SECTION CCI
( Vaivahika Parva continued )
Vaisampayana said, "King Drupada, after his alliance with the
Pandavas, had all his fears dispelled. Indeed, the monarch no longer
stood in fear even of the gods. The ladies of the illustrious Drupada's
household approached Kunti and introduced themselves unto her, mentioning
their respective names, and worshipped her feet with heads
touching the ground. Krishna also, attired in red silk and her wrists
still encircled with the auspicious thread, saluting her mother-in-law
with reverence, stood contentedly before her with joined palms, Pritha,
out of affection, pronounced a blessing upon her daughter-in-law
endued with great beauty and every auspicious mark and possessed
of a sweet disposition and good character, saying, Be thou unto thy
husband as Sachi unto Indra, Swaha unto Vibhavasu, Rohini unto
Soma, Damayanti unto Nala, Bhadra unto Vaisravana, Arundhati unto
Vasistha, Lakshmi unto Narayana ! O amiable one, be thou the mother
of long-lived and heroic children, and possessed of everything that
can make thee happy ! Let luck and prosperity ever wait on thee I
Wait thou ever on husbands engaged in the performance of grand sacrifices.
Be thou devoted to thy husbands. And let thy days be ever
passed in duly entertaining and reverencing guests and strangers
arrived at thy abode, and the pious and the old ; children and superiors.
Be thou installed as the Queen of the kingdom and the capital of
Kurujangala, with thy husband Yudhishthira the just ! O daughter,
let the whole Earth, conquered by the prowess of thy husbands endued
with great strength, be given away by thee unto Brahmanas at
horse-sacrifice ! O accomplished one, whatever gems there are on earth,
possessed of superior virtues, obtain them, O luckly one, and be thou
happy for a hundred full years 1 And, O daughter-in-law, as I rejoice
to-day beholding thee attired in red silk, so shall I rejoice again, when,
O accomplished one, I behold thee become the mother of a son !'
Vaisampayana continued, "After the sons of Pandu had been
married, Hari (Krishna) sent unto them (as presents) various gold ornaments
set with pearls and black gems (lapis lazuli). And Madhava
(Krishna) also sent unto them costly robes manufactured in various
countries, and many beautiful and soft blankets and hides of great value,
and many costly beds and carpets and vehicles. He also sent them
vessels by hundreds, set with gems and diamonds. And Krishna also
gave them female servants by thousands, brought from various countries, and endued with beauty, youth and accomplishments and decked with
every ornament. He also gave them many well-trained elephants
brought from the country of Madras, and many excellent horses
in costly harness, cars drawn by horses of excellent colours and large
teeth* The slayer of Madhu, of immeasurable soul, also sent them coins
af pure gold by crores upon crores in separate heaps. And Yudhishthira
the just, desirous of gratifying Govinda, accepted all those presents with
great joy."
Thus ends the two hundred and first section in the Vaivahika
Parva of the Adi Parva.