Pāṇḍavas enter Ekacakra

 vaiśampāyana uvāca

te vanena vanaṁ gatvā ghnanto mṛgagaṇān bahūn

apakramya yayū rājaṁstvaramāṇā mahārathāḥ

Vaiśampāyana said: O king! Those mighty car warriors, Pāṇḍavas, heroes, went from the forest to forest, killing many beasts. 

matsyāṁstrigartān pañcālān kīcakānantareṇa ca

ramaṇīyān vanoddeśān prekṣamāṇāḥ sarāṁsi ca

Countries of Matsyas, Trigartās and Pañcālās, then to that of Kīcakas, where they saw mane beautiful woods and lakes.

jaṭāḥ kṛtvā ātmanaḥ sarve valkalājinavāsasaḥ

saha kuntyā mahātmāno bibhratastāpasaṁ vapuḥ

kvacid vahanto jananīṁ tvaramāṇā mahārathāḥ

kvacicchandena gacchantaste jagmuḥ prasabhaṁ punaḥ

They all made matted locks and wore barks of the trees. Those illustrious heroes asummed the form of ascetics with their mother. Those car warriors sometimes proceeded in haste carrying their mother, on their back sometimes they proceeded slowly, they then went in great haste.

brāhmaṁ vedamadhīyānā vedāṅgāni ca sarvaśaḥ

nītiśāstraṁ ca sarvajñā dadṛśuste pitāmaham

They studied Brahma - Ṛk and Vedāṅgas and all other sciences of morals. When they were thus engaged, they saw their grandfather Vyāsa.

te ̍ bhivādya mahātmānaṁ kṛṣṇadvaipāyanaṁ tadā

tasthuḥ prāñjalyaḥ sarve saha mātrā paraṁtapāḥ

Having respectfully saluted illustrious Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana those chastisers of foes with their mother stood before him with joined hands.

vyāsa uvāca

mayedaṁ vyasanaṁ pūrvaṁ bharatarṣabhāḥ

tathā tu tairadharmeṇa dhātrāraṣṭtrairvivāsitāḥ

tad viditvāsmi samprāptaścikīrṣuḥ paramaṁ hitam

na viṣādo ̍ tra kartavyaḥ sarvametat sukhāya vaḥ

Vyāsa said: O best of Bharata race! I knew beforehand of your this affection, your this unjust banishment by sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Knowing this I have come to do you some great good. You ought not to grieve. Know all this is for your future happiness.

samāste caiva me sarve yuyaṁ na saṁśayaḥ

dīnato bālataścaiva snehaṁ kurvanti mānavāḥ

tasmādabhyadhikaḥ sneho yuṣmāsu mama sāmpratam

snehapūrvaṁ cikīrṣāmi hitaṁ vastannibodhata

idaṁ nagaramabhyāśe ramaṇīyaṁ nirāmayam

vasateha praticchannā mamāgamanakāṅkṣiṇaḥ

There is no doubt that you and they all are in my eyes, but men love more those who are in misfortune or in tender years. Therefore my love for you is now greater than before and in consequence of love, I wish to do you some good. Listen to me. Not far from this place there is a beautiful town which is a safe place for you. There you live in disguise, waiting for my return.

vaiśampāyana uvāca

evaṁ sa tān samāśvasya vyāsaḥ satyavatīsutaḥ

ekacakrāmabhigataḥ kuntīmāśvāsayat prabhuḥ

Vaiśampāyana said: Havong thus comfotred them, son of Satyavatī, Vyāsa, led them to the town of Ekecakra. Lord Vyāsa comforted Kuntī also.

vyāsa uvāca

jīvatputri sutaste ̍ yaṁ dharmanityo yudhidhiraḥ

dharmeṇa pṛthivīṁ jitvā mahātmā puruṣarṣabhaḥ

Vyāsa said: O daughter, live your this son, illustrious and the best of men, Yudhiṣṭhira, ever devoted to virtue, conquering the world by his virtue will virtuously rule over all kings of the world.

pṛthivīmakhilāṁ jitvā sarvāṁ sāgaramekhalām

bhīmasenārjunabalād bhokṣyate nātr saṁśayaḥ

Conquering whole world bounded by the belt of the sea by the prowess of Bhīma and Arjuna, there is no doubt he will rule the world.

putrāstava ca mādryāśca sarva eva mahātathāḥ

svarāṣṭre vihariṣyanti sukhaṁ sumanasaḥ sadā

Your sons and those of Mādrī, all great car warriors, will sport in their own kingdom at pleasure.

yakṣyanti ca naravyāghrā nirjitya pṛthivīmimām

rājasūyāśvamedhādyaiḥ kratubhirbhūridakṣiṇaiḥ

Conquering whole world, these best of men will perform Rājasūya and Aśvamedha and other sacrifices in which Dakṣiṇa - presents to Brāhmaṇas will be very large.

anugṛhya suhṛdvargaṁ bhogaiśvaryasukhena ca

pitṛpaitāmahaṁ rājyamime bhokṣyanti te sutāḥ

Maintaining their friends and relatives in luxury and affluence, these your so will rule over the kingdom of their fathers.

vaiśampāyana uvāca

evamuktvā niveśyainān brāhmaṇasya niveśane

abravīt pāṇḍavaśreṣṭhamṛṣirdvaipāyanastadā

Vaiśampāyana said: Having said this, he took them to the house of Brāhmaṇa and then Ṛṣi Dvaipāyana spoke thus to the eldest Pāṇḍava:

iha māsaṁ pratīkṣadhvamāgamiṣyāmyahaṁ punaḥ

deśakālau viditvaiva lapsyadhvaṁ paramāṁ mudā

Wait here for me. I shall come back to you. You will be able to obtain great happiness by adopting yourself to the place and time in which you are now.

sa taiḥ prāñjalibhiḥ sarvaistathetyukto narādhipa

jagāma bhagavān vyāso yathāgatamṛṣiḥ prabhuḥ

O king! They all said with joined hands: Be it so! Thereupon illustrious lord, Ṛṣi Vyāsa went away from whence he come.

janamejaya uvāca

ekacakrāṁ gatāste tu kuntīputrā mahārathaḥ

ata ūrdhvaṁ dvijaśreṣṭha kimakurvata pāṇḍavaḥ

Janamejaya said: O best of twice born, what did Pāṇḍavas, those great car warriors, sons of Kuntī, do when they went to Ekacakra?

vaiśampāyana uvāca

ekacakrāṁ gatāste tu kuntīputrā mahārathāḥ

ūṣurticiraṁ kālaṁ brāhmaṇasya niveśane

Vaiśampāyana said: These great car warriors, Pāṇḍavas, going to Ekacakra, lived for a short time in a Brāhmaṇa ̍ s house.

ramaṇīyāni paśyanto vanāni vividhāni ca

pārthivānapi coddeśān saritaśca sarāṁsi ca

cerurbhaikṣaṁ tadā te tu sarva eva viśāmpate

babhūvurnāgarāṇāṁ ca svairguṇaiḥ priyadarśanāḥ

O king! They saw many beautiful woods and countries, rivers and lakes, as they roamed about bagging their bread. O account of their many accomplishements they became great favourites of all men.

nivedayanti sma tadā kuntyā bhaikṣaṁ sadā niśi

tayā vibhaktān bhāgāṁste bhuñjate sma pṛthak pṛthak

They offered to Kuntī every night all the food that they got during the day and food was divided by Kuntī and they each ate separately the share of each.

ardhaṁ te bhuñjate vīrāḥ saha mātrā paraṁtapāḥ

ardhaṁ sarvasya bhaikṣasya bhīmo bhuṅkte mahābalaḥ

Those heroes, those chastisers of foes, with their mother, ate half of the food collected, greatly strong Bhīma ate the other half.

tathā tu teṣāṁ vasatāṁ tasmin rāṣṭre mahātmanām

aticakrāma sumahān kālo ̍ tha bharatarṣabha

O best of Bharata race! Illustrious men thus passed some days in that country.