The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa
Bk. 4, by Kisari Mohan Ganguli

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Bk. 4

Author: Kisari Mohan Ganguli

Release Date: April 16, 2004 [EBook #12058]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MAHABHARATAM, BK. 4 ***

Produced by John B. Hare, Juliet Sutherland, David King, and the
Online Distributed Proofreading Team

The Mahabharata of

Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa

BOOK 4

VIRATA PARVA

Translated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit Text

by

Kisari Mohan Ganguli

[1883-1896]

THE MAHABHARATA

VIRATA PARVA

SECTION I

(_Pandava-Pravesa Parva_)

OM! Having bowed down to Narayana, and Nara, the most exalted of male
beings, and also to the goddess Saraswati, must the word _Jaya_ be
uttered.

Janamejaya said, "How did my great-grandfathers, afflicted with the fear
of Duryodhana, pass their days undiscovered in the city of Virata? And,
O Brahman, how did the highly blessed Draupadi, stricken with woe,
devoted to her lords, and ever adoring the Deity[1], spend her days
unrecognised?"

[1] _Brahma Vadini_--Nilakantha explains this as
_Krishna-kirtanasila._

Vaisampayana said, "Listen, O lord of men, how thy great grandfathers
passed the period of unrecognition in the city of Virata. Having in this
way obtained boons from the god of Justice, that best of virtuous men,
Yudhishthira, returned to the asylum and related unto the Brahmanas all
that had happened. And having related everything unto them, Yudhishthira
restored to that regenerate Brahmana who had followed him the churning
staff and the fire-sticks he had lost. And, O Bharata, the son of the
god of Justice, the royal Yudhishthira of high soul then called together
all his younger brothers and addressed them, saying, 'Exiled from our
kingdom, we have passed twelve years. The thirteenth year, hard to
spend, hath now come. Do thou therefore, O Arjuna, the son of Kunti,
select some spot where we may pass our days undiscovered by our
enemies.'

"Arjuna replied, "Even by virtue of Dharma's boon, we shall, O lord