अज्ञातवासं घोरं च वसता दुष्करं कृतम् । दुःखमेव कुतः सौख्यं राज्यभ्रष्टस्य भारत
You endured the dreadful incognito exile, a difficult task; there was only suffering, where was happiness for one deprived of his kingdom, O Bharata?
सत्ये तपसि दाने च तव बुद्धिर्युधिष्ठिर । क्षमा दमश्चाहिंसा च सत्यं चैव युधिष्ठिर
Your mind is steadfast in truth, austerity, and charity, O Yudhishthira; patience, self-control, nonviolence, and truth are yours, O Yudhishthira.
अद्भुतश्च पुनर्लोकस्त्वयि राजन्प्रतिष्ठितः। मृदुर्वदान्यो ब्रह्मण्यो दान्तो धर्मपरायणः
Again, the wondrous world is established in you, O King; gentle, generous, devoted to Brahmins, self-controlled, and dedicated to righteousness.
धर्मास्ते विदिता राजन्बहवो लोकसाक्षिकाः । सर्वं जगदिदं तात विदितं ते परन्तप
Your virtues are known, O King, many and witnessed by the world; all this world, dear one, is known to you, O scorcher of foes.
मुदितश्च पुनर्लोकस्त्वयि राजन्प्रतिष्ठिते । दिष्ट्या कृच्छ्रमिदं राजन्पारितं भरतर्षभ
Again, the world rejoices, established in you, O King; by fortune, this hardship has been overcome, O bull among the Bharatas.
दिष्ट्या पश्यामि राजेन्द्र धर्मात्मानं सहानुगम्। निस्तीर्णदुष्करं राजंस्त्वां धर्मनिचयं प्रभो
By fortune I see you, O king of kings, righteous with your followers, having crossed the difficult ordeal, you, the repository of righteousness, O lord.
ततोऽस्याकथयद्राजा दुर्योधनसमागमम्। तच्च शुश्रूषितं सर्वं वरदानं च भारत
Then the king recounted his meeting with Duryodhana, and all that was heard, including the granting of boons, O Bharata.
सुकृतं ते कृतं राजन्प्रहृष्टेनान्तरात्मना । दुर्योधनस्य यद्वीर त्वया वाचा प्रतिश्रुतम्
You have acted well, O king, with a joyful heart, O hero, in what you promised to Duryodhana by your word.
एकं त्विच्छामि भद्रं ते क्रियमाणं महीपते । राजन्नकर्तव्यमपि कर्तुमर्हसि सत्तम
Yet I desire one thing, O blessed king, to be done by you; even if it is not to be done, you should accomplish it, O noble one.
मम त्ववेक्षया वीर शृणु विज्ञापयामि ते। भवानिह महाराज वासुदेवसमो युधि
O hero, listen as I speak to you for my own sake; you must be here, O great king, equal to Vasudeva in battle.
कर्णार्जुनाभ्यां संप्राप्ते द्वैरथे राजसत्तम । कर्णस्य भवता कार्यं सारथ्यं नात्र संशयः
When Karna and Arjuna meet in single combat, O foremost of kings, you must act as Karna's charioteer; there is no doubt about this.
तत्र पाल्योऽर्जुनो राजन्यदि मत्प्रियमिच्छसि। तेजोवधश्च ते कार्यः सौतेरस्मञ्जयावह्नः । अकर्तव्यमपि ह्येतत्कर्मुमर्हसि मातुल
There, you must protect Arjuna, O king, if you wish to please me; you must also ensure the defeat of his energy and the burning of his chariot; even if it is not to be done, you should accomplish this, O uncle.
श्रृणु पाण्डव भद्रं ते यद्ब्रवीषि महात्मनः । तेजोवधनिमित्तं मां सूतपुत्रस्य सङ्गमे
Hear, O Pandava, blessed one, what you say, O great-souled; I am to be present for the purpose of diminishing the energy at the meeting of the son of the charioteer.
अहं तस्य भविष्यामि सङ्घ्रामे सारथिर्ध्रुवम्। वासुदेवेन हि समं नित्यं मां सोऽभिमन्यतो
I will surely be his charioteer in battle; for he always regards me as equal to Vasudeva.
तस्याहं कुरुशार्दूल प्रतीपमहितं वचः। ध्रुवं संकथयिष्यामि योद्धुकामस्य संयुगे
O tiger among Kurus, I will certainly speak words contrary to his interest to him, when he desires to fight in battle.
यथा स हृतदर्पश्च हृततेजाश्च पाण्डव । भविष्यति सुखं हन्तुं सत्यमेतद्ब्रवीमि ते
Thus, when his pride and energy are taken away, O Pandava, he will become easy to slay; I speak this truth to you.
एवमेतत्करिष्यामि यथा तात त्वमात्थ माम्। यच्चान्यदपि शक्ष्यामि तत्करिष्यामि ते प्रियम्
I will do exactly as you have told me, O father; and whatever else I am able, I will do that also for your pleasure.
यच्च दुःखं त्वया प्राप्तं द्यूते वै कृष्णया सह। परुषाणि च वाक्यानि सूतपुत्रकृतानि वै
And the suffering you endured in the game of dice with Krishna, and the harsh words spoken by the son of the charioteer,
जटासुरात्परिक्लेशः कीचकाच्च महाद्युते। द्रौपद्याऽधिगतं सर्वं दमयन्त्या यथाऽशुभम्
The distress from Jatasura, from Kichaka, and the great game of dice; all that Draupadi suffered, just as Damayanti endured misfortune,
सर्वं दुःखमिदं वीर सुखोदर्कं भविष्यति। नात्र मन्युस्त्वया कार्यो विधिर्हि बलवत्तरः
All this suffering, O hero, will end in happiness; you should not be angry, for destiny is stronger.
दुःखानि हि महात्मानः प्राप्नुवन्ति युधिष्ठिर। देवैरपि हि दुःखानि प्राप्तानि जगतीपते
Even great souls, O Yudhishthira, experience suffering; even the gods, O lord of the earth, have suffered.
इन्द्रेण श्रूयते राजन्सभार्येण महात्मना । अनुभूतं महद्दुःखं देवराजेन भारत
It is heard, O king, that Indra, the great-souled, together with his wife, endured great suffering, O Bharata.
कथमिन्द्रेण राजेन्द्र सभार्येण महात्मना । दुःखं प्राप्तं परं घोरमेतदिच्छामि वेदितुम्
How did Indra, O king, the great-souled, together with his wife, suffer such terrible distress? I wish to know this.
शृणु राजन्पुरावृत्तमितिहासं पुरातनम्। सभार्येण यथा प्राप्तं दुःखमिन्द्रेण भारत
Hear, O king, the ancient story of old; how Indra, together with his wife, suffered, O Bharata.
त्वष्टा प्रजापतिर्ह्यासीद्देवश्रेष्ठो महातपाः । स पुत्रं वै त्रिशिरसमिन्द्रद्रोहात्किलासृजत्
Tvaṣṭṛ, the lord of creatures, was a foremost god of great austerity; he begot a son, Triśiras, because of enmity with Indra.
ऐन्द्रं स प्रार्थयत्स्थानं विश्वरूपो महाद्युतिः । तैस्त्रिभिर्वदनैर्घोरैः सूर्येन्दुज्वलनोपमैः
That radiant Viśvarūpa sought the position of Indra, and had three terrifying faces, shining like the sun, moon, and fire.
वेदानेकेन सोऽधीते सुरामेकेन चापिबत्। एकेन च दिशः सर्वाः पिबन्निव निरीक्षते
With one face he recited the Vedas, with another he drank soma, and with the third he gazed upon all the directions as if consuming them.
स तपस्वी मुदुर्दान्तो धर्मे तपसि चोद्यतः । तपस्तस्य महत्तीव्रं सुदुश्चरमरिन्दम
He was an ascetic, gentle and self-controlled, devoted to righteousness and austerity; his penance was immense, intense, and extremely difficult to perform, O subduer of foes.
तस्य दृष्ट्वा तपोवीर्यं सत्यं चामिततेजसः । विषादमगमच्छक्र इन्द्रोऽयं मा भवेदिति
Seeing the power of his austerity and the truthfulness of that one of immeasurable energy, Indra became anxious, thinking, 'May he not become Indra.'
कथं सज्जेच्च भोगेषु न च तप्येन्महत्तपः । विवर्धमानस्त्रिशिराः सर्वं हि भुवनं ग्रसेत्
How might he become attached to pleasures and not practice such great austerity? If Triśiras continues to grow, he might consume the entire world.