तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य उदतिष्ठदसौ नृपः । द्रौपदीसन्निधौ गत्वा प्रगम्येदमुवाच ह
Hearing these words, the king rose and, approaching Draupadi, went near and spoke thus.
कुशलं ते वरारोहे क्व गताः पतयश्च ते । एकादश गतान्यद्य वर्षाणि च वने किल
Are you well, O beautiful one? Where have your husbands gone? Eleven years have passed in the forest, it is said.
द्रौपदी तु तदोवाच स्वस्ति तेऽस्तु नृपात्मज । विश्रमस्वाश्रमाभ्याशे क्षणादायान्ति पाण्डवाः
Draupadi then replied: May you be blessed, prince; rest near the hermitage, for the Pandavas will return shortly.
एवं ब्रुवन्त्यां तस्यां तु लोभाविष्टः स भूपतिः । जहार द्रौपदीं वीरोऽनादृत्य मुनिसत्तमान्
As she spoke thus, the king, overcome by desire, seized Draupadi, disregarding the eminent sages.
कस्यचिन्नैव विश्वासः कर्तव्यः सर्वथा बुधैः । कुर्वन्दुःखमवाप्नोति दृष्टान्तस्त्वत्र वै बलिः
One should never place trust in anyone, say the wise; those who do so suffer, as is shown by the example of Bali.
वैरोचनसुतः श्रीमान्धर्मिष्ठः सत्यसङ्गरः । यज्ञकर्ता च दाता च शरण्यः साधुसंमतः
The illustrious son of Virocana, Dharmishtha, steadfast in truth, performer of sacrifices, giver, refuge, and esteemed by the virtuous.
नाधर्मे निरतः क्वापि प्रल्हादस्य च पौत्रकः । एकोनशतयज्ञान्वै स चकार सदक्षिणान्
Never engaged in unrighteousness anywhere, grandson of Prahlada, he performed ninety-nine sacrifices with proper gifts.
सत्त्वमूर्त्तिः सदा विष्णुः सेव्यः स योगिनामपि । निर्विकारोऽपि भगवान्देवकार्यार्थसिद्धये
Always of sattvic nature, Vishnu is worshipped even by yogis; though changeless, the Lord acts for the fulfillment of the gods' purposes.
कश्यपाच्च समुद्भूतो विष्णुः कपटवामनः । राज्यं छलेन हृतवान्महीं चैव ससागराम्
From Kaśyapa was born Viṣṇu, the deceptive dwarf Vāmana, who seized the kingdom and the earth, along with its oceans, by trickery.
सोऽभवत्सत्यवाग्राजा बलिर्वैरोचनिस्तदा । कपटं कृतवान्विष्णुरिन्द्रार्थे तु मया श्रुतम्
At that time, Bali, son of Virocana, was a king who spoke truthfully; yet Viṣṇu acted deceitfully for Indra’s sake, as I have heard.
अन्यः किं न करोत्येवं कृतं वै सत्त्वमूर्तिना । वामनं रूपमास्थाय यज्ञपातं चिकीर्षता
If such a thing was done by the embodiment of virtue, assuming the form of Vāmana and seeking to obtain the sacrificial offering, why would another not act likewise?
न च विश्वसितव्यं वै कदाचित्केनचित्तथा । लोभश्चेतसि चेत्स्वामिन्कीदृक्पापकृतं भयम्
Therefore, one should never place trust in anyone; if greed arises in the mind, O master, what terrible fear is caused by evil deeds!
लोभाहताः प्रकुर्वन्ति पापानि प्राणिनः किल । परलोकाद्भयं नास्ति कस्यचित्कर्हिचिन्मुने
Those overcome by greed indeed commit sinful acts; O sage, there is never any fear of the next world for anyone.
मनसा कर्मणा वाचा परस्वादानहेतुतः । प्रपतन्ति नराः सम्यग्लोभोपहतचेतसः
Men whose minds are afflicted by greed fall thoroughly—by thought, action, and speech—seeking to appropriate others’ wealth.
देवानाराध्य सततं वाञ्छन्ति च धनं नराः । न देवास्तत्करे कृत्वा समर्था दातुमञ्जसा
Men constantly worship the gods, desiring wealth; but the gods, having done their part, are not able to grant it directly.
अन्यस्यानीयते वित्तं प्रयच्छन्ति मनीषितम् । वाणिज्येनाथ दानेन चौर्येणापि बलेन वा
Another’s wealth is taken and given as desired—by trade, by charity, by theft, or even by force.
विक्रयार्थं गृहीत्वा च धान्यवस्त्रादिकं बहु । देवानर्चयते वैश्यो महर्द्धिर्मे भवेदिति
A merchant, taking much grain, cloth, and other goods for the purpose of selling, worships the gods, thinking, ‘May I obtain great prosperity.’
नात्र किं परवित्तेच्छा वाणिज्येन परन्तप । ग्रहणकाले तु सम्प्राप्ते महर्घञ्चापि काङ्क्षति
O scorcher of foes, in trade, what is there but desire for another’s wealth? When the time comes to acquire, he even longs for a high price.
एवं हि प्राणिनः सर्वे परस्वादानतत्पराः । वर्तन्ते सततं ब्रह्मन् विश्वासः कीदृशः पुनः
Thus, O Brahman, all creatures are always intent on appropriating others’ property; what kind of trust can there be again?
वृथा तीर्थं वृथा दानं वृथाऽध्ययनमेव च । लोभमोहावृतानां वै कृतं तदकृतं भवेत्
Pilgrimage is in vain, charity is in vain, and study is in vain; for those enveloped in greed and delusion, what is done becomes undone.
तस्मादेनं महाभाग विसर्जय गृहं प्रति । सपुत्राऽहं वसिष्यामि जानकीवद्द्विजोत्तम
Therefore, O highly fortunate one, send him away to his home; I will remain here with my son, O best of twice-born, like Jānakī.
इत्युक्तोऽसौ मुनिस्तावद्गत्वा युधाजितं नृपम् । उवाच वचनं राज्ञे भारद्वाजः प्रतापवान्
Thus addressed, the sage then went to King Yudhājit and spoke these words to the king, Bhāradvāja, full of prowess.
गच्छ राजन् यथाकामं स्वपुरं नृपसत्तम । नेयं मनोरमाभ्येति बालपुत्रा सुदुःखिता
Go, O king, as you wish, to your own city, best among rulers; this Manorama will not come, she is deeply distressed with her young son.
युधाजिदुवाच मुने मुञ्च हठं सौम्य विसर्जय मनोरमाम् । न च यास्याम्यहं मुक्त्वा नेष्याम्यद्य बलात्पुनः
Yudhājit said: O sage, abandon your stubbornness and send Manorama away; I will not depart without her, nor will I take her by force today.
ऋषिरुवाच नयस्व यदि शक्तिस्ते बलेनाद्य ममाश्रमात् । विश्वामित्रो यथा धेनुं वसिष्ठस्य मुनेः पुरा
The sage said: Take her, if you are able, by force from my hermitage today, just as Viśvāmitra once tried to take the cow from the sage Vasiṣṭha.
विश्वामित्रकथोत्तरं राजपुत्रस्य कामबीजप्राप्तिवर्णनम् व्यास उवाच इत्याकर्ण्य वचस्तस्य मुनेस्तत्रावनीपतिः । मन्त्रिवृद्धं समाहूय पप्रच्छ तमतन्द्रितः
Vyāsa said: Hearing the sage’s words, the king summoned his aged minister and questioned him attentively.
किं कर्तव्यं सुबुद्धेऽत्र मयाऽद्य वद सुव्रत । बलान्नयामि तां कामं सपुत्राञ्च सुभाषिणीम्
O wise one, tell me what should be done here today; I will forcibly take her, along with her sons, that virtuous speaker.
रिपुरल्पोऽपि नोपेक्ष्यः सर्वथा शुभमिच्छता । राजयक्ष्मेव संवृद्धो मृत्यवे परिकल्पयेत्
Even a weak enemy should never be disregarded by one who desires auspiciousness; when grown, like royal consumption, he should be considered as leading to death.
नात्र सैन्यं न योद्धास्ति यो मामत्र निवारयेत् । गृहीत्वा हन्मि तं तत्र दौहित्रस्य रिपुं किल
There is neither army nor warrior here who could restrain me; I will seize and kill there the enemy of my grandson.
निष्कण्टकं भवेद्राज्यं यताम्यद्य बलादहम् । हते सुदर्शने नूनं निर्भयोऽसौ भवेदिति
The kingdom will become free of thorns if I act by force today; once Sudarshana is slain, surely he will be fearless.