वैशंपायन उवाच
अथापरो ऽदृश्यत रूपसंपदा; स्त्रीणाम् अलंकारधरो बृहत् पुमान् ॥
प्राकारवप्रे प्रतिमुच्य कुण्डले; दीर्घे च कम्बू परिहाटके शुभे ॥
बहूंश् च दीर्घांश् च विकीर्य मूर्धजान्; महाभुजो वारणमत्तविक्रमः ॥
गतेन भूमिम् अभिकम्पयंस् तदा; विराटम् आसाद्य सभासमीपतः ॥
तं प्रेक्ष्य राजोपगतं सभातले; सत्रप्रतिच्छन्नम् अरिप्रमाथिनम् ॥
विराजमानं परमेण वर्चसा; सुतं महेन्द्रस्य गजेन्द्रविक्रमम् ॥
सर्वान् अपृच्छच् च समीपचारिणः; कुतो ऽयम् आयाति न मे पुरा श्रुतः ॥
न चैनम् ऊचुर् विदितं तदा नराः; सविस्मितं वाक्यम् इदं नृपो ऽब्रवीत् ॥
सर्वोपपन्नः पुरुषो मनोरमः; श्यामो युवा वारणयूथपोपमः ॥
विमुच्य कम्बू परिहाटके शुभे; विमुच्य वेणीम् अपिनह्य कुण्डले ॥
शिखी सुकेशः परिधाय चान्यथा; भवस्व धन्वी कवची शरी तथा ॥
आरुह्य यानं परिधावतां भवान्; सुतैः समो मे भव वा मया समः ॥
वृद्धो ह्य् अहं वै परिहारकामः; सर्वान् मत्स्यांस् तरसा पालयस्व ॥
नैवंविधाः क्लीबरूपा भवन्ति; कथं चनेति प्रतिभाति मे मनः ॥
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
athāparo 'dṛśyata rūpasaṃpadā; strīṇām alaṃkāradharo bṛhat pumān ||
prākāravapre pratimucya kuṇḍale; dīrghe ca kambū parihāṭake śubhe ||
bahūṃś ca dīrghāṃś ca vikīrya mūrdhajān; mahābhujo vāraṇamattavikramaḥ ||
gatena bhūmim abhikampayaṃs tadā; virāṭam āsādya sabhāsamīpataḥ ||
taṃ prekṣya rājopagataṃ sabhātale; satrapraticchannam aripramāthinam ||
virājamānaṃ parameṇa varcasā; sutaṃ mahendrasya gajendravikramam ||
sarvān apṛcchac ca samīpacāriṇaḥ; kuto 'yam āyāti na me purā śrutaḥ ||
na cainam ūcur viditaṃ tadā narāḥ; savismitaṃ vākyam idaṃ nṛpo 'bravīt ||
sarvopapannaḥ puruṣo manoramaḥ; śyāmo yuvā vāraṇayūthapopamaḥ ||
vimucya kambū parihāṭake śubhe; vimucya veṇīm apinahya kuṇḍale ||
śikhī sukeśaḥ paridhāya cānyathā; bhavasva dhanvī kavacī śarī tathā ||
āruhya yānaṃ paridhāvatāṃ bhavān; sutaiḥ samo me bhava vā mayā samaḥ ||
vṛddho hy ahaṃ vai parihārakāmaḥ; sarvān matsyāṃs tarasā pālayasva ||
naivaṃvidhāḥ klībarūpā bhavanti; kathaṃ caneti pratibhāti me manaḥ ||
Vaishampayana said: "Then another one appeared: a tall man adorned with women's ornaments, rich in beauty, wearing earrings fastened like a rampart, with long, lovely bracelets. Scattering his abundant long hair, mighty-armed, moving with the gait of a maddened elephant, he seemed to make the earth tremble with his step as he approached Virata at the entrance to the assembly hall. Seeing him come to the king in the hall, a crusher of foes cloaked in shame, blazing with supreme splendor, a son of Mahendra with the bearing of a lord of elephants, the king asked all those standing near: 'Whence does he come? I have never heard of him before.' The people, not knowing him, said nothing, and the king, astonished, spoke these words: 'This man is wholly accomplished and pleasing, dark-hued, youthful, like the leader of a herd of elephants. Take off those lovely bracelets and earrings, undo that braid, put your earrings on differently; with your hair well-dressed, dressed otherwise, become a bowman, armored, with arrows as well. Mount a chariot and drive swiftly. Be my equal, or the equal of my sons. I am old and wish for rest; guard all the Matsyas with your strength. To my mind, it seems that such men are never truly of the neuter kind.'"
492ccec9fba0 · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:58:59 PM UTC
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Arjuna enters as Brihannada, yet Virata almost at once senses in him a protector fit for a king. An outward appearance can hide weapons, but it cannot hide the capacity to guard the world.