वैशंपायन उवाच
अवजित्य धनं चापि विराटो वाहिनीपतिः ॥
प्राविशन् नगरं हृष्टश् चतुर्भिः सह पाण्डवैः ॥
जित्वा त्रिगर्तान् संग्रामे गाश् चैवादाय केवलाः ॥
अशोभत महाराजः सह पार्थैः श्रिया वृतः ॥
तम् आसनगतं वीरं सुहृदां प्रीतिवर्धनम् ॥
उपतस्थुः प्रकृतयः समस्ता ब्राह्मणैः सह ॥
सभाजितः ससैन्यस् तु प्रतिनन्द्याथ मत्स्यराट् ॥
विसर्जयाम् आस तदा द्विजांश् च प्रकृतीस् तथा ॥
ततः स राजा मत्स्यानां विराटो वाहिनीपतिः ॥
उत्तरं परिपप्रच्छ क्व यात इति चाब्रवीत् ॥
आचख्युस् तस्य संहृष्टाः स्त्रियः कन्याश् च वेश्मनि ॥
अन्तःपुरचराश् चैव कुरुभिर् गोधनं हृतम् ॥
विजेतुम् अभिसंरब्ध एक एवातिसाहसात् ॥
बृहन्नडासहायश् च निर्यातः पृथिवींजयः ॥
उपयातान् अतिरथान् द्रोणं शांतनवं कृपम् ॥
कर्णं दुर्योधनं चैव द्रोणपुत्रं च षड्रथान् ॥
राजा विराटो ऽथ भृशं प्रतप्तः; श्रुत्वा सुतं ह्य् एकरथेन यातम् ॥
बृहन्नडासारथिम् आजिवर्धनं; प्रोवाच सर्वान् अथ मन्त्रिमुख्यान् ॥
सर्वथा कुरवस् ते हि ये चान्ये वसुधाधिपाः ॥
त्रिगर्तान् निर्जिताञ् श्रुत्वा न स्थास्यन्ति कदा चन ॥
तस्माद् गच्छन्तु मे योधा बलेन महता वृताः ॥
उत्तरस्य परीप्सार्थं ये त्रिगर्तैर् अविक्षताः ॥
हयांश् च नागांश् च रथांश् च शीघ्रं; पदातिसंघांश् च ततः प्रवीरान् ॥
प्रस्थापयाम् आस सुतस्य हेतोर्; विचित्रशस्त्राभरणोपपन्नान् ॥
एवं स राजा मत्स्यानां विराटो ऽक्षौहिणीपतिः ॥
व्यादिदेशाथ तां क्षिप्रं वाहिनीं चतुरङ्गिणीम् ॥
कुमारम् आशु जानीत यदि जीवति वा न वा ॥
यस्य यन्ता गतः षण्ढो मन्ये ऽहं न स जीवति ॥
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
avajitya dhanaṃ cāpi virāṭo vāhinīpatiḥ ||
prāviśan nagaraṃ hṛṣṭaś caturbhiḥ saha pāṇḍavaiḥ ||
jitvā trigartān saṃgrāme gāś caivādāya kevalāḥ ||
aśobhata mahārājaḥ saha pārthaiḥ śriyā vṛtaḥ ||
tam āsanagataṃ vīraṃ suhṛdāṃ prītivardhanam ||
upatasthuḥ prakṛtayaḥ samastā brāhmaṇaiḥ saha ||
sabhājitaḥ sasainyas tu pratinandyātha matsyarāṭ ||
visarjayām āsa tadā dvijāṃś ca prakṛtīs tathā ||
tataḥ sa rājā matsyānāṃ virāṭo vāhinīpatiḥ ||
uttaraṃ paripapraccha kva yāta iti cābravīt ||
ācakhyus tasya saṃhṛṣṭāḥ striyaḥ kanyāś ca veśmani ||
antaḥpuracarāś caiva kurubhir godhanaṃ hṛtam ||
vijetum abhisaṃrabdha eka evātisāhasāt ||
bṛhannaḍāsahāyaś ca niryātaḥ pṛthivīṃjayaḥ ||
upayātān atirathān droṇaṃ śāṃtanavaṃ kṛpam ||
karṇaṃ duryodhanaṃ caiva droṇaputraṃ ca ṣaḍrathān ||
rājā virāṭo 'tha bhṛśaṃ prataptaḥ; śrutvā sutaṃ hy ekarathena yātam ||
bṛhannaḍāsārathim ājivardhanaṃ; provāca sarvān atha mantrimukhyān ||
sarvathā kuravas te hi ye cānye vasudhādhipāḥ ||
trigartān nirjitāñ śrutvā na sthāsyanti kadā cana ||
tasmād gacchantu me yodhā balena mahatā vṛtāḥ ||
uttarasya parīpsārthaṃ ye trigartair avikṣatāḥ ||
hayāṃś ca nāgāṃś ca rathāṃś ca śīghraṃ; padātisaṃghāṃś ca tataḥ pravīrān ||
prasthāpayām āsa sutasya hetor; vicitraśastrābharaṇopapannān ||
evaṃ sa rājā matsyānāṃ virāṭo 'kṣauhiṇīpatiḥ ||
vyādideśātha tāṃ kṣipraṃ vāhinīṃ caturaṅgiṇīm ||
kumāram āśu jānīta yadi jīvati vā na vā ||
yasya yantā gataḥ ṣaṇḍho manye 'haṃ na sa jīvati ||
Vaishampayana said: "Virata, lord of the army, having conquered the Trigartas and recovered the cows, entered the city joyfully together with the four Pandavas. The king, surrounded by splendor, shone together with the Parthas. When the hero had taken his seat, all the subjects together with the brahmins came to him; the king of the Matsyas, having honored the army and received their greetings, dismissed the brahmins and subjects. Then Virata asked about Uttara: \"Where has he gone?\" The joyful women, girls, and dwellers of the inner chambers told him: \"The Kurus have driven off the cows. The prince, wishing to defeat them, rode out alone, with Brihannada as his helper and charioteer, with great daring, to face six great chariot-warriors: Drona, Shantanava Bhishma, Kripa, Karna, Duryodhana, and the son of Drona.\" Hearing that his son had ridden out on a single chariot, with Brihannada as charioteer, King Virata grew deeply troubled and said to his chief ministers: \"The Kurus and other lords of the earth, hearing of the defeat of the Trigartas, will not remain in place. Let my warriors, surrounded by great strength, go quickly to defend Uttara — all those whom the Trigartas did not wound.\" He ordered horses, elephants, chariots, and troops of foot soldiers, heroes adorned with various weapons and ornaments, to be sent out swiftly for his son's sake. Thus the king of the Matsyas quickly commanded the fourfold army: \"Find out at once whether the prince is alive. The one whose charioteer was a eunuch — I think he is not alive.\""
2b7d08d4d9b5 · published Jul 16, 2026, 6:42:56 PM UTC
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Virata sees only the surface: a young son and a strange charioteer set against the Kurus. His fear is natural, for the hidden strength of the Pandavas has not yet been revealed.