ततोस्मि पतितो भूमौ न च मामजहात्स्मृतिः। स्मार्तमस्ति पुराणं मे यथैवाधिगतं तथा
Then I fell to the ground, yet my memory did not abandon me; all that I had learned from the ancient scriptures remained with me as before.
यस्तु ते व्याहृतान्प्रश्नान्प्रतिब्रूयाद्विभागवित्। स त्वां मोक्षयिता शापादिति मामब्रवीदृषिः
The sage told me: 'He who can answer your questions about the divisions of knowledge will be the one to free you from this curse.'
गृहीतस्य त्वया राजन्प्राणिनोपि बलीयसः। सत्वभ्रंशोऽधिकस्यापि सर्वस्याशु भविष्यति
O King, when you seize even a powerful living being, the loss of strength will quickly befall anyone, no matter how mighty.
इतिचाप्यहमश्रौषं वचस्तेषां दयावताम्। मयि संजातहार्दानामथ तेऽन्तर्हिता द्विजाः
And so I heard the compassionate words of those brahmins; their hearts softened toward me, and then they vanished from my sight.
सोहं परमदुष्कर्मा वसामि निरयेऽशुचौ। सर्पयोनिमिमां प्राप्यकालाकाङ्क्षी महाद्युते
Thus, I, who have committed a terrible deed, dwell in this impure hell, having attained this serpent birth, awaiting the end of my time, O mighty one.
तमुवाच महाबाहुर्भीमसेनो भुजङ्गमम्। न ते कुप्ये महासर्प नात्मने द्विजसत्तम
Bhimasena, the mighty-armed, spoke to the serpent: 'I do not blame you, great serpent, nor do I bear anger toward you, best of twice-born.'
यस्मादभावी भावी वा मनुष्यः सुखदुःखयोः। आगमे यदि वाऽपाये न तत्र ग्लपयेन्मनः
For whatever is destined or not destined to happen to a person, whether happiness or sorrow comes or goes, one should not let the mind be distressed by it.
दैवं पुरुषकारेण को वञ्चयितुमर्हति। दैवमेव परं मन्ये पौरुषं तु निरर्थकम्
Who can overcome fate by personal effort? I consider fate to be supreme; human effort is fruitless.
पश्य दैवोपघाताद्धि भुजवीर्यव्यपाश्रयम्। इमामवस्थां संप्राप्तमनिमित्तमिहाद्य माम्
See how, by the blow of fate, despite relying on the strength of my arms, I have come to this state today, for no apparent reason.
किंतु नाद्यानुशोचामि तथाऽऽत्मानं विनाशितम्। तथा तु विपिने न्यस्तान्भ्रातॄन्राज्यपरिच्युतान्
Yet today I do not grieve so much for my own destruction, but rather for my brothers, cast into the forest and deprived of their kingdom.
हिमवांश्च सुदुर्गोऽयं यक्षराक्षससंकुलः। मां समुद्वीक्षमाणास्ते प्रयतिष्यन्ति विह्वलाः
This Himalaya is extremely difficult to traverse, filled with yakshas and rakshasas; seeing my plight, they will be troubled and strive anxiously.
विनष्टमथ मां श्रुत्वा भविष्यन्ति निरुद्यमाः। धर्मशीला मया ते हि बाध्यन्ते राज्यगृद्धिना
When they hear that I am lost, they will become dispirited; for my sake, those righteous ones are afflicted by their longing for the kingdom.
अथवा नार्जुनो धीमान्विषादमुपयास्यति। सर्वास्त्रविदनाधृष्यो देवगन्धर्वराक्षसैः
Or perhaps Arjuna, wise and skilled in all weapons, invincible even to gods, gandharvas, and rakshasas, will not fall into despair.
समर्थः स महाबाहुरेकाङ्ना सुमहाबलः। देवराजमपि स्थानात्प्रच्यावयितुमञ्जसा
That mighty-armed one, powerful even when alone, is capable of easily dislodging even the king of the gods from his throne.
किं पुनर्धृतराष्ट्रस् पुत्रं दुर्द्यूतदेविनम्। विद्विष्टं सर्वलोकस्य दम्भमोहपरायणम्
What then of Dhritarashtra's son, addicted to wicked dice, hated by all the world, devoted to deceit and delusion?
मातरं चैव शोचामि कृपणां पुत्रगृद्धिनीम्। याऽस्माकं नित्यमाशास्ते महत्त्वमधिकं परैः
And I grieve for our mother, pitiable and longing for her sons, who always hopes for our greatness to surpass that of others.
तस्याः कथं त्वनाथाया मद्विनाशाद्भुजङ्गम्। सफलास्ते भविष्यन्ति मयि सर्वे मनोरथाः
How, O serpent, will all her hopes be fulfilled in me, now that she is left helpless by my destruction?
नकुलः सहदेवश्च यमौ च गुरुवर्तिनौ। मद्वाहुबलसंगुप्तौ नित्यं पुरुषमानिनौ
Nakula and Sahadeva, the twin sons who follow the path of the elders, always proud of their manliness, are protected by the strength of my arms.
भविष्यतो निरुत्साहौ भ्रष्टवीर्यपराक्रमौ। मद्विनाशात्परिद्यूनाविति मे वर्तते मतिः
Without hope for the future, their strength and valor lost, they will be dejected by my destruction—such is my thought.
एवंविधं बहु तदा विललाप वृकोदरः। भुजङ्गभोगसंरुद्धो नाशकच्च विचेष्टितुम्
Thus, in many ways, Vṛkodara lamented, bound by the coils of the serpent, unable to move.
युधिष्ठिरस्तु कौन्तेयो बभूवास्वस्तचेतनः। अनिष्टदर्शनान्घोरानुत्पातान्परिचिन्तयन्
But Yudhiṣṭhira, son of Kuntī, became deeply troubled, pondering dreadful omens and terrifying portents.
दारुणं ह्यशिवं नादं शिवा दक्षिणतः स्थिता। दीप्तायां दिशि वित्रस्ता रौति तस्याश्रमस्य ह
A harsh, inauspicious sound arose from the south, where a jackal, terrified, howled near the blazing quarter by their hermitage.
एकपक्षाक्षिचरणा वर्तिका घोरदर्शना। रक्तं वमन्ती ददृशे प्रत्यादित्यमभासुरा
A ghastly one-winged, one-eyed, one-legged quail, vomiting blood, was seen shining toward the sun.
प्रववौ चानिलो रूक्षश्चण्डः सर्करकर्षणः। अपसव्यानि सर्वाणि मृगपक्षिरुतानि च
A rough, violent wind blew, dragging gravel; all the cries of beasts and birds sounded from the left.
पृष्ठतो वायसः कृष्णो याहियाहीति वाशति। मुहुर्मुहुः स्फुरति च दक्षिणोऽस्य भुजस्तथा
Behind him, a black crow repeatedly cawed, 'Go, go!' and again and again his right arm twitched.
हृदयं चरणश्चापि वामोऽस्य परितप्यति। सव्यस्याक्ष्णओ विकारश्चाप्यनिष्टः समपद्यत
His heart and left foot burned with pain, and an ominous distortion appeared in his left eye.
धर्मराजोपि मेधावी शङ्कमानो महद्भयम्। द्रौपदीं परिपप्रच्छ क्व भीम इति भारत
Even the wise king Yudhiṣṭhira, suspecting great danger, asked Draupadī, 'Where is Bhīma?'
शंस तस्मै पाञ्चाली चिरयातं वृकोदरम्। स प्रतस्थे महाबाहुर्धौम्येन सहितो नृपः
Pāñcālī told him that Vṛkodara had been gone a long time; then the mighty-armed king set out with Dhaumya.
द्रौपद्या रक्षणं कार्यमित्युवाच धनंजयम्। नकुलं सहदेवं च व्यादिदेश द्विजान्प्रति
He told Dhanañjaya to guard Draupadī, and instructed Nakula and Sahadeva to attend to the brahmins.
स तस्य पदमुन्नीय तस्मादेवाश्रमात्प्रभुः। मृगयामास कौन्तेयो भीमसेनं महावने
Then, having discerned his path from that very hermitage, the son of Kuntī went searching for Bhīmasena in the great forest.