यतः पुरुषशार्दूलौ पानीयहरणे गतौ। तौ ददर्श हतौ तत्रभ्रातरौ श्वेतवाहनः
Where those tiger-like men had gone to fetch water, there the white-horsed one saw his two brothers lying dead.
विगतासू नरव्याघ्रौ शयानौ वसुधातले'। प्रसुप्ताविव तौ दृष्ट्वा नरसिंहः सुदुःखितः। धनुरुद्यम्य कौन्तेयो व्यलोकयत तद्वनम्
Those tiger-men, their life departed, lay on the earth as if asleep; seeing them, the lion among men was deeply distressed. Raising his bow, the son of Kunti surveyed that forest.
नापश्यत्तत्रकिंचित्स भूतमस्मिन्महावने। सव्यसाची पिपासार्तः पानीयं सोभ्यधावत
He saw nothing there, no being, in that great forest. Parched with thirst, Savyasācin rushed toward the water.
अभिधावंस्ततो वाचमन्तरिक्षात्स शुश्रुवे। यत्त्वमिच्छसि पानीयं नैतच्छक्यं बलात्त्वया
As he ran, he heard a voice from the sky: 'If you desire this water, it cannot be taken by force by you.'
कौन्तेय यदि वै प्रश्नान्मयोक्तान्प्रतिवक्ष्यसि। ततः पास्यसि पानीयं हरिष्यसि च भारत
O son of Kunti, if you answer the questions I have put to you, then you may drink the water and take it, O descendant of Bharata.
वारितस्त्वब्रवीत्पार्थो दृश्यमानो निवारय। यावद्बाणैर्विनिर्भिन्नः पुनर्नैवं वदिष्यसि
Though forbidden and clearly warned, Partha replied, 'Restrain yourself! Once you are pierced by my arrows, you will not speak so again.'
एवमुक्त्वा ततः पार्थः शरैरस्त्रानुमन्त्रितैः। प्रववर्ष रदिशः कृत्स्नाः शब्दवेधं च दर्शयन्। कर्णिनालीकनाराचानुत्सृजन्भरतर्षभः
Having spoken thus, Partha then showered all directions with arrows empowered by mantras, displaying his skill in aiming by sound, releasing arrows with broadheads, shafts, and iron-tipped darts, O bull among the Bharatas.
स त्वमोघानिषून्मुक्त्वा तृष्णयाऽभिप्रपीडितः। अनेकैरिषुसंघातैरन्तरिक्षे ववर्ष ह
He, tormented by thirst, released countless unfailing arrows, raining volleys of shafts into the sky.
किं विधानेन ते पार्थ प्रश्नानुक्त्वा पयः पिब। अनुक्त्वा च पिबन्प्रश्नान्पीत्वैव नभविष्यसि
By what means, O Partha, will you drink the water after answering the questions? If you drink without answering, you will not survive even after drinking.
स च मोघानिषून्दृष्ट्वातृष्णया च प्रपीडितः। अवज्ञायैव तां वाचं पीत्वैव निपपात् ह
But seeing his arrows rendered useless and oppressed by thirst, disregarding that voice, he drank and immediately fell down.
अथाब्रवीद्भीमसेनं कुनतीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः। नकुलः सहदेवश्च बीभत्सुश्च परंतप
Then Kunti's son Yudhishthira spoke to Bhimasena, Nakula, Sahadeva, and the mighty Arjuna:
चिरंगतास्तोयहेतोर्न चागच्छन्ति भारत। तांश्चैवानय भद्रं ते पानीयं च त्वमानय
They have been gone a long time for water and have not returned, O Bharata. Bring them here, and also bring water, may good befall you.
भीमसेनस्तथेत्युक्त्वा तं देशं प्रत्यपद्यत। रयत्रते पुरुषव्याघ्रा भ्रातरोस्य निपातिताः
Bhimasena, saying 'So be it,' went to that place, and there the tiger among men saw his brothers fallen.
तान्दृष्ट्वा दुःखितो भीमस्तृषया च प्रपीडितः। अमन्यत महाबाहुः कर्म तद्यक्षरक्षसाम्
Seeing them, Bhima was distressed and tormented by thirst; the mighty-armed one thought this was the work of a Yaksha or Rakshasa.
सचिन्तयामास तदा योद्धव्यं ध्रुवमद्य मे। पास्यामि तावत्पानीयमिति पार्थो वृकोदरः
Then he thought, 'Today I must surely fight; but first I will drink water,' so resolved Partha, the wolf-bellied one.
ततोऽभ्यधावत्पानीयं पिपासुः पुरुषर्षभः
Then, tormented by thirst, the best of men rushed toward the water.
मा तात साहसंकार्षीर्मम पूर्वपरिग्रहः। प्रश्नानुक्त्वा तु कौन्तेय ततः पिब हरस्व च
'Do not act rashly, my child; this is my prior claim. O son of Kunti, answer the questions first, then drink and take the water.'
एवमुक्तस्तदा भीमो यक्षेणामिततेजसा। अनुक्त्वैव तु तान्प्रश्नान्पीत्वैव निपपात ह
Thus addressed by the Yaksha of immeasurable brilliance, Bhima, without answering those questions, drank and immediately fell down.
ततः कुन्तीसुतो राजा प्रचिन्त्य पुरुषर्षभः। `आत्मनाऽऽत्मानमन्विष्य विचारमकरोत्प्रभुः
Then the son of Kunti, the king, reflecting, O best of men, examined himself and deliberated deeply.
ततश्चिरगतान्भ्रातृनथाऽऽज्ञाय युधिष्ठिरः। चिरायमाणान्बहुशः पुनः पुनरुवाचह
Then, realizing that his brothers had been gone a long time, Yudhishthira repeatedly called out to them, wondering at their delay.
किंस्विद्वनमिदं दग्धं किंखिद्दृष्टो मृतो भवेत्। प्रहरन्तो महाभूतं शप्तास्तेनाथ तेऽपतन्
'What is this? Has the forest been burned? Or did they see something and die? Did they attack some great being and were cursed, and so they fell?'
न पश्यन्त्यथवा वीराः पानीयं यत्रते गताः। अन्विच्छद्भिर्वने तोयं कालोऽयमतिपातितः
Or perhaps, O hero, they do not see the water where they went; searching for water in the forest, much time has passed.
किंनु तत्कारणं येन नायान्ति पुरुषर्षभाः। गच्छाम्येषां पदं द्रष्टुमिति कृत्वा युधिष्ठिरः
What is the reason that these best of men do not return? Thinking, 'I will go to see their path,' Yudhishthira set out.
समुत्थाय महाबुद्धिर्दह्यमानेन चेतसा। व्यपेतजननिर्घोषं प्रविवेश महावनम्
Rising up, that great-minded one, his heart burning with anxiety, entered the great forest, now silent of all human sounds.
रुरुभिश्च वराहैश्च पक्षिभिश्च निषेवितम्। नीलभास्वरवर्णैश्च पादपैरुशोभितम्
It was frequented by deer, boars, and birds, and adorned with trees of shining blue and golden hues.
भ्रमरैरुपगीतं च पक्षिभिश् समन्ततः। `मृदुशाड्वलसंकीर्णभूमिभागं मनोहरम्
It was filled with the humming of bees and the calls of birds all around, its ground charming, covered with soft green grass.
स गच्छन्कानने तस्मिन्हेमजालपरिष्कृतम्। ददर्श तत्सरः श्रीमान्विश्वकर्मकृतं यथा
As he walked in that forest, adorned with golden lattices, he saw that splendid lake, as if crafted by Vishvakarma himself.
उपेतं नलिनीजालैः सिन्धुवारैः सचेतसैः। केतकैः करवीरैश्च पिप्पलैश्चैव संवृतम्
It was covered with clusters of lotuses, blooming sindhuvara flowers, ketaka and karavira shrubs, and shaded by pipal trees.
ततो धर्मसुतः श्रीमान्भ्रातृदर्शनलालसः'। श्रमार्तस्तदुपागम्य सरो दृष्ट्वाऽथ विस्मितः
Then the illustrious son of Dharma, longing to see his brothers and weary from exertion, approached and, seeing the lake, was astonished.
ततस्ते यक्षवचनादुदतिष्ठन्त पाण्डवः। क्षुत्पिपासे च सर्वेषां क्षणेन व्यपगच्छताम्
Then, at the Yaksha's command, the Pandavas rose up, and in a moment, hunger and thirst left them all.