौरव्य तथान्यान् वृष्णि पुगवान्॥
O descendant of Kuru, in these delightful and sacred and celestial halls of assembly, a long time has gone away in your company without my seeing Vasudeva, Baladeva and other leaders of the Vrishni race.
साऽहं गन्तुमभीप्सामि पुरीं द्वारावती प्रति। रोचतां गमनं मह्यं तवापि पुरुषर्षभ॥
And now I am desirous of going to the city of Dvaravati. Do you, therefore, O most courageous of me, assent to my departure.
उक्तो बहुविधं राजा तत्र तत्र युधिष्ठिरः। सह भीष्मेण यद् युक्तमस्माभिः शोककारिते॥ शिष्टो युधिष्ठिरोऽस्माभिः शास्ता सन्नपि पाण्डवः। तेन तत् तु वचः सम्यग् गृहीतं सुमहात्मना॥
When king Yudhishthira was stricken heavily with sorrow, I with Bhishma, have recited to him many appropriate legends suited to the occasion with a view of dispelling his gricf, and the pliant and great Yudhishthira, though our sovereign, and versed in all learning, paid due heed to our words.
धर्मपुत्रे हि धर्मज्ञे कृतज्ञे सत्यवादिनि। सत्यं धर्मो मतीश्चाग्र्या स्थितिश्च सततं स्थिरा॥
That son of Dharma honours truth, and is grateful and virtuous, therefore will his virtue, and good sense and the stability of his power always endure.
तत्र गत्वा महात्मानं यदि ते रोचतेऽर्जुन। अस्मद्गमनसंयुक्तं वचो ब्रूहि जनाधिपम्॥
And now, O Arjuna, if it pleases you, do you go to that great prince and tell him of my desire to leave this place.
न हि तस्याप्रियं कुर्यां प्राणत्यागेऽप्युपस्थिते। कुतो गन्तुं महाबाहो पुरी द्वारावतीं प्रति॥ सर्वं त्विदमहं पार्थ त्वत्प्रीतिहितकाम्पया। ब्रवीमि सत्यं कौरव्य न मिथ्यैतत् कथंचन॥ प्रयोजनं च निर्वृत्तमिह वासे ममार्जुन। धार्तराष्ट्रो हतो राजा सबल: सपदानुगः॥ पृथिवी च वशे तात धर्मपुत्रस्य धीमतः। स्थिता समुद्रवलया सशैलवनकानना॥ चिता रत्नैर्बहुविधैः कुरुराजस्य पाण्डव। धर्मेण राजा धर्मज्ञः पातु सर्वां वसुन्धराम्॥ उपास्यमानो बहुभिः सिद्धैश्चापि महात्मभिः। स्तूयमानश्च सततं वन्दिभिर्भरतर्षभ॥
For, O you of mighty arms, even if death comes to ine, I am reluctant to do anything that may displease him, what to speak of my going to the city of Dvaravati, O son of Pritha, and descendant of Kuru, I now tell you truly desiring to do only what is good and agreeable to you, and there can be nothing equivocal in it many way, that the necessity for my staying here no longer exists, when, O Arjuna, that monarch the son of Dhritarashtra, has been killed with his armies and attendants, and the earth, my friend, with its belt of seas, and its mountains and woods and forest, and the kingdom of the Kuru king filled with various gems, have passed under the control of that wise son of Dharma. And, O foremost prince of Bharata's race, may that virtuous prince govern the entire kingdom of the earth in virtue, and with the respect and approbation of numerous grcat Siddhas, and having his praises always extolled by the panegyrists.
तं मया सह गत्वाद्य राजानं कुरु वर्धनम्। आपृच्छ कुरुशार्दूल गपनं द्वारका प्रति॥
Do you, O pride of Kuru's race, accompany me today to the king, the great advancer of the Kuru race, and sound him of my intended return to Dwraka.
इदं शरीरं वसु यच्च मे गृहे निवेदितं पार्थ सदा युधिष्ठिरे। प्रियश्च मान्यश्च हि मे युधिष्ठिरः सदा कुरुणामधिपो महामतिः॥
As Yudhishthira the great king of the Kurus, always commands my love and respect, I have, O son of Pritha, placed this my body and all the riches that I have in my house, at his disposal.
प्रयोजनं चापि निवासकारणे। न विद्यते मे त्वदृते नृपात्मज। स्थिता हि पृथ्वी तव पार्थ शासने गुरोः सुवृत्तस्य युधिष्ठिरस्य च॥
And, O prince, Partha (son of Pritha) when this earth has come under your control and that of the worshipful Yudhishthira of excellent character, there no longer remains any need for my staying here except for my love for you.
इतीदमुक्तः स तदा महात्मना जनार्दनेनामितविक्रमोऽर्जुनः। जनार्दनं सम्प्रतिपूज्य पार्थिव॥
And, O king, when the redoubtable Arjuna had been thus addressed by the noble-hearted Janardana, he, showing all the honours due to him, sorrowfully replied by merely saying 'be it so'.