Drupada Sends His Priest to the Pandavas

Verse 1 (1.208.1)

ततस्तथोक्तः परिहृष्टरूपः । पित्रे शशंसाथ स राजपुत्रः । धृष्टद्युम्नः सोमकानां प्रबर्हो । वृत्तं यथा येन हृता च कृष्णा ॥

tatastathoktaḥ parihṛṣṭarūpaḥ | pitre śaśaṃsātha sa rājaputraḥ | dhṛṣṭadyumnaḥ somakānāṃ prabarho | vṛttaṃ yathā yena hṛtā ca kṛṣṇā

Thus addressed, Prince Dhrishtadyumna, foremost of the Somakas, glowing with delight, told his father all that had happened: how Krishna had been carried off, and by whom.

Verse 2 (1.208.2)

योऽसौ युवा व्यायतलोहिताक्षः । कृष्णाजिनी देवसमानरूपः । यः कार्मुकाग्र्यं कृतवानधिज्यं । लक्षं च यः पातितवान्पृथिव्याम् ॥

yo'sau yuvā vyāyatalohitākṣaḥ | kṛṣṇājinī devasamānarūpaḥ | yaḥ kārmukāgryaṃ kṛtavānadhijyaṃ | lakṣaṃ ca yaḥ pātitavānpṛthivyām

"That young man with long, red-tinged eyes, wearing a black antelope skin, handsome as a god, who strung the foremost of bows and brought the target down to the ground—

Verse 3 (1.208.3)

असज्जमानश्च ततस्तरस्वी । वृतो द्विजाग्र्यैरभिपूज्यमानः । चक्राम वज्रीव दितेः सुतेषु । सर्वैश्च देवैर्ऋषिभिश्च जुष्टः ॥

asajjamānaśca tatastarasvī | vṛto dvijāgryairabhipūjyamānaḥ | cakrāma vajrīva diteḥ suteṣu | sarvaiśca devairṛṣibhiśca juṣṭaḥ

—that mighty man then walked away unhindered, surrounded and honoured by the foremost brahmins, as the wielder of the thunderbolt strides among the sons of Diti, attended by all the gods and seers.

Verse 4 (1.208.4)

कृष्णा प्रगृह्याजिनमन्वयात्तं । नागं यथा नागवधूः प्रहृष्टा । श्यामो युवा वारणमत्तगामी । कृत्वा महत्कर्म सुदुष्करं तत् ॥

kṛṣṇā pragṛhyājinamanvayāttaṃ | nāgaṃ yathā nāgavadhūḥ prahṛṣṭā | śyāmo yuvā vāraṇamattagāmī | kṛtvā mahatkarma suduṣkaraṃ tat

Krishna took hold of his deerskin and followed him joyfully, as a cow-elephant follows her lord. That dark young man, who moves like an elephant in rut, having done that great and most difficult deed—

Note on the text: Corrected कृष्मा → कृष्णा (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads kṛṣṇā). Removed a stray wiki mark (`) before the third line. Lines 1–2 = 1.185.4ab; lines 3–4 (with lines 1–2 of the next verse) are not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 5 (1.208.5)

यः सूतपुत्रेण चकार युद्धं । शङ्केऽर्जुनं तं त्रिदशेशवीर्यम् । अमृष्यमाणेषु नराधिपेषु । क्रुद्धेषु वै तत्र समापतत्सु ॥

yaḥ sūtaputreṇa cakāra yuddhaṃ | śaṅke'rjunaṃ taṃ tridaśeśavīryam | amṛṣyamāṇeṣu narādhipeṣu | kruddheṣu vai tatra samāpatatsu

—and who fought with the charioteer's son: I suspect he is Arjuna, with the might of the lord of the thirty gods. When the kings could not bear it and came rushing at him in their anger—

Note on the text: Removed a stray wiki mark (') after the second line. Lines 1–2 are not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); lines 3–4 = 1.185.4cd.

Verse 6 (1.208.6)

ततोऽपरः पार्थिवसङ्घमध्ये । प्रवृद्धमारुज्य महीप्ररोहम् । प्राकालयत्तेन स पार्थिवौघान् । भीमोऽन्तकः प्राणभृतो यथैव ॥

tato'paraḥ pārthivasaṅghamadhye | pravṛddhamārujya mahīpraroham | prākālayattena sa pārthivaughān | bhīmo'ntakaḥ prāṇabhṛto yathaiva

—then another man, in the midst of the throng of kings, tore up a full-grown tree and with it drove back the hosts of kings, terrible as Death the ender driving living creatures before him.

Verse 7 (1.208.7)

तौ पार्थिवानां मिषतां नरेन्द्र । कृष्णामुपादाय गतौ नराग्र्यौ । विभ्राजमानाविव चन्द्रसूर्यौ । बाह्यां पुराद्भार्गवकर्मशालाम् ॥

tau pārthivānāṃ miṣatāṃ narendra | kṛṣṇāmupādāya gatau narāgryau | vibhrājamānāviva candrasūryau | bāhyāṃ purādbhārgavakarmaśālām

Then, O king, while the kings looked on, those two foremost of men took Krishna and went, shining like the moon and the sun, to a potter's workshop outside the city.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (1.185.6): Wikisource prints only the last line of this verse (numbered 7f, so the lines before it are lost) and the sense breaks off without it; the first three lines are supplied from the critical edition, the fourth is Wikisource's own.

Verse 8 (1.208.8)

तत्रोपविष्टार्चिरिवानलस्य । तेषां जनित्रीति मम प्रतर्कः । तथाविधैरेव नरप्रवीरै- । रुपोपविष्टैस्त्रिभिरग्निकल्पैः ॥

tatropaviṣṭārcirivānalasya | teṣāṃ janitrīti mama pratarkaḥ | tathāvidhaireva narapravīrai- | rupopaviṣṭaistribhiragnikalpaiḥ

There sat a woman like a flame of fire—my guess is that she is their mother—and around her sat three more heroes of the same kind, each like a fire.

Note on the text: Corrected त्रिबिरग्निकल्पैः → त्रिभिरग्निकल्पैः (misprint in Wikisource; ब for भ, 'three', as in the critical edition).

Verse 9 (1.208.9)

तस्यास्ततस्तावभिवाद्य पादा- । वुक्त्वा च कृष्णामभिवादयेति । स्थितौ च तत्रैव निवेद्य कृष्णां । भिक्षाप्रचाराय गता नराग्र्याः ॥

tasyāstatastāvabhivādya pādā- | vuktvā ca kṛṣṇāmabhivādayeti | sthitau ca tatraiva nivedya kṛṣṇāṃ | bhikṣāpracārāya gatā narāgryāḥ

The two touched her feet in greeting and told Krishna, 'Salute her.' Having entrusted Krishna to her, they stayed there, and those foremost of men went out on their round for alms.

Verse 10 (1.208.10)

तेषां तु भैक्षं प्रतिगृह्य कृष्णा । दत्त्वा बलिं ब्राह्मणसाच्च कृत्वा । तां चैव वृद्धां परिवेष्य तांश्च । नरप्रवीरान्स्वयमप्यभुङ्क्त ॥

teṣāṃ tu bhaikṣaṃ pratigṛhya kṛṣṇā | dattvā baliṃ brāhmaṇasācca kṛtvā | tāṃ caiva vṛddhāṃ pariveṣya tāṃśca | narapravīrānsvayamapyabhuṅkta

Krishna received the alms they brought, offered the bali portion and gave a share to brahmins; then she served the old woman and those heroes among men, and ate last herself.

Note on the text: Corrected दत्वा → दत्त्वा (misprint in Wikisource; dropped त in the conjunct, as in the critical edition).

Verse 11 (1.208.11)

सुप्तास्तु ते पार्थिव सर्व एव । कृष्णा च तेषां चरणोपधाने । आसीत्पृथिव्यां शयनं च तेषां । दर्भाजिनाग्रास्तरणोपपन्नम् ॥

suptāstu te pārthiva sarva eva | kṛṣṇā ca teṣāṃ caraṇopadhāne | āsītpṛthivyāṃ śayanaṃ ca teṣāṃ | darbhājināgrāstaraṇopapannam

Then they all lay down to sleep, O king, with Krishna lying across their feet like a pillow. Their bed was on the bare ground, spread with darbha grass and deerskins.

Verse 12 (1.208.12)

ते नर्दमाना इव कालमेघाः । कथा विचित्राः कथयांबभूवुः । न वैश्यशूद्रौपयिकीः कथास्ता । न च द्विजानां कथयन्ति वीराः ॥

te nardamānā iva kālameghāḥ | kathā vicitrāḥ kathayāṃbabhūvuḥ | na vaiśyaśūdraupayikīḥ kathāstā | na ca dvijānāṃ kathayanti vīrāḥ

Rumbling like dark rain clouds, they told one another many wonderful tales. Those heroes did not talk as vaishyas or shudras talk, nor as brahmins do.

Verse 13 (1.208.13)

निःसंशयं क्षत्रियपुंगवास्ते । यथा हि युद्धं कथयन्ति राजन् । आशा हि नो व्यक्तमियं समृद्धा । मुक्तान्हि पार्थाञ्शृणुमोऽग्निदाहात् ॥

niḥsaṃśayaṃ kṣatriyapuṃgavāste | yathā hi yuddhaṃ kathayanti rājan | āśā hi no vyaktamiyaṃ samṛddhā | muktānhi pārthāñśṛṇumo'gnidāhāt

Beyond doubt they are bulls among kshatriyas, O king, for they talk of war. Clearly our hope has come true, for we hear that the sons of Pritha escaped the burning.

Verse 14 (1.208.14)

यथा हि लक्ष्यं निहतं धनुश्च । सज्यं कृतं तेन तथा प्रसह्य । यथा हि भाषन्ति परस्परं ते । छन्ना ध्रुवं ते प्रचरन्ति पार्थाः ॥

yathā hi lakṣyaṃ nihataṃ dhanuśca | sajyaṃ kṛtaṃ tena tathā prasahya | yathā hi bhāṣanti parasparaṃ te | channā dhruvaṃ te pracaranti pārthāḥ

From the way the target was struck down and the bow strung by him so forcefully, and from the way they speak with one another, surely they are the sons of Pritha, going about in disguise."

Verse 15 (1.208.15)

ततः स राजा द्रुपदः प्रहृष्टः । पुरोहितं प्रेषयामास तेषाम् । विद्याम युष्मानिति भाषमाणो । महात्मानः पाण्डुसुताः स्थ कच्चित् ॥

tataḥ sa rājā drupadaḥ prahṛṣṭaḥ | purohitaṃ preṣayāmāsa teṣām | vidyāma yuṣmāniti bhāṣamāṇo | mahātmānaḥ pāṇḍusutāḥ stha kaccit

Then King Drupada, delighted, sent his family priest to them, telling him to say: 'We would know who you are. Are you the great-souled sons of Pandu?'

Note on the text: Corrected प्रेषायामास → प्रेषयामास (misprint in Wikisource; प्रेषाय- is not a form of the causative 'sent'). Speaker set to Vaishampayana: Wikisource prints वैशंपायन उवाच before this verse (under an irregular line number), which the input missed.

Verse 16 (1.208.16)

गृहीतवाक्यो नृपतेः पुरोधा । गत्वा प्रशंसामभिधाय तेषाम् । वाक्यं समग्रं नृपतेर्यथाव- । दुवाच चानुक्रमविक्रमेण ॥

gṛhītavākyo nṛpateḥ purodhā | gatvā praśaṃsāmabhidhāya teṣām | vākyaṃ samagraṃ nṛpateryathāva- | duvāca cānukramavikrameṇa

Taking the king's message, the priest went and first spoke in praise of them; then he delivered the king's whole message exactly, in due order.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Vaishampayana (see verse 15).

Verse 17 (1.208.17)

विज्ञातुमिच्छत्यवनीश्वरो वः । पाञ्चालराजो वरदो वरार्हाः । लक्ष्यस्य वेद्धारमिमं हि दृष्ट्वा । हर्षस्य नान्तं प्रतिपद्यते सः ॥

vijñātumicchatyavanīśvaro vaḥ | pāñcālarājo varado varārhāḥ | lakṣyasya veddhāramimaṃ hi dṛṣṭvā | harṣasya nāntaṃ pratipadyate saḥ

"The lord of the land, the boon-granting king of Panchala, wishes to know who you are, you who are worthy of honour. Seeing this man who pierced the target, he can find no end to his joy.

Note on the text: Speaker set to the priest: his delivery of Drupada's message fills verses 17–20 (no speaker line in Wikisource).

Verse 18 (1.208.18)

आख्यात च ज्ञातिकुलानुपूर्वीम् । पदं शिरःसु द्विषतां कुरुध्वम् । प्रह्लादयध्वं हृदयं ममेदं । पाञ्चालराजस्य च सानुगस्य ॥

ākhyāta ca jñātikulānupūrvīm | padaṃ śiraḥsu dviṣatāṃ kurudhvam | prahlādayadhvaṃ hṛdayaṃ mamedaṃ | pāñcālarājasya ca sānugasya

'Tell us your kin and the line of your family, one after another. Set your foot on the heads of your enemies, and gladden this heart of mine, and the heart of the king of Panchala and his followers.

Note on the text: Corrected ज्ञातिकुलानुपूर्वी → ज्ञातिकुलानुपूर्वीम् (misprint in Wikisource; dropped final म्, leaving the imperative 'tell' without its object; the critical edition reads jñātikulānupūrvīṃ). Speaker set to the priest (see verse 17).

Verse 19 (1.208.19)

पाण्डुर्हि राजा द्रुपदस्य राज्ञः । प्रियः सखा चात्मसमो बभूव । तस्यैष कामो दुहिता ममेयं । स्नुषा यदि स्यादिह कौरवस्य ॥

pāṇḍurhi rājā drupadasya rājñaḥ | priyaḥ sakhā cātmasamo babhūva | tasyaiṣa kāmo duhitā mameyaṃ | snuṣā yadi syādiha kauravasya

'For King Pandu was a dear friend of King Drupada, as close to him as his own self. It was his wish that this daughter of mine should become the Kaurava's daughter-in-law.

Note on the text: Speaker set to the priest (see verse 17).

Verse 20 (1.208.20)

अयं हि कामो द्रुपदस्य राज्ञो । हृदि स्थितो नित्यमनिन्दिताङ्गाः । यदर्जुनो वै पृथुदीर्घबाहु- । र्धर्मेण विन्देत सुतां ममैताम् ॥

ayaṃ hi kāmo drupadasya rājño | hṛdi sthito nityamaninditāṅgāḥ | yadarjuno vai pṛthudīrghabāhu- | rdharmeṇa vindeta sutāṃ mamaitām

'This wish has always dwelt in King Drupada's heart, you of faultless limbs: that Arjuna of the broad, long arms might win this daughter of mine by lawful means.

Note on the text: Speaker set to the priest (see verse 17).

Verse 21 (1.208.21)

कृतं हि तत्स्यात्सुकृतं ममेदं । यशश्च पुण्यं च हितं तदेतत् । अथोक्तवाक्यं हि पुरोहितं स्थितं । ततो विनीतं समुदीक्ष्य राजा ॥

kṛtaṃ hi tatsyātsukṛtaṃ mamedaṃ | yaśaśca puṇyaṃ ca hitaṃ tadetat | athoktavākyaṃ hi purohitaṃ sthitaṃ | tato vinītaṃ samudīkṣya rājā

'Then this deed of mine would be well done; this would bring me glory, merit and good.'" When the priest had spoken his message and stood there modestly, the king looked at him—

Note on the text: The priest's message ends with the second line; the rest is narration. Lines 1–2 are not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); lines 3–4 = 1.185.20ab. From here to verse 28 Wikisource's verse division runs half a verse ahead of the critical edition's.

Verse 22 (1.208.22)

समीपतो भीममिदं शशास । प्रदीयतां पाद्यमर्घ्यं तथाऽस्मै । मान्यः पुरोधा द्रुपदस्य राज्ञ- । स्तस्मै प्रयोज्याऽभ्यधिका हि पूजा ॥

samīpato bhīmamidaṃ śaśāsa | pradīyatāṃ pādyamarghyaṃ tathā'smai | mānyaḥ purodhā drupadasya rājña- | stasmai prayojyā'bhyadhikā hi pūjā

—and gave this order to Bhima, who was beside him: 'Let water for his feet and the guest-offering be given to him. He is the honoured priest of King Drupada; he should be shown special respect.'

Note on the text: Corrected पाद्यमर्ध्यं → पाद्यमर्घ्यं (misprint in Wikisource; ध for घ in अर्घ्य, the guest-offering, as in the critical edition). Lines = 1.185.20cd and 1.185.21ab of the critical edition.

Verse 23 (1.208.23)

भीमस्ततस्तत्कृतवान्नरेन्द्र । तां चैव पूजां प्रतिगृह्य हर्षात् । सुखोपविष्टं तु पुरोहितं तदा । युधिष्ठिरो ब्राह्मणमित्युवाच ॥

bhīmastatastatkṛtavānnarendra | tāṃ caiva pūjāṃ pratigṛhya harṣāt | sukhopaviṣṭaṃ tu purohitaṃ tadā | yudhiṣṭhiro brāhmaṇamityuvāca

Bhima did so, O king of men. When the priest had gladly accepted that honour and was comfortably seated, Yudhishthira said to the brahmin:

Note on the text: Lines 1–2 = 1.185.21cd of the critical edition; lines 3–4 have no counterpart in the critical-edition text supplied.

Verse 24 (1.208.24)

पाञ्चालराजेन सुता निसृष्टा । स्वधर्मदृष्टेन यथा न कामात् । प्रदिष्टशुल्का द्रुपदेन राज्ञा । सा तेन वीरेण तथाऽनुवृत्ता ॥

pāñcālarājena sutā nisṛṣṭā | svadharmadṛṣṭena yathā na kāmāt | pradiṣṭaśulkā drupadena rājñā | sā tena vīreṇa tathā'nuvṛttā

"The king of Panchala gave away his daughter as his own dharma directed, not at his pleasure. King Drupada fixed the bride-price, and this hero has met it accordingly.

Note on the text: Corrected प्रदिष्टशुंल्का → प्रदिष्टशुल्का (misprint in Wikisource; stray anusvara). Speaker set to Yudhishthira: his reply fills verses 24–29 (no speaker line in Wikisource). Lines = 1.185.22 and 1.185.23ab of the critical edition.

Verse 25 (1.208.25)

न तत्र वर्णेषु कृता विवक्षा । न चापि शीले न कुले न गोत्रे । कृतेन सज्येन हि कार्मुकेण । विद्धेन लक्ष्येण हि सा विसृष्टा ॥

na tatra varṇeṣu kṛtā vivakṣā | na cāpi śīle na kule na gotre | kṛtena sajyena hi kārmukeṇa | viddhena lakṣyeṇa hi sā visṛṣṭā

No question was raised there of caste, nor of conduct, family or lineage. She was given for the stringing of the bow and the piercing of the target.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Yudhishthira (see verse 24). Lines = 1.185.23cd and 1.185.24ab of the critical edition.

Verse 26 (1.208.26)

सेयं तथाऽनेन महात्मनेह । कृष्णा जिता पार्थिवसङ्घमध्ये । नैवं गते सौमकिरद्य राजा । सन्तापमर्हत्यसुखाय कर्तुम् ॥

seyaṃ tathā'nena mahātmaneha | kṛṣṇā jitā pārthivasaṅghamadhye | naivaṃ gate saumakiradya rājā | santāpamarhatyasukhāya kartum

So it is that this great-souled man has won Krishna here, in the midst of the gathering of kings. Things being so, the king, scion of Somaka, ought not to grieve today and make himself unhappy.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Yudhishthira (see verse 24). Lines = 1.185.24cd and 1.185.25ab of the critical edition.

Verse 27 (1.208.27)

कामश्च योऽसौ द्रुपदस्य राज्ञः । स चापि संपत्स्यति पार्थिवस्य । संप्राप्यरूपां हि नरेन्द्रकन्या- । मिमामहं ब्राह्मण साधु मन्ये ॥

kāmaśca yo'sau drupadasya rājñaḥ | sa cāpi saṃpatsyati pārthivasya | saṃprāpyarūpāṃ hi narendrakanyā- | mimāmahaṃ brāhmaṇa sādhu manye

And the wish that King Drupada cherishes will be fulfilled for him as well. I consider this princess, brahmin, a fitting match for us.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Yudhishthira (see verse 24). Lines = 1.185.25cd and 1.185.26ab of the critical edition (which reads aprāpyarūpāṃ where Wikisource has संप्राप्यरूपां, glossed there as 'of a form fit for us').

Verse 28 (1.208.28)

न तद्धनुर्मन्दबलेन शक्यं । मौर्व्या समायोजयितुं तथाहि । न चाकृतास्त्रेण न हीनजेन । लक्ष्यं तथा पातयितुं हि शक्यम् ॥

na taddhanurmandabalena śakyaṃ | maurvyā samāyojayituṃ tathāhi | na cākṛtāstreṇa na hīnajena | lakṣyaṃ tathā pātayituṃ hi śakyam

That bow cannot be strung by a man of little strength, nor can the target be brought down like that by one untrained in weapons or of low birth.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Yudhishthira (see verse 24). Lines = 1.185.26cdef of the critical edition.

Verse 29 (1.208.29)

तस्मान्न तापं दुहितुर्निमित्तं । पाञ्चालराजोऽर्हति कर्तुमद्य । न चापि तत्पातनमन्यथेह । कर्तुं हि शक्यं भुवि मानवेन ॥

tasmānna tāpaṃ duhiturnimittaṃ | pāñcālarājo'rhati kartumadya | na cāpi tatpātanamanyatheha | kartuṃ hi śakyaṃ bhuvi mānavena

So the king of Panchala should not grieve today on his daughter's account. No man on earth could have brought down that target any other way."

Note on the text: Speaker set to Yudhishthira (see verse 24).

Verse 30 (1.208.30)

एवं ब्रुवत्येव युधिष्ठिरे तु । पाञ्चालराजस्य समीपतोऽन्यः । तत्राजगामाशु नरो द्वितीयो । निवेदयिष्यन्निह सिद्धमन्नम् ॥

evaṃ bruvatyeva yudhiṣṭhire tu | pāñcālarājasya samīpato'nyaḥ | tatrājagāmāśu naro dvitīyo | nivedayiṣyanniha siddhamannam

While Yudhishthira was still speaking, a second man came there in haste from the king of Panchala, to announce that the meal was ready.