स च राजा दशार्णेषु महानासीत्सुदुर्जयः। हिरण्यवर्मा दुर्धर्षो महासेनो महामनाः
And that king among the Dasharnas was great and hard to conquer; Hiraṇyavarman, difficult to assail, mighty in army and mind.
कृते विवाहे तु तदा सा कन्या राजसत्तम। यौवनं समनुप्राप्ता सा च कन्या शिखण्डिनी
When the marriage was performed, O best of kings, that maiden, having reached youth, was Shikhandini.
कृतदारः शिखण्डी च काम्पिल्यं पुनरागमत्। न च सा वेद तां कन्यां कंचित्कालं स्त्रियं किल। यदा त्वेनामजानात्सा स्त्रियमेव नृपात्मजा
Having taken a wife, Shikhandi returned again to Kampilya; but for some time, that maiden did not know her as a woman; yet, when she came to know, the princess realized she was indeed a woman.
धात्रीणां च सखीनां च व्रीडयाना न्यवेदयत् । कन्यां पाञ्चालराजस्य सुतां तां वै शिखण्डिनीम्
Out of shame, she revealed it to her nurses and companions— that the daughter of the Panchala king, Shikhandini, was a maiden.
ततस्ता राजशार्दूल धात्र्यो दाशार्णिकास्तदा। जग्मुरार्ति परां प्रेष्याः प्रेषयामासुरेव च
Then, O tiger among kings, those Dasharna nurses, afflicted with great distress, went and sent messengers as well.
ततो दशार्णाधिपतेः प्रेष्याः सर्वा न्यवेदयन् । विप्रलम्भं यथावृत्तं स च चुक्रोध पार्थिवः
Then all the messengers of the lord of the Dasharnas reported everything as it had happened, and that king became enraged.
शिखण्ड्यपि महाराज पुंवद्राजकुले तदा। विजहार म्रुदा युक्तः स्त्रीत्वं नैवातिरोचयन्
Even so, O great king, Shikhandi moved about in the royal household like a man, behaving gently, never displaying womanhood.
ततः कतिपयाहस्य तच्छ्रुत्वा भरतर्षभ । हिरण्यवर्मा राजेन्द्र रोषादर्तिं जगाम ह
Then, after a few days, having heard this, O bull among the Bharatas, King Hiraṇyavarman, out of anger, was greatly distressed.
ततो दाशार्णको राजा तीव्रकोपसमन्वितः । दूतं प्रस्थापयामास द्रुपदस्य निवेशनम्
Then the Dasharna king, filled with intense wrath, sent a messenger to the residence of Drupada.
ततो द्रुपदमासाद्य दूतः काञ्चनवर्मणः। एक एकान्तसुत्सार्य रहो वचनमब्रवीत्
Then, approaching Drupada, the messenger of Kanchanavarman, having dismissed everyone to a secluded place, spoke these words in private.
दाशार्णराजो राजंस्त्वामिदं वचनमब्रवीत् । अभिष्गात्प्रकुपितो विप्रलब्धस्त्वयाऽनघ
The king of the Dasharnas speaks this message to you, O king: Deceived by you, I am enraged and have come here.
अवमन्यसे मां नृपते नूनं दुर्मन्त्रितं तव। यन्मे कन्यां स्वकन्यार्थे मोहाद्याचितवानसि
You surely scorn me, O king, your counsel is indeed faulty, for out of delusion you requested my daughter for your daughter.
तस्याद्य विप्रलम्भस्य फलं प्राप्नुहि दुर्मते । एष त्वं सजनामात्यमुद्धरामि स्थिरो भव
Now reap the fruit of that deception, O wicked-minded one; I will uproot you with your people and ministers—stand firm.
अवमत्य च वीर्यं मे कुलं चारित्रमेव च । विप्रलम्भस्त्वयापूर्वो मनुष्येषु प्रवर्तितः
Having disregarded my valor, my lineage, and my conduct, you have committed an unprecedented deception among men.
कुरु सर्वाणि कार्याणि भुङ्क्ष्व कभोगाननुत्तमान्। अभियास्यामि शीघ्रं त्वां समुद्धर्तुं सबान्धवम्
Do all your duties and enjoy the finest pleasures; I will soon come to destroy you along with your kinsmen.
एवमुक्तस्य दूतेन द्रुपदस्य तदा नृप। चोरस्येव गृहीतस्य न प्रावर्तत भारती
When the messenger had spoken thus to Drupada, O king, he was as silent as a thief who had been caught.
स यत्नमकरोत्तीव्रं संबन्धिन्युनुमानने । दूतैर्मधुरसंभाषैर्न तदस्तीति संदिशन्
He made great efforts to appease his relation, sending messengers with sweet words, indicating that it was not so.
स राजा भूय एवाथ ज्ञात्वा तत्त्वमथागमत् । कन्येति पाञ्चालसुतां त्वरमाणो विनिर्ययौ
But when that king learned the truth again, he hastily set out, thinking the Panchala princess was indeed a maiden.
ततः संप्रेषकयामास मित्रांणाममितौजसाम् । दुहितुर्विप्रलम्भं तं धात्रीणां वचनात्तदा
Then, by the words of the nurses, he sent messengers to those friends of immeasurable might, regarding the separation of his daughter.
ततः समुदयं कृत्वा बलानां राजसत्तमः । अभियाने मतिं चक्रे द्रुपदं प्रति भारत
Thereafter, having assembled his forces, the best of kings made up his mind, O Bharata, to march against Drupada.
ततः संमन्त्रयामास मन्त्रिभिः स महीपतिः । हिरण्यवर्मा राजेन्द्र पाञ्चाल्यं पार्थिवं प्रति
Then that king, Hiraṇyavarman, lord of men, consulted with his ministers concerning the Pāñcāla king.
तत्र वै निश्चितं तेषामभूद्राज्ञां महात्मनाम् । तथ्यं भवति चेदेतत्कन्या राजञ्शिखण्डिनी
There, among those great-souled kings, it was firmly resolved: 'If this is true, O King, that Śikhaṇḍinī is a girl—'
बद्ध्वा पाञ्चालराजानमानयिष्यामहे गृहम् । अन्यं राजानमाधाय पाञ्चालेषु नरेश्वरम्
'We shall bind the king of the Pāñcālas and bring him home, and set up another king over the Pāñcālas.'
घातयिष्याम नृपतिं पाञ्चालं सशिखण्डिनम्
'We shall slay the Pāñcāla king together with Śikhaṇḍin.'
स तदा द्रुतमाज्ञाय पुनर्दूतान्नराधिपः। प्रास्थापयत्पार्षतया निहन्मीति स्थिरो भव
Then, having quickly learned this, the lord of men again sent messengers with instructions: 'Be steadfast, I will slay him.'
स हि प्रकृत्या वै भीतः किल्बिषी च नराधिपः । भयं तीव्रमनुप्राप्तो द्रुपदः पृथिवीपतिः
For by nature, that king Drupada was fearful and sinful; the ruler of the earth was seized by intense fear.
विसृज्य दूतान्दाशार्णे द्रुपदः शोकमूर्च्छितः । समेत्य भार्यां रहिते वाक्यमाह नराधिपः
Dismissing the messengers from Daśārṇa, Drupada, overwhelmed by grief, went to his wife in private and spoke these words.
भयेन महताऽऽविष्टो हृदि शोकेन चाहतः । पाञ्चालराजो दयितां मातरं वै शिखण्डिनः
Afflicted by great fear and struck in his heart by sorrow, the king of the Pāñcālas addressed his beloved, the mother of Śikhaṇḍin.
अभियास्यति मां कोपात्संबन्धी सुमहाबलः । हिरण्यवर्मा नृपतिः कर्षमाणो वरूथिनीम्
'Hiraṇyavarman, the king, my powerful relative, will come against me in anger, leading his army.'
किमिदानीं करिष्यावो मूढौ कन्यामिमां प्रति। शिखण्डी किल पुत्रस्ते कन्येति परिशङ्कितः
'What shall we do now, confused as we are, regarding this daughter? They suspect that your son Śikhaṇḍin is indeed a girl.'