दृष्ट्वा भूमिंजयं नाम पुत्रं मत्स्यस्य मानिनम् ॥
तस्मै तत् सर्वम् आचष्ट राष्ट्रस्य पशुकर्षणम् ॥
षष्टिं गवां सहस्राणि कुरवः कालयन्ति ते ॥
तद् विजेतुं समुत्तिष्ठ गोधनं राष्ट्रवर्धनम् ॥
राजपुत्र हितप्रेप्सुः क्षिप्रं निर्याहि वै स्वयम् ॥
त्वां हि मत्स्यो महीपालः शून्यपालम् इहाकरोत् ॥
त्वया परिषदो मध्ये श्लाघते स नराधिपः ॥
पुत्रो ममानुरूपश् च शूरश् चेति कुलोद्वहः ॥
इष्वस्त्रे निपुणो योधः सदा वीरश् च मे सुतः ॥
तस्य तत् सत्यम् एवास्तु मनुष्येन्द्रस्य भाषितम् ॥
आवर्तय कुरूञ् जित्वा पशून् पशुमतां वर ॥
निर्दहैषाम् अनीकानि भीमेन शरतेजसा ॥
धनुश्च्युतै रुक्मपुङ्खैः शरैः संनतपर्वभिः ॥
द्विषतां भिन्ध्य् अनीकानि गजानाम् इव यूथपः ॥
पाशोपधानां ज्यातन्त्रीं चापदण्डां महास्वनाम् ॥
शरवर्णां धनुर्वीणां शत्रुमध्ये प्रवादय ॥
श्वेता रजतसंकाशा रथे युज्यन्तु ते हयाः ॥
ध्वजं च सिंहं सौवर्णम् उच्छ्रयन्तु तवाभिभोः ॥
रुक्मपुङ्खाः प्रसन्नाग्रा मुक्ता हस्तवता त्वया ॥
छादयन्तु शराः सूर्यं राज्ञाम् आयुर् निरोधिनः ॥
रणे जित्वा कुरून् सर्वान् वज्रपाणिर् इवासुरान् ॥
यशो महद् अवाप्य त्वं प्रविशेदं पुरं पुनः ॥
त्वं हि राष्ट्रस्य परमा गतिर् मत्स्यपतेः सुतः ॥
गतिमन्तो भवन्त्व् अद्य सर्वे विषयवासिनः ॥
स्त्रीमध्य उक्तस् तेनासौ तद् वाक्यम् अभयंकरम् ॥
अन्तःपुरे श्लाघमान इदं वचनम् अब्रवीत् ॥
dṛṣṭvā bhūmiṃjayaṃ nāma putraṃ matsyasya māninam ||
tasmai tat sarvam ācaṣṭa rāṣṭrasya paśukarṣaṇam ||
ṣaṣṭiṃ gavāṃ sahasrāṇi kuravaḥ kālayanti te ||
tad vijetuṃ samuttiṣṭha godhanaṃ rāṣṭravardhanam ||
rājaputra hitaprepsuḥ kṣipraṃ niryāhi vai svayam ||
tvāṃ hi matsyo mahīpālaḥ śūnyapālam ihākarot ||
tvayā pariṣado madhye ślāghate sa narādhipaḥ ||
putro mamānurūpaś ca śūraś ceti kulodvahaḥ ||
iṣvastre nipuṇo yodhaḥ sadā vīraś ca me sutaḥ ||
tasya tat satyam evāstu manuṣyendrasya bhāṣitam ||
āvartaya kurūñ jitvā paśūn paśumatāṃ vara ||
nirdahaiṣām anīkāni bhīmena śaratejasā ||
dhanuścyutai rukmapuṅkhaiḥ śaraiḥ saṃnataparvabhiḥ ||
dviṣatāṃ bhindhy anīkāni gajānām iva yūthapaḥ ||
pāśopadhānāṃ jyātantrīṃ cāpadaṇḍāṃ mahāsvanām ||
śaravarṇāṃ dhanurvīṇāṃ śatrumadhye pravādaya ||
śvetā rajatasaṃkāśā rathe yujyantu te hayāḥ ||
dhvajaṃ ca siṃhaṃ sauvarṇam ucchrayantu tavābhibhoḥ ||
rukmapuṅkhāḥ prasannāgrā muktā hastavatā tvayā ||
chādayantu śarāḥ sūryaṃ rājñām āyur nirodhinaḥ ||
raṇe jitvā kurūn sarvān vajrapāṇir ivāsurān ||
yaśo mahad avāpya tvaṃ praviśedaṃ puraṃ punaḥ ||
tvaṃ hi rāṣṭrasya paramā gatir matsyapateḥ sutaḥ ||
gatimanto bhavantv adya sarve viṣayavāsinaḥ ||
strīmadhya uktas tenāsau tad vākyam abhayaṃkaram ||
antaḥpure ślāghamāna idaṃ vacanam abravīt ||
Seeing Bhumimjaya, the proud son of Matsya, he told him everything about the seizing of the kingdom's cattle: “The Kurus are driving off sixty thousand cows. Rise up to defeat them, and bring back the cattle-wealth that enriches the kingdom. O prince, seeking its good, go forth yourself at once. For King Matsya, lord of the land, made you the guardian of this empty city. Before the assembly he boasts of you: ‘My son is worthy of me, brave, and upholds our line. My son is skilled with bow and weapon, a warrior and ever a hero.’ Let these words of that lord of men prove true. Having conquered the Kurus, turn back the cattle, O best among the owners of herds. Burn their armies with the terrible fire of arrows. With gold-feathered arrows loosed from the bow, straight at every joint, cleave the ranks of the enemy as a leader of elephants parts a herd. Amid the enemy, play upon the great-sounding lute-bow, whose rest is the noose, whose string is the bowstring, whose neck is the bow-shaft, whose sound is thunderous, and whose color is the arrow. Let white horses, gleaming like silver, be yoked to your chariot; let them raise your golden lion-banner, O conqueror of all. Let the gold-feathered arrows, bright at their tips, loosed by your skilled hand, veil the sun and cut short the lives of kings. Having conquered all the Kurus in battle, like the wielder of the thunderbolt conquering the demons, win great glory and enter this city again. For you are the highest refuge of the kingdom, son of the lord of the Matsyas; may all the people of this land find their protector this day.” Addressed thus in the midst of the women, Uttara, boasting in the inner chambers, spoke these fear-dispelling words in reply.
2f8276db5cfd · published Jul 16, 2026, 6:23:49 PM UTC
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The cowherd's words skillfully rouse the prince through shame and the promise of glory. But another's praise does not by itself create courage—it only brings into the open what is already within.