भिक्षाभुजो निवर्तन्तां ब्राह्मणा यतयश्च ये
Let the Brahmanas who live by alms, and those ascetics who are with us, turn back.
क्षुत्तृडध्वश्रमायासशीतार्तिमसहिष्णवः। ते सर्वे विनिवर्तन्तां ये च मृष्टभुजो द्विजाः
Let all those who cannot endure hunger, thirst, fatigue, exhaustion, or cold, and those twice-born who eat refined food, turn back as well.
पक्वान्नलेह्यपानानां मांसानां च विकल्पकाः। तेऽपि सर्वे निवर्तन्तां ये च सूदानुयायिनः। मया यथोचिताऽऽजीव्यौः संविभक्ताश्च वृत्तिभिः
Let those who require cooked food, soft food, drinks, or meat, and those who follow the cooks, all turn back; I have supported them as appropriate and shared provisions with them.
ये चाप्यनुगताः पौरा राजभक्तिपुरःसराः। धृतराष्ट्रं महाराजमभिगच्छन्तु ते च वै। स दास्यति यथाकालमुचिता यस्य या भृतिः
And those citizens who have followed us out of loyalty to the king, let them go to King Dhritarashtra; he will grant each one their proper maintenance at the right time.
स चेद्यथोचितां वृत्तिं न दद्यान्मनुजेश्वरः। अस्मत्प्रियहितार्थायपाञ्चाल्यो वः प्रदास्यति
But if the lord of men does not give them proper support, then Draupadi, for our sake and your welfare, will provide for you.
ततो भूयिष्ठशः पौरा गुरौ भारे समाहिते। विप्राश्च यतयो मुख्या जग्मुर्नागपुरं प्रति
Then, most of the citizens, bearing their responsibilities with devotion to their master, and the foremost Brahmanas and ascetics, departed for Nagapura.
तान्सर्वान्धर्मराजस्य प्रेम्णा राजाऽम्बिकासुतः। प्रतिजग्राह विधिवद्धनैश्च समतर्पयत्
The son of Ambika, the king, received all of them with affection, according to proper custom, and satisfied them with gifts of wealth.
ततः कुन्तीसुतो राजा लघुभिर्ब्राह्मणैः सह। लोमशेन च सुप्रीतस्त्रिरात्रं काम्यकेऽवसत्
Then the son of Kunti, the king, well pleased, stayed for three nights at Kamyaka with a few Brahmanas and with Lomasha.
ततः प्रयान्तं कौन्तेयं ब्राह्मणा वनवासिनः। अभिगम्य तदा राजन्निदं वचनमब्रुवन्
Then, as the son of Kunti was about to depart, the forest-dwelling Brahmanas approached him, O king, and spoke these words.
राजंस्तीर्थानि गन्तासि पुण्यानि भ्रातृभिः सह। देवर्षिणा च सहितो लोमशेन महात्मना
O king, you are about to visit the sacred places together with your brothers and with the great-souled Lomasha, the divine sage.
अस्मानपि महाराज नेतुमर्हसि पाण्डव। अस्माभिर्हि न शक्यानि त्वदृते तानि कौरव
O great king, you ought to take us as well, O Pandava; for without you, O Kaurava, we are not able to reach those places.
श्वापरदैरुपसृष्टानि दुर्गाणि विषमाणि च। अगम्यानि नरैरल्पैस्तीर्थानि मनुजेश्वर
O lord of men, the sacred fords are beset by wild beasts and dogs, and are difficult and dangerous; they cannot be reached by ordinary men.
भवतो भ्रातरः शूरा धनुर्धरवराः सदा। भवद्भिः पालिताः शूरैर्गच्छामो वयमप्युत
Your brothers are always valiant, foremost among archers; protected by you heroes, we too may go.
भवत्प्रसादाद्धि वयं प्राप्नुयामः सुखं फलम्। तीर्थानां पृथिवीपाल वनानां च विशांपते
By your favor, O protector of the earth, O lord of peoples, we may obtain the blessed fruits of the sacred fords and the forests.
तव वीर्यपरित्राताः शुद्धास्तीर्थपरिप्लताः। भवेम धूतपाप्मानस्तीर्थसंदर्शनान्नृप
O king, protected by your strength, purified by bathing at the sacred fords, we shall become cleansed of sin by seeing the holy places.
भवानपि नरेन्द्रस्य कार्तवीर्यस्य भारत। अष्टकस्य च राजर्षेर्लोमपादस् चैव ह
You too, O Bharata, will surely attain those difficult-to-reach worlds of Kartavirya, the royal sage Ashtaka, and Lomapada.
भरतस्य च वीरस्य सार्वभौमस्य पार्तिव। ध्रुवं प्राप्स्यति दुष्प्रापाँल्लोकांस्तीर्थपरिप्लुतः
And of the heroic Bharata, the universal emperor, you will certainly attain those worlds, immersed in the sacred fords.
प्रभासादीनि तीर्थानि महेन्द्रादींश्च पर्वतान्। गङ्गाद्याः सरितश्चैव प्लक्षादींश्च पर्वतान्
The sacred places such as Prabhasa, mountains such as Mahendra, rivers such as the Ganga, and mountains such as Plaksha—
त्वया सह महीपाल द्रष्टुमिच्छामहे वयम्। `भवद्भिः पालिताः शूरैस्तीर्थान्यायतनानि च
O protector of the earth, we wish to see them together with you, protected by you heroes, both the sacred fords and the shrines.
यदि ते ब्राह्मणेष्वस्ति काचित्प्रीतिर्जनाधिप। कुरुक्षिप्रं वचोऽस्माकं ततः श्रेयोऽभिपत्स्यसे
If you have any affection for Brahmanas, O king of men, then heed our words, O Kurukṣipra, and you will attain greater good.
तीर्तानि हि महाबाहो तपोविघ्नकरैः सदा। अनुकीर्णानि रक्षोभिस्तेभ्यो नस्त्रातुमर्हसि
For the sacred fords, O mighty-armed one, are always beset by obstacles to asceticism, caused by demons; you ought to protect us from them.
तीर्थान्युक्तानि धौम्येन नारदेन च धीमता। यान्युवाच च देवर्षिर्लोमशः सुमहातपाः
The sacred fords mentioned by Dhaumya and the wise Narada, and those spoken of by the divine sage Lomasha of great austerity—
विधिवत्तानि सर्वाणि पर्यटस्व नराधिप। धूतपाप्मा सहास्माभिर्लोमशेनाबिपालितः
O king, visit all of them properly, together with us, your sins washed away, protected by Lomasha.
स राजा पूज्यमानस्तैर्हर्षादश्रुपरिप्लुतः। भीमसेनादिभिर्वीरैर्भ्रातृभिः परिवारितः
That king, honored by them and surrounded by his heroic brothers led by Bhimasena, was filled with joy and tears.
बाढमित्यब्रवीत्सर्वांस्तानृषीन्पाण्डवर्षभः। लोमशं समनुज्ञाप्य धौम्यं चैव पुरोहितम्
The bull among the Pandavas assented to all the sages, and, having taken leave of Lomasha and also of the priest Dhaumya,
ततः स पाण्डवश्रेष्ठो भ्रातृभिः सहितो वशी। द्रौपद्या चानवद्याङ्ग्या गमनाय मनो दधे
Then that foremost Pandava, self-controlled, together with his brothers and flawless-bodied Draupadi, set his mind on departure.
अथ व्यासो महाभागस्तथा पर्वतनारदौ। दाम्यके पाण्डवंद्रष्टुं समाजग्मुर्मनीषिणः
Afterwards, the illustrious Vyasa, as well as Parvata and Narada, those wise ones, came to Damyaka to see the Pandava.
तेषां युधिष्ठिरो राजा पूजां चक्रे यथाविधि। सत्कृतास्ते महाभागा युधिष्ठिरमथाब्रुवन्
King Yudhishthira performed honors for them according to custom; those illustrious ones, having been duly received, then spoke to Yudhishthira.
युधिष्ठिरयमौ भीम मनसा कुरुतार्जवम्। मनसा कृतशौचा वै शद्धास्तीर्थानि यास्यथ
Yudhishthira, Bhima, and the twins, cultivate sincerity in your hearts; having purified your minds, you shall visit the holy places with faith.
शरीरनियमं प्राहुर्ब्राह्मणा मानुषं व्रतम्। मनोविशुद्धां बुद्धिं च दैवमाहुर्व्रतं द्विजाः
The Brahmanas declare bodily discipline to be a human vow, and purity of mind and intellect to be a divine vow, O twice-born.