भीमाश् च मत्तमातङ्गाः प्रभिन्नकरटामुखाः ॥
क्षरन्त इव जीमूताः सुदन्ताः षष्टिहायनाः ॥
स्वारूढा युद्धकुशलैः शिक्षितैर् हस्तिसादिभिः ॥
राजानम् अन्वयुः पश्चाच् चलन्त इव पर्वताः ॥
विशारदानां वश्यानां हृष्टानां चानुयायिनाम् ॥
अष्टौ रथसहस्राणि दश नागशतानि च ॥
षष्टिश् चाश्वसहस्राणि मत्स्यानाम् अभिनिर्ययुः ॥
तद् अनीकं विराटस्य शुशुभे भरतर्षभ ॥
संप्रयातं महाराज निनीषन्तं गवां पदम् ॥
तद् बलाग्र्यं विराटस्य संप्रस्थितम् अशोभत ॥
दृढायुधजनाकीर्णं गजाश्वरथसंकुलम् ॥
bhīmāś ca mattamātaṅgāḥ prabhinnakaraṭāmukhāḥ ||
kṣaranta iva jīmūtāḥ sudantāḥ ṣaṣṭihāyanāḥ ||
svārūḍhā yuddhakuśalaiḥ śikṣitair hastisādibhiḥ ||
rājānam anvayuḥ paścāc calanta iva parvatāḥ ||
viśāradānāṃ vaśyānāṃ hṛṣṭānāṃ cānuyāyinām ||
aṣṭau rathasahasrāṇi daśa nāgaśatāni ca ||
ṣaṣṭiś cāśvasahasrāṇi matsyānām abhiniryayuḥ ||
tad anīkaṃ virāṭasya śuśubhe bharatarṣabha ||
saṃprayātaṃ mahārāja ninīṣantaṃ gavāṃ padam ||
tad balāgryaṃ virāṭasya saṃprasthitam aśobhata ||
dṛḍhāyudhajanākīrṇaṃ gajāśvarathasaṃkulam ||
Fearsome, rutting elephants, with swollen temples, streaming ichor like storm clouds, with splendid tusks, sixty years of age, mounted by skilled and trained drivers, followed the king, moving like mountains. From the Matsyas went forth eight thousand chariots, skilled, obedient, and joyful in their following, a thousand elephants, and sixty thousand horses. This army of Virata, O bull of the Bharatas, great king, shone forth as it set out to take up the trail of the cattle. Virata's finest army, marching forth, shone, full of firmly armed men, elephants, horses, and chariots.
473336e6d906 · published Jul 16, 2026, 6:17:35 PM UTC
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The campaign begins for the sake of recovering the cattle, but in truth it begins the Pandavas' return to open action. Their disguises are still on, but the chariots are already moving.