The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section 223

Section CCXXIII. *( Harana-harana Parva. )* Vaisampayana said, "When the heroes of the Vrishni race began to speak repeatedly in this strain, Vāsudeva then uttered these words of deep import and consistent with true morality. 'Gudā-kesha (the conqueror of sleep or he of the curly hair), by what he hath done, hath not insulted our family. He hath, without doubt, rather enhanced our respect. Pārtha knoweth that we of the Sātwata race are never mercenary. The son of Pandu also regardeth a Swayamvara as doubtful in its results. Who also would approve of accepting a bride in gift as if she were an animal? What man also is there on earth who would sell his offspring? I think Arjuna seeing these faults in all the other methods took the maiden away by force, according to the ordinance. This alliance is very proper. Subhadrā is a renowned girl. Pārtha too possesseth renown. Perhaps, thinking of all this Arjuna hath taken her away by force. Who is there that would not desire to have Arjuna for a friend born in the race of Bharata and of the renowned Shāntanu, and the son also of the daughter of Kunti-bhoja? I do not see, in all the worlds with Indra and the Rudras, the person that can by force vanquish Pārtha in battle, except the three-eyed god Mahādeva. His car is well-known. And yoked thereunto are those horses of mine. Pārtha as a warrior is well-known, as also his lightness of hand. Who shall be equal to him? Even this is my opinion: Go ye cheerfully after Dhananjaya and by conciliation stop him and bring him back. If Pārtha goes to his city after having vanquished us by force, our fame will be gone. There is no disgrace, however, in conciliation.' Hearing, O monarch, these words of Vāsudeva, they did as he directed. And stopped by them, Arjuna returned to Dwārakā and was united in marriage with Subhadrā. And worshipped by the sons of the Vrishni race, Arjuna, sporting there as he pleased, passed a whole year in Dwāraka. And the last years of his exile the exalted one passed at the sacred region of Pushkara. And after the twelve years were complete, he came back to Khāndava-prastha. And he approached the king first and then worshipped the Brahmanas with respectful attention. At last the hero went unto Draupadi. And Draupadi from jealousy spake unto him, saying, 'Why tarriest thou here, O son of Kunti! Go where the daughter of the Sātwata race is! A second tie always relaxeth the first one upon a bundle!' And Krishnā lamented much in this strain. But Dhananjaya pacified her and repeatedly asked for forgiveness. And returning soon unto where Subhadrā was, attired in red silk, Arjuna sent her into the inner apartments dressed (not as a queen but) in the simple garb of a cowherd woman. But arrived at the palace the renowned Subhadrā looked handsomer in that dress. And the renowned Bhadrā of large and slightly red eyes first worshipped Prithā. And Kunti from excess of affection smelt the head of that girl of every feature perfectly faultless, and pronounced infinite blessings upon her. Then that girl of face like the full moon hastily went unto Draupadi and worshipped her, saying, 'I am thy maid!' And Krishnā rose up hastily and embraced the sister of Mādhava from affection, and said, 'Let thy husband be without a foe!' And Bhadrā with a delighted heart said unto Draupadi. 'So be it!' And from that time, O Janamejaya, those great warriors—the Pandavas—began to live in happiness, and Kunti also became very happy." Vaisampayana continued, "When that oppressor of all foes, Keshava of pure soul and eyes like lotus leaves, heard that the foremost of the Pandavas, Arjuna, had reached his own excellent city of Indraprastha, he came there accompanied by Rama and the heroes and great warriors of the Vrishni and Andhaka tribes, and by his brothers and sons and many other brave warriors. And Sauri came accompanied by a large army that protected him. And there came along with Sauri, that oppressor of all foes, the exceedingly liberal Akura of great intelligence and renown, the commander of the brave Vrishni host. And there also came Anādhrishti of great prowess, and Uddhava of great renown, of great intelligence, of great soul, and a disciple of Vrihaspati himself (in morals). And soul, and a disciple of Vrihaspati himself (in morals). And there also came Satyaka and Sātyaki and Kritavarmā and Satwata; and Pradyumna and Nishatha and Shankara; and Chārudeshna, and Jhilli of great prowess, and Viprithy also; and Sārana, and Gada of mighty arms and the foremost of learned men. These and many other Vrishnis and Bhojas and Andhakas came to Indraprastha bringing with them many nuptial presents. And king Yudhish-thira, hearing that Mādhava had arrived, sent the twins out to receive him. And received by them, the Vrishni host of great prosperity entered Khāndava-prastha well-adorned with flags and ensigns. And the streets were well-swept and watered, and decked with floral wreaths and bunches. And they were sprinkled over with sandal wood water that was fragrant and cooling. And every part of the town was filled with the sweet scent of burning aloes. And the city was full of joyous and healthy people and adorned with merchants and traders. And that best of men, Keshava of mighty arms, accompanied by Rāma and many of the Vrishnis, Andhakas, and Bhojas, having entered the town, was worshipped by the citizens and the Brahmanas by thousands. And he at last entered the palace of the king which was like unto the mansion of Indra himself. And beholding Rama, Yudhish-thira received him with due ceremonies. And the king smelt the head of Keshava and embraced him with both his arms. And Govinda, gratified with the reception, humbly worshipped Yudhish-thira. And he also paid homage unto Bhima, that tiger among men. And Yudhish-thira the son of Kunti also received the other principal men of the Vrishni and Andhaka tribes with due ceremonies. And Yudhish-thira reverentially worshipped some as his superiors, and welcomed others as equals. And some he received with affection and by some he was worshipped with reverence. And Hrishikesha of great renown then gave unto the party of the bridegroom much wealth. And unto Subhadrā he gave the nuptial presents that had been given to her by her relatives. And Krishna gave unto the Pandavas a thousand cars of gold furnished with rows of bells, and unto each of which were yoked four horses driven by well-trained charioteers. And he also give unto them ten thousand kine belonging to the country of Mathura, and yielding much milk and all of excellent complexion. And Janārddana well-pleased, also gave them a thousand mares with gold-harnesses and of color white as the rays of the moon. And he also gave them a thousand mules, all well-trained and possessing the speed of the wind, and of white color with black manes. And he of eyes like lotus leaves also gave unto them a thousand damsels well-skilled in assisting at the operations of bathing and at drinking, young in years and virgins all before their first season, well-attired and of excellent complexion, each wearing a hundred pieces of gold around her neck, without the hirsute growth of youth, decked in every ornament, and well-skilled in every kind of personal service. And Janārddana also gave unto them hundreds of thousands of draught horses from the country of the Vālhikas as Subhadrā's excellent dower. And Janārddana of the Dāsārha race also gave unto Subhadrā as her pecculium ten carrier-loads of first class gold possessing the splendour of fire, both purified and in a state of ore. And Ramā having the plough for his weapon and always loving bravery gave unto Arjuna as nuptial present a thousand elephants with the juice flowing in three streams from the three parts of their bodies (the temple, the ears, and the anus), each large as a mountain suimmit, irresistible in battle, decked with coverlets and ever ringing bells, well-adorned with other golden ornaments, and furnished with excellent *howdas* (thrones on the back). And that large wave of wealth and gems that the Yādavas presented, together with the cloths and blankets that represented its foam, and the elephants its alligators and sharks, and the flags its floating plants, swelling to large proportions, mingled with the Pandu ocean and filled it to the brim to the great sorrow of all foes. And Yudhish-thira accepted all those presents and worshipped all those great warriors of the Vrishni and Andhaka races. And those illustrious heroes of the Kuru, Vrishni, and Andhaka races passed their days in pleasure and merriment there like virtuous men (after death) in the celestial regions. And the Kurus and the Vrishnis with joyous hearts amused themselves there, sending up at times loud shouts mixed with clappings of the hand. And thus spending many days in sports and merriment there, and worshipped by the Kurus all the while, those Vrishni heroes endued with great energy then returned to the city of Dwārāvati. And the great warriors of the Vrishni and the Andhaka race set out with Rama in the van, carrying with them those gems of the purest rays that had been given them by the best of the Kurus. And, O Bhārata, the high-souled Vāsudeva remained there with Arjuna in that delightful city of Indra-prastha. And the illustrious one wandered over the banks of the Yamuna in search of deer. And he sported with Kiriti (Arjuna) piercing with his shafts deer and wild boars. Then Subhadrā their favorite sister of Keshava gave birth to an illustrious son, like Puloma's daughter (the queen of heaven) bringing forth Jayanta. And the son that Subhadrā brought fourth was of long arms, broad chest, and eyes large as those of a bull. And that hero and oppressor of all foes came to be called Abhimanyu. And the son of Arjuna, that grinder of foes and bull among men, was called Abhimanyu, because he was fearless and wrathful. And that great warrior was begotten upon the daughter of the Sātwata race by Dhananjaya, like fire produced in a sacrifice from within the *shami* wood by the process of rubbing. And upon the birth of this child, Yudhish-thira the powerful son of Kunti, gave away unto the Brahmanas ten thousand kine and coins of gold. And the child from his earliest years became the favorite of Vāsudeva and of his father and uncles, like the moon unto all the people of the earth. And upon his birth, Krishna performed the usual rites of infancy. And the child began to grow up like the moon in the lighted fortnight. And that grinder of foes soon became conversant with the Vedas and acquired from his father the science of weapons both celestial and human, consisting of four branches and ten divisions. And endued with great strength, the child also acquired the knowledge of counteracting the weapons hurled at him by others, and lightness of hand, and fleetness of motion forwards and backwards and transverse and wheeling. And Abhimanyu became like unto his father in knowledge of the Shāstras and rites of religion. And Dhananjaya, beholding his son, became filled with joy. And like Maghavān beholding Arjuna, the latter beheld his son Abhimanyu and became exceedingly happy. And Abhimanyu possessed the power of slaying every foe and bore on his person every auspicious mark. And he was invincible in war and broad-shouldered as the bull. And possessing a broad face as (the hood) of the snake, his pride was as that of the lion. And wielding a large bow, his prowess was like that of an elephant in rut. And possest of a face handsome as the full moon, and a voice deep as that of the drum or of the clouds, he was equal unto Krishna in bravery and energy, in beauty and features. And the auspicious Pānchāli also, from her five husbands, obtained five sons who were all heroes of the foremost rank and immovable in battle like five hills. Pratibindhya by Yudhish-thira, Sutasoma by Vrikodara, Srutakarmā by Arjuna, Shatānika, by Nakula and Srutasena by Sahadeva,—these were the five heroes and great warriors that Pānchāli brought forth, like Aditi bringing forth the Adityas. And the Brahmanas, from their fore-knowledge, said unto Yudhish-thira, that because that son of his would be capable of bearing like the Vindhya mountain the weapons of the foe, therefore should he called *Prativindhya.* And because the child that Draupadi bore to Bhima-sena was born after Bhima had performed a thousand *Soma* sacrifices, he came to be called *Sutasoma.* And because Arjuna's son was born upon his return from exile during which he had achieved many celebrated feats, that child came to be called *Sruta-karma.* And Nakula named his son *Shatanika* after a royal sage of that name in the illustrious race of Kuru. And because the son that Draupadi bore to Sahadeva was born under the constellation called Vahni-daivata (Kirtikā), therefore was he called after the generalissimo of the celestial host, *Sruta-sena* (Kārtikeya). And the sons of Draupadi were born, each at the interval of one year. And all of them became renowned and much attached to one another. And, O monarch, all their rites of infancy and child-hood such as *Chuda-karana* and *Upanayana* (shaving of the head with but one lock and investiture with the sacred thread) were performed by Dhaumya according to the ordinance. And all of them, of excellent behaviour and vows, after having studied the Vedas, acquired from Arjuna knowledge of all weapons celestial and human. And, O thou tiger among kings, the Pandavas, having obtained sons all of whom were equal unto the children of the celestials and endued with broad chests, and all of whom became great warriors, were filled with joy!" Thus ends the two hundred and twenty-third Section in the Haranā-harana of the Adi Parva.