The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section 187

Section CLXXXVII. ( Svayamvara Parva continued. )

Vaisampayana said, "Thus addressed by the Brahmanas, the Pandavas, O Janamejaya, proceeded towards the country of the southern Panchalas ruled over by king Drupada. And on their way those heroes beheld the illustrious Dwaipayana—that Muni of pure soul and perfectly sinless. And duly saluting the Rishi and saluted by him, after their conversation was over, commanded by him they proceeded to Drupada's abode. And those mighty charioteers proceeded by slow stages, staying for sometimes within those beautiful woods and fine lakes that they beheld along their way. Devoted to study, pure in their practices, amiable, and sweet-speeched, the Pandavas at last entered the country of the Panchalas. And beholding the capital as also the fort, they took up their quarters in the house of a potter. And adopting the Brahmanical profession, they began to lead an eleemosynary life. And no men recognised those heroes during their stay in Drupada's capital.

"Yajna-sena always cherished the wish of bestowing his daughter on Kiriti (Arjuna) the son of Pandu. But he never spoke of this wish to anybody. And, O Janamejaya, the king of Panchala thinking of Arjuna, caused a very stiff bow to be made that was incapable of being bent by anybody except Arjuna. And causing some machinery to be erected in the sky, the king set up a mark attached to that machinery. And Drupada said, 'He that will string the bow and with these well-adorned arrows shoot the mark above the machine shall obtain my daughter.'"

Vaisampayana continued "With these words king Drupada proclaimed the Svayamvara. And hearing them, O Bharata, the kings of other lands came to his capital. And there came also many illustrious Rishis desirous of beholding the Svayamvara. And there came also, O king, Duryodhana and the Kurus accompanied by Karna. And there also came many superior Brahmanas from every country. And the monarchs who came there were all received with reverence by the illustrious Drupada. And desirous of beholding the Svayamvara, the citizens, roaring like the sea, all took their seats on the platforms that were erected around the amphitheatre. And the monarch entered the grand amphitheatre by the north-eastern gate. And the amphitheatre itself had been erected on an auspicious and level plain to the north-east of Drupada's capital. And it was surrounded on all sides by beautiful mansions. And it was enclosed on all sides with high walls and a moat with arched door-ways here and there. And the vast amphitheatre was also shaded by a canopy of various colors. And resounding with the notes of thousands of trumpets, it was scented with the black aloe and sprinkled all over with water mixed with sandal paste and adorned with garlands of flowers. And it was surrounded on all sides by high mansions perfectly white and resembling the cloud-kissing peaks of Kailasa. And the windows of those mansions were covered with net-works of gold, and the walls were set with diamonds and precious stones. And the staircases were easy of ascent and the floors were covered with costly carpets and cloths. And all those mansions were adorned with wreathes and garlands of flowers and rendered fragrant with excellent aloes. And they were all white and spotless, like unto the necks of swans. And their fragrance could be perceived from the distance of a Yojana. And they were each furnished with a hundred doors wide enough to admit a crowd of persons. And they were adorned with costly beds and carpets; and beautified with various metals, they resembled the peaks of the Himavat. And in those seven-storied houses of various sizes dwelt the monarchs that were invited by Drupada—their persons adorned with every ornament and possessed with the desire of excelling one another. And the denizens of the city and the country who had come to behold Krishnā and taken their seats on the excellent platforms erected around, beheld seated within those mansions those lions among kings who were all endued with the energy of great souls. And those exalted sovereigns were all adorned with the fragrant paste of the black aloe. Of great liberality, they were all devoted to Brahma and they protected their kingdoms against all foes. And for their own good deeds they were the loved of the whole world.

"The Pandavas too, entering that amphitheatre, sat with the Brahmanas and beheld the unrivalled affluence of the king of the Panchalas. And that concourse of princes, Brahmanas, and others, looking gay with the performances of actors and dancers and in which large presents of every kind of wealth were constantly made, began to increase day by day. And it lasted, O king, for several days, till on the sixteenth day when it was at its full, the daughter of Drupada, O thou bull of the Bharata race, having washed herself clean, entered that amphitheatre, richly attired and adorned with every ornament and bearing in her hand a golden dish (whereon were the usual offerings of the Arghya) and a garland of flowers. Then the priest of the Lunar race—a holy Brahmana conversant with all mantras—igniting the sacrificial fire poured with due rites libations of clarified butter into it. And gratifying Agni by those libations and making the Brahmanas utter the auspicious formula of benediction, stopped the musical instruments that were playing all around. And when that vast amphitheatre, O monarch, became perfectly still, Dhrishta-dyumna possessing a voice deep as that of the kettle-drum on the clouds, taking hold of his sister's arm stood in the midst of that concourse, and said, with a voice loud and deep as that of the clouds, these charming words of excellent import: 'Hear ye assembled kings, this is the bow, that is the mark, and these are the arrows! Shoot the mark through the orifice of the machine by means of these five sharpened arrows! Truly do I say, that possessed of lineage, beauty of person, and strength, he that achieveth this great feat shall obtain today this my sister Krishnā as his wife!' Having spoken unto the assembled monarchs thus, Drupada's son then addressed his sister, reciting unto her the names and lineage and ahievements of those assembled lords of the earth."

Thus ends the hundred and eighty-seventh Section in the Svayamvara of the Adi Parva.