Chapter 200
“Vaisampayana said, ‘Drupada, on hearing this, observed, O great Rishi,it was only when I had not heard this from thee that I had sought to actin the way I told thee of. Now, however, that I know all, I cannot beindifferent to what hath been ordained by the gods.
Therefore do Iresolve to accomplish what thou hast said. The knot of destiny cannot beuntied. Nothing in this world is the result of our own acts. That whichhad been appointed by us in view of securing one only bridegroom hath nowterminated in favour of many. As Krishna (in a former life) hadrepeatedly said, ‘O, give me a husband!’ the great god himself even gaveher the boon she had asked. The god himself knows the right or wrong ofthis. As regards myself, when Sankara hath ordained so, right or wrong,no sin can attach to me. Let these with happy hearts take, as ordained,the hand of Krishna with the rites.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ‘Then the illustrious Vyasa, addressingYudhishthira the just, said, ‘This day is an auspicious day, O son ofPandu! This day the moon has entered the constellation called Pushya.Take thou the hand of Krishna today, thyself first before thy brothers!’When Vyasa had said so, king Yajnasena and his son made preparations forthe wedding. And the monarch kept ready various costly articles asmarriage presents. Then he brought out his daughter Krishna, decked,after a bath, with many jewels and pearls. Then there came to witness thewedding all the friends and relatives of the king, ministers of state,and many Brahmanas and citizens. And they all took their seats accordingto their respective ranks. Adorned with that concourse of principal men,with its yard decked with lotuses and lilies scattered thereupon, andbeautified with lines of troops, king Drupada’s palace, festooned aroundwith diamonds and precious stones, looked like the firmament studded withbrilliant stars. Then those princes of the Kuru line, endued with youthand adorned with ear-rings, attired in costly robes and perfumed withsandal-paste, bathed and performed the usual religious rites andaccompanied by their priest Dhaumya who was possessed of the splendour offire, entered the wedding hall one after another in due order, and withglad hearts, like mighty bulls entering a cow-pen. Then Dhaumya,well-conversant with the Vedas, igniting the sacred fire, poured with duemantras libations of clarified butter into that blazing element. Andcalling Yudhishthira there, Dhaumya, acquainted with mantras, united himwith Krishna. Walking round the fire the bridegroom and the bride tookeach other’s hand. After their union was complete, the priest Dhaumya,taking leave of Yudhishthira, that ornament of battles, went out of thepalace. Then those mighty car-warriors,–those perpetuators of the Kuruline,–those princes attired in gorgeous dresses, took the hand of thatbest of women, day by day in succession, aided by that priest. O king,the celestial Rishi told me of a very wonderful and extraordinary thingin connection with these marriages, viz., that the illustrious princessof slender waist regained her virginity every day after a previousmarriage. After the weddings were over, king Drupada gave unto thosemighty car-warriors diverse kinds of excellent wealth. And the king gaveunto them one hundred cars with golden standards, each drawn by foursteeds with golden bridles. And he gave them one hundred elephants allpossessing auspicious marks on their temples and faces and like unto ahundred mountains with golden peaks. He also gave them a hundred femaleservants all in the prime of youth and clad in costly robes and ornamentsand floral wreaths. And the illustrious monarch of the Lunar race gaveunto each of those princes of celestial beauty, making the sacred fire awitness of his gifts, much wealth and many costly robes and ornaments ofgreat splendour. The sons of Pandu endued with great strength, aftertheir wedding were over, and after they had obtained Krishna like unto asecond Sri along with great wealth, passed their days in joy andhappiness, like so many Indras, in the capital of the king of thePanchalas,'”
