The Pandavas Take the Royal Seats; Arjuna Praises Yudhishthira

Verse 1 (4.74.1)

ततो द्वितीये दिवसे भ्रातरः पञ्च पाण्डवाः । स्नाताः शुक्लाम्बरधराः सर्वे सुचरितव्रताः ॥

tato dvitīye divase bhrātaraḥ pañca pāṇḍavāḥ | snātāḥ śuklāmbaradharāḥ sarve sucaritavratāḥ

Then on the second day the five Pandava brothers, bathed and clad in white, all of them having faithfully kept their vow,

Note on the text: Speaker heading वैशंपायन उवाच printed above this verse; normalised to वैशम्पायन. Wikisource reads द्वितीये where the CE has tṛtīye; recension variant. The raw page has a row holding only "0" between the chapter summary and the heading; it stands before the first verse and nothing appears to be lost there (the CE adhyaya opens with this verse too).

Verse 2 (4.74.2)

युधिष्ठिरं पुरस्कृत्य सर्वाभरणभूषिताः । अभिपन्ना महाभागा भ्राजमाना महारथाः ॥

yudhiṣṭhiraṃ puraskṛtya sarvābharaṇabhūṣitāḥ | abhipannā mahābhāgā bhrājamānā mahārathāḥ

adorned with every ornament, set Yudhishthira at their head and went forth, illustrious great chariot-warriors, shining bright.

Verse 3 (4.74.3)

विराटस्य सभां प्राप्य भूमिपालासनेषु ते । निषेदुः पावकप्रख्याः सत्रे धिष्ण्येष्विवाग्नयः ॥

virāṭasya sabhāṃ prāpya bhūmipālāsaneṣu te | niṣeduḥ pāvakaprakhyāḥ satre dhiṣṇyeṣvivāgnayaḥ

Reaching Virata's hall, they sat down on the seats reserved for kings, blazing like fire, like the sacred fires on their altars at a sacrificial session.

Verse 4 (4.74.4)

तेषु तत्रोपविष्टेषु विराटः पृथिवीपतिः । तस्यां रात्र्यां व्यतीतायां प्रातःकृत्यं समाप्य च ॥

teṣu tatropaviṣṭeṣu virāṭaḥ pṛthivīpatiḥ | tasyāṃ rātryāṃ vyatītāyāṃ prātaḥkṛtyaṃ samāpya ca

When they had taken their seats there, Virata, lord of the earth, the night having passed and his morning rites completed,

Note on the text: Line 1 is 4.65.4ab; line 2 is the apparatus passage 4.65.4b*1122, line 1.

Verse 5 (4.74.5)

गोसुवर्णादिकं दत्त्वा ब्राह्मणेभ्यो यथाविधि । आजगाम सभां राजा उत्तरेण सह प्रभो ॥

gosuvarṇādikaṃ dattvā brāhmaṇebhyo yathāvidhi | ājagāma sabhāṃ rājā uttareṇa saha prabho

and having given cows, gold and other gifts to the brahmins as the rules prescribe, the king came to the hall with Uttara, my lord.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension). Line 1 is the apparatus passage 4.65.4b*1122, line 2; line 2 is a variant of 4.65.4cd (ājagāma sabhāṃ kartuṃ rājakāryāṇi sarvaśaḥ).

Verse 6 (4.74.6)

स तान्दृष्ट्वा महासत्वाञ्ज्वलतः पावकानिव । राजवेषानुपादाय पार्थिवो विस्मितोऽभवत् ॥

sa tāndṛṣṭvā mahāsatvāñjvalataḥ pāvakāniva | rājaveṣānupādāya pārthivo vismito'bhavat

Seeing those men of great spirit blazing like fires, dressed as kings, the king was astonished.

Note on the text: Line 1 is 4.65.5ab; line 2 is the apparatus passage 4.65.5b*1124, line 1. The raw page ends this verse with a single danda; its own numbering (6a–b, 7a–b) keeps verses 6 and 7 apart, so the division is kept.

Verse 7 (4.74.7)

किमिदं को विधिस्त्वेष भयार्त इव पार्थिवः । पुरुषप्रवरान्दृष्ट्वा विषादमगमन्नृपः ॥

kimidaṃ ko vidhistveṣa bhayārta iva pārthivaḥ | puruṣapravarāndṛṣṭvā viṣādamagamannṛpaḥ

"What is this? What order of things is this?" Seeing those foremost of men, the king grew dejected, as if stricken with fear.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only in its apparatus as 4.65.5b*1124, line 2, and *1125, line 1.

Verse 8 (4.74.8)

अथ मात्स्योऽब्रवीत्कङ्कं देवराजमिव स्थितम् । मरुद्गणैरुपासीनं त्रिदशानामिवेश्वरम् ॥

atha mātsyo'bravītkaṅkaṃ devarājamiva sthitam | marudgaṇairupāsīnaṃ tridaśānāmiveśvaram

Then the Matsya king spoke to Kanka, who sat there like the king of the gods attended by the hosts of the Maruts, like the lord of the thirty gods:

Note on the text: Corrected कङ्खं → कङ्कं (misprint in Wikisource; ख for क; CE kaṅkaṃ). Parallels 4.65.5cd–ef (CE devarūpam avasthitam for देवराजमिव स्थितम्); no separate CE verse.

Verse 9 (4.74.9)

स किलाक्षनिवापस्त्वं सभास्तारो मया कृतः । अथ राजासने कस्मादुपविष्टोऽस्यलंकृतः ॥

sa kilākṣanivāpastvaṃ sabhāstāro mayā kṛtaḥ | atha rājāsane kasmādupaviṣṭo'syalaṃkṛtaḥ

"Surely I made you the dice-player of my court, a member of my hall. Why then are you sitting on a royal throne, all adorned?"

Note on the text: Virata's question has no heading in Wikisource; the input carried वैशंपायन. The CE reads akṣātivāpas for अक्षनिवापस्; recension variant.

Verse 10 (4.74.10)

परिहासेच्छया राज्ञो विराटस्य निशम्य तत् । स्मयमानोऽब्रवीद्वाक्यमर्जुनः परवीरहा ॥

parihāsecchayā rājño virāṭasya niśamya tat | smayamāno'bravīdvākyamarjunaḥ paravīrahā

Hearing these words of King Virata, who meant to mock, Arjuna, slayer of enemy heroes, smiled and said:

Note on the text: Speaker heading वैशंपायन उवाच printed above this verse.

Verse 11 (4.74.11)

इन्द्रस्यार्धासनं राजन्नयमारोढुमर्हति । ब्रह्मण्यः श्रुतवांस्त्यागी सर्वलोकाभिपूजितः ॥

indrasyārdhāsanaṃ rājannayamāroḍhumarhati | brahmaṇyaḥ śrutavāṃstyāgī sarvalokābhipūjitaḥ

"This man, O king, is worthy to mount even half of Indra's throne: devoted to brahmins, learned in scripture, generous, honoured by all the world.

Note on the text: Arjuna's speech (verses 11–30) has no heading in Wikisource; the input carried वैशंपायन.

Verse 12 (4.74.12)

एष विग्रहवान्धर्म एष वीर्यवतां वरः । एष बुद्ध्याधिको लोके तपसां च परायणम् ॥

eṣa vigrahavāndharma eṣa vīryavatāṃ varaḥ | eṣa buddhyādhiko loke tapasāṃ ca parāyaṇam

He is dharma in bodily form, the best of the mighty; he surpasses all in the world in wisdom and is the very home of austerity.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only in its apparatus as 4.65.8d*1128, lines 1–2. Arjuna is still speaking.

Verse 13 (4.74.13)

एषोऽस्त्रं विविधं वेत्ति त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे । न चैवान्यः पुमान्वेत्ति न वेत्स्यति कदाचन ॥

eṣo'straṃ vividhaṃ vetti trailokye sacarācare | na caivānyaḥ pumānvetti na vetsyati kadācana

He knows weapons of many kinds in the three worlds with all that moves and is still; no other man knows them, nor ever will —

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only in its apparatus as 4.65.8d*1128, lines 3–4. Arjuna is still speaking.

Verse 14 (4.74.14)

न देवा नासुराः केचिन्न मनुष्या न राक्षसाः । गन्धर्वयक्षप्रवराः सकिन्नरमहोरगाः ॥

na devā nāsurāḥ kecinna manuṣyā na rākṣasāḥ | gandharvayakṣapravarāḥ sakinnaramahoragāḥ

not the gods, nor any of the asuras, nor men, nor rakshasas, nor the foremost gandharvas and yakshas, nor the kinnaras and great serpents.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only in its apparatus as 4.65.8d*1128, lines 5–6. Arjuna is still speaking.

Verse 15 (4.74.15)

दीर्घदर्शी महातेजाः पौरजानपदप्रियः । पाण्डवानामतिरथो यज्ञधर्मपरो वशी ॥

dīrghadarśī mahātejāḥ paurajānapadapriyaḥ | pāṇḍavānāmatiratho yajñadharmaparo vaśī

He is far-sighted and of great splendour, dear to townsfolk and country people; the greatest chariot-warrior among the Pandavas, devoted to sacrifice and dharma, self-controlled.

Note on the text: Corrected पारैजानपदप्रियः → पौरजानपदप्रियः (misprint in Wikisource; ा+ै for ौ; the apparatus reads paurajānapadapriyaḥ). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only in its apparatus as 4.65.8d*1128, lines 7–8. Arjuna is still speaking.

Verse 16 (4.74.16)

महर्षिकल्पो राजर्षिः सर्वलोकेषु विश्रुतः । बलवान्धृतिमान्दक्षः सत्यवादी जितेन्द्रियः ॥

maharṣikalpo rājarṣiḥ sarvalokeṣu viśrutaḥ | balavāndhṛtimāndakṣaḥ satyavādī jitendriyaḥ

A royal sage like a great seer, renowned in all the worlds; strong, steadfast, able, truthful, master of his senses.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only in its apparatus as 4.65.8d*1128, lines 9–10. Arjuna is still speaking.

Verse 17 (4.74.17)

धनैश्च संचयैश्चैव शक्रवैश्रवणोपमः । यथा मनुर्महातेजा लोकानां परिरक्षिता । एवमेव महातेजाः प्रजानुग्रहकारकः ॥

dhanaiśca saṃcayaiścaiva śakravaiśravaṇopamaḥ | yathā manurmahātejā lokānāṃ parirakṣitā | evameva mahātejāḥ prajānugrahakārakaḥ

In riches and in stores he is like Shakra and Vaishravana. As glorious Manu was the protector of the worlds, just so is this glorious man a benefactor of his people.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only in its apparatus as 4.65.8d*1128, lines 11–13. Arjuna is still speaking.

Verse 18 (4.74.18)

अयं कुरूणामृषभः कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः । यस्य कीर्तिः स्थिता लोके सूर्यस्येवोद्यतः प्रभा ॥

ayaṃ kurūṇāmṛṣabhaḥ kuntīputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | yasya kīrtiḥ sthitā loke sūryasyevodyataḥ prabhā

This is the bull of the Kurus, Kunti's son Yudhishthira, whose fame stands in the world like the light of the rising sun.

Verse 19 (4.74.19)

संसरन्ति दिशः सर्वा यशसोस्य गभस्तयः । उदितस्येव सूर्यस्य तेजसोऽनुगभस्तयः ॥

saṃsaranti diśaḥ sarvā yaśasosya gabhastayaḥ | uditasyeva sūryasya tejaso'nugabhastayaḥ

The rays of his fame spread to every quarter, like the rays of the risen sun's brilliance.

Verse 20 (4.74.20)

एनं त्रिंशत्सहस्राणि कुञ्जराणां तरस्विनाम् । अन्वयुः पृष्ठतो राजन्यावदध्यावसत्कुरून् ॥

enaṃ triṃśatsahasrāṇi kuñjarāṇāṃ tarasvinām | anvayuḥ pṛṣṭhato rājanyāvadadhyāvasatkurūn

Thirty thousand swift elephants followed behind him, O king, while he dwelt among the Kurus.

Verse 21 (4.74.21)

त्रिंशच्चैव सहस्राणि रथानां रथिनां वरम् । सदश्वैरुपसंपन्नाः पृष्ठतोऽनुययुस्तदा ॥

triṃśaccaiva sahasrāṇi rathānāṃ rathināṃ varam | sadaśvairupasaṃpannāḥ pṛṣṭhato'nuyayustadā

And thirty thousand chariots, furnished with fine horses, followed then behind this best of chariot-fighters.

Verse 22 (4.74.22)

वाजिनां च शतं राजन्त्सहस्राण्ययुतानि च । इममष्टशतं सूताः सुमृष्टमणिकुण्डलाः । तुष्टुवुर्मागधैः सार्धं पुरा शक्रमिवर्षयः ॥

vājināṃ ca śataṃ rājantsahasrāṇyayutāni ca | imamaṣṭaśataṃ sūtāḥ sumṛṣṭamaṇikuṇḍalāḥ | tuṣṭuvurmāgadhaiḥ sārdhaṃ purā śakramivarṣayaḥ

And horses, O king, by the hundred, the thousand and the ten thousand. A hundred and eight bards wearing polished jewelled earrings sang his praise along with the minstrels, as the seers of old praised Shakra.

Note on the text: Line 1 is a variant of the apparatus passage 4.65.12d*1130; lines 2–3 are 4.65.13.

Verse 23 (4.74.23)

इमं नित्यमुपातिष्ठन्कुरवः किंकरास्तदा । सर्वे च नृप राजानं धनेश्वरमिवामराः ॥

imaṃ nityamupātiṣṭhankuravaḥ kiṃkarāstadā | sarve ca nṛpa rājānaṃ dhaneśvaramivāmarāḥ

The Kurus waited on him constantly then like servants, and all the kings too, O king, as the immortals wait on the lord of wealth.

Note on the text: Corrected नित्यपुमातिष्ठन् → नित्यमुपातिष्ठन् (misprint in Wikisource; transposed aksharas; CE nityam upāsanta).

Verse 24 (4.74.24)

एष सर्वान्महीपालान्करमाहारयत्तदा । वैश्यानिव महाराज विवशान्स्ववशानपि ॥

eṣa sarvānmahīpālānkaramāhārayattadā | vaiśyāniva mahārāja vivaśānsvavaśānapi

He made all the kings of the earth pay him tribute then, great king, like vaishyas, whether they were subject or free.

Verse 25 (4.74.25)

अष्टाशीतिसहस्राणि स्नातकानां महात्मनाम् । उपजीवन्ति राजानमेनं सुचरितव्रताः ॥

aṣṭāśītisahasrāṇi snātakānāṃ mahātmanām | upajīvanti rājānamenaṃ sucaritavratāḥ

Eighty-eight thousand great-souled snatakas, faithful to their vows, lived on this king's bounty.

Verse 26 (4.74.26)

एष वृद्धाननाथांश्च व्यङ्गान्पङ्गूंश्च वामनान् । पुत्रवत्पालयामास प्रजाधर्मेण चाभिभूः ॥

eṣa vṛddhānanāthāṃśca vyaṅgānpaṅgūṃśca vāmanān | putravatpālayāmāsa prajādharmeṇa cābhibhūḥ

He cared like a father for the aged and the helpless, the maimed, the lame and the dwarfs; and as their lord he protected his subjects by the king's dharma.

Note on the text: Corrected पङ्गूश्चं → पङ्गूंश्च (misprint in Wikisource; anusvara misplaced; CE paṅgūṃś ca).

Verse 27 (4.74.27)

एष धर्मे दमे चैव दाने सत्ये रतः सदा । महाप्रसादो ब्रह्मण्यः सत्यवादी च पार्थिवः ॥

eṣa dharme dame caiva dāne satye rataḥ sadā | mahāprasādo brahmaṇyaḥ satyavādī ca pārthivaḥ

He is ever devoted to dharma and self-restraint, to giving and to truth; a king of great graciousness, devoted to brahmins, a speaker of truth.

Verse 28 (4.74.28)

श्रीमत्संपत्प्रभावेन तप्यते यस्य कौरवः । सगणः सह कर्णेन सौबलेन च वीर्यवान् ॥

śrīmatsaṃpatprabhāvena tapyate yasya kauravaḥ | sagaṇaḥ saha karṇena saubalena ca vīryavān

The power of his splendid prosperity torments the mighty Kaurava, with his followers, with Karna and with the son of Subala.

Note on the text: Corrected रगणः → सगणः (misprint in Wikisource; र for स; CE sagaṇaḥ).

Verse 29 (4.74.29)

गुणा न शक्याः संख्यातुमेतस्यैव नरेश्वर । एष धर्मपरो नित्यमनृशंसः सुशीलवान् ॥

guṇā na śakyāḥ saṃkhyātumetasyaiva nareśvara | eṣa dharmaparo nityamanṛśaṃsaḥ suśīlavān

His virtues cannot be counted, lord of men. He is ever devoted to dharma, free from cruelty, of fine character.

Verse 30 (4.74.30)

एवं युक्तो महाराजः पाण्डवः पुरुषर्षभः । कथं नार्हति राजार्हमासनं पृथिवीपतिः ॥

evaṃ yukto mahārājaḥ pāṇḍavaḥ puruṣarṣabhaḥ | kathaṃ nārhati rājārhamāsanaṃ pṛthivīpatiḥ

Endowed like this, the great king, the Pandava, bull among men, lord of the earth — how is he not worthy of a seat fit for a king?"

Note on the text: Corrected महाराजा → महाराजः (misprint in Wikisource; the nominative is needed; CE mahārājaḥ).