युधिष्ठिर उवाच
सहदेव कथं तस्य समीपे विहरिष्यसि ॥
किं वा त्वं तात कुर्वाणः प्रच्छन्नो विचरिष्यसि ॥
सहदेव उवाच
गोसंख्याता भविष्यामि विराटस्य महीपतेः ॥
प्रतिषेद्धा च दोग्धा च संख्याने कुशलो गवाम् ॥
तन्तिपाल इति ख्यातो नाम्ना विदितम् अस्तु ते ॥
निपुणं च चरिष्यामि व्येतु ते मानसो ज्वरः ॥
अहं हि भवता गोषु सततं प्रकृतः पुरा ॥
तत्र मे कौशलं कर्म अवबुद्धं विशां पते ॥
लक्षणं चरितं चापि गवां यच् चापि मङ्गलम् ॥
तत् सर्वं मे सुविदितम् अन्यच् चापि महीपते ॥
वृषभान् अपि जानामि राजन् पूजितलक्षणान् ॥
येषां मूत्रम् उपाघ्राय अपि वन्ध्या प्रसूयते ॥
सो ऽहम् एवं चरिष्यामि प्रीतिर् अत्र हि मे सदा ॥
न च मां वेत्स्यति परस् तत् ते रोचतु पार्थिव ॥
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca
sahadeva kathaṃ tasya samīpe vihariṣyasi ||
kiṃ vā tvaṃ tāta kurvāṇaḥ pracchanno vicariṣyasi ||
sahadeva uvāca
gosaṃkhyātā bhaviṣyāmi virāṭasya mahīpateḥ ||
pratiṣeddhā ca dogdhā ca saṃkhyāne kuśalo gavām ||
tantipāla iti khyāto nāmnā viditam astu te ||
nipuṇaṃ ca cariṣyāmi vyetu te mānaso jvaraḥ ||
ahaṃ hi bhavatā goṣu satataṃ prakṛtaḥ purā ||
tatra me kauśalaṃ karma avabuddhaṃ viśāṃ pate ||
lakṣaṇaṃ caritaṃ cāpi gavāṃ yac cāpi maṅgalam ||
tat sarvaṃ me suviditam anyac cāpi mahīpate ||
vṛṣabhān api jānāmi rājan pūjitalakṣaṇān ||
yeṣāṃ mūtram upāghrāya api vandhyā prasūyate ||
so 'ham evaṃ cariṣyāmi prītir atra hi me sadā ||
na ca māṃ vetsyati paras tat te rocatu pārthiva ||
Yudhishthira asked: "Sahadeva, how will you live near him? What will you do, dear one, moving about in disguise?" Sahadeva answered: "I will become King Virata's cattle-counter, their protector and their milker; I am skilled in counting cows. Know that I will be known by the name Tantipala. I will act with skill; let the fever of your anxiety depart. In the past you always kept me with the cows, lord of the people; I have learned this craft well. The marks of cattle, their behavior, and whatever brings them good fortune -- all this is well known to me, and much else besides. I also know bulls of honored marks, lord: a barren cow need only smell their urine to conceive. So I will live; this work always brings me joy. No one else will recognize me; may this please you, king."
48d8b0a96227 · प्रकाशित 16 जुल॰ 2026, 5:58:59 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
Sahadeva takes on the care of cattle, and this is no accidental task. In the Vedic order cows are bound up with prosperity, sacrifice, and a peaceful life; to guard them is to uphold the very foundation of well-being.