देवव्रतत्वं विज्ञाप्य पृथिवीं सर्वराजसु । नैव हन्यां स्त्रियं जातु न स्त्रीपूर्वं कदाचन
Having declared my vow of Devavrata before all the kings of the earth, I shall never kill a woman, nor anyone who was formerly a woman.
स हि स्त्रीपूर्वको राजञ्शिखण्डी यदि ते श्रुतः । कन्या भूत्वा पुमाञ्चातो न योत्स्ये तेन भारत
For Shikhandi, O king, is of female origin, as you may have heard; having been a maiden and then becoming a man, I will not fight with him, O Bharata.
सर्वांस्त्वन्यान्हनिष्यामि पार्थिवान्भरतर्षभ । यान्समेष्यामि समरे न तु कुन्तीसुतान्नृप
I shall slay all the other kings whom I meet in battle, O bull among the Bharatas, but not the sons of Kunti, O king.
किमर्थं भरतश्रेष्ठ नैव हन्याः शिखण्डिनम् । उद्यतेषुमथो दृष्ट्वा समरेष्वाततायिनम्
Why, O best of the Bharatas, will you not kill Shikhandin, even when he is armed and seen attacking in battle?
पूर्वमुक्त्वा महाबाहो पाञ्चालान्सह सोमकैः । हनिष्यामीति गाङ्गेय तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह
Previously, O mighty-armed one, you said you would slay the Panchalas together with the Somakas; O son of Ganga, tell me, grandsire, the reason for this.
श्रृणु दुर्योधन कथां सहैभिर्वसुधाधिपैः । यदर्थं युधि संप्रेक्ष्य नाहं हन्यां शिखण्डिनम्
Hear, O Duryodhana, along with these kings, the story for which, seeing him in battle, I will not kill Shikhandin.
महाराजो मम पिता शान्तनुर्लोकविश्रुतः । दिष्टान्तमाप धर्मात्मा समये भरतर्षभ
My father, the great king Shantanu, renowned in the world, met his end, O bull among the Bharatas, being righteous and true to his word.
ततोऽहं भरतश्रेष्ठ प्रतिज्ञां परिपालयन् । चित्राङ्गदं भ्रातरं वै महाराज्येऽभ्यपेचयम्
Then, O best of the Bharatas, upholding my vow, I installed my brother Citrangada in the great kingship.
तस्मिंश्च निधनं प्राप्ते सत्यवत्या मते स्थितः । विचित्रवीर्यं राजानमभ्यषिञ्चं यथाविधि
When he passed away, I acted according to Satyavati's wishes and anointed Vichitravirya as king, as was proper.
मयाऽभिषिक्तो राजेन्द्र यवीयानपि धर्मतः । विचित्रवीर्यो धर्मात्मा मामेव समुदैक्षत
Though he was younger, O king, Vichitravirya was installed by me in accordance with dharma, and he looked to me alone.
तस्य दारक्रियां तात चिकीर्षुरहमप्युत । अनुरूपादिव कुलादित्येव च मनो दधे
Desiring to arrange his marriage, O father, I set my mind on finding a bride from a suitable family.
तथाऽश्रौषं महाबाहो तिस्रः कन्याः स्वयंवरे । रूपेणाप्रतिमाः सर्वाः काशिराजसुतास्तदा । अम्बां चैवाम्बिकां चैव तथैवाम्बालिकामपि
Thus, O mighty-armed one, I heard that three princesses, daughters of the king of Kashi, unmatched in beauty, were present at the svayamvara: Ambā, Ambikā, and Ambālikā.
राजानश्च समाहूताः पृथिव्यां भरतर्षभ। अम्बा ज्येष्ठाभवत्तासामम्बिका त्वथ मध्यमा
O bull among the Bharatas, kings from all over the earth were summoned; among them, Ambā was the eldest, Ambikā was the middle one,
अम्बालिका च राजेन्द्र राजकन्या यवीयसी । सोऽहमेकरथेनैव गतः काशिपतेः पुरीम्
and Ambālikā, O king of kings, was the youngest royal maiden. I went alone in a single chariot to the city of the king of Kāśi.
अपश्यं ता महाबाहो तिस्रः कन्याः स्वलङ्कृताः। राज्ञश्चैव समाहूतान्पार्थिवान्पृथिवीपते
There I saw those three maidens, mighty-armed one, adorned with ornaments, and also the assembled kings, rulers of the earth, who had been invited.
ततोऽहं तान्नृपान्सर्वानाहूय समरे स्थितान्। रथमारोपयाञ्चक्रे कन्यास्ता भरतर्षभ
Then, O bull among the Bharatas, I summoned all those kings who stood ready for battle, and placed those maidens on my chariot.
वीर्यशुल्काश्च ता ज्ञात्वा समारोप्य रथं तदा। अवोचं पार्थिवान्सर्वानहं तत्र समागतान्। भीष्मः शान्तनवः कन्या हरतीति पुनःपुनः
Knowing that they were to be won by prowess, I set them on the chariot and then addressed all the assembled kings: 'Bhīṣma, son of Śāntanu, is carrying away the maidens!' I proclaimed this again and again.
ते यतध्वं परं शक्त्या सर्वे मोक्षाय पार्थिवाः । प्रसह्य हि हराम्येष मिषतां वो नरर्षभाः
'Now exert yourselves to the utmost, all you kings, if you wish to free them! For I am seizing them by force before your very eyes, O best of men!'
ततस्ते पृथिवीपालाः समुत्पतुरुदायुधाः । योगो योग इति क्रुद्धाः सारथीनभ्यचोदयन्
Then those rulers of the earth, weapons in hand, rose up in anger, shouting 'Prepare! Prepare!' and urged on their charioteers.
ते रथैर्गसङ्काशैर्गजैश्च गजयोधिनः। पुष्टैश्वाश्वैर्महीपालाः समुत्पेतुरुदायुधाः
Those kings, with chariots like clouds and warriors on elephants, mounted on well-trained horses, rose up with weapons in hand.
ततस्ते मां महीपालाः सर्व एव विशां पते। रथव्रातेन महता सर्वतः पर्यवारयन्
Then, O lord of the people, all those kings surrounded me on every side with a great host of chariots.
तानहं शरवर्षेण समन्तात्पर्यवारयम् । सर्वान्नृपांश्चाप्यजयं देवराडिव दानवान्
I repelled them all with a shower of arrows from every side, and I defeated all those kings, just as the lord of the gods defeats the Dānavas.
अपातयं शरैर्दीप्तैः प्रहसन्भरतर्षभ । तेषामापततां चित्रान्ध्वजान्हेमपरिष्कृतान्
Laughing, O bull among the Bharatas, I struck down with blazing arrows the splendid banners adorned with gold of those who rushed at me.
एकैकेन हि बाणेन भूमौ पातितवानहम् । हयांस्तेषां गजांश्चैव सारथींश्चाप्यहं रणे
With a single arrow each, I brought down to the ground their horses, their elephants, and also their charioteers in battle.
ते निवृत्ताश्च भग्नाश्च दृष्ट्वा तल्लाघवं मम। `प्रणिपेतुश्च सर्वे वै प्रशशंसुश्च पार्थिवाः
Seeing my swiftness, they turned back, broken and defeated; all the kings bowed to me and praised me.
तत आदाय ताः कन्या नृपतींश्च विसृज्य तान्।' अथाऽहं हास्तिनपुरमायां जित्वा महीक्षितः
Then, having taken those maidens and released the kings, I returned victorious to Hastinapura, O ruler of the earth.
ततोऽहं ताश्च कन्या वै भ्रातुरर्थाय भारत। तच्च कर्म महाबाहो सत्यवत्यै न्यवेदयम्
Then, O mighty-armed one, I presented those maidens for my brother's sake, and reported that deed to Satyavatī.
ततोऽहं भरतश्रेष्ठ मातरं वीरमातरम् । अभिगम्योपसंगृह्य दाशेयीमिदमब्रुवम्
Then, O best of the Bharatas, I approached my mother, the mother of heroes, and after embracing her, I spoke these words to the daughter of the fisherman:
इमाः काशिपतेः कन्या मया निर्जित्य पार्थिवान् । विचित्रवीर्यस्य कृते वीर्यशुल्का हृता इति
'These daughters of the king of Kāśi I have won by defeating the assembled kings for the sake of Vicitravīrya, as the prize of valor.'
ततो मूर्धन्युपाघ्राय पर्यश्रुनयना नृप। आह सत्यवती हृष्टा दिष्ट्या पुत्र जितं त्वया
Then Satyavatī, her eyes filled with tears, joyfully smelled my head and said, 'By good fortune, my son, you have achieved victory.'