मृगयां चैव नो गन्तुमिच्छा संवर्धते भृशम्। स्मारणं तु चिकीर्षामो न तु पाण्डवदर्सनम्
Our desire to go hunting is growing very strong; we wish only to remind them, not to see the Pandavas.
न चानार्यसमाचारः कश्चित्तत्र भविष्यति। न च तत्र गमिष्यामो यत्र तेषां प्रतिश्रयः
No unrighteous conduct will occur there, nor will we go to the place where they have taken refuge.
एवमुक्तः शकुनिना धृतराष्ट्रो जनेश्वरः। दुर्योधनं सहामात्यमनुजज्ञे न कामतः
Thus addressed by Shakuni, King Dhritarashtra, lord of men, gave his consent to Duryodhana and his counselors, though not willingly.
अनुज्ञातस्तु गान्धारिः कर्णेन सहितस्तदा। निर्ययौ भरतश्रेष्ठो बलेन महता वृतः
Then, having received permission, the best of the Bharatas, accompanied by Gandhari and Karna, set out, surrounded by a great force.
दुःशासनेन च तथा सौबलेन च धीमता। संवृतो भ्रातृभिश्चान्यैः स्त्रीभिश्चापि सहस्रशः
He was also accompanied by Duhshasana and the wise son of Subala, surrounded by his brothers and thousands of women.
तं निर्यान्तं महाबाहुं द्रष्टुं द्वैतवनं सरः। पौराश्चानुययुः सर्वेसहदारा वनं च तत्
As that mighty-armed one departed to see the Dvaita forest lake, all the citizens, with their wives, followed him to that forest.
अष्टौ रथसहस्राणि त्रीणि नागायुतानि च। पत्तयो बहुसाहस्रा हयाश्च नवतिः शताः
There were eight thousand chariots, three divisions of elephants, countless thousands of infantry, and nine hundred horse squadrons.
शकटापणवेशाश्च वणिजो वन्दिनस्तथा। नराश्च मृगयाशीलाः शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः
There were also wagons, market stalls, merchants, bards, and hundreds and thousands of men devoted to hunting.
ततः प्रयाणे नृपतेः सुमहानभवत्स्वनः। प्रावृषीव महावायोरुत्थितस्य विशांपते
Then, as the king set out, a great sound arose, like the roar of a mighty wind in the rainy season, O lord of the people.
गव्यूतिमात्रेन्यवसद्राजा दुर्योधनस्तदा। प्रयातो वाहनैः सर्वैस्ततो द्वैतवनं सरः
King Duryodhana then encamped at a distance of a cow's walk from the lake of Dvaita forest, having arrived there with all his vehicles.
अथ दुर्योधनो राजा तत्रतत्र वने वसन्। जगाम घोषानभितस्तत्र चक्रे निवेशनम्
Then King Duryodhana, dwelling here and there in the forest, went around the cattle stations and established his camp there.
रमणीये समाज्ञाते सोदके समहीरुहे। देशे सर्वगुणोपेते चक्रुरावसथान्नराः
In a delightful place, with water and trees, endowed with all virtues, the men set up their dwellings as ordered.
तथैव तत्समीपस्थान्पृथगावसथान्बहून्। कर्णस्य शकुनेश्चैव भ्रातॄणां चैव सर्वशः
Likewise, many separate dwellings were made nearby for Karna, Shakuni, and all the brothers.
पश्यन्तस्ते तदा गावः शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः। अङ्कर्लक्षैश्च ताः सर्वा लक्षयामास पार्थिवः
There they saw cows by the hundreds and thousands, and the king counted all of them in groups of a hundred thousand.
अङ्कयामास वत्सांश्च जज्ञे चोपसृतांस्त्वपि। बालवत्साश्च यां गावः कालयामास ता अपि
He counted the calves as well, and also those that had come near; and the cows that had young calves were also counted.
अथ स स्मारणं कृत्वा लक्षयित्वा त्रिहायनान्। वृतो गोपालकैः प्रीतो व्याहरत्कुरुनन्दनः
Then, after marking and counting them for three years, Kurunandana, pleased and surrounded by cowherds, spoke out, recalling his purpose.
स च पौरजनः सर्वः सर्वः सैनिकाश्च सहस्रशः। यथोपजोषं चिक्रीडुर्वने तस्मिन्यथाऽमराः
And all the townspeople, along with thousands of soldiers, played in that forest as they pleased, like the gods themselves.
ततोऽध्वगमनाच्छ्रान्तं कुशला नृत्यवादितैः। धार्तराष्ट्रमुपातिष्ठन्कन्याश्चैव स्वलंकृताः
Then, as the Dhartarashtra grew weary from the journey, skilled dancers and musicians, along with beautifully adorned maidens, attended to him.
स स्त्रीगणवृतो राजा प्रहृष्टः प्रददौ वसु। तेभ्यो यथार्हमन्नानि पानानि विविधानि च
Surrounded by groups of women, the delighted king gave them wealth, and provided them with food and various drinks as was fitting.
ततस्ते सहिताः सर्वे तरक्षून्महिषान्मृगान्। गवयर्क्षवराहांश्च समन्तात्पर्यवारयन्
Then, together, they surrounded all around the wild oxen, buffaloes, and deer, as well as gavayas, bears, and boars.
स ताञ्छरैर्विनिर्भिद्य गजांश्च सुबहून्वने। रमणीयेषु देशेषु ग्राहयामास वै मृगान्
He struck down many elephants in the forest with his arrows, and in those beautiful places, he had the animals captured.
गोरसानुपयुञ्जान उपभोगांशच् भारत। पश्यन्स रमणीयानि वनान्युपवनानि च
Enjoying dairy products and other delights, O Bharata, he gazed upon the beautiful forests and groves.
मत्तभ्रमरजुष्टानि बर्हिणाभिरुतानि च। अगच्छदानुपूर्व्येण पुण्यं द्वैतवनं सरः
Passing through in order, he reached the sacred Dvaita lake, filled with intoxicated bees and resounding with the cries of peacocks.
मत्तभ्रमरसंजुष्टं नीलकण्ठरवाकुलम्। सप्तच्छदसमाकीर्णं पुन्नागवकुलैर्युतम्
That lake was filled with intoxicated bees, crowded with the calls of blue-throated birds, thick with saptacchada trees, and rich with clusters of punnaga trees.
ऋद्ध्या परमया युक्तो महेन्द्र इव वज्रभृत्। यदृच्छया च तत्रस्थो धर्मपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः
Endowed with great prosperity, like mighty Indra the wielder of the thunderbolt, Yudhishthira, son of Dharma, happened to be there.
ईजे राजर्षियज्ञेन साद्यस्केन विशांपते। दिव्येन विधिना चैव वन्येन कुरुसत्तम
He performed a royal sage's sacrifice, O lord of the people, with the prescribed divine and forest offerings, O best of the Kurus.
विद्वद्भिः सहितो धीमान्ब्राह्मणैर्वनवासिभिः'। कृत्वा निवेशमभितः सरसस्तस्य कौरव। द्रौपद्या सहितो धीमान्धर्मपत्न्या नराधिपः
Together with learned Brahmins dwelling in the forest, the wise king established his camp around that lake, accompanied by Draupadi, his virtuous wife.
ततो दुर्योधनः प्रेष्यानादिदेश सहानुजः। आक्रीडावसथाञ्शीघ्रं कुरुध्वं सरसोऽभितः
Then Duryodhana, along with his brother, ordered his attendants: 'Quickly prepare the playhouses around the lake.'
ते तथेत्येव कौरव्यमुक्त्वा वचनकारिणः। चिकीर्षन्तस्तदाक्रीडाञ्जग्मुर्द्वैतवनं सरः
Saying 'so be it' to the Kaurava, those obedient to his word went to the Dvaita lake, intending to prepare those playhouses.
सेनाग्र्यं धार्तराष्ट्रस् प्राप्तं द्वैतवनं सरः
The foremost of the Dhartarashtras reached the Dvaita lake with his army.