Kichaka-Vadha Parva — Words of Draupadi

Draupadi said O Bharata, what I am going to tell you now is another great grief of mine; you should not get angry with me, as I tell you this out of a sheer sadness of heart.

Who is there whose grief is not enhanced seeing you employed in the abominable service of a cook, entirely unbecoming of you, and calling yourself as belonging to the sect of Ballava.

What can be more distressful than this that people should know you as Virata's cook Ballava by name and fallen into servitude. When you wait on the king Virata calling yourself as Ballava the cook after getting through the work of the kitchen, then my very niind sinks into despair.

When the monarch in joy makes you fight with elephants and the women of his seraglio laugh my mind totally sinks in sorrow.

When you fought with lions, tigers and buffaloes in the inner apartment of the palace in the occular presence of Kaikayi then the faint came over me.

Then rising from her seat along with her maids who also rose up with her, Kaikayi beholding me with limbs uninjured and only overtaken by swoon, addressed them saying "surely it is from the affection originated by living together that this lady of beautiful smile grieves for the cook, seeing him fighting with beasts of exceeding strength. Sairandhri is one of exceeding beauty and Ballava is handsome too, the heart of woman is so hard to know; and me-thinks they both are deserving of each other. Sairandhri is seen constantly lamenting for the connection with her lover and they both have entered this royal family at the same time.” Speaking such words she always scolds me.

Beholding me getting enraged she suspects me to be attached to you which she speaks; thus I am overtaken by great grief.

Beholding you, O Bhima of terrible prowess, suffering from being fallen into such a dire calamity and sunk in grief for Yudhishthira I do not intend to live.

Alas! that youthful one, who on a single car defeated all celestials and men, is now the dancing master of the daughters of the king Virata.

That Pritha's son, who with his immeasurable energy gratified the fire-god in the Khandava forest, is now stationed in the seraglio like fire concealed in a well.

That Dhananjaya, from whom, the best of men, enemies had constant dread, is now living in a guise hated by all.

That Dhananjaya, whose arms are likes inaces of iron and are marked by the strokes of the bow-string, is living in grief with his wrists covered with conch-bracelets.

The singing sound of that one, the sound of whose bow-string caused tremble to his enemies, is now courted by only delightful women.

That Dhananjaya, whose head was decked with a diadem of solar effulgence, is now appearing with braids ending in ugly curls.

O Bhima, seeing that mighty wielder of bow, Arjuna, with braids ending in ugly curls and surrounded by damsels, my heart is stricken with distress.

That high-souled one, to whom all the celestials weapons are known, and who is the repository of all the sciences, is now wearing a pair of ear-rings.

That youthful one, whom myriads of kings of matchless prowess could not overcome in fight, even as the great ocean cannot overleap its banks, is now the dancing master of the daughters of king Virata and passes his days in disguise as one in the capacity of a servant to them.

O Bhima, that exalted younger brother of yours, the rattling sound of whose car-wheels made the entire earth with all her mountains and forests and with all things mobile and immobile, tremble, and O Bhimasena, who being born, all the grief's of Kunti vanished, now causes me to lament for him.

Beholding him approaching me adorned with golden ear-rings and other ornaments and with wrists with bracelets of conches, my heart sinks into sorrow.

That Dhananjaya, to whom there is no bowman on the entire earth, equal in prowess, is now passing his days in singing surrounded by women.

Beholding that son of Pritha honored to the world for virtue, prowess and truthfulness, now living in the hated guise of a woman, my heart sinks into sorrow.

When I look upon that good-like Partha surrounded by females in this music hall like an elephant of rent temples encircled by sheelephant before Virata, the king of the Matsyas, then all the cardinal points seem to me to have lost their existence.

Surely my mother-in-law does not know Dhananjaya sorely distressed with sorrow; nor does she know the descendant of Kuru, Ajatashatru, addicted to vicious gambling thus sunk in misery.

0 Bharata, beholding Sahadeva, the youngest of you all, in the capacity of a protector of kine and in the guise of a cowherd, I grow pale.

Thinking over and over of Sahadeva's office I cannot obtain sleep what to speak of rest?

0 mighty-armed one, I know not of Sahadeva's sin for which that one of unfailing prowess suffers thus.

O foremost of the Bharata's beholding the beloved brother of yours, the foremost of men, appointed by the king of the Matsyas in looking after his kine, I feel grieved.

Beholding that hero clad in red garments, busy in gratifying Virata and posing himself at the head of the cowherds, fever comes on me.

My mother-in-law always speaks of that heroic Sahadeva as one possessed of high reputation, good character and excellent conduct.

Kunti, greatly attached to her sons, stood weeping with Sahadeva in her arms, while he was starting (with us) for the great forest and addressed me thus-"Sahadeva is bashful, sweet-voiced, virtuous, and very dear to me, therefore, Yajnaseni cheer him up while he feels dejected and tend him in the forest, day and night. He is tender and brave, devoted to the king, heroic and always respectful to his elder brother; O Panchali, feed him yourself."

Beholding that Sahadeva, the best of warriors, engaged in tending kine and lying on calf skins at night, O Pandava, how can I live?

Again that one, who is gifted with the three attributes of beauty, arms and intellect, is now tending the steed of Virata. Lo! how times change!

Granthika, at whose presence hostile forces ran away from the field of battle, is now engaged in training horses before the king driving them with speed.

I now see that graceful one wait upon the richly dressed and excellent Virata, the king of the Matsya's and make a show of his horses before the king.

O Pritha's son, afflicted with hundreds of sorrows on account of Yudhishthira, do you deem me happy, O repressor of foes.

O Bharata, there are various other woes greater than these which I am afflicted with; listen, O son of Kunti, I shall relate tell them all to you.

Alas, you being all alive these various woes (render my person emaciated) undermine my system; what can be sadder than this?