विराटस्य सभां प्राप्य भूमिपालासनेषु ते । निषेदुः पावकप्रख्याः सत्रे धिष्ण्येष्विवाग्नयः
Arriving at Virata's assembly, those blazing ones took their seats on the royal thrones, like sacrificial fires on their altars.
तेषु तत्रोपविष्टेषु विराटः पृथिवीपतिः। तस्यां रात्र्यां व्यतीतायां प्रातःकृत्यं समाप्य च
When they had taken their seats there, King Virata, after the night had passed and his morning duties were complete, entered the hall.
गोसुवर्णादिकं दत्त्वा ब्राह्मणेभ्यो यथाविधि । आजगाम सभां राजा उत्तरेण सह प्रभो
Having duly given cows, gold, and other gifts to the Brahmanas, the king entered the assembly with Uttara, O lord.
स तान्दृष्ट्वा महासत्वाञ्ज्वलतः पावकानिव। राजवेषानुपादाय पार्थिवो विस्मितोऽभवत्
Seeing those great souls blazing like fires, adorned in royal attire, the king was astonished.
किमिदं को विधिस्त्वेष भयार्त इव पार्थिवः। पुरुषप्रवरान्दृष्ट्वा विषादमगमन्नृपः
What is this? What manner of event is this? The king, struck with fear upon seeing those foremost of men, became despondent.
अथ मात्स्योऽब्रवीत्कङ्खं देवराजमिव स्थितम् । मरुद्गणैरुपासीनं त्रिदशानामिवेश्वरम्
Then Matsya addressed Kanka, who was seated like the lord of the gods surrounded by the Maruts, as if he were the ruler of the immortals.
स किलाक्षनिवापस्त्वं सभास्तारो मया कृतः। अथ राजासने कस्मादुपविष्टोऽस्यलंकृतः
You, with your dice, have always enlivened this assembly for me; so why are you now seated, adorned, upon the royal throne?
परिहासेच्छया राज्ञो विराटस्य निशम्य तत्। स्मयमानोऽब्रवीद्वाक्यमर्जुनः परवीरहा
Hearing the king of Virata speak thus in jest, Arjuna, the destroyer of enemy heroes, smiling, replied with these words.
इन्द्रस्यार्धासनं राजन्नयमारोढुमर्हति। ब्रह्मण्यः श्रुतवांस्त्यागी सर्वलोकाभिपूजितः
O King, he deserves to ascend half the throne of Indra; devoted to the Brahmanas, learned, generous, and honored by all the worlds.
एष विग्रहवान्धर्म एष वीर्यवतां वरः। एष बुद्ध्याधिको लोके तपसां च परायणम्
He is righteousness embodied, the foremost among the valiant; in wisdom he surpasses all, and is the supreme refuge of ascetic power.
एषोऽस्त्रं विविधं वेत्ति त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे। न चैवान्यः पुमान्वेत्ति न वेत्स्यति कदाचन
He knows all kinds of weapons in the three worlds, among moving and unmoving beings; no other man knows, nor will ever know, as he does.
न देवा नासुराः केचिन्न मनुष्या न राक्षसाः। गन्धर्वयक्षप्रवराः सकिन्नरमहोरगाः
Neither gods nor Asuras, nor men nor Rakshasas, nor the foremost Gandharvas and Yakshas, nor Kinnaras nor great serpents—
दीर्घदर्शी महातेजाः पारैजानपदप्रियः। पाण्डवानामतिरथो यज्ञधर्मपरो वशी
He is farsighted, possessed of great energy, beloved by the people of the land; among the Pandavas, he is a mighty chariot-warrior, devoted to sacrifice and righteousness, and self-controlled.
महर्षिकल्पो राजर्षिः सर्वलोकेषु विश्रुतः । बलवान्धृतिमान्दक्षः सत्यवादी जितेन्द्रियः
He is like a great sage, a royal seer renowned in all the worlds; strong, steadfast, skillful, a speaker of truth, and master of his senses.
धनैश्च संचयैश्चैव शक्रवैश्रवणोपमः । यथा मनुर्महातेजा लोकानां परिरक्षिता । एवमेव महातेजाः प्रजानुग्रहकारकः
In wealth and treasures he is like Shakra and Vaishravana; just as Manu, the great-souled, was protector of the worlds, so too is this great-souled one a benefactor of the people.
अयं कुरूणामृषभः कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः । यस्य कीर्तिः स्थिता लोके सूर्यस्येवोद्यतः प्रभा
This is Yudhishthira, son of Kunti, the bull among the Kurus, whose fame stands in the world like the radiant light of the risen sun.
संसरन्ति दिशः सर्वा यशसोस्य गभस्तयः । उदितस्येव सूर्यस्य तेजसोऽनुगभस्तयः
The rays of his glory spread in all directions, just as the beams of the risen sun follow its brilliance.
एनं त्रिंशत्सहस्राणि कुञ्जराणां तरस्विनाम् । अन्वयुः पृष्ठतो राजन्यावदध्यावसत्कुरून्
Thirty thousand swift elephants followed him from behind, as long as he ruled the Kurus.
त्रिंशच्चैव सहस्राणि रथानां रथिनां वरम्। सदश्वैरुपसंपन्नाः पृष्ठतोऽनुययुस्तदा
And thirty thousand chariots, with the best of charioteers and fine horses, then followed behind him.
वाजिनां च शतं राजन्त्सहस्राण्ययुतानि च। इममष्टशतं सूताः सुमृष्टमणिकुण्डलाः। तुष्टुवुर्मागधैः सार्धं पुरा शक्रमिवर्षयः
O King, a hundred thousand and ten thousand horses, and eight hundred charioteers adorned with polished jeweled earrings, praised him together with the Magadhas, like the Maruts praising Shakra in ancient times.
इमं नित्यपुमातिष्ठन्कुरवः किंकरास्तदा। सर्वे च नृप राजानं धनेश्वरमिवामराः
At that time, the Kurus constantly served him, and all the kings, O ruler, attended him like the immortals serve the Lord of Wealth.
एष सर्वान्महीपालान्करमाहारयत्तदा। वैश्यानिव महाराज विवशान्स्ववशानपि
He then compelled all the earth’s rulers to pay tribute, O great king, just as even the independent and dependent Vaishyas are made to do.
अष्टाशीतिसहस्राणि स्नातकानां महात्मनाम्। उपजीवन्ति राजानमेनं सुचरितव्रताः
Eighty-eight thousand great-souled graduates, steadfast in good conduct, depend on this king for their livelihood.
एष वृद्धाननाथांश्च व्यङ्गान्पङ्गूश्चं वामनान् । पुत्रवत्पालयामास प्रजाधर्मेण चाभिभूः
He cared for the elderly without protectors, the disabled, the lame, and the dwarfs as a father would his sons, ruling with the law of righteousness over his subjects.
एष धर्मे दमे चैव दाने सत्ये रतः सदा। महाप्रसादो ब्रह्मण्यः सत्यवादी च पार्थिवः
He is always devoted to righteousness, self-restraint, charity, and truth; this king is greatly gracious, devoted to the Brahmanas, and a speaker of truth.
श्रीमत्संपत्प्रभावेन तप्यते यस्य कौरवः । रगणः सह कर्णेन सौबलेन च वीर्यवान्
By the power of his prosperity and wealth, O Kaurava, the group with Karna and the mighty Saubala are tormented.
गुणा न शक्याः संख्यातुमेतस्यैव नरेश्वर। एष धर्मपरो नित्यमनृशंसः सुशीलवान्
O lord of men, the virtues of this very man cannot be counted; he is ever devoted to righteousness, compassionate, and of noble character.
एवं युक्तो महाराजा पाण्डवः पुरुषर्षभः । कथं नार्हति राजार्हमासनं पृथिवीपतिः
Endowed in this way, the great king, the bull among men, the Pandava—how does he not deserve the royal throne, O lord of the earth?
यद्येष राजा कौरव्यः कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः। कतमोऽस्यार्जुनो भ्राता भीमश्च कतमो बली
If this king is indeed Yudhishthira, son of Kunti and descendant of the Kurus, then which of these is his brother Arjuna, and which one is the mighty Bhima?
नकुलः सहदेवो वा द्रौपदी वा यशस्विनी । यदा ह्यक्षैर्जिता ह्येते नान्तरा श्रूयते कथा
Is it Nakula, Sahadeva, or the illustrious Draupadi? For these were all won at dice, and no other story is heard in between.