Subhadra Harana Parva — Birth of Pandu princes

Vaishampayana said : When the powerful Vrishnis all began to speak in this strain, then Vasudeva (Krishna) spoke these words of deep import and true morality.

Gudakesha (Arjuna) has not insulted our family by what he has done. There is no doubt he has enhanced our glory.

Partha knows that we are never mercenary. The Pandava (Arjuna) also regards Svyaimvara as doubtful in its results.

Who also would approved of accepting a bride in gift as if she were an animal? What man again is there on earth who would sell his offsprings?

I think the son of Kunti (Arjuna) saw these faults in all other methods, therefore the Pandava took the maiden away by force according to ordinance.

This alliance is very proper. Subhadra is an illustrious girl and so is Partha. Thinking all this, he has taken her away by force. a

Who is there that would not desire to have Arjuna as a friend? He is born in the race of Bharata and the illustrious Shantanu and he is also the son of the daughter of Kuntibhoja.

I do not see such a man in all the worlds, even with Indra and the Rudras, who can vanquish him in battle except the three eyed deity Shiva. His car is well known; my steeds are now yoked to it. Partha as a warrior is also well known and his lightness of hand too is well known. Who shall be equal to him? Go cheerfully to Dhananjaya; stop him by conciliation and bring him back. This is my opinion.

If Partha goes away to his city (Indraprastha) by defeating us, our fame will be destroyed. But there is no disgrace in conciliation.

O king, having heard these words of Vasudeva, they did as he directed.

Stopped by them, the lord Arjuna returned to Dvarka and he was then united with Subhadra in marriage.

Having worshipped by the Vrishnis, the son of Kunti remained for a year in Dvarka, sporting there at pleasure. The lord (Arjuna) passed the last portion of his excite at Pushkara. When twelve years were thus complete, he came back of Khandavaprastha.

He went to Yudhishthira and worshipped him first; he then worshipped the Brahmanas and at last he went to Draupadi.

Draupadi, out of jealousy, thus spoke to that descendant of Kuru, Arjuna, “O son of Kunti, go there where the daughter of the Satvata race is.

A second always relaxes the first one, however strong it might be.” Thus Krishna (Draupadi) lamented in various strains and Dhananjaya (Arjuna) comforted her, asking again and again her forgiveness. Coming to Subhadra attired in red silk, Partha sent her (into the inner apartments) dressed in the grab of a cow-herd women. The illustrious lady looked handsome even in that dress.

Arriving at that best of houses, that wife of a hero, the best of women, the illustrious Bhadra (Subhadra) of large and radish eyes worshipped Pritha.

Out of excessive affection Kunti sinelt the head of that maiden of perfectly charming features and she then pronounced infinite blessings upon her.

Then that damsel of the face like the full moon, Bhadra, soon went to Draupadi and worshipped her saying, "I am your maid."

Krishna hastily rose and embraced the sister of Madhava; and out of affection she then said, “Let you husband be without a rival."

Bhadra then with a delightful heart said to her, “But it so." O Janamejaya, from that time, those great car-warriors the Pandavas, lived happily and Kunti also became vary happy. Having heard that the best of the Pandavas Arjuna, had reached that excellent city, Indraprastha, the lotus-eyed and pure-souled Keshava (Krishna) came there with Rama (Baladeva),

And the other heroes and great carwarriors of the Vrishni and the Andhaka races and his brothers and sons and many other warriors.

That chastiser of foes, Shauri, came with a large army and there also came that chastiser of foes, that exceedingly liberal, greatly intelligent and illustrious commander-in-chief of the Vrishni heroes, Akrura. (There also came) the greatly illustrious Uddhava.

Who was a man of great soul and great intelligence, like a disciple of Brihaspati himself. (There also came) Satyaka and Satyaki and Kritavarmana and Satvata,

Pradyumna, Samba, Nishatha and Shanku, Chandrasena, the greatly powerful Jhilli, Vipritha, the mighty armed Sarana the foremost of all learned men Gada.

These and many other Vrishni, Bhojas and Andhakas came to Indraprastha, bringing with them many bridal presents.

Hearing that Madhava (Krishna) had come, the king Yudhishthira sent the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva) to receive him.

Having been welcomed by them, the Vrishni heroes of great prosperity entered Khandavaprastha which was well-adorned with flags and standards.

The street were well-swept and waters; they were adorned with floral wreathes and bunches, sprinkled over with cooling and fragrant Sandal-wood-water.

Every part of the town was full of the sweet scent of burning aloes. The whole city was full of happy and healthy people and adorned with traders and merchants.

That best of men, the mighty-armed Keshava (Krishna) with Rama and many of the Vrishni, Bhoja and Andhaka races entered the town and was worshipped by thousands of citizens and Brahmanas. He then entered the king's palace which was like the palace of Indra hiinself.

Yudhishthira received Rama with all due ceremonies and the king embraced Keshava with both his arms ad smelt his head.

Being much pleased with the reception, Govinda (Krishna) worshipped him (Yudhishthira) with all humility. He duly worshipped that best of men Bhima.

The son of Kunti, Yudhishthira, then welcomed with all due ceremonies all the other chief men of the Vrishni and the Andhaka races.

He worshipped some as his superiors, he welcomed others as his equals; he received some with affection and he worshipped others with reverence.

Then the illustrious Hrishikesha (Krishna) gave much wealth to the bridge groom's party. He gave to the illustrious Subhadra all the bridal presents given to her by her relatives.

(He gave the Pandavas) one thousand golden cars adorned with rows of bells, to each of which were yoked four steeds driven by well-trained charioteers.

Ten thousand well complexioned kine, belonging to the country of Mathura and yielding much milk were also presented (o the Pandavas) by Krishna.

Being very much pleased, Janardana (Krishna) gave them one thousand moon-like with golden harnesses.

(He also gave them) one thousand mules of white colour with black manes, all possessing the speed of wind and all well trained.

(He gave them also) one thousand of skin perfectly polished, all young and virgin, all well-attired and of excellent complexion, each wearing one hundred pieces of gold round her neck, adorned with all ornaments and wellskilled in saving at bath and at drink and in every kind of service.

Janardana (Krishna) also gave them as an excellent dowry of the bride, hundreds of thousands of horses, brought from the country of Balhikas.

Janardana gave her (Subhadra) as her dowry ten loads of first class gold, possessing the splendour of fire; some portions of were purified and some portions in original state.

The wielder of plough his weapon, the lover of heroism, Rama, gave Partha as his nuptial present one thousand elephants with secretions flowing in three streams from the thrce parts of their bodies, each as large as a mountain., each irresistible in battle, each decked with coverlets. Well adorned with everringing bells and other golden ornaments and cach equipped with excellent haudhas on its back. The large number of gems and the large quantity of wealth presented by the Yadavas looked like a sea, of which the cloths and blankets were the foams, the elephants were the alligators and sharks and the flags the floating weeds.

The sea, thus swelling into large proportions, mingled with the ocean of wealth of the Pandavas. It was filled to the brim to the great sorrow of all their foes. Dharmaraja Yudhishthira accepted all these presents and worshipped all those great warriors of the Vrishni and Andhaka raccs.

Those illustrious of the Kuru, Vrishni and Andhaka races passed their time all in merriment and in pleasure, as do the virtuous inen in heaven (after their death).

The Kurus and the Vrishnis sported there with joyous hearts, often shouting and clapping their hands.

Thus passing many days in pleasure and worshipped and entertained by the Kurus, the greatly effulgent Vrishni heroes then returned to the city of Dvaravati.

The great warriors of the Vrishni and the Andhaka races, placing Rama at their head and carrying with them all those brilliant gems presented to them by the excellent Kuru, set out (for their own city).

O descendant of Bharata, the high-souled Vasudeva (Krishna however) remained with Arjuna in the charming city of Indraprastha.

That greatly illustrious hero roamed along the banks of Yamuna in search of deer. he sported and hunted with Kiriti (Arjuna), piercing deer and wild boars with his arrows.

Then Subhadra, the beloved sister of Krishna, gave birth to an illustrious son, like Pauloma's daughter (Sachi) giving birth to Jayanta (son of Indra).

He was of long arms, broad chest and bulllike eyes; that chastiser of focs, that best of men, that hero, the son of Subhadra, was named Abhimanyu.

That best of the Bharata race, that chastiser of foes, that son of Arjuna, was called Abhimanyu, because he was fearless and wrathful.

That great hero was begotten by Dhananjaya on the maiden of the Satvata race, like fire produced by rubbing in a sacrifice from within the Sami wood.

O descendant of Bharata on the birth of this child the powerful son of Kunti, Yudhishthira, gave away to the Brahmanas ten thousand kine and many thousand gold coins.

The child became a favourite of Vasudeva from his earliest years and of his father and uncles. He shone like the moon become and the favourite of all the people.

Krishna performed all the usual rites of infancy on his birth. The child began to grow up like the moon in the white fortnight.

That chastiser of foes learnt from Arjuna the science of arms with its four branches and ten divisions, both human and celestials; and he also became in the Vedas.

That powerful boy (Abhimanyu) became equal to his father in counteracting the weapons hurled upon him, in great lightness of hands, in fleetness of inotion, forward and backward and in traversing and wheeling. Seeing his son, the son of Subhadra, (so skillful in arms), Dhananjaya became exceedingly happy.

He possessed the power of crushing all his enemies-he had every auspicious mark on his body; he was invincible in battle and as broad shouldered as a bull; he had a face like that of a snake,

He was as proud as the lion, he was a great powerful as a mad elephant. His voice was like that of the roars of clouds and his face was like that of the full moon.

He was equal to Krishna in bravery, in energy, in beauty and in features. Vivatsu (Arjuna) saw his son as if he was Maghavata himself.

The auspicious Panchala princess also obtained five heroic, excellent and mountainsons from the five Pandavas.

Prativindhya begotten by Yudhishthira, Sutasoma by Vrikodara, Shrutakarmana by Arjuna, Shatanika by Nakula and Shrutasena by Sahadeva; they were all great car-warriors. The Panchala princess gave birth to these five heroes, as Aditi gave birth to the Adityas.

The Brahmanas from their for-knowledge said to Yudhishthira, that because that son of his would be capable of bring like the Vindhya mountains the weapons of the foe, he should be called Prativindhyas. was

Because the child that Draupadi bore to Bhimsena was born after Bhima had performed one thousand Soma sacrifices, he should be called the great bow-man Sutasoma.

Because Arjuna's son was born on his relurn from exile during which he had achieved many celebrated feats, that child came to be called Shrutakarma.

Nakula's son was named Shatanika after a royal sage of that name in the illustrious race of Kuru.

And because the son, Draupadi bore to Sahadeva, was born under the constellation, called Vahni Daivata, therefore he was called after the commander-in-chief of the celestials ariny, Shrutasena.

The sons of Draupadi were all born each at the interval of year. all of them became renowned and was much attached to one another.

O king, all their rites of infancy and childhood according to the ordinance, such as Chudakarana and Upanayana, were duly performed by Dhaumya.

After having studied the Vedas, those princes of excellent behaviour and vow learnt from Arjuna the use of all the weapons, both celestials and human.

O best of kings, having obtained sons, all of whom were celestials, all of whom possessed broad chests and all whom became great warriors, the Pandavas became exceedingly happy.