Mahabharata — Volume III (Dutt edition) — Chapter 2
MBh 3 2.1
भीमसेन उवाच पौरोगवो ब्रुवाणोऽहं बल्लवो नाम भारत। उपस्थास्यामि राजानं विराटमिति मे मतिः।।।।
bhīmasena uvāca paurogavo bruvāṇo'haṃ ballavo nāma bhārata| upasthāsyāmi rājānaṃ virāṭamiti me matiḥ||||
Bhima said O Bharata, I shall present myself before the king Virata, calling myself a cook, named Ballava. This is my intention.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 2.2
सूपानस्य करिष्यामि कुशलोऽस्मि महानसे। कृतपूर्वाणि यान्यस्य व्यञ्जनानि सुशिक्षितैः॥ तान्यप्यभिभविष्यामि प्रीतिं संजनयन्त्रहम्। आहरिष्यामि दारूणां निचयान् महतोऽपि च॥ यत् प्रेक्ष्य विपुलं कर्म राजा संयोक्ष्यते स माम्। अमानुषाणि कुर्वाणस्तानि कर्माणि भारत॥ राज्ञस्तस्य परे प्रेष्या मंस्यन्ते मां यथा नृपम्। भक्ष्यान्नरसपानानां भविष्यामि तथेश्वरः॥
sūpānasya kariṣyāmi kuśalo'smi mahānase| kṛtapūrvāṇi yānyasya vyañjanāni suśikṣitaiḥ|| tānyapyabhibhaviṣyāmi prītiṃ saṃjanayantraham| āhariṣyāmi dārūṇāṃ nicayān mahato'pi ca|| yat prekṣya vipulaṃ karma rājā saṃyokṣyate sa mām| amānuṣāṇi kurvāṇastāni karmāṇi bhārata|| rājñastasya pare preṣyā maṃsyante māṃ yathā nṛpam| bhakṣyānnarasapānānāṃ bhaviṣyāmi tatheśvaraḥ||
I shall prepare his curries. I am expert in the business of the kitchen. I shall supercede even those experts who used to made curries for him before and I shall carry from biggest loads of wood and thus render every service; and the king, having seen that splendid work, will appoint me. O Bharata, beholding me doing these superhuman deeds the servants of the monarch will regard me as a king. Thus I shall be the lord of all sorts of food and drink.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 2.3
द्विपा वा बलिनो राजन् वृषभा वा महाबलाः। विनिग्राह्या यदि मया निग्रहीष्यामि तानपि॥ ये च केचिन्नियोत्स्यन्ति समाजेषु नियोधकाः। तानहं हि नियोत्स्यामि रतिं तस्य विवर्धयन्॥ न त्वेतान् युद्ध्यमानान् वै हनिष्यामि कथञ्चन। तथैतान् पातयिष्यामि यथा यास्यन्ति न क्षयम्॥
dvipā vā balino rājan vṛṣabhā vā mahābalāḥ| vinigrāhyā yadi mayā nigrahīṣyāmi tānapi|| ye ca kecinniyotsyanti samājeṣu niyodhakāḥ| tānahaṃ hi niyotsyāmi ratiṃ tasya vivardhayan|| na tvetān yuddhyamānān vai haniṣyāmi kathañcana| tathaitān pātayiṣyāmi yathā yāsyanti na kṣayam||
O king, if I am commanded to overpower the mighty elephants and powerful bulls I will do that. I will defeat those combatants who will fight against me in the lists in order to satisfy the monarch but I shall not kill those fighting heroes, but bring them down in such a way that they may not perish.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 2.4
आरालिको गोविकर्ता सूपकर्ता नियोधकः। आसं युधिष्ठिरस्याहमिति वक्ष्यामि पृच्छतः॥ आत्मानमात्मना रक्षश्चरिष्यामि विशाम्पते। इत्येतत् प्रतिजानामि विहरिष्याम्यहं यथा॥
ārāliko govikartā sūpakartā niyodhakaḥ| āsaṃ yudhiṣṭhirasyāhamiti vakṣyāmi pṛcchataḥ|| ātmānamātmanā rakṣaścariṣyāmi viśāmpate| ityetat pratijānāmi vihariṣyāmyahaṃ yathā||
On being asked, I shall say, “Formerly I was the cook, subduer of animals, maker of curries and wrestler of Yudhishthira. O lord of me, in whatever direction I shall went my way I shall take care of my own person. This much I promise.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 2.5
युधिष्ठिर उवाच यमग्निर्ब्राह्मणो भूत्वा समागच्छन्नृणां वरम्। दिधक्षुः खाण्डवं दावं दाशार्हसहितं पुरा॥ महाबलं महाबाहुमजितं कुरुनन्दनम्। सोऽयं किं कर्म कौन्तेयः करिष्यति धनंजयः॥
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca yamagnirbrāhmaṇo bhūtvā samāgacchannṛṇāṃ varam| didhakṣuḥ khāṇḍavaṃ dāvaṃ dāśārhasahitaṃ purā|| mahābalaṃ mahābāhumajitaṃ kurunandanam| so'yaṃ kiṃ karma kaunteyaḥ kariṣyati dhanaṃjayaḥ||
Yudhishthira said What work will Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, perform, who is mighty, long armed, invincible, the foremost of men, and the joy of Kurus, and before whom formerly the fire-god, desirous of consuming the Khandava forest, appeared in the guise of a Brahmana.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 2.6
योऽयमासाद्य तं दावं तर्पयामास पावकम्। विजित्यैकरथेनेन्द्रं हत्वा पन्नगराक्षसान्॥ वासुकेः सर्पराजस्य स्वसारं हृतवांश्च यः। श्रेष्ठो यः प्रतियोधानां सोऽर्जुनः किं करिष्यति॥
yo'yamāsādya taṃ dāvaṃ tarpayāmāsa pāvakam| vijityaikarathenendraṃ hatvā pannagarākṣasān|| vāsukeḥ sarparājasya svasāraṃ hṛtavāṃśca yaḥ| śreṣṭho yaḥ pratiyodhānāṃ so'rjunaḥ kiṃ kariṣyati||
What work will be performed by the best of dualists Arjuna, who having ascended the single chariot with Krishna, repaired to the forest and gratified the fire god after defeating and destroying the Pannagas and Rakshasas and who carried off the sister of the serpentking named Vasuki.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 2.7
सूर्यः प्रतपतां श्रेष्ठो द्विपदां ब्राह्मणो वरः। आशीविषश्च सर्पाणामग्निस्तेजस्विनां वरः॥ आयुधानां वरं वज्रं ककुद्मी च गवां वरः। ह्रदानामुदधिः श्रेष्ठः पर्जन्यो वर्षतां वरः॥ धृतराष्ट्रश्च नागानां हस्तिष्वैरावणो वरः। पुत्रः प्रियाणामधिको भार्या च सुहृदां वरा॥ यथैतानि विशिष्टानि जात्यां जात्यां वृकोदर। एवं युवा गुडाकेश: श्रेष्ठः सर्वधनुष्मताम्॥
sūryaḥ pratapatāṃ śreṣṭho dvipadāṃ brāhmaṇo varaḥ| āśīviṣaśca sarpāṇāmagnistejasvināṃ varaḥ|| āyudhānāṃ varaṃ vajraṃ kakudmī ca gavāṃ varaḥ| hradānāmudadhiḥ śreṣṭhaḥ parjanyo varṣatāṃ varaḥ|| dhṛtarāṣṭraśca nāgānāṃ hastiṣvairāvaṇo varaḥ| putraḥ priyāṇāmadhiko bhāryā ca suhṛdāṃ varā|| yathaitāni viśiṣṭāni jātyāṃ jātyāṃ vṛkodara| evaṃ yuvā guḍākeśa: śreṣṭhaḥ sarvadhanuṣmatām||
The sun is the foremost of all shining bodies, the Brahmana is the foremost of all bipeds, the Ashivisha is the foremost of all serpents, the fire is the foremost of all bright substances, thunder is the foremost of all weapons, the humped bull is the foremost of its kind, the ocean is the foremost of all watery expanses, the Parjanya is the foremost of all rain clouds, Dhritarashtra is the foremost of all Nagas, Airavata is the foremost of all elephants, the son is the foremost of all beloved objects, and the wife is the foremost of all friends. O Vrikodara, as every species has its, best, so is the youthful Gudakesha the best of all archers.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 2.8
सोऽयमिन्द्रादनवरो वासुदेवान्महाद्युतिः। गाण्डीवधन्वा बीभत्सुः श्वेताश्वः किं करिष्यति॥
so'yamindrādanavaro vāsudevānmahādyutiḥ| gāṇḍīvadhanvā bībhatsuḥ śvetāśvaḥ kiṃ kariṣyati||
What office will be performed by Bibhatsu of great splendour, whose bow is Gandiva, and whose chariot is drawn by white horses and who is in no way inferior to Indra or Vasudeva himself?
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 2.9
उषित्वा पञ्च वर्षाणि सहस्राक्षस्य वेश्मनि। अस्त्रयोगं समासाद्य स्ववीर्यान्मानुषाद्भुतम्। दिव्यान्यस्त्राणि चाप्तानि देवरूपेण भास्वता॥ यं मन्ये द्वादशं रुद्रमादित्यानां त्रयोदशम्। वसूनां नवमं मन्ये ग्रहाणां दशमं तथा॥ यस्य बाहू समौ दी? ज्याघातकठिनत्वचौ। दक्षिणे चैव सव्ये च गवामिव वहः कृतः॥ हिमवानिव शैलानां समुद्रः सरितामिव। त्रिदशानां यथा शक्रो वसूनामिव हव्यवाट्॥ मृगाणामिव शार्दूलो गरुडः पततामिव। वरः संन्यमानानां सोऽर्जुनः किं करिष्यति॥
uṣitvā pañca varṣāṇi sahasrākṣasya veśmani| astrayogaṃ samāsādya svavīryānmānuṣādbhutam| divyānyastrāṇi cāptāni devarūpeṇa bhāsvatā|| yaṃ manye dvādaśaṃ rudramādityānāṃ trayodaśam| vasūnāṃ navamaṃ manye grahāṇāṃ daśamaṃ tathā|| yasya bāhū samau dī? jyāghātakaṭhinatvacau| dakṣiṇe caiva savye ca gavāmiva vahaḥ kṛtaḥ|| himavāniva śailānāṃ samudraḥ saritāmiva| tridaśānāṃ yathā śakro vasūnāmiva havyavāṭ|| mṛgāṇāmiva śārdūlo garuḍaḥ patatāmiva| varaḥ saṃnyamānānāṃ so'rjunaḥ kiṃ kariṣyati||
What office will be performed by Arjuna shining in celestial grace, who, having stayed for five years in the abode of the thousandeyed deity, acquired by his superhuman prowess, the art of using arms along with all the celestial weapons, and who is me-seems like the Rudra, thirteenth of the Adityas, ninth of the Vasus and the tenth of the Grahas, whose arms are symmetrical and long, having the skin rendered hard by repeated strokes of the bow string and knobs on which appear like the humps of bulls and who is the foremost of warriors as the Himavata of mountains, the sea of rivers, Shakra of the gods, Havyavahak (fire) of the Vasus, the tiger of the beasts, Garuda of the winged tribes.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 2.10
अर्जुन उवाच प्रतिज्ञा घण्ढकोऽस्मीति करिष्यामि महीपते। ज्याघातौ हि महान्तौ मे संवर्तुं नृप दुष्करौ॥
arjuna uvāca pratijñā ghaṇḍhako'smīti kariṣyāmi mahīpate| jyāghātau hi mahāntau me saṃvartuṃ nṛpa duṣkarau||
Arjuna said O ruler of the earth, I shall declare myself to be one of the neuter sex, but O king, it is very difficult to conceal the big strokes of the bow-string on my arms.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 2.11
वलयैश्छादयिष्यामि बाहू किणकृताविमौ। कर्णयोः प्रतिमुच्याहं कुण्डले ज्वलनप्रभे॥
valayaiśchādayiṣyāmi bāhū kiṇakṛtāvimau| karṇayoḥ pratimucyāhaṃ kuṇḍale jvalanaprabhe||
However, I shall conceal with the bangles the marks of my arm caused by the bow-string.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 2.12
पिनद्धकम्बुः पाणिभ्यां तृतीयां प्रकृतिं गतः। वेणीकृतशिरा राजन् नाम्ना चैव बृहन्नला।॥ पठन्नाख्यायिकाश्चैव स्त्रीभावेन पुनः पुनः। रमयिष्ये महीपालमन्यांश्चान्तःपुरे जनान्॥
pinaddhakambuḥ pāṇibhyāṃ tṛtīyāṃ prakṛtiṃ gataḥ| veṇīkṛtaśirā rājan nāmnā caiva bṛhannalā||| paṭhannākhyāyikāścaiva strībhāvena punaḥ punaḥ| ramayiṣye mahīpālamanyāṃścāntaḥpure janān||
Having worn rings shining as fire on my ears and conch-bangles on my wrist, and dressing my hair in a bread on my head and taking the name of Brihannala I shall, O king, appear as one of the third sex, and please the king and others in the seraglio by reciting stories often and often as becomes a female.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 2.13
गीतं नृत्यं विचित्रं च वादिनं विविधं तथा। शिक्षयिष्याम्यहं राजन् विराटस्य पुरस्त्रियः॥
gītaṃ nṛtyaṃ vicitraṃ ca vādinaṃ vividhaṃ tathā| śikṣayiṣyāmyahaṃ rājan virāṭasya purastriyaḥ||
O king, I shall instruct the ladies of Virata's house in singing, delightful dancing and also in musical performances of sundry sorts.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 2.14
प्रजानां समुदाचारं बहु कर्म कृतं वदन। छादयिष्यामि कौन्तेय माययाऽऽत्मानमात्मना॥
prajānāṃ samudācāraṃ bahu karma kṛtaṃ vadana| chādayiṣyāmi kaunteya māyayā''tmānamātmanā||
And in reciting various good deeds and customs of people, I shall, O son of Kunti, conceal myself in disguise.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 2.15
युधिष्ठिरस्य गेहे वै द्रौपद्याः परिचारिका। उषितास्मीति वक्ष्यामि पृष्टो राज्ञा च पाण्डव॥
yudhiṣṭhirasya gehe vai draupadyāḥ paricārikā| uṣitāsmīti vakṣyāmi pṛṣṭo rājñā ca pāṇḍava||
O Pandava, on being asked by the king I shall say “I lived as a waiting maid of Draupadi in the palace of Yudhishthira.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 2.16
एतेन विधिना छन्नः कृतकेन यथानलः। विहरिष्यामि राजेन्द्र विराटभवने सुखम्॥
etena vidhinā channaḥ kṛtakena yathānalaḥ| vihariṣyāmi rājendra virāṭabhavane sukham||
O great king, hiding myself by this counterfeiting means as fire is concealed by ashes, I shall happily pass my days in the palace of Virata.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)