वैशंपायन उवाच
ततः सर्वाः प्रकृतयो नगराद् वारणावतात् ॥
सर्वमङ्गलसंयुक्ता यथाशास्त्रम् अतन्द्रिताः ॥
श्रुत्वागतान् पाण्डुपुत्रान् नानायानैः सहस्रशः ॥
अभिजग्मुर् नरश्रेष्ठाञ् श्रुत्वैव परया मुदा ॥
ते समासाद्य कौन्तेयान् वारणावतका जनाः ॥
कृत्वा जयाशिषः सर्वे परिवार्योपतस्थिरे ॥
तैर् वृतः पुरुषव्याघ्रो धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः ॥
विबभौ देवसंकाशो वज्रपाणिर् इवामरैः ॥
सत्कृतास् ते तु पौरैश् च पौरान् सत्कृत्य चानघाः ॥
अलंकृतं जनाकीर्णं विविशुर् वारणावतम् ॥
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
tataḥ sarvāḥ prakṛtayo nagarād vāraṇāvatāt ||
sarvamaṅgalasaṃyuktā yathāśāstram atandritāḥ ||
śrutvāgatān pāṇḍuputrān nānāyānaiḥ sahasraśaḥ ||
abhijagmur naraśreṣṭhāñ śrutvaiva parayā mudā ||
te samāsādya kaunteyān vāraṇāvatakā janāḥ ||
kṛtvā jayāśiṣaḥ sarve parivāryopatasthire ||
tair vṛtaḥ puruṣavyāghro dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||
vibabhau devasaṃkāśo vajrapāṇir ivāmaraiḥ ||
satkṛtās te tu pauraiś ca paurān satkṛtya cānaghāḥ ||
alaṃkṛtaṃ janākīrṇaṃ viviśur vāraṇāvatam ||
Vaishampayana said: "Then all the subjects of the city of Varanavata, with all auspicious preparations, as the shastras prescribe, untiring, having heard that the sons of Pandu had arrived, went out by the thousands on various conveyances to meet the best of men with great joy. Approaching the Kauntayas, the people of Varanavata, having pronounced blessings of victory, all surrounded them and presented themselves. Surrounded by them, the tiger among men, the king of dharma Yudhishthira, shone godlike, like Indra among the immortals. Honored by the citizens and themselves honoring the citizens, sinless, they entered the adorned, crowded Varanavata."
261161f02aae · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:03:09 PM UTC
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Even in a foreign city the Pandavas are met with love. It is significant that word of the righteous outpaces them: the moment they hear of their arrival, the people joyfully stream out to meet them. This shows that the good name of the righteous draws hearts everywhere, not only in their native land. Equally significant is the mutuality of honor: "honored, and themselves honoring the citizens" — the Pandavas do not accept honor with pride but answer it with courtesy; nobility is gracious to everyone. Thus the scripture shows how beloved the Pandavas are even among the people of Varanavata, setting into relief the treachery of those who sent them here to die under the guise of a festival.