Part 24: Marriage with Somaśrī

One day when the Śakra-festival^[1] was taking place, seated in a divine chariot, he went with his father-in-law to the city Mahāpura. Outside the city Yādava saw new palaces and asked his father-in-law, “What is this second city?” The caravan-leader said: “The king here is Somadatta. He has a daughter, Somaśrī, whose beauty surpasses that of the moon. These palaces were ordered built for her svayaṃvara and the kings, who had been summoned, were dismissed again because of their lack of cleverness.”

After hearing this, Yādava went and bowed to the Śakra-pillar. The women of the king’s household, who had come earlier, were leaving, after bowing to the pillar. Just then the king’s elephant came there, after pulling up the tying-post, and caused the princess to fall from the chariot to the ground. When Śauri saw her, miserable, unprotected, seeking protection,

he stood in front of her, scolded the elephant, as if he were the elephant-driver himself.

Leaving her, the elephant, unrestrainable from anger, ran at Yādava; and Yādava, very strong, tamed the elephant. The elephant being bewildered, Yādava picked her up, took her into a house, and restored her by fanning with his upper garment, et cetera. She was taken home by nurses; and Śauri with his father-in-law was taken to his house by a caravan-leader Kubera, with great respect.

After he had bathed and eaten, Śauri remained there, until the king’s female door-keeper came with blessings for the victory and said:

“King Somadatta has a superior daughter, Somaśrī. In the past it was said, ‘Her husband certainly should be chosen in a svayaṃvara.’ But when she saw the gods who had come to the omniscience-festival of Yatin Sarvāṇa,^[2] the recollection of her former births took place. From that time the gazelle-eyed maiden resorted to silence. Questioned by me in secret one day she told as follows:

There was a god in Mahāśukra. In that birth he enjoyed pleasures with me, very dear to him, for a long time. With this same me he made a pilgrimage one time to Nandīśvara, et cetera, held a birth-festival of the Arhat, and returned to his own place. When he had reached Brahmaloka, the god fell^[3] and I, grieved, went to the Kurus in this Bharata, searching for him. I saw there two omniscients and asked them, “Where has my husband, who fell from heaven, been born?” They told me: “Your husband has appeared in a royal house in the Hari-line. You also will be a king’s daughter, when you have fallen from heaven, When he rescues you from an elephant at the Śakra-festival then he will become your husband again.” After honoring them devotedly, I went to my own place. In course of time, I fell and was born as the daughter of Somadatta. When I saw the gods at Sarvāṇa’s omniscience-festival, I experienced recollection of former births, I knew these facts and for that reason I observed silence.’

I made known this entire story of hers to the king and the king dismissed the kings who had come to the svayaṃvara. There was proof when she was saved by you from the elephant and I have been sent to escort you. Hence come, marry her, hero.”

Then Vasudeva went with her to the palace, married Somaśrī and sported there with her.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The same as the Indrotsava. See I, p. 342f., n. 386.

[2]:

The typography here is not quite right and it is impossible to be sure whether the name is Savārṇa or Sarvāṇa.

[3]:

Brahmaloka is a lower heaven than Mahāśukra. He got only so far.