Arjuna Enters as Brihannala

Verse 1 (4.11.1)

अथापरोऽदृश्यत वर्णवान्युवा स्त्रीवेषधारी समलंकृतो भृशम् । प्रवालचित्रे प्रविमुच्य कुण्डले उभे च कम्बू परिपातुके तथा ॥

athāparo'dṛśyata varṇavānyuvā strīveṣadhārī samalaṃkṛto bhṛśam | pravālacitre pravimucya kuṇḍale ubhe ca kambū paripātuke tathā

Then another appeared, a handsome youth in women's dress, richly adorned, who had put on earrings worked with coral and a pair of conch-shell bangles as well.

Note on the text: A variant of the critical edition's 4.10.1, differing in most of its wording; only the outline (another man appears, in women's finery, with earrings and two shell bangles) is shared.

Verse 2 (4.11.2)

कृष्णे च रक्ते च निबध्य वाससी शरीरवाञ्शुक्रबृहस्पतिप्रभः । बहूंश्च दीर्घांश्च विकीर्य मूर्धजान्महाभुजो मत्तगजेन्द्रविक्रमः ॥

kṛṣṇe ca rakte ca nibadhya vāsasī śarīravāñśukrabṛhaspatiprabhaḥ | bahūṃśca dīrghāṃśca vikīrya mūrdhajānmahābhujo mattagajendravikramaḥ

He had tied on garments of black and red; his body shone like Shukra and Brihaspati. His many long locks spread loose, the mighty-armed one moved with the stride of a rutting king of elephants.

Note on the text: Only the second half-line matches the critical edition's 4.10.2 (its first half-line); the first half-line is in its apparatus as 4.10.1*0231.

Verse 3 (4.11.3)

क्लैब्येन वेषेण न भाति भाति च ग्रहाभिपन्नो नभसीव चन्द्रमाः । गतेन चोर्वी परिकम्पयंस्तदा विराटमासाद्य सभासमीपतः ॥

klaibyena veṣeṇa na bhāti bhāti ca grahābhipanno nabhasīva candramāḥ | gatena corvī parikampayaṃstadā virāṭamāsādya sabhāsamīpataḥ

In his eunuch's guise he both shone and did not shine, like the moon in the sky in the grip of an eclipse. Making the ground tremble with his tread, he came up to Virata near the assembly.

Note on the text: Only the second half-line matches the critical edition's 4.10.2 (its second half-line); the first half-line is in its apparatus as 4.10.2*0232. Corrected न भति → न भाति (misprint in Wikisource; dropped vowel sign; the apparatus reads na bhāti bhāti ca).

Verse 4 (4.11.4)

तं प्रेक्ष्य राजोपगतं सभातले व्याजाप्रतिच्छन्नममित्रमर्दनम् । विराजमानं सुरराजवर्चसं सुतं सुरेन्द्रस्य गजेन्द्रविक्रमम् ॥

taṃ prekṣya rājopagataṃ sabhātale vyājāpraticchannamamitramardanam | virājamānaṃ surarājavarcasaṃ sutaṃ surendrasya gajendravikramam

The king saw him arrive in the hall — that crusher of foes hidden in disguise, shining with the splendour of the king of the gods, the son of the lord of the gods, with the stride of a king of elephants —

Verse 5 (4.11.5)

सर्वानपृच्छच्च समीपचारिणः कुतोऽयमायाति न मे पुरा श्रुतः । न चैनमूचुर्विदितं नरास्तदा सविस्मयं वाक्यमिदं नृपोऽब्रवीत् ॥

sarvānapṛcchacca samīpacāriṇaḥ kuto'yamāyāti na me purā śrutaḥ | na cainamūcurviditaṃ narāstadā savismayaṃ vākyamidaṃ nṛpo'bravīt

and asked all those around him: "From where does this man come? I have not heard of him before." But the men did not tell him who he was, and the king, in wonder, said these words:

Verse 6 (4.11.6)

गजेन्द्रलीलो मृगराजगामी वृषेक्षणो देवसुतोग्रतेजाः । पीनांसबाहुः कनकावदातः कोऽयं नरो मे नगरं प्रविष्टः ॥

gajendralīlo mṛgarājagāmī vṛṣekṣaṇo devasutogratejāḥ | pīnāṃsabāhuḥ kanakāvadātaḥ ko'yaṃ naro me nagaraṃ praviṣṭaḥ

"Playful as a lordly elephant, moving like the king of beasts, bull-eyed, fierce in energy like a son of the gods, thick of shoulder and arm, bright as gold — who is this man who has entered my city?

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition gives it only in Appendix I.9, lines 1–4.

Verse 7 (4.11.7)

किमेष देवेन्द्रसुतः किमेष ब्रह्मात्मजो वा किमयं स्वयंभूः । उमासुतो वैश्रवणात्मजो वा प्रेक्ष्यैनमासीदिति मे वितर्कः ॥

kimeṣa devendrasutaḥ kimeṣa brahmātmajo vā kimayaṃ svayaṃbhūḥ | umāsuto vaiśravaṇātmajo vā prekṣyainamāsīditi me vitarkaḥ

Is he the son of the king of the gods? Is he a son of Brahma, or the Self-born himself? Is he Uma's son, or Vaishravana's? Seeing him, this is what I wonder."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition gives it only in Appendix I.9, lines 5–8.

Verse 8 (4.11.8)

सभामतिक्रम्य स वासवोपमो निरीक्षमाणो बहुभिः सभागतैः । स तत्र राजानममित्रहाऽब्रवीद्बृहन्नलाहं नरदेव नर्तकी ॥

sabhāmatikramya sa vāsavopamo nirīkṣamāṇo bahubhiḥ sabhāgataiḥ | sa tatra rājānamamitrahā'bravīdbṛhannalāhaṃ naradeva nartakī

Crossing the hall, the slayer of foes, who was like Vasava, watched by the many gathered there, said to the king: "I am Brihannala, lord of men, a dancer.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition gives it only in Appendix I.9, lines 9–12. Corrected राजनम् → राजानम् (misprint in Wikisource; dropped vowel sign; the appendix reads rājānam).

Verse 9 (4.11.9)

वेणीं प्रकुर्यां रुचिरे च कुण्डले ग्रथे स्रजः प्रावरणानि संहरे । स्नानं चरेयं विमृजे च दर्पणं विशेषकेष्वेव च कौशलं मम ॥

veṇīṃ prakuryāṃ rucire ca kuṇḍale grathe srajaḥ prāvaraṇāni saṃhare | snānaṃ careyaṃ vimṛje ca darpaṇaṃ viśeṣakeṣveva ca kauśalaṃ mama

I can braid hair and arrange lovely earrings; I string garlands and put away wraps; I can prepare a bath and polish a mirror; and I am skilled in painting ornamental marks.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition gives it only in Appendix I.9, lines 13–16. No speaker heading in Wikisource; Arjuna's words as Brihannala (verses 9–10), begun in verse 8, are assigned to him (Wikisource carried over Vaishampayana).

Verse 10 (4.11.10)

क्लीबेषु बालेषु जनेषु नर्तने शिक्षाप्रदानेषु च योग्यता मम । करोमि वेणीषु च पुष्पपूरकं न मे स्त्रियः कर्मणि कौशलाधिकाः ॥

klībeṣu bāleṣu janeṣu nartane śikṣāpradāneṣu ca yogyatā mama | karomi veṇīṣu ca puṣpapūrakaṃ na me striyaḥ karmaṇi kauśalādhikāḥ

I am able to teach dancing to eunuchs, to children and to others; I put flower ornaments into braids; no woman is more skilled than I in this work."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition gives it only in Appendix I.9, lines 17–20.

Verse 11 (4.11.11)

इत्यर्जुनस्तं नरदेवमोजसा विज्ञाप्य तस्थौ विधिनाऽऽत्मनः क्रियाम् । तमब्रवीत्प्रांशुमुदीक्ष्य विस्मितो विराटराजोपसृतं महायशाः ॥

ityarjunastaṃ naradevamojasā vijñāpya tasthau vidhinā''tmanaḥ kriyām | tamabravītprāṃśumudīkṣya vismito virāṭarājopasṛtaṃ mahāyaśāḥ

Having thus boldly made known to the lord of men the work he could duly do, Arjuna stood there. The illustrious King Virata looked up in wonder at the tall man who had come to him, and said:

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension). Its second half-line is in the critical edition's Appendix I.9, lines 21–22; the first half-line is found only in the vulgate recension.

Verse 12 (4.11.12)

नार्हस्तु वेषोऽयमनूर्जितस्ते नापुंस्त्वमर्हं नरदेवसिंह । तवैव वेषः शुभवेषभूषणैर्विभूषितो भूतपतेरिव प्रभो ॥

nārhastu veṣo'yamanūrjitaste nāpuṃstvamarhaṃ naradevasiṃha | tavaiva veṣaḥ śubhaveṣabhūṣaṇairvibhūṣito bhūtapateriva prabho

"This feeble dress does not become you, nor is unmanliness fitting for you, lion among lords of men. Your own proper dress, adorned with fine clothes and ornaments, would be like that of the lord of beings, my lord;

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as 4.10.7*0234, lines 1–4. No speaker heading in Wikisource; Virata's speech (verses 12–15), announced in verse 11, is assigned to him (Wikisource carried over Vaishampayana).

Verse 13 (4.11.13)

विभाति भानोरिव रश्मिमालिनो घनावरुद्धे गगने घनैरिव । धनुर्हि मन्ये तव शोभयेद्भुजौ तथाहि पीनावतिमात्रमायतौ ॥

vibhāti bhānoriva raśmimālino ghanāvaruddhe gagane ghanairiva | dhanurhi manye tava śobhayedbhujau tathāhi pīnāvatimātramāyatau

you shine like the sun, garlanded with rays, in a sky hemmed in by clouds. I think a bow would grace your arms, for they are thick and exceedingly long.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as 4.10.7*0234, lines 5–8.

Verse 14 (4.11.14)

प्रगृह्य चापं त्वनुरूपमात्मनो रक्षस्व देशं पुरमद्य सुस्थिरः । पुत्रेण तुल्यो भव मे बृहन्नले वृद्धोस्मि वित्तं प्रतिपादयामि ते ॥

pragṛhya cāpaṃ tvanurūpamātmano rakṣasva deśaṃ puramadya susthiraḥ | putreṇa tulyo bhava me bṛhannale vṛddhosmi vittaṃ pratipādayāmi te

Take up a bow worthy of you and guard my land and city from today, standing firm. Be like a son to me, Brihannala; I am old, and I will hand my wealth over to you.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as 4.10.7*0234, lines 9–12.

Verse 15 (4.11.15)

त्वं रक्ष मे सर्वमिदं पुरं प्रभो न षण्डतां कांचन लक्षयामि ते । प्रशाधि मत्स्यांस्तरसा विवर्धयन्ददामि राज्यं तव सत्यवागहम् ॥

tvaṃ rakṣa me sarvamidaṃ puraṃ prabho na ṣaṇḍatāṃ kāṃcana lakṣayāmi te | praśādhi matsyāṃstarasā vivardhayandadāmi rājyaṃ tava satyavāgaham

Guard this whole city of mine, my lord; I see no sign of the eunuch in you. Rule the Matsyas and make them prosper by your might; I, who speak the truth, give you the kingdom."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as 4.10.7*0234, lines 13–16.

Verse 16 (4.11.16)

तस्याग्रतः स्वानि धनूंषि पार्थिवो बहूनि दीर्घाणि च वर्णवन्ति च । ददौ स सज्यानि बलान्वितानि जिज्ञासमानः किमयं करिष्यति ॥

tasyāgrataḥ svāni dhanūṃṣi pārthivo bahūni dīrghāṇi ca varṇavanti ca | dadau sa sajyāni balānvitāni jijñāsamānaḥ kimayaṃ kariṣyati

The king set before him his own bows — many of them, long and splendidly coloured, strung and strong — wishing to see what he would do.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as 4.10.7*0234, lines 17–20.

Verse 17 (4.11.17)

ततोऽर्जुनः क्लीबतरं वचोऽब्रवीन्न मे धनुर्धारितमीदृशं विभो । न चापि दृष्टं धनुरीदृशं क्वचिन्न मादृशाः सन्ति धनुर्धरा भुवि ॥

tato'rjunaḥ klībataraṃ vaco'bravīnna me dhanurdhāritamīdṛśaṃ vibho | na cāpi dṛṣṭaṃ dhanurīdṛśaṃ kvacinna mādṛśāḥ santi dhanurdharā bhuvi

Then Arjuna spoke in a still more womanish voice: "I have never held such a bow, my lord, nor have I ever seen a bow like this; people like me are no archers in this world.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as 4.10.7*0234, lines 21–24.

Verse 18 (4.11.18)

नृत्याम गायामि च वादयाम्यहं प्रानर्तने कौशलनैपुणं मम । तदुत्तरायाः परिदत्स्व नर्तने भवामि देव्या नरदेव नर्तकी ॥

nṛtyāma gāyāmi ca vādayāmyahaṃ prānartane kauśalanaipuṇaṃ mama | taduttarāyāḥ paridatsva nartane bhavāmi devyā naradeva nartakī

I dance, I sing and I play instruments; my skill and mastery lie in fine dancing. So hand me over to Uttara for her dancing; I will be the princess's dancer, lord of men."

Note on the text: A variant of the critical edition's 4.10.8 (Wikisource's नृत्याम is kept: it is what the metre requires). Corrected परिधत्स्व → परिदत्स्व (misprint in Wikisource; ध for द; "hand me over", as in the critical edition (paridatsva) — परिधत्स्व, "put on", makes no sense here). No speaker heading in Wikisource; Arjuna's request, continuing his words in verse 17, is assigned to him (Wikisource carried over Vaishampayana).

Verse 19 (4.11.19)

ददामि ते तं हि वरं बृहन्नले सुतां हि मे नर्तय याश्च तादृशीः । ततो विराटः स्वयमाह्वयत्सुतां नराधिपस्तां च सुमध्यसुन्दरीम् ॥

dadāmi te taṃ hi varaṃ bṛhannale sutāṃ hi me nartaya yāśca tādṛśīḥ | tato virāṭaḥ svayamāhvayatsutāṃ narādhipastāṃ ca sumadhyasundarīm

"I grant you that boon, Brihannala: teach my daughter to dance, and the girls of her kind." Then King Virata himself summoned his daughter, that lovely girl with a slender waist,

Note on the text: Its first half-line is a variant of the first half-line of the critical edition's 4.10.10; its second half-line is in the apparatus as 4.10.10*0236, lines 1–2.

Verse 20 (4.11.20)

उवाच चैनां मुदितेन चेतसा बृहन्नला नाम सखी भवत्वियम् । सुगात्रि संप्रीतिसुबद्धसौहृदा तवाङ्गने प्राणसमा च नित्यदा ॥

uvāca caināṃ muditena cetasā bṛhannalā nāma sakhī bhavatviyam | sugātri saṃprītisubaddhasauhṛdā tavāṅgane prāṇasamā ca nityadā

and said to her with a glad heart: "Let this one, Brihannala by name, be your companion, fair-limbed girl — bound to you in loving friendship, and always as dear to you as your life, my dear.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as 4.10.10*0236, lines 3–6.

Verse 21 (4.11.21)

प्रकामभक्ष्याभरणाम्बरा शुभा चरत्वियं सर्वजनेष्ववारिता । न दुष्कुलानामियमाकृतिर्भवेन्न वृत्तभेदी भवतीदृशो जनः ॥

prakāmabhakṣyābharaṇāmbarā śubhā caratviyaṃ sarvajaneṣvavāritā | na duṣkulānāmiyamākṛtirbhavenna vṛttabhedī bhavatīdṛśo janaḥ

Let her go about unhindered among all the people, a gracious companion, with food, ornaments and clothes as she pleases. Such a figure cannot come of a base family, nor does a person like this break good conduct."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as 4.10.10*0236, lines 7–10.

Verse 22 (4.11.22)

संमन्त्र्य राजा विविधैः स्वमन्त्रिभिः परीक्ष्य चैनं प्रमदाभिराशु वै । अपुंस्त्वमप्यस्य निशम्य च स्थिरं ततः कुमारीपुरमुत्ससर्ज तम् ॥

saṃmantrya rājā vividhaiḥ svamantribhiḥ parīkṣya cainaṃ pramadābhirāśu vai | apuṃstvamapyasya niśamya ca sthiraṃ tataḥ kumārīpuramutsasarja tam

The king consulted with his various ministers and had him quickly examined by women; and when he heard that his lack of manhood was certain, he let him go into the maidens' quarters.

Note on the text: Only the second half-line matches the critical edition's 4.10.11 (its second half-line); the first half-line is in its apparatus as 4.10.11*0239.

Verse 23 (4.11.23)

स शिक्षयामास च गीतवादनं सुतां विराटस्य धनंजयः प्रभुः । सखीश्च तस्याः परिचारिकास्तथा प्रियश्च तस्याः स बभूव पाण्डवः ॥

sa śikṣayāmāsa ca gītavādanaṃ sutāṃ virāṭasya dhanaṃjayaḥ prabhuḥ | sakhīśca tasyāḥ paricārikāstathā priyaśca tasyāḥ sa babhūva pāṇḍavaḥ

And mighty Dhananjaya taught singing and the playing of instruments to Virata's daughter, and to her friends and maidservants as well; and the Pandava became dear to her.

Note on the text: Corrected गीतवदनं → गीतवादनं (misprint in Wikisource; singing and playing; वदनं ("mouth") makes no sense and breaks the metre; the critical edition reads gītavāditaṃ).

Verse 24 (4.11.24)

तथा स तत्रैव धनंजयोऽवसत्प्रियाणि कुर्वन्त्सह ताभिरात्मवान् । तथा गतं तत्र न जज्ञिरे जना बहिश्चरा वाऽप्यथवेतरे जनाः ॥

tathā sa tatraiva dhanaṃjayo'vasatpriyāṇi kurvantsaha tābhirātmavān | tathā gataṃ tatra na jajñire janā bahiścarā vā'pyathavetare janāḥ

So Dhananjaya, self-possessed, lived there, doing what pleased them; and no one there recognised him in that state, neither those who went about outside nor anyone else.

Note on the text: Corrected जझिरे → जज्ञिरे (misprint in Wikisource; झ for ज्ञ; the critical edition reads jajñire).