Chapter 83 - Narration of Their Marriage Episodes by Kṛṣṇa’s Consorts

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Śuka said:

1. The glorious Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa who was the spiritual preceptor as well as the goal (to be attained), showered his grace on the Gopīs in that way (described in the previous Chapter). Thereupon (secondarily) he made enquiries about the welfare of Yudhiṣṭhira and all other friends and well wishers.

2. They were kindly enquired after and were duly- honoured (with various presents). Their sins were destroyed at the very sight of the Lord’s feet. With their minds full of joy they replied:

3. “O Lord, whence can anything inauspicious befall them who with (the goblets of) their ears, drink to their heart’s content the nectar of your lotus-feet (making them forget all their griefs with its intoxicating effects)^[1] the nectar which (after filling the heart of the great-souled persons and having been thoroughly enjoyed by them) flows out of the heart through their lips on some occasions (in the form of the glorification of his sportive actions). It is this nectar which rids all embodied beings of Nescience which is the root-cause of the repeated mundane existence (Lit. assuming bodies repeatedly).

4. We stand offering our salutions to you only (leaving all our attachment to our bodies and household properties^[2]). By the effulgence of spiritual knowledge, you have shaken off (and are untouched by) the three states (of wakefulness, dream and dream-less sleep) produced by contact with the mind. Hence, you are a flood (or fathomless and limitless ocean) of blissfulness; you are the Absolute and infinite intelligence. You have assumed a (human) form through your Yogic potency for the protection of the Vedas (which were lost or whose influence disappeared) through the force of the Time-spirit. You are the ultimate goal (or abode) which the recluses of the highest order aspire to reach.

The sage (Śuka) resumed:

5. While people (like Yudhiṣṭhira and others) were glorifying in songs the praise of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the crest-jewel among persons of hallowing renown (or the utterance of whose names is auspicious), the ladies of Andhaka (Yādava) and Kaurava families met together and narrated to each other the stories of Śrī Kṛṣṇa which are sung all over the worlds. Please listen as I shall describe them to you.

Draupadī asked:

6-7.^[3] O Rukmiṇī who are never separate from Lord Kṛṣṇa, Bhadrā, Jāmbavatī, Kausalā, Satyabhāmā, Kālindī, Śaibyā, Rohiṇī^[4], Lakṣmaṇā—O consorts of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, be pleased to tell us this—how did Śrī Kṛṣṇa who is the embodiment of God himself, come to espouse you imitating the ways of ordinary mortals, through his own Māyā Potency.

Rukmiṇī replied:

8. Like a lion taking away its share (prey) from the herds of goats and sheep, the Lord carried me away, placing his foot on the heads (lit. covering with the dust of his feet the heads) of invincible warrior princes (like Jarāsandha, allies of Śiśupāla) who determined to make me over (in marriage) to Śiśupāla, stood (ready to fight) raising up their bows (and arms). May those feet of Lord Kṛsṇa, the abode of Śrī (goddess of beauty and wealth), be available to me for worship, forever.

Satyabhāmā said:

9. In order to (disprove and) wipe out the charge (of murder of Prasena) imputed (to him) by my father whose heart was extremely grieved at the death of his brother (Prasena), the Lord vanquished Jāmbavān, the king of bears, and bringing back from him the (syamantaka) gem restored it to my father. Afraid of the consequences (of the false allegations made against Kṛṣṇa and in order to pacify him), my father offered me to him even though I was promised (to be given in marriage) to another (Akrūra).

Jāmbavatī said:

10. My father could not recognize him (Lord Kṛṣṇa) to be his (former) Master and deity, Rāmacandra, the husband of Sītā. He fought with him for twenty seven days. When he stood the test, my father came to know him, (to be no other than Rāmacandra). Then he (my father) took hold of his feet and offered me along with the jewel as a present. (O Draupadī) I am not very great. I am his female slave.

Kālindī said:

11. Having come to know that I am performing penance in the hope of (getting the privilege of) touching his feet, he approached me through his friend (Arjuna) and accepted my hand in marriage. I am just a sweeper (a female servant) in his house.

Bhadrā said:

12. Attending my svayaṃvara and defeating my brothers and kings who offered resistance, my Lord carried me away to his capital (Dvārakā) just as a lion seizes away his share (prey) from a pack of hounds. May I have the good luck of washing the feet of him who is the abode of the goddess Śrī, in every birth.

Saṭyā said:

13. In order to put to test the prowess of the kings (who came as suitors for my hand), my father procured seven extremely mighty, energetic bulls with very sharp (pointed) horns. These bulls humiliated the pride of dauntless warriors. The Lord (however) quickly controlled them (by putting a string through their nose) and yoked them playfully as children do with lambs.

14. He won me as a prize for his prowess. He vanquished the kings who way-layed us and brought to Dvārakā me along with my maid-servants and an army of four divisions, (consisting of elephants, chariots, horses and infantry). May I ever be blest with the fortune of serving him.

Mitravindā said:

15. O Draupadī, my father of his own accord invited Kṛṣṇa who is my maternal cousin and as my mind was (attached to and) fixed on him, gave me in marriage to him along with my maids of honour and an akṣauhiṇi of army.

16. May I be blest with the opportunity of serving his feet (lit. touch of his feet! in every birth whenever I may be tossed by my Karman. That touch of his feet) will confer on me the highest good (Mokṣa).

Lakṣmaṇā said:

17. O Queen (Draupadi)! By frequently hearing about the miraculous incarnation and deeds of the Lord as glorified by Nārada in songs and duly considering (to myself) that the Lord is chosen as a consort by goddess Lakṣmī^[5] discarding (Indra and other) guardians of the spheres,^[6] I set my heart on him.

18. O chaste Lady, my father who is well known as Bṛhatsena is very affectionate to his daughter (to me). When he came to know my wish, he contrived a plan to fulfill it.

19. O queen, just as at the time of your svayaṃvara the device of an artificial fish was contrived with the desire of securing Arjuna (for you), in my case, the fish was covered from outside and only its reflection in water was visible.

20. Hearing of this svayaṃvara, thousands of kings experts in the secrets of missiles, archery and of arms and accompanied by their preceptors came from all sides to my father’s capital.

21. They were received with honour by my father with due regard to their seniority in prowess and age. With their hearts set on me, they all took up the bow and the arrow kept in the assembly to hit the target.

22. Some kings who took up the bow were unable to string the bow and left it. Some (who could string the bow) could pull it upto their elbow (but were unable to fix the string on the other end) fell down struck by the bow.

23. Other warriors like the kings of Magadha (Jarāsandha) Cedi (Śiśupāla) Ambaṣṭha, Bhīma, Duryodhana and Karṇa were able to fix the string on the bow but could not know the location of the fish.

24. Arjuna became ready. He located the fish from its reflection in the water and discharged the arrow, but it just touched the fish at tangent and did not pierce through it.

25. 26. When the proud kings found their pride crushed (thus humiliated), they retired to their seats. Lord Kṛṣṇa took up the bow, strung it easily (as in a sport), fixed an arrow on it. Looking at the reflection of the fish in water (with that arrow) he felled it on the ground. At that time the sun was at the meredian.^[7]

27. Drums were sounded in the sky while shouts of victory were raised on the earth. Gods were transported with joy and sent forth showers of flowers.

28. With anklets jingling sweetly at my feet (while I moved), dressed in a (specially prepared) rich silk Sāri and a similar costly upper garment decorated with a wreath of flowers in my braid (of hair) and holding forth a brilliant necklace of jewels wrought in gold in my hands, I entered the arena beaming with a bashful smile.

29. Lifting up my face beautiful with thick tresses of curly hair over-hanging and the cheeks illuminated by the brilliance of the ear-rings, I looked round at the (assembled) kings with a gentle smile and side-long glances and with my heart deep in love with the Lord, I (slowly approached him and) softly placed the necklace round his neck.

30. At that time mṛdaṅgas, tabors, conchs, drums and kettle-drums were sounded. Dancers (both male and female) began to dance and songsters began to sing.

31. When I selected Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa (as my consort) the rival kings being overcome with lust for me, did not tolerate it, O Draupadī.

32. Placing me in the chariot drawn by (jewel-like) excellent four horses, the four-armed Lord, completely accoutered with armour, raised his Śārṅga bow and became ready to fight.

33. Dāruka (the charioteer) drove the gold plated Chariot while all the suitor-kings were merely looking on and he set out for Dvārakā with me, just as a lion proceeds (with his prey) through a pack of deer, O queen.

34. Like dogs trying to obstruct a Lion, those Kṣattriya princes, with a view to ambush him on the way, girded up their lions, raised their bows and pursued him.

35. With their arms, thighs and necks lopped off by the flood of arrows discharged from the Śārṅga bow, some kings fell in that fight while others withdrawing from the battle fled away from it.

36. Thereupon the Lord of Yadus (Kṛṣṇa) entered the city of Dvārakā (Kuśasthalī) which was specially decorated (for that occasion) with arches, banners and streamers which obscured (even) the sun—a city highly appreciated (for its beauty) both in the heaven and on the earth like the sun returning to his (glorious) residence Srī Kṛṣṇa entered his Palace.

37. My father respectfully received and worshipped his friends, relatives and clansmen presenting them very costly clothes, ornaments, beds, seats and other articles.

38. Though my Lord is Perfect (and needs nothing) out of devotion, my father presented to him maid servants, all kinds of wealth, foot-soldiers, elephants, chariots, horses and very costly weapons.

39. (Abashed at her boastful description of her own marriage and to please her senior co-wives she concludes). All of us must have performed penance renouncing all attachments (in our previous life by virtue of which) we have the real privilege of being maid servants of our Lord who revels in his own blissful self.

The queens (representing 16000 queens) said:

40. Having killed Bhaumāsura along with his army in the battle, when the Lord came to know that Bhauma had kept in captivity the princesses of the kings vanquished by him during his expedition for the conquest of the earth, he set us free. Though he had all his desires accomplished, he was pleased to marry us who were constantly contemplating his lotus-feet which emancipate people from Saṃsāra.

41-42. O Chaste queen Draupadī! We do not covet imperial sovereignty over the wholeearth or kingdom of the celestial world or enjoyment of both the positions here and hereafter or the attainment of supernatural powers nor the exalted position of god Brahmā, Mokṣa (liberation from Saṃsāra) or residence in his eternal abode (known as Salokatā) but we love to bear on our heads the glorious dust on the feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the wielder of the Kaumodakī mace)—the dust which is enriched with fragrance of the Saffron paste applied to the breast of goddess Śrī.

43. We earnestly crave for the touch of the feet of the great-souled Lord who tended cows—the touch which the Gopas and Gopīs of Vraja, women of Pulindas (hill-tribes), grass and creepers longed for.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

mādakatayā sarva-duḥkha-vismārakatvaṃ ca dhvanitam—VT.

[2]:

hitvā kim ātma-dhāma: ātmā śarīraṃ dhāma gṛhaṃ dehadaihika-sambandham parityajya—Bhāvāratha Dīpikā)

[3]:

VT tries to defend the sequence in the names of Kṛṣṇa’s queens but it is for metrical convenience that the seniority is not observed.

[4]:

She was honoured like another Chief queen—Bhāvāratha Dīpikā

[5]:

There is a pun on the following word: Padma-hastayā—
(i) By goddess Lakṣmī;
(ii) By me with a lotus in hand.

[6]:

Lokapa—(1) Guardians of spheres like Indra.

(2) Kings on the earth.

The second interpretation is: discarding other kings, I selected him with a lotus in my hand.

[7]:

The sun’s position with abhijit is regarded as the auspicious-most time conducive to achieve success in everything—Bhāvāratha Dīpikā