The Kauravas Seize the Cattle of Matsya

Verse 1 (4.37.1)

याते त्रिगर्तान्मात्स्ये तु पशूंस्तान्वै परीप्सति । दुर्योधनः सहामात्यैर्विराटपुरमभ्यगात् ॥

yāte trigartānmātsye tu paśūṃstānvai parīpsati | duryodhanaḥ sahāmātyairvirāṭapuramabhyagāt

While the king of the Matsyas had gone out against the Trigartas to recover those cattle of his, Duryodhana with his counsellors advanced on Virata's city.

Note on the text: Corrected विराट पुरमभ्यगात् → विराटपुरमभ्यगात् (misprint in Wikisource; a stray space splits the compound विराटपुरम्, "Virata's city").

Verse 2 (4.37.2)

भीष्मद्रोणौ च कर्णश्च कृपश्च परमास्त्रवित् । द्रौणिश्च सौबलश्चैव तथा दुःशासनः शलः ॥

bhīṣmadroṇau ca karṇaśca kṛpaśca paramāstravit | drauṇiśca saubalaścaiva tathā duḥśāsanaḥ śalaḥ

With him came Bhishma and Drona, Karna, Kripa the master of the highest weapons, Drona's son, Subala's son, and likewise Duhshasana and Shala;

Verse 3 (4.37.3)

विविंशतिर्विकर्णश्च चित्रसेनश्च वीर्यवान् । दुःसहो दुर्मुखश्चैव एते चान्ये महारथाः ॥

viviṃśatirvikarṇaśca citrasenaśca vīryavān | duḥsaho durmukhaścaiva ete cānye mahārathāḥ

Vivimshati, Vikarna, the valiant Chitrasena, Duhsaha and Durmukha: these and other great chariot-warriors

Verse 4 (4.37.4)

सर्वे मत्स्यानुपागम्य विराटस्य महीपतेः । गोपान्विद्राव्य तरसा गोधनं जह्रुरोजसा ॥

sarve matsyānupāgamya virāṭasya mahīpateḥ | gopānvidrāvya tarasā godhanaṃ jahrurojasā

all fell upon the Matsyas of King Virata, swiftly scattered the cowherds, and carried off the herds by force.

Verse 5 (4.37.5)

गवां शतसहस्राणि कुरवः कालयन्ति च । महता रथवंशेन परिगृह्य समन्ततः ॥

gavāṃ śatasahasrāṇi kuravaḥ kālayanti ca | mahatā rathavaṃśena parigṛhya samantataḥ

The Kurus drove off a hundred thousand cows, hemming them in on every side with a great mass of chariots.

Verse 6 (4.37.6)

गोपालानां तु घोषेषु हन्यतां तैर्महारथैः । आरावः सुमहानासीत्संप्रहारे भयंकरे ॥

gopālānāṃ tu ghoṣeṣu hanyatāṃ tairmahārathaiḥ | ārāvaḥ sumahānāsītsaṃprahāre bhayaṃkare

In the cowherds' stations, as the herdsmen were struck down by those great chariot-warriors, a tremendous outcry arose in that terrible fray.

Verse 7 (4.37.7)

गवाध्यक्षस्तु संत्रस्तो रथमास्थाय सत्वरः । जगाम नगरायैव परिक्रोशंस्तदाऽऽर्तवत् ॥

gavādhyakṣastu saṃtrasto rathamāsthāya satvaraḥ | jagāma nagarāyaiva parikrośaṃstadā''rtavat

The overseer of the herds, terrified, mounted a chariot in haste and drove to the city, crying out in distress.

Verse 8 (4.37.8)

स प्रविश्य पुरं राज्ञो नृपवेश्माभ्ययात्ततः । अवतीर्य रथात्तूर्णमाख्यातुं प्रविवेश ह ॥

sa praviśya puraṃ rājño nṛpaveśmābhyayāttataḥ | avatīrya rathāttūrṇamākhyātuṃ praviveśa ha

Entering the king's city, he went on to the royal palace; there he quickly got down from his chariot and went in to tell what had happened.

Verse 9 (4.37.9)

दृष्ट्वा भूमिंजयं नाम पुत्रं मात्स्यस्य मानिनम् । तस्मै च सर्वमाचष्ट राष्ट्रस्य पशुकर्षणम् ॥

dṛṣṭvā bhūmiṃjayaṃ nāma putraṃ mātsyasya māninam | tasmai ca sarvamācaṣṭa rāṣṭrasya paśukarṣaṇam

Seeing the proud son of the Matsya king, Bhuminjaya by name, he told him everything about the seizing of the kingdom's cattle.

Verse 10 (4.37.10)

गवां शतसहस्राणि कुरवः कालयन्ति ते । प्रतिजेतुं समुत्तिष्ठ गोधनं राष्ट्रवर्धन ॥

gavāṃ śatasahasrāṇi kuravaḥ kālayanti te | pratijetuṃ samuttiṣṭha godhanaṃ rāṣṭravardhana

"The Kurus are driving off a hundred thousand of your cows. Rise up and win back the herds, O prosperer of the kingdom!

Note on the text: Corrected कुरबः → कुरवः (misprint in Wikisource; ब for व). No speaker heading in Wikisource; the overseer's speech to Bhuminjaya (verses 10–22), announced in verse 9, is assigned to him.

Verse 11 (4.37.11)

राजपुत्र हितप्रेप्सुः क्षिप्रं निर्याहि वै स्वयम् । त्वां हि मत्स्यो महीपालः शून्यपालमिहाकरोत् ॥

rājaputra hitaprepsuḥ kṣipraṃ niryāhi vai svayam | tvāṃ hi matsyo mahīpālaḥ śūnyapālamihākarot

"Prince, if you seek the kingdom's good, march out at once yourself, for the Matsya king, lord of the earth, has left you here to guard the empty city.

Verse 12 (4.37.12)

त्वां वै परिषदो मध्ये श्लाघते स नराधिपः । पुत्रो ममानुरूपश्च शूरश्चेति कुलोद्वहः ॥

tvāṃ vai pariṣado madhye ślāghate sa narādhipaḥ | putro mamānurūpaśca śūraśceti kulodvahaḥ

"In the midst of the assembly that king praises you: 'My son is worthy of me, a hero, the upholder of our line;

Verse 13 (4.37.13)

इष्वस्त्रनिपुणो योधः सदा वीरश्च मे सुतः । समर्थः समरे योद्धुं कौरवैः सह तादृशैः ॥

iṣvastranipuṇo yodhaḥ sadā vīraśca me sutaḥ | samarthaḥ samare yoddhuṃ kauravaiḥ saha tādṛśaiḥ

"'my son is a warrior skilled with arrows and weapons, ever brave, able to fight in battle against Kauravas such as these.'

Note on the text: Corrected तादृशै → तादृशैः (misprint in Wikisource; dropped visarga; the critical edition's apparatus reads tādṛśaiḥ). The first line is CE 4.33.13ab; the second is not in the critical edition's text (its apparatus gives it as 4.33.13b*0618).

Verse 14 (4.37.14)

तस्य तत्सत्यमेवास्तु मनुष्येन्द्रस्य भाषितम् । जयश्च नियतो युद्धे कौरवाश्च ध्रुवं हताः ॥

tasya tatsatyamevāstu manuṣyendrasya bhāṣitam | jayaśca niyato yuddhe kauravāśca dhruvaṃ hatāḥ

"Let those words of the lord of men now prove true. Victory in battle is certain, and the Kauravas will surely be slain.

Note on the text: The first line is CE 4.33.13cd; the second is not in the critical edition's text (its apparatus gives it as 4.33.13d*0619).

Verse 15 (4.37.15)

आवर्तय कुरूञ्जित्वा पशून्पशुपतिर्यथा । निर्दहैषामनीकानि भीमेन शरतेजसा ॥

āvartaya kurūñjitvā paśūnpaśupatiryathā | nirdahaiṣāmanīkāni bhīmena śaratejasā

"Conquer the Kurus and bring the cattle back, as a master of herds brings back his own; burn up their ranks with the fearsome fire of your arrows.

Note on the text: Corrected निर्दर्हषाम् → निर्दहैषाम् (misprint in Wikisource; garbled aksharas for निर्दह एषाम्, "burn up their"; the critical edition reads nirdahaiṣām).

Verse 16 (4.37.16)

धनुश्च्युतै रुक्मपुङ्खैश्चित्रैः संनतपर्वभिः । द्विषतां भिन्ध्यनीकानि गजानामिव यूथपः ॥

dhanuścyutai rukmapuṅkhaiścitraiḥ saṃnataparvabhiḥ | dviṣatāṃ bhindhyanīkāni gajānāmiva yūthapaḥ

"With bright, gold-fletched, smooth-jointed arrows loosed from your bow, break the ranks of the enemy as the leader of a herd breaks through elephants.

Verse 17 (4.37.17)

पाशोपधानां ज्यातन्त्रीं चापदण्डां महास्वनाम् । शरवर्णां धनुर्वीणां शत्रुमध्ये प्रवादय ॥

pāśopadhānāṃ jyātantrīṃ cāpadaṇḍāṃ mahāsvanām | śaravarṇāṃ dhanurvīṇāṃ śatrumadhye pravādaya

"In the midst of the enemy, play the loud lute of your bow, whose pegs are the bowstring's loops, whose string is the bowstring, whose neck is the bow-staff, and whose notes are the arrows.

Verse 18 (4.37.18)

निर्याहि नगराच्छीघ्रं राजपुत्र किमास्यते । श्वेताः काञ्चनसंनाहा रथे युज्यन्तु ते हयाः । ध्वजं च सिंहं सौवर्णमुच्छ्रयस्व तथा विभो ॥

niryāhi nagarācchīghraṃ rājaputra kimāsyate | śvetāḥ kāñcanasaṃnāhā rathe yujyantu te hayāḥ | dhvajaṃ ca siṃhaṃ sauvarṇamucchrayasva tathā vibho

"Go out of the city quickly, prince; why do you sit here? Let white horses in golden armour be yoked to your chariot, and raise your golden lion banner, my lord.

Note on the text: Corrected सिहं → सिंहं (misprint in Wikisource; dropped anusvara). Three lines: the first is not in the critical edition's text (its apparatus gives it as 4.33.16d*0620); the second and third are CE 4.33.17, with recension variants.

Verse 19 (4.37.19)

रुक्मपुङ्खाः प्रसन्नाग्रा मुक्ता हस्तवता त्वया । छादयन्तु शराः सूर्यं राज्ञामायुर्निरोधकाः ॥

rukmapuṅkhāḥ prasannāgrā muktā hastavatā tvayā | chādayantu śarāḥ sūryaṃ rājñāmāyurnirodhakāḥ

"Let your gold-fletched, keen-pointed arrows, loosed by your practised hand, cover the sun and cut short the lives of kings.

Note on the text: Corrected राज्ञमायुः → राज्ञामायुः (misprint in Wikisource; the genitive plural is राज्ञाम्, as in the critical edition's rājñām).

Verse 20 (4.37.20)

रणे जित्वा कुरून्सर्वान्वज्रपाणिरिवासुरान् । यशो महदवाप्य त्वं प्रविशेदं पुरं पुनः ॥

raṇe jitvā kurūnsarvānvajrapāṇirivāsurān | yaśo mahadavāpya tvaṃ praviśedaṃ puraṃ punaḥ

"Conquer all the Kurus in battle, as the wielder of the thunderbolt conquered the Asuras, win great glory, and enter this city again.

Note on the text: Corrected प्रविरोदं → प्रविशेदं (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads praviśedaṃ, "enter this").

Verse 21 (4.37.21)

त्वं हि राष्ट्रस्य परमा गतिर्मात्स्यपतेः सुतः । गतिमन्तो भवन्त्वद्य सर्वे विषयवासिनः ॥

tvaṃ hi rāṣṭrasya paramā gatirmātsyapateḥ sutaḥ | gatimanto bhavantvadya sarve viṣayavāsinaḥ

"For you, the son of the Matsya king, are the kingdom's highest refuge; let all who dwell in the land find their refuge in you today.

Verse 22 (4.37.22)

यथा हि पाण्डुपुत्राणामर्जुनो जयतांवरः । एवमेव गतिर्नूनं भवान्विषयवासिनाम् ॥

yathā hi pāṇḍuputrāṇāmarjuno jayatāṃvaraḥ | evameva gatirnūnaṃ bhavānviṣayavāsinām

"Just as Arjuna, best of victors, is the refuge of the sons of Pandu, so surely are you the refuge of those who dwell in this land."

Note on the text: Corrected विपयवासिनाम् → विषयवासिनाम् (misprint in Wikisource; प for ष). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as 4.33.20b*0621.