जनमेजय उवाच
एवं मत्स्यस्य नगरे वसन्तस् तत्र पाण्डवाः ॥
अत ऊर्ध्वं महावीर्याः किम् अकुर्वन्त वै द्विज ॥
वैशंपायन उवाच
एवं ते न्यवसंस् तत्र प्रच्छन्नाः कुरुनन्दनाः ॥
आराधयन्तो राजानं यद् अकुर्वन्त तच् छृणु ॥
युधिष्ठिरः सभास्तारः सभ्यानाम् अभवत् प्रियः ॥
तथैव च विराटस्य सपुत्रस्य विशां पते ॥
स ह्य् अक्षहृदयज्ञस् तान् क्रीडयाम् आस पाण्डवः ॥
अक्षवत्यां यथाकामं सूत्रबद्धान् इव द्विजान् ॥
अज्ञातं च विराटस्य विजित्य वसु धर्मराट् ॥
भ्रातृभ्यः पुरुषव्याघ्रो यथार्हं स्म प्रयच्छति ॥
भीमसेनो ऽपि मांसानि भक्ष्याणि विविधानि च ॥
अतिसृष्टानि मत्स्येन विक्रीणाति युधिष्ठिरे ॥
वासांसि परिजीर्णानि लब्धान्य् अन्तःपुरे ऽर्जुनः ॥
विक्रीणानश् च सर्वेभ्यः पाण्डवेभ्यः प्रयच्छति ॥
सहदेवो ऽपि गोपानां वेषम् आस्थाय पाण्डवः ॥
दधि क्षीरं घृतं चैव पाण्डवेभ्यः प्रयच्छति ॥
नकुलो ऽपि धनं लब्ध्वा कृते कर्मणि वाजिनाम् ॥
तुष्टे तस्मिन् नरपतौ पाण्डवेभ्यः प्रयच्छति ॥
कृष्णापि सर्वान् भ्रातॄंस् तान् निरीक्षन्ती तपस्विनी ॥
यथा पुनर् अविज्ञाता तथा चरति भामिनी ॥
एवं संपादयन्तस् ते तथान्योन्यं महारथाः ॥
प्रेक्षमाणास् तदा कृष्णाम् ऊषुश् छन्ना नराधिप ॥
janamejaya uvāca
evaṃ matsyasya nagare vasantas tatra pāṇḍavāḥ ||
ata ūrdhvaṃ mahāvīryāḥ kim akurvanta vai dvija ||
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
evaṃ te nyavasaṃs tatra pracchannāḥ kurunandanāḥ ||
ārādhayanto rājānaṃ yad akurvanta tac chṛṇu ||
yudhiṣṭhiraḥ sabhāstāraḥ sabhyānām abhavat priyaḥ ||
tathaiva ca virāṭasya saputrasya viśāṃ pate ||
sa hy akṣahṛdayajñas tān krīḍayām āsa pāṇḍavaḥ ||
akṣavatyāṃ yathākāmaṃ sūtrabaddhān iva dvijān ||
ajñātaṃ ca virāṭasya vijitya vasu dharmarāṭ ||
bhrātṛbhyaḥ puruṣavyāghro yathārhaṃ sma prayacchati ||
bhīmaseno 'pi māṃsāni bhakṣyāṇi vividhāni ca ||
atisṛṣṭāni matsyena vikrīṇāti yudhiṣṭhire ||
vāsāṃsi parijīrṇāni labdhāny antaḥpure 'rjunaḥ ||
vikrīṇānaś ca sarvebhyaḥ pāṇḍavebhyaḥ prayacchati ||
sahadevo 'pi gopānāṃ veṣam āsthāya pāṇḍavaḥ ||
dadhi kṣīraṃ ghṛtaṃ caiva pāṇḍavebhyaḥ prayacchati ||
nakulo 'pi dhanaṃ labdhvā kṛte karmaṇi vājinām ||
tuṣṭe tasmin narapatau pāṇḍavebhyaḥ prayacchati ||
kṛṣṇāpi sarvān bhrātṝṃs tān nirīkṣantī tapasvinī ||
yathā punar avijñātā tathā carati bhāminī ||
evaṃ saṃpādayantas te tathānyonyaṃ mahārathāḥ ||
prekṣamāṇās tadā kṛṣṇām ūṣuś channā narādhipa ||
Janamejaya asked: ‘So the Pandavas dwelt there in the city of Matsya. What did these heroes of great strength do after that, O twice-born one?’ Vaishampayana said: ‘They lived there in hiding, those descendants of Kuru. Hear what they did while pleasing the king. Yudhishthira, a companion at court dice, became dear to the members of the assembly and to Virata himself together with his son. Knowing the heart of the game of dice, the Pandava entertained them at the board as he pleased, like birds bound by a thread. Winning from Virata without his notice, the king of dharma, a tiger among men, gave wealth to his brothers according to what was fitting. Bhimasena sold Yudhishthira meat and various foods given to him by the king of Matsya. Arjuna sold worn-out garments obtained in the inner chambers and gave them to all the Pandavas. Sahadeva, having taken the guise of a cowherd, gave the Pandavas curds, milk, and ghee. Nakula, having received money for his work with the horses whenever the king was pleased, gave it to the Pandavas. Krishna, the ascetic woman, watching over all her brothers, moved about so as to remain unrecognized once more. Thus the great charioteers supported one another and lived in hiding, O king, all the while watching over Krishna.’
f5ff37a73374 · published Jul 16, 2026, 6:11:28 PM UTC
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Their hidden life turns out to be a web of mutual support. Each serves in his own place, yet none keeps for himself what he earns — the family holds together as a single body.