Mahabharata, Book 4, Section XVIIविराटपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 4.17.

17Sanskrit adhyāya 4.17 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

वैशंपायन उवाच।
एवमुक्ताऽनवद्याङ्गी कीचकेन दुरात्मना ।
द्रौपदी तमुवाचेदं सैरन्ध्रीवेषधारिणी ।। 1 ।।
अप्रार्थनीयामिहं मां सूतपुत्राभिमन्यसे।
निहीनवर्णां सैरेन्ध्रीं बीभत्सां केशकारिणीम् ।। 2 ।।
परदाराऽस्मि भद्रं ते न युक्तं तव सांप्रतम्।
दयिताः प्राणिनां दारा धर्मं समनुचिन्तय ।। 3 ।।
परदारे न ते बुद्धिर्जातु कार्या कथंचन ।
विवर्जनं ह्यकार्याणामेतत्सुपुरुषव्रतम् ।। 4 ।।
मिथ्याभिगृध्नो हि नरः पापात्मा मोहमास्थितः ।
अयशः प्राप्नुयाद्धोरं महद्वा प्राप्नुयाद्भयम् ।। 5 ।।
वैशंपायन उवाच।
एवमुक्तस्तु सैरन्ध्र्या कीचकः काममोहितः।
जानन्नपि सुदुर्बुद्धिः परदाराभिमर्शने ।। 6 ।।
दोषान्बहून्प्राणहरान्सर्वलोकविगर्हितान् ।
प्रोवाचेदं सुदुर्बुद्धिर्द्रौपदीमजितेन्द्रियः ।। 7 ।।
नार्हस्येवं वरारोहे प्रत्याख्यातुं वरानने ।
मां मन्मथसमाविष्टं त्वत्कृते चारुहासिनि ।। 8 ।।
प्रत्याख्याय च मां भीरु वशगं प्रियवादिनम् ।
नूनं त्वमसितापाङ्गि पश्चात्तापं करिष्यसि ।। 9 ।।
अहं हि सुभ्रु राज्यस्य कृत्स्नस्यास्य सुमध्यमे ।
प्रभुर्वासयिता चैव वीर्ये चाप्रतिमः क्षितौ ।। 10 ।।
पृथिव्यां मत्समो नास्ति कश्चिदन्यः पुमानिह ।
रूपयौवनसौभाग्यैर्भोगैश्चानुत्तमैः शुभैः ।। 11 ।।
सर्वकामसमृद्धेषु भोगेष्वनुपमेष्विह।
भोक्तव्येषु च कल्याणि कस्माद्दास्ये रता ह्यसि ।। 12 ।।
मया दत्तमिदं राज्यं स्वामिन्यसि शुभानने।
भजस्व मां वरारोहे भुङ्क्ष्वं भोगाननुत्तमान् ।। 13 ।।
एवमुक्ता तु सा साध्वी कीचकेनाशुभं वचः।
कीचकं प्रत्युवाचेदं गर्हयन्त्यस्य तद्वचः ।। 14 ।।
सैरन्ध्र्युवाच।
मा सूतपुत्र मुह्यस्व माऽद्य त्यक्ष्यस्व जीवितम्।
जानीहि पञ्चभिर्घोरैर्नित्यं मामभिरक्षिताम् ।। 15 ।।
न चाप्यहं त्वया लभ्या गन्धर्वाः पतयो मम।
ते त्वां निहन्युः कुपिताः साध्वलं मा व्यनीनशः ।। 16 ।।
अशक्यरूपं पुरुषैरध्वानं गन्तुमिच्छसि ।। 17 ।।
यथा निश्चेतनो बालः कूलस्थः कूलमुत्तरम्।
तर्तुमिच्छति मन्दात्मा तथा त्वं कर्तुमिच्छसि ।। 18 ।।
अन्तर्महीं वा यदि वोर्ध्वमुत्पतेः समुद्रपारं यदि वा प्र
तथापि तेषां न विमोक्षमर्हसि प्रमाथिनो देवसुता हि खेचराः
त्वं कालरात्रीमिव कश्चिदातुरः किं मां दृढं पार्थयसेऽद्य
किं मातुरङ्के शयितो यथा शिशुश्चन्द्रं जिघृक्षुरिव मन्यस
तेषां प्रियां प्रार्थयतो न ते भुवि गत्वा दिवं वा शरणं भ
न वर्तते कीचक ते दृशा शुभं या तेन संजीवनमर्थयेत सा ।। 2
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते विराटपर्वणि
कीचकवधपर्वणि सप्तदशोऽध्यायः ।। 17 ।।

English Ganguli

Vaisampayana said, “Thus insulted by the Suta’s son, that illustrious princess, the beautiful Krishna, eagerly wishing for the destruction of Virata’s general, went to her quarters. And Drupada’s daughter of dark hue and slender waist then performed her ablutions. And washing her body and cloths with water Krishna began to ponder weepingly on the means of dispelling her grief. And she reflected, saying, ‘What am I to do? Whither shall I go? How can my purpose be effected?’ And while she was thinking thus, she remembered Bhima and said to herself, ‘There is none else, save Bhima, that can today accomplish the purpose on which my heart is set!’ And afflicted with great grief, the large-eyed and intelligent Krishna possessed of powerful protectors then rose up at night, and leaving her bed speedily proceeded towards the quarters of Bhimasena, desirous of beholding her lord. And possessed of great intelligence, the daughter of Drupada entered her husband’s quarters, saying, ‘How canst thou sleep while that wretched commander of Virata’s forces, who is my foe, yet liveth, having perpetrated today that (foul act)?’"

Vaisampayana continued, “Then the chamber where Bhima slept, breathing hard like a lion, being filled with the beauty of Drupada’s daughter and of the high-souled Bhima, blazed forth in splendour. And Krishna of sweet smiles, finding Bhimasena in the cooking apartments, approached him with the eagerness of a three-year old cow brought up in the woods, approaching a powerful bull, in her first season, or of a she-crane living by the water-side approaching her mate in the pairing season. And the Princess of Panchala then embraced the second son of Pandu, even as a creeper embraces a huge and mighty Sala on the banks of the Gomati. And embracing him with her arms, Krishna of faultless features awaked him as a lioness awaketh a sleeping lion in a trackless forest. And embracing Bhimasena even as a she-elephant embraceth her mighty mate, the faultless Panchali addressed him in voice sweet as the sound of a stringed instrument emitting Gandhara note. And she said, ‘Arise, arise! Why dost thou, O Bhimasena, lie down as one dead? Surely, he that is not dead, never suffereth a wicked wretch that hath disgraced his wife, to live.’ And awakened by the princess, Bhima of mighty arms, then rose up, and sat upon his couch overlaid with a rich bed. And he of the Kuru race then addressed the princess—his beloved wife, saying, ‘For what purpose hast thou come hither in such a hurry? Thy colour is gone and thou lookest lean and pale. Tell me everything in detail. I must know the truth. Whether it be pleasurable or painful, agreeable, or disagreeable, tell me all. Having heard everything, I shall apply the remedy. I alone, O Krishna, am entitled to thy confidence in all things, for it is I who deliver thee from perils again and again! Tell me quickly what is thy wish, and what is the purpose that is in thy view, and return thou to thy bed before others awake.’"