तां चापि जातां सुश्रोणीं वागुवाचाशरीरिणी। सर्वयोषिद्वरा कृष्णा क्षयं क्षत्रस्य नेष्यति
Then, a disembodied voice spoke: 'This beautiful woman, the foremost among all women, dark-complexioned, will bring about the destruction of the Kshatriya race.'
सुरकार्यमियं काले करिष्यति सुमध्यमा। अस्या हेतोः क्षत्रियाणां महदुत्पत्स्यते भयम्
'This slender-waisted one will accomplish a task for the gods at the proper time. Because of her, great fear will arise among the Kshatriyas.'
तच्छ्रुत्वा सर्वपाञ्चालाः प्रणेदुः सिंहसङ्घवत्। न चैनान्हर्षसंपन्नानियं सेहे वसुन्धरा
Hearing this, all the Panchalas roared like a pride of lions. The earth could not bear their joy.
तथा तु मिथुनं जज्ञे द्रुपदस्य महात्मनः। कुमारश्च कुमारी च मनोज्ञौ तौ नरर्षभौ
Thus, a pair of children was born to the great Drupada: a son and a daughter, both exceedingly handsome, the best among men.
श्रिया परमया युक्तौ क्षात्रेण वपुषा तथा। तौ दृष्ट्वा पृषती याजं प्रपेदे सा सुतार्थिनी
Endowed with supreme beauty and noble bearing, when Prishati saw them, she approached Yaja, desiring children.
न वै मदन्यां जननीं जानीयातामिमाविति। तथेत्युवाच तां याजो राज्ञः प्रियचिकीर्षया
'Let no other woman be known as their mother but me,' she said. Yaja replied, 'So be it,' wishing to please the king.
तयोस्तु नामनी चक्रुर्द्विजाः संपूर्णमानसाः। धृष्टत्वादप्रधृष्यत्वात् द्युम्नाद्युत्संभवादपि
With minds full of joy, the Brahmins gave them names: from boldness and invincibility, and from glory and exalted birth.
धृष्टद्युम्नः कुमारोऽयं द्रुपद्सय भवत्विति। कृष्णेत्येवाभवत्कन्या कृष्णा भूत्सा हि वर्णतः
'Let this son of Drupada be called Dhrishtadyumna,' they said. The daughter was named Krishna, for she was dark in complexion.
तथा तन्मिथुनं जज्ञे द्रुपदस्य महामखे। वैदिकाध्ययने पारं धृष्टद्युम्नो गतस्तदा
Thus, the pair was born at Drupada's great sacrifice. Dhrishtadyumna then mastered the Vedic studies.
धृष्टद्युम्नं तु पाञ्चाल्यमानीय स्वं निवेशनम्। उपाकरोदस्त्रहेतोर्भारद्वाजः प्रतापवान्
The mighty Bharadvaja brought Dhrishtadyumna, the Panchala prince, to his own abode and taught him weapons.
अमोक्षणीयं दैवं हि भावि मत्वा महामतिः। तथा तत्कृतवान्द्रोण आत्मकीर्त्यनुरक्षणात्
Knowing that fate cannot be avoided, the wise Drona acted thus, out of desire to preserve his own fame.
सर्वास्त्राणि स तु क्षिप्रमाप्तवान्परया धिया
With supreme intelligence, he quickly acquired all weapons.
द्रुपदस्यापि विप्रर्षे श्रोतुमिच्छामि संभवम्। कथं चापि समुत्पन्नः कथमस्त्राण्यवाप्तवान्
O sage among Brahmins, I wish to hear about Drupada's birth: how he was born and how he obtained weapons.
एतदिच्छामि भगवंस्त्वत्तः श्रोतुं द्विजोत्तम। कौतूहलं जन्मसु मे कीर्त्यमानेष्वनेकशः
O venerable one, I wish to hear this from you, best of Brahmins. I am curious about these births, which are spoken of in many ways.
राजा बभूव पाञ्चालः पुत्रार्थी पुत्रकारणात्। वनं गतो महाराजस्तपस्तेपे सुदारुणम्
The king of the Panchalas, desiring a son, went to the forest for the sake of obtaining a son, and performed severe austerities.
आराधयन्प्रयत्नेन महर्षीन्संशितव्रतान्। तस्य संतप्यमानस्य वने मृगगणायुते
With great effort, he worshipped the great sages who were firm in their vows. While he was suffering in the forest, surrounded by herds of deer,
कालस्तु सुमहान्राजन्नत्ययात्सुतकारणात्। स तु राजा महातेजास्तपस्तीव्रं समाददे
A very long time passed, O king, as he sought a son. That king of great energy undertook intense austerities.
कंचित्कालं वायुभक्षो निराहारस्तथैव च। तथैव तु महाबाहोर्वर्तमानस्य भारत
For some time, he lived on air alone, without food. Thus did the mighty Drupada continue, O Bharata.
कालस्तस्य महाराज यातो वै नृपसत्तम। ततो नातिचिरात्काले वसन्ते कामदीपने
O great king, the appointed time arrived for him, O best of rulers; then, not long after, in the spring, the season that kindles desire—
फुल्लाशोकवने चैव प्राणिनां सुमनोहरे। नद्यास्तीरं ततो गत्वा गङ्गायाः पद्मलोचनः
In a grove of blooming ashoka trees, delightful to all beings, he went to the riverbank, O lotus-eyed one, to the Ganga.
नियमस्थश्च राजासीत्तदा भरतसत्तम। ततो नातिचिरात्काले वनं तन्मनुजेश्वर
The king, steadfast in his vows, was there, O best of Bharatas; then, not long after, O lord of men, in that forest—
संप्राप्ता ह्यप्सरा राजन्मेनकेत्यभिविश्रुता। पुष्पद्रुमान्सज्जमाना राज्ञो दर्शनमागमत्
There arrived, O king, the renowned Apsara named Menaka, adorning herself with flowers and trees, and she came to appear before the king.
न ददर्श तु सा राजंस्तत्र स्थानगतं नृपम्। दृष्ट्वा चाप्सरसं तां तु शुक्रं राज्ञोऽपतद्भुवि
But she did not see the king standing there in his place; and seeing that Apsara, the king's seed fell to the ground.
ततः स राजा राजेन्द्र लज्जया नृपतिः स्वयम्। पद्भ्यामाक्रमतायुष्मंस्ततस्तु द्रुपदोऽभवत्
Then the king himself, O lord of kings, out of shame, stepped on that vital seed with his foot, and from that, Drupada was born.
ततस्तु तपसा तस्य राजर्षेर्भावितात्मनः। पुत्रः समभवच्छीघ्रं पदोस्तस्य क्रमेण तु
Then, through the austerity of that royal sage, whose soul was purified, a son was quickly born from the place where his foot had stepped.
तेनास्य ऋषयः सर्वे समागम्य तपोधनाः। नाम चुक्रुर्हि विद्वांसो द्रुपदोऽस्त्विति भारत
Then all the sages, possessing ascetic wealth, assembled and, being learned, gave him the name Drupada, O Bharata.
स तस्यैवाश्रमे राजन्भरद्वाजस्य भारत। ववृधे सुमुखं तत्र कामैः सर्वैर्नृपोत्तम
He grew up there, O king, in the very hermitage of Bharadvaja, with a beautiful face, cherished by all desires, O best of kings.
पाञ्चालोऽपि हि राजेन्द्र स्वराज्यं गतवान्प्रभुः। भरद्वाजस्य विद्यार्थं सुतं दत्वा महात्मनः
And the Panchala king, O lord of kings, having attained his own sovereignty, entrusted his son to the great-souled Bharadvaja for the sake of learning.
स कुमारस्ततो राजन्द्रोणेन सहितो वने। वेदांश्चाधिजगे साङ्गान्धनुर्वेदांश्च भारत
Then that prince, O king, together with Drona in the forest, mastered the Vedas with their branches, and the science of archery, O Bharata.
परया स मुदा युक्तो विचचार वने सुखम्। तस्यैवं वर्तमानस्य वने वनचरैः सह
Filled with supreme joy, he wandered happily in the forest, living in this way among the forest-dwellers.