15-1-001
जनमेजय उवाच
प्राप्य राज्यं महाभागाः पाण्डवा मे पितामहाः
कथमासन्महाराजे धृतराष्ट्रे महात्मनि
Janamejaya asked, 'After having obtained the kingdom, how did the immensely fortunate Pandavas, my grandfathers, act towards the great-souled and great king, Dhṛtarāṣṭra?
15-1-002
स हि राजा हतामात्यो हतपुत्रो निराश्रयः
कथमासीद्धतैश्वर्यो गान्धारी च यशस्विनी
The king's advisers and sons had been slain. He was without a refuge. With the prosperity gone, what did the illustrious Gāndhārī do?
15-1-003
कियन्तं चैव कालं ते पितरो मम पूर्वकाः
स्थिता राज्ये महात्मानस्तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि
How long did my great-souled forefathers and ancestors remain in that kingdom? You should tell me this in detail.'
15-1-004
वैशंपायन उवाच
प्राप्य राज्यं महात्मानः पाण्डवा हतशत्रवः
धृतराष्ट्रं पुरस्कृत्य पृथिवीं पर्यपालयन्
Vaiśampāyana replied, 'With the enemy slain, the great-souled Pandavas obtained the kingdom. Placing Dhṛtarāṣṭra at their head, they protected the earth.
15-1-005
धृतराष्ट्रमुपातिष्ठद्विदुरः संजयस्तथा
युयुत्सुश्चापि मेधावी वैश्यापुत्रः स कौरवः
Vidūra, Sañjaya and the intelligent Kaurava Yuyutsu, the son of a Vaiśya lady, tended to Dhṛtarāṣṭra.
15-1-006
पाण्डवाः सर्वकार्याणि संपृच्छन्ति स्म तं नृपम्
चक्रुस्तेनाभ्यनुज्ञाता वर्षाणि दश पञ्च च
Before undertaking any task, the Pandavas asked the king and obtained his permission. They did this for fifteen years.
15-1-007
सदा हि गत्वा ते वीराः पर्युपासन्त तं नृपम्
पादाभिवन्दनं कृत्वा धर्मराजमते स्थिताः
ते मूर्ध्नि समुपाघ्राताः सर्वकार्याणि चक्रिरे
Those brave ones always went to the king and worshipped him. Acting according to the views of Dharmarāja, they touched his feet. Before they engaged in any task, he inhaled the fragrances of their heads.
15-1-008
कुन्तिभोजसुता चैव गान्धारीमन्ववर्तत
द्रौपदी च सुभद्रा च याश्चान्याः पाण्डवस्त्रियः
समां वृत्तिमवर्तन्त तयोः श्वश्र्वोर्यथाविधि
Kuntibhoja's daughter also followed Gāndhārī. So did Draupadī, Subhadrā and the other Pāṇḍava women. They followed the rites in attending to them, as if they were their own father-in-law and mother-in-law.
15-1-009
शयनानि महार्हाणि वासांस्याभरणानि च
राजार्हाणि च सर्वाणि भक्ष्यभोज्यान्यनेकशः
युधिष्ठिरो महाराज धृतराष्ट्रेऽभ्युपाहरत्
O great king! Yudhiṣṭhira presented Dhṛtarāṣṭra with extremely expensive beds, garments, ornaments, everything that should be given to a king and large quantities of food and objects of pleasure.
15-1-010
तथैव कुन्ती गान्धार्यां गुरुवृत्तिमवर्तत
विदुरः संजयश्चैव युयुत्सुश्चैव कौरवः
उपासते स्म तं वृद्धं हतपुत्रं जनाधिपम्
Kuntī acted in the same way towards Gāndhārī, treating her like a senior. Vidūra, Sañjaya and Kaurava Yuyutsu tended to the aged king, whose sons had been slain.
15-1-011
स्यालो द्रोणस्य यश्चैको दयितो ब्राह्मणो महान्
स च तस्मिन्महेष्वासः कृपः समभवत्तदा
Droṇa's brother-in-law, Kṛpa, the great archer and beloved and great brāhmaṇa, also attended on him.
15-1-012
व्यासश्च भगवान्नित्यं वासं चक्रे नृपेण ह
कथाः कुर्वन्पुराणर्षिर्देवर्षिनृपरक्षसाम्
The illustrious Vyāsa always dwelt with the king. O king! He told him accounts of the ancient rishis, devarshis and rakshasas.
15-1-013
धर्मयुक्तानि कार्याणि व्यवहारान्वितानि च
धृतराष्ट्राभ्यनुज्ञातो विदुरस्तान्यकारयत्
On Dhṛtarāṣṭra's instructions, Vidūra undertook many kinds of tasks and rites that were in conformity with dharma.
15-1-014
सामन्तेभ्यः प्रियाण्यस्य कार्याणि सुगुरूण्यपि
प्राप्यन्तेऽर्थैः सुलघुभिः प्रभावाद्विदुरस्य वै
Because of Vidūra's influence, they obtained riches, large and small, from vassal kingdoms and were loved by them.
15-1-015
अकरोद्बन्धमोक्षांश्च वध्यानां मोक्षणं तथा
न च धर्मात्मजो राजा कदाचित्किंचिदब्रवीत्
Those who were imprisoned were freed. Those identified for capital punishment were also freed. With dharma in his soul, the king never said anything about this.
15-1-016
विहारयात्रासु पुनः कुरुराजो युधिष्ठिरः
सर्वान्कामान्महातेजाः प्रददावम्बिकासुते
When Ambikā's son went out on a pleasure trip, the immensely energetic king of the Kurus, Yudhiṣṭhira, gave him every object of pleasure.
15-1-017
आरालिकाः सूपकारा रागखाण्डविकास्तथा
उपातिष्ठन्त राजानं धृतराष्ट्रं यथा पुरा
As in earlier times, cooks, chefs and confectioners served King Yudhiṣṭhira.
15-1-018
वासांसि च महार्हाणि माल्यानि विविधानि च
उपाजह्रुर्यथान्यायं धृतराष्ट्रस्य पाण्डवाः
As is proper, the Pandavas offered Dhṛtarāṣṭra extremely expensive garments and many kinds of garlands.
15-1-019
मैरेयं मधु मांसानि पानकानि लघूनि च
चित्रान्भक्ष्यविकारांश्च चक्रुरस्य यथा पुरा
As was the case earlier, he was given maireya liquor, meat, light beverages and wonderfully concocted food.
15-1-020
ये चापि पृथिवीपालाः समाजग्मुः समन्ततः
उपातिष्ठन्त ते सर्वे कौरवेन्द्रं यथा पुरा
Lords of the earth assembled on every side. As in earlier times, all of them served the Indra among the Kouravas.
15-1-021
कुन्ती च द्रौपदी चैव सात्वती चैव भामिनी
उलूपी नागकन्या च देवी चित्राङ्गदा तथा
Kuntī, Draupadī, the beautiful Sātvatī, Ulūpī, the nāga princess, the queen Citrāṅgadā.
15-1-022
धृष्टकेतोश्च भगिनी जरासंधस्य चात्मजा
किंकराः स्मोपतिष्ठन्ति सर्वाः सुबलजां तथा
Dhṛṣṭaketu's sister and Jarāsandha's daughter—all of them served Subala's daughter like servants.
15-1-023
यथा पुत्रवियुक्तोऽयं न किंचिद्दुःखमाप्नुयात्
इति राजान्वशाद्भ्रातॄन्नित्यमेव युधिष्ठिरः
Yudhiṣṭhira's perpetual instruction to his brothers was that the king should not suffer the slightest bit of misery because of being deprived of his sons.
15-1-024
एवं ते धर्मराजस्य श्रुत्वा वचनमर्थवत्
सविशेषमवर्तन्त भीममेकं विना तदा
All of them paid special attention to Dharmarāja's purposeful words and acted according to them, with the sole exception of Bhīmā.
15-1-025
न हि तत्तस्य वीरस्य हृदयादपसर्पति
धृतराष्ट्रस्य दुर्बुद्धेर्यद्वृत्तं द्यूतकारितम्
The evil intelligence and conduct of the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra at the time of the gambling match were still lodged in the brave one's heart.