04038001a tAM zamIm upasaGMgamya pArtho vairATim abravIt 'Having reached that Sami tree, pArtha addressed virATa's son,
04038001c sukumAraM samAjJAtaM saGMgrAme nAtikovidam having ascertained him to be exceedingly delicate and inexperienced in battle, saying --
04038002a samAdiSTo mayA kSipranM dhanUMSy avaharottara ``Enjoined by me, O Uttara, quickly take down (from this tree) some bows that are there.
04038002c nemAni hi tvadIyAni soDhuM zakSyanti me balam For these bows of thine are unable to bear my strength,
04038003a bhAraM vApi guruM hartuGM kuJjaraM vA pramarditum my heavy weight when I shall grind down horses and elephants,
04038003c mama vA bAhuvikSepaM zatrUn iha vijeSyataH and the stretch of my arms when I seek to vanquish the foe.
04038004a tasmAd bhUmiJMjayAroha zamIm etAmM palAzinIm Therefore, O Bhuminjaya, climb thou up this tree of thick foliage,
04038004c asyAM hi pANDuputrANAnM dhanUMSi nihitAny uta for in this tree are tied the bows of the sons of pANDu
04038005a yudhiSThirasya bhImasya bIbhatsor yamayos tathA viz., yudhiSThira and bhIma and bIbhatsu and the twins.
04038005c dhvajAzH zarAz ca zUrANAnM divyAni kavacAni ca and arrows and banners and excellent coats of mail of the heroic sons of pANDu,
04038006a atra caitan mahAvIryanM dhanuH pArthasya gANDivam There also is that bow of great energy, the gANDIva of arjuna,
04038006c ekaM zatasahasreNa samMmitaM rASTravardhanam which singly is equal to many thousands of other bows and which is capable of extending the limits of a kingdom.
04038007a vyAyAmasaham atyarthanM tRNarAjasamamM mahat Large like a palmyra tree, able to bear the greatest stress,
04038007c sarvAyudhamahAmAtraM zatrusamMbAdhakArakam the largest of all weapons, capable of obstructing the foe,
04038008a suvarNavikRtanM divyaM zlakSNam Ayatam avraNam and adorned with gold, godlike, smooth, broad, splinterless,
04038008c alamM bhAraGM guruM voDhunM dAruNaJM cArudarzanam and beareth the heaviest weight, and handsome too.
04038008e tAdRzAny eva sarvANi balavanti dRDhAni ca And the other bows also that are there, of yudhiSThira and bhIma and bIbhatsu and the twins, are equally mighty and tough.''
04038009a asmin vRkSe kilodbaddhaM zarIram iti nazH zrutam 'Uttara said, 'It hath been heard by us that a corpse is tied in this tree.
04038009c tad ahaM rAjaputrasH san spRzeyamM pANinA katham How can I, therefore, being a prince by birth, touch it with my hands?
04038010a naivaMvidhamM mayA yuktam AlabdhuGM kSatrayoninA It is not becoming of me to touch it, being as I am born in the kSatriya order,
04038010c mahatA rAjaputreNa mantrayajJavidA satA and the son of a great king, and a knower of mantras and rituals,
04038011a spRSTavantaM zarIramM mAM zavavAham ivAzucim
04038011c kathaM vA vyavahAryaM vai kurvIthAs tvamM bRhannale Why shouldst thou, O bRhannalA, make me like an unclean bearer of corpses, by compelling me to come in contact with a corpse?'
04038012 bRhannalovAca 'bRhannala said,
04038012a vyavahAryaz ca rAjendra zuciz caiva bhaviSyasi 'Thou shalt, O king of kings, remain clean and unpolluted.
04038012c dhanUMSy etAni mA bhais tvaM zarIranM nAtra vidyate Do not fear, there are only bows in this tree and not corpses.
04038013a dAyAdamM matsyarAjasya kule jAtamM manasvinam Heir to the king of the matsyas, and born in a noble family,
04038013c kathanM tvA ninditaGM karma kArayeyanM nRpAtmaja how could I, O prince, tell thee do such a reproachable deed?'