S'rî
S'uka said: 'Once, to see the sons of Pându, went the
Supreme Personality Visible to the Eye, the Possessor of all
Opulence, to Indraprastha accompanied by Yuyudhâna
[Sâtyaki, His charioteer] and
others.
S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî said: Once, the supremely opulent
Personality of Godhead went to Indraprastha to visit the
Pândavas, who had again appeared in public.
Accompanying the Lord were Yuyudhâna and other
associates. (Vedabase)
Text
2
Seeing
Him, Mukunda, the Controller of All having arrived, stood the
heroes all up at once, as if the chief of their senses, their
life-air, had returned.
When
the Pândavas saw that Lord Mukunda had arrived, those
heroic sons of Prithâ all stood up at once, like the
senses responding to the return of the life air.
(Vedabase)
Text
3
The
heroes embracing Acyuta by the contact with His body found all
their sins destroyed and experienced the joy of beholding His
face smiling affectionately.
The
heroes embraced Lord Acyuta, and the touch of His body freed
them of sin. Looking at His affectionate, smiling face, they
were overwhelmed with joy. (Vedabase)
Text
4
After
offering His obeisances at the feet of Yudhishthhira and
Bhîma [since they were older] and firmly
embracing Phâlguna
[or Arjuna, being only eight days older] He next
greeted respectfully the twin brothers [Nakula and
Sahadeva, who were younger].
After
the Lord bowed down at the feet of Yudhishthhira and
Bhîma and firmly embraced Arjuna, He accepted
obeisances from the twin brothers, Nakula and Sahadeva.
(Vedabase)
Text
5
Sitting
on an elevated seat was Krishna, slowly approached by the newly
[to the Pândavas] wed, impeccable
[Draupadî] to offer her
obeisances.
Faultless
Draupadî, the Pândavas' newly married wife,
slowly and somewhat timidly approached Lord Krishna, who sat
on an exalted seat, and offered Him her obeisances.
(Vedabase)
Text
6
Similarly
was Sâtyaki welcomed, honored and seated by the sons of
Prithâ and were also the others honored and seated
around.
Sâtyaki
also accepted a seat of honor after receiving worship and
welcome from the Pândavas, and the Lord's other
companions, being duly honored, sat down in various places.
(Vedabase)
Text
7
Going
to Kuntî offering His obeisances was He embraced by her
with her eyes wet of her extreme affection
[see also
1.8:
18-43];
inquiring after the welfare of her and her daughter-in-law
[Draupadî], inquired she on her turn as the
sister of His father [Vasudeva] in detail about His
relatives.
The
Lord then went to see His aunt, Queen Kuntî. He bowed
down to her and she embraced Him, her eyes moist with great
affection. Lord Krishna inquired from her and her
daughter-in-law, Draupadî, about their welfare, and
they in turn questioned Him at length about His relatives
[in Dvârakâ]. (Vedabase)
Text
8
With
tears in her eyes and with a throat choked up in her love for
Him who shows Himself to dispel the distress, said she,
remembering the many trials and tribulations:
So
overcome by love that her throat choked up and her eyes
filled with tears, Queen Kuntî remembered the many
troubles she and her sons had endured. Thus she addressed
Lord Krishna, who appears before His devotees to drive away
their distress. (Vedabase)
Text
9
'Only
then were we faring better when by You as a protector
remembering us, Your relatives, o Krishna, my brother
[Akrûra] was sent [see 10.49].
[Queen
Kuntî said:l My dear Krishna, our welfare was assured
only when You remembered us, Your relatives, and gave us
Your protection by sending my brother to visit us.
(Vedabase)
Text
10
For
You, the Well-wisher and Soul of the Universe, there is never
the delusion of 'ours' and 'theirs'; nonetheless do You,
situated in the heart put an end to the sufferings of those who
remember [You] continuously [see also
B.G.
9: 29].'
For
You, the well-wishing friend and Supreme Soul of the
universe, there is never any illusion of "us" and "them."
Yet even so, residing within the hearts of all, You
eradicate the sufferings of those who remember You
constantly. (Vedabase)
Text
11
Yudhishthhira
said: 'I don't know what good deeds we, of doubtful intellect,
all have performed to [be allowed to] see You, o
Supreme Controller whom the Controllers of Yoga rarely [get
to] see.'
King
Yudhishthhira said: O supreme controller, I do not know what
pious deeds we fools have done so that we can see You, whom
the masters of yogic perfection rarely see.
(Vedabase)
Text
12
Thus
by the king invited stayed He, the Almighty, happily during the
months of the rainy season [see also: 10.20]
for the eyes of the residents of Indraprastha generating
bliss.
Requested
by the King to stay with them, the almighty Lord remained
happily in Indraprastha during the months of the rainy
season, giving joy to the eyes of the city's residents.
(Vedabase)
Text
13-14
Some day
[*]
in armor mounting his chariot with the monkey [or
Hanumân] flag and taking up his Gândîva
[his bow] and two inexhaustible quivers of arrows,
entered Arjuna, the slayer of enemy heroes, in order to sport
together with Krishna a large forest filled with many beasts of
prey [see also B.G.
chapter 1].
Once
Arjuna, the slayer of powerful enemies, donned his armor,
mounted his chariot flying the flag of Hanumân, took
up his bow and his two inexhaustible quivers, and went to
sport with Lord Krishna in a large forest filled with fierce
animals. (Vedabase)
Text
15
There he shot
with his arrows tigers, boars, wild buffalo, rurus
[sort of antelopes], s'arabhas [sort of
deer], gavayas [sort of oxen], rhinoceroses,
black deer, rabbits and porcupines [see also
4.28:
26 and
5.26:
13].
With
his arrows Arjuna shot tigers, boars and buffalo in that
forest, along with rurus, s'arabhas, gavayas,
rhinoceroses, black deer, rabbits and porcupines.
(Vedabase)
Text
16
Servants to the
king carried them to be sacrificed at a special occasion
[otherwise the hunt would have been forbidden, see
9.6:
7-8] and
overcome by thirst went Bibhatsa ['the frightening one',
Arjuna] fatigued to the Yamunâ.
A
crew of servants carried to King Yudhishthhira the slain
animals fit to be offered in sacrifice on some special
occasion. Then, feeling thirsty and tired, Arjuna went to
the bank of the Yamunâ. (Vedabase)
Text
17
When the two
great chariotfighters took a bath there and drank from the
clear water, saw the two Krishna's [see
B.G.
10: 37] a
maiden walking charming to behold.
After
the two Krishnas bathed there, they drank the river's clear
water. The great warriors then saw an attractive young girl
walking nearby. (Vedabase)
Text
18
Sent by his
Friend, approached Phâlguna the exquisite woman who had
fine hips and teeth and an attractive face, and
inquired:
Sent
by his friend, Arjuna approached the exceptional young
woman, who possessed beautiful hips, fine teeth and a lovely
face, and inquired from her as follows. (Vedabase)
Text
19
'Who are you,
to whom do you belong, o slender-waisted girl, from where are
you or what are your plans; I think you're looking for a
husband, tell me all about it, o beauty!'
[Arjuna
said:] Who are you, O fine-waisted lady? Whose daughter
are you, and where do you come from? What are you doing
here? I think you must be looking for a husband. Please
explain everything, O beautiful one. (Vedabase)
Text
20
S'rî
Kâlindî said: 'I am the daughter of the demigod
Savitâ [the sungod], engaged in severe
austerities in my desire for Vishnu, the most excellent granter
of boons, as my husband [see also Gâyatrî].
S'rî
Kâlindî said: I am the daughter of the sun-god.
I desire to get as my husband the most excellent and
munificent Lord Vishnu, and to that end I am performing
severe penances. (Vedabase)
Text
21
I want no other
husband but Him, o hero, may the Abode of S'rî [the
goddess], He the Supreme Lord Mukunda, the shelter of the
helpless, be satisfied with me.
I
will accept no husband other than Him, the abode of the
goddess of fortune. May that Mukunda, the Supreme
Personality, the shelter of the helpless, be pleased with
me. (Vedabase)
Text
22
Until I meet
Acyuta, am I living in a mansion built by my father in the
Yamunâ-waters and am I thus named Kâlindî
[see also bhajan
verse 2 and
10.15:
47-52].'
I
am known as Kâlindî, and I live in a mansion my
father built for me within the water of the Yamunâ.
There I will stay until I meet Lord Acyuta.
(Vedabase)
Text
23
So
Gudâkes'a
put this before Vâsudeva who fully aware of it all lifted
her up in His chariot and drove off to king Dharma
[Yudhishthhira].
[S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî continued:l Arjuna repeated all this to
Lord Vâsudeva, who was already aware of it. The Lord
then took Kâlindî onto His chariot and went back
to see King Yudhishthhira. (Vedabase)
Text
24
For
the sons of Prithâ had Krishna [in the past], the
moment He was asked, by Vis'vakarmâ constructed a most
amazing colorful city [Indraprastha].
[Describing
a previous incident, S'ukadeva Gosvâmî
said:] Upon the request of the Pândavas, Lord
Krishna had Vis'vakarmâ build them a most wonderful
and amazing city. (Vedabase)
Text
25
The Supreme
Lord residing there for the pleasure of His devotees desired to
give to Agni the Khândava ['sugar-candy'] forest
[at Kurukshetra] and became he for that purpose
[burning down the forest] Arjuna's charioteer.
The
Supreme Lord stayed in that city for some time to please His
devotees. On one occasion, S'rî Krishna wanted to give
the Khândava forest as a gift to Agni, and so the Lord
became Arjuna's charioteer. (Vedabase)
Text
26
Pleased with
that gave Agni to Arjuna a bow and a chariot with white horses,
o King, two inexhaustible quivers of arrows and an armor
impenetrable to whatever armed opposition.
Being
pleased, O King, Lord Agni presented Arjuna with a bow, a
set of white horses, a chariot, a pair of inexhaustible
quivers, and armor that no fighter could pierce with
weapons. (Vedabase)
Text
27
Maya [the
demon] delivered from the fire presented [in
gratitude] an assembly hall to his friend [Arjuna]
in which Duryodhana took the water he saw therein for a solid
floor [so that he fell in, see 10.75].
When
the demon Maya was saved from the fire by his friend Arjuna,
Maya presented him with an assembly hall, in which
Duryodhana would later mistake water for a solid floor.
(Vedabase)
Text
28
He
[Krishna] by him [Arjuna] and His well-wishers
permitted to leave went back to Dvârakâ accompanied
by Sâtyaki and the rest of His entourage [see also
1:
10].
Then
Lord Krishna, given leave by Arjuna and other well-wishing
relatives and friends, returned to Dvârakâ with
Sâtyaki and the rest of His entourage.
(Vedabase)
Text
29
But
now married He, supremely auspicious, Kâlindî at a
day the seasons, the stars and the other luminaries were most
favorable for spreading the greatest happiness among His
people.
The
supremely auspicious Lord then married Kâlindî
on a day when the season, the lunar asterism and the
configurations of the sun and other heavenly bodies were all
propitious. In this way He brought the greatest pleasure to
His devotees. (Vedabase)
Text
30
Vindya
and Anuvindya, two kings from Avantî [Ujjain]
subservient to Duryodhana, obstructed their sister
[Mitravindâ] who was attracted to Krishna, in her
svayamvara [choice for a
husband].
Vindya
and Anuvindya, who shared the throne of Avantî, were
followers of Duryodhana's. When the time came for their
sister [Mitravindâ] to select her husband in
the svayamvara ceremony, they forbade her to choose
Krishna, although she was attracted to Him.
(Vedabase)
Text
31
Mitravindâ,
the daughter of Râjâdhidevî, His father's
sister [9.24:
28-31],
was with force, as the kings were watching, taken away by
Krishna, o King [compare 10.53].
My
dear King, Lord Krishna forcibly took away Princess
Mitravindâ, the daughter of His aunt
Râjâdhidevî, before the eyes of the rival
kings. (Vedabase)
Text
32
Of the most
religious ruler of Kaus'alya [Ayodhyâ,
see
9.10:
32]
named Nagnajit there was a divine daughter Satyâ who was
also called Nâgnajitî, o King.
O
King, Nagnajit, the very pious King of Kaus'alya, had a
lovely daughter named Satyâ, or Nâgnajitî.
(Vedabase)
Text
33
None
of the kings could marry her without defeating seven
uncontrollable bulls with the sharpest horns who vicious as
they were had no tolerance for the smell of
warriors.
The
kings who came as suitors were not allowed to marry her
unless they could subdue seven sharp-horned bulls. These
bulls were extremely vicious and uncontrollable, and they
could not tolerate even the smell of warriors.
(Vedabase)
Text
34
Hearing
of her being attainable for the one who had defeated the bulls,
went the Supreme Lord, the Master of the Sâtvatas, to the
Kaus'alya capital surrounded by a large army.
When
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of the
Vaishnavas, heard of the princess who was to be won by the
conqueror of the bulls, He went to the capital of Kaus'alya
with a large army. (Vedabase)
Text
35
The
lord of Kos'ala standing up [upon His arrival], and
worshipful seating Him with substantial offerings and so on,
was in return also greeted.
The
King of Kos'ala, pleased to see Lord Krishna, worshiped Him
by rising from his throne and offering Him a seat of honor
and substantial gifts. Lord Krishna also greeted the King
respectfully. (Vedabase)
Text
36
The
daughter of the king seeing that the suitor of her desire had
arrived prayed: 'May, provided that I keep to the vows, the
fire [of sacrifice] make my hopes come true; let Him,
the Husband of Ramâ
become my husband!
When
the King's daughter saw that most agreeable suitor arrive,
she immediately desired to have Him, the Lord of Goddess
Râma. She prayed, "May He become my husband. If I have
kept my vows, may the sacred fire bring about the
fulfillment of my hopes. (Vedabase)
Text
37
He
of Whose lotuslike feet the one from the lotus
[Brahmâ] and the master of the mountain
[S'iva] together with the various rulers of the world
hold the dust on their heads, He Who for His pastime with the
desire to protect the codes of religion that He Himself
instigated each time [that He's around] assumes a body,
with what can He, that Supreme Lord, by me be
pleased?'
"Goddess
Lakshmî, Lord Brahma, Lord S'iva and the rulers of the
various planets place the dust of His lotus feet on their
heads, and to protect the codes of religion, which He has
created, He assumes pastime incarnations at various times.
How may that Supreme Personality of Godhead become pleased
with me?" (Vedabase)
Text
38
He
[Nagnajit] said to the One worshiped further the
following: 'O Nârâyana, o Lord of the Universe,
what may I who am so insignificant do for You Filled with the
Happiness of the Soul?'
King
Nagnajit first worshiped the Lord properly and then
addressed Him: "O Nârâyana, Lord of the
universe, You are full in Your own spiritual pleasure.
Therefore what can this insignificant person do for You?"
(Vedabase)
Text
39
S'rî
S'uka said: 'O child of the Kurus, the Supreme Lord pleased to
accept a seat, with a smile spoke to him with a voice deep as a
[rumbling] cloud.
S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî said: O beloved descendant of Kuru, the
Supreme Lord was pleased, and after accepting a comfortable
seat He smiled and addressed the King in a voice as deep as
the rumbling of a cloud. (Vedabase)
Text
40
The
Supreme Lord said: 'O ruler of man, for a member of the royal
order following his own dharma is to beg for something
condemned by the learned; nevertheless do I beg for your
friendship with an eye at your daughter for whom We, though,
offer nothing in return.'
The
Supreme Lord said: O ruler of men, learned authorities
condemn begging for a person in the royal order who is
executing his religious duties. Even so, desiring your
friendship, I ask you for your daughter, though We offer no
gifts in exchange. (Vedabase)
Text
41
The
King said: 'Who else but You, o Superior Lordship, would in
this world be a groom desirable for my daughter; You, on Whose
body the Goddess resides and never leaves, are the only One
harboring the qualities!
The
King said: My Lord, who could be a better husband for my
daughter than You, the exclusive abode of all transcendental
qualities? On Your body the goddess of fortune herself
resides, never leaving You for any reason. (Vedabase)
Text
42
But,
by us has before a condition been set, o best of the
Sâtvatas, for the purpose of testing the prowess of the
suitors of my daughter who is looking for a
husband.
But
to ascertain the proper husband for my daughter, O chief of
the Sâtvatas, we previously set a condition to test
the prowess of her suitors. (Vedabase)
Text
43
These
seven wild bulls, o hero, are untamable; a great number of
princes have broken their limbs being defeated by
them.
These
seven wild bulls are impossible to tame, O hero. They have
defeated many princes, breaking their limbs.
(Vedabase)
Text
44
If
they are subdued by You o descendant of Yadu, have You my
approval as the groom for my daughter, o Husband of
S'rî.'
If
You can subdue them, O descendant of Yadu, You will
certainly be the appropriate bridegroom for my daughter, O
Lord of S'rî. (Vedabase)
Text
45
Thus
hearing of the condition set, tightened the Master His clothes
and did He, turning Himself into seven, subdue them as if it
concerned a simple game.
Upon
hearing these terms, the Lord tightened His clothing,
expanded Himself into seven forms and easily subdued the
bulls. (Vedabase)
Text
46
Tying
them up with ropes dragged S'auri them broken in their pride
and strength behind Him like He was a boy playing with a wooden
toy.
Lord
S'auri tied up the bulls, whose pride and strength were now
broken, and pulled them with ropes just as a child playfully
pulls wooden toy bulls. (Vedabase)
Text
47
The
astonished king pleased then gave Krishna his suitable daughter
who by the Supreme Lord, the Master, was accepted according the
vedic injunctions.
Then
King Nagnajit, pleased and astonished, presented his
daughter to Lord Krishna. The Supreme Personality of Godhead
accepted this suitable bride in the proper Vedic fashion.
(Vedabase)
Text
48
The
queens, with attaining Krishna as the dear husband of the
princess, felt the highest ecstasy upon which great jubilation
took hold of them.
The
King's wives felt the greatest ecstasy upon attaining Lord
Krishna as the dear husband of the royal princess, and a
mood of great festivity arose. (Vedabase)
Text
49
Conchshells,
horns and drums resounded together with songs and instrumental
music; the twice-born pronounced blessings and joyful men and
women finely dressed adorned themselves with
garlands.
Conchshells,
horns and drums resounded, along with vocal and instrumental
music and the sounds of brâhmanas, invoking blessings.
The joyful men and women adorned themselves with fine
clothing and garlands. (Vedabase)
Text
50-51
As a wedding
gift gave the mighty king ten thousand cows, three thousand
excellently dressed maidens with golden ornaments around their
necks, nine thousand elephants, a hundred times as many
chariots with a hundred times as many horses and to that a
hundred times as many men as there were horses.
As
the dowry, powerful King Nagnajit gave ten thousand cows,
three thousand young maidservants wearing golden ornaments
on their necks and bedecked in fine clothing, nine thousand
elephants, a hundred times as many chariots as elephants, a
hundred times as many horses as chariots, and a hundred
times as many manservants as horses. (Vedabase)
Text
52
He,
the king of Kos'ala, with his heart melting of affection had
the couple seated on their chariot and then sent them off
surrounded by a large army.
The
King of Kos'ala, his heart melting with affection, had the
bride and groom seated on their chariot, and then he sent
them on their way surrounded by a great army.
(Vedabase)
Text
53
Hearing
of this blocked the [rival] kings, in their strength
just as broken by the Yadus as the bulls were before, incapable
of accepting the frustration the road along which He was taking
His bride.
When
the intolerant kings who had been rival suitors heard what
had happened, they tried to stop Lord Krishna on the road as
He took His bride home. But just as the bulls had broken the
kings' strength before, the Yadu warriors broke it now.
(Vedabase)
Text
54
They,
releasing volleys of arrows, were by Arjuna, the wielder of
Gândîva who acted like a lion in his desire to
please his Friend, driven back like they were
vermin.
Arjuna,
wielder of the Gândîva bow, was always eager to
please his friend Krishna, and thus he drove back those
opponents, who were shooting torrents of arrows at the Lord.
He did this just as a lion drives away insignificant
animals. (Vedabase)
Text
55
The
son of Devakî, the Supreme Lord and Chief of the Yadus,
taking the dowry with Him then arrived in Dvârakâ
where He lived happily with Satyâ.
Lord
Devakî-suta, the chief of the Yadus, then took His
dowry and Satyâ to Dvârakâ and continued
to live there happily. (Vedabase)
Text
56
Bhadrâ
a princess of Kaikeya and daughter of S'rutakîrti, His
father's sister, was by her brothers headed by Santardana
[see 9.24:
38]
given in marriage to Krishna.
Bhadrâ
was a princess of the Kaikeya kingdom and the daughter of
Lord Krishna's paternal aunt S'rutakîrti. The Lord
married Bhadrâ when her brothers, headed by
Santardana, offered her to Him. (Vedabase)
Text
57
The Lord also
married Lakshmanâ, the daughter of the King of Madra who
was endowed with all good qualities; she was by Krishna at
her svayamvara ceremony by Him single-handedly taken
away, just like Garuda once stole the nectar away from the
demigods [see also 10.83:
17-39].
Then
the Lord married Lakshmanâ, the daughter of the King
of Madra. Krishna appeared alone at her svayamvara
ceremony and took her away, just as Garuda once stole the
demigods' nectar.
(Vedabase)
Text
58
After killing
Bhaumâsura [***]
became thousands of other just as beautiful women who by him
were taken captive, Krishna's wives.'
Lord
Krishna also acquired thousands of other wives equal to
these when He killed Bhaumâsura and freed the
beautiful maidens the demon was holding captive.
(Vedabase)
*
In sum Krishna wed 16008 wives: 1: Rukminî, 2
Jâmbavatî, 3 Satyabhâmâ, 4
Kâlindî, 5 Mitravindâ, 6
Satyâ (Nâgnajitî), 7 Bhadrâ, 8
Lakshmanâ, as discussed in 10.83:
17
and the 1600o wives held captive by
Bhaumâsura.
** A
date after the burning of the Khândava forest that is
referred to later in verse 25.
***
A demon according the Vishnu-purâna born as a consequence
of Lord Varâha touching mother earth when He lifted her
up from the ocean [see 3.13:
31].