The Great Epic of the Bhārata dynasty 1.187: saptāśītyadhika śatatamo'dhyāyaḥ

1.187.1

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
tata āhūya pāñcālyo rājaputraṃ yudhiṣṭhiram |
parigraheṇa brāhmeṇa parigṛhya mahādyutiḥ || 1 ||

"Vaisampayana said, 'Then the illustrious king of Panchala, addressing prince Yudhishthira in the form applicable to Brahmanas, cheerfully enquired of that illustrious son of Kunti, saying, 'Are we to know you as Kshatriyas, or Brahamanas, or are we to know you as celestials who disguising themselves as Brahmanas are ranging the earth and come hither for the hand of Krishna? O tell us truly, for we have great doubts! Shall we not be glad when our doubts have been removed? O chastiser of enemies, have the fates been propitious unto us? Tell us the truth willingly! Truth becometh monarchs better than sacrifices and dedications of tanks. Therefore, tell us not what is untrue. O thou of the beauty of a celestial, O chastiser of foes, hearing thy reply I shall make arrangements for my daughter's wedding according to the order to which ye belong.'

1.187.2

paryapṛcchadadīnātmā kuntīputraṃ suvarcasam |
kathaṃ jānīma bhavataḥ kṣatriyānbrāhmaṇānuta || 2 ||

1.187.3

vaiśyānvā guṇasaṃpannānuta vā śūdrayonijān |
māyāmāsthāya vā siddhāṃścarataḥ sarvatodiśam || 3 ||

1.187.4

kṛṣṇāhetoranuprāptāndivaḥ saṃdarśanārthinaḥ |
bravītu no bhavānsatyaṃ saṃdeho hyatra no mahān || 4 ||

1.187.5

api naḥ saṃśayasyānte manastuṣṭirihāviśet |
api no bhāgadheyāni śubhāni syuḥ paraṃtapa || 5 ||

1.187.6

kāmayā brūhi satyaṃ tvaṃ satyaṃ rājasu śobhate |
iṣṭāpūrtena ca tathā vaktavyamanṛtaṃ na tu || 6 ||

1.187.7

śrutvā hyamarasaṃkāśa tava vākyamariṃdama |
dhruvaṃ vivāhakaraṇamāsthāsyāmi vidhānataḥ || 7 ||

1.187.8

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
mā rājanvimanā bhūstvaṃ pāñcālya prītirastu te |
īpsitaste dhruvaḥ kāmaḥ saṃvṛtto'yamasaṃśayam || 8 ||

"Hearing these words of Drupada, Yudhishthira answered, saying 'Be not cheerless, O king; let joy fill thy heart! The desire cherished by thee hath certainly been accomplished. We are Kshatriyas, O king, and sons of the illustrious Pandu. Know me to be the eldest of the sons of Kunti and these to be Bhima and Arjuna. By these, O king, was thy daughter won amid the concourse of monarchs. The twins (Nakula and Sahadeva) and Kunti wait where Krishna is. O bull amongst men, let grief be driven from thy heart, for we are Kshatriyas. Thy daughter, O monarch, hath like a lotus been transferred only from one lake into another. O king, thou art our revered superior and chief refuge. I have told thee the whole truth.'

1.187.9

vayaṃ hi kṣatriyā rājanpāṇḍoḥ putrā mahātmanaḥ |
jyeṣṭhaṃ māṃ viddhi kaunteyaṃ bhīmasenārjunāvimau |
yābhyāṃ tava sutā rājannirjitā rājasaṃsadi || 9 ||

1.187.10

yamau tu tatra rājendra yatra kṛṣṇā pratiṣṭhitā |
vyetu te mānasaṃ duḥkhaṃ kṣatriyāḥ smo nararṣabha |
padminīva suteyaṃ te hradādanyaṃ hradaṃ gatā || 10 ||

1.187.11

iti tathyaṃ mahārāja sarvametadbravīmi te |
bhavānhi gururasmākaṃ paramaṃ ca parāyaṇam || 11 ||

1.187.12

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
tataḥ sa drupado rājā harṣavyākulalocanaḥ |
prativaktuṃ tadā yuktaṃ nāśakattaṃ yudhiṣṭhiram || 12 ||

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing those words, the king Drupada's eyes rolled in ecstasy. And. filled with delight the king could not, for some moments answer Yudhishthira. Checking his emotion with great effort, that chastiser of foes at last replied unto Yudhishthira in proper words. The virtuous monarch enquired how the Pandavas had escaped from the town of Varanavata. The son of Pandu told the monarch every particular in detail of their escape from the burning palace of lac. Hearing everything that the son of Kunti said, king Drupada censured Dhritarashtra, that ruler of men. And the monarch gave every assurance unto Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti. And that foremost of eloquent men then and there vowed to restore Yudhishthira to his paternal throne.

1.187.13

yatnena tu sa taṃ harṣaṃ saṃnigṛhya paraṃtapaḥ |
anurūpaṃ tato rājā pratyuvāca yudhiṣṭhiram || 13 ||

1.187.14

papraccha cainaṃ dharmātmā yathā te pradrutāḥ purā |
sa tasmai sarvamācakhyāvānupūrvyeṇa pāṇḍavaḥ || 14 ||

1.187.15

tacchrutvā drupado rājā kuntīputrasya bhāṣitam |
vigarhayāmāsa tadā dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ janeśvaram || 15 ||

1.187.16

āśvāsayāmāsa ca taṃ kuntīputraṃ yudhiṣṭhiram |
pratijajñe ca rājyāya drupado vadatāṃ varaḥ || 16 ||

1.187.17

tataḥ kuntī ca kṛṣṇā ca bhīmasenārjunāvapi |
yamau ca rājñā saṃdiṣṭau viviśurbhavanaṃ mahat || 17 ||

"Then Kunti and Krishna and Bhima and Arjuna and the twins, commanded by the king, to reside there, treated by Yajnasena with due respect. Then king Drupada with his sons, assured by all that had happened, approaching Yudhishthira, said, 'O thou of mighty arms, let the Kuru prince Arjuna take with due rites, the hand of my daughter on this auspicious day, and let him, therefore, perform the usual initiatory rites of marriage.'

1.187.18

tatra te nyavasanrājanyajñasenena pūjitāḥ |
pratyāśvastāṃstato rājā saha putrairuvāca tān || 18 ||

1.187.19

gṛhṇātu vidhivatpāṇimadyaiva kurunandanaḥ |
puṇye'hani mahābāhurarjunaḥ kurutāṃ kṣaṇam || 19 ||

1.187.20

tatastamabravīdrājā dharmaputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ |
mamāpi dārasaṃbandhaḥ kāryastāvadviśāṃ pate || 20 ||

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these words of Drupada, the virtuous king Yudhishthira replied, saying, 'O great king, I also shall have to marry.' Hearing him, Drupada said, 'If it pleaseth thee, take thou the hand of my daughter thyself with due rites. Or, give Krishna in marriage unto whomsoever of thy brothers thou likest.' Yudhishthira said, 'Thy daughter, O king, shall be the common wife of us all! Even thus it hath been ordered, O monarch, by our mother. I am unmarried still, and Bhima also is so amongst the sons of Pandu. This thy jewel of a daughter hath been won by Arjuna. This, O king, is the rule with us; to ever enjoy equally a jewel that we may obtain. O best of monarchs, that rule of conduct we cannot now abandon. Krishna, therefore, shall become the wedded wife of us all.

1.187.21

drupada uvāca |
bhavānvā vidhivatpāṇiṃ gṛhṇātu duhiturmama |
yasya vā manyase vīra tasya kṛṣṇāmupādiśa || 21 ||

1.187.22

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
sarveṣāṃ draupadī rājanmahiṣī no bhaviṣyati |
evaṃ hi vyāhṛtaṃ pūrvaṃ mama mātrā viśāṃ pate || 22 ||

1.187.23

ahaṃ cāpyaniviṣṭo vai bhīmasenaśca pāṇḍavaḥ |
pārthena vijitā caiṣā ratnabhūtā ca te sutā || 23 ||

1.187.24

eṣa naḥ samayo rājanratnasya sahabhojanam |
na ca taṃ hātumicchāmaḥ samayaṃ rājasattama || 24 ||

1.187.25

sarveṣāṃ dharmataḥ kṛṣṇā mahiṣī no bhaviṣyati |
ānupūrvyeṇa sarveṣāṃ gṛhṇātu jvalane karam || 25 ||

[paragraph continues] Let her take our hands, one after another before the fire.'

1.187.26

drupada uvāca |
ekasya bahvyo vihitā mahiṣyaḥ kurunandana |
naikasyā bahavaḥ puṃso vidhīyante kadācana || 26 ||

'Drupada answered, 'O scion of Kuru's race, it hath been directed that one man may have many wives. But it hath never been heard that one woman may have many husbands! O son of Kunti, as thou art pure and acquainted with the rules of morality, it behoveth thee not to commit an act that is sinful and opposed both to usage and the Vedas. Why, O prince, hath thy understanding become so?' Yudhishthira said in reply, 'O monarch, morality is subtle. We do not know its course. Let us follow the way trodden by the illustrious ones of former ages. My tongue never uttered an untruth. My heart also never turneth to what is sinful. My mother commandeth so; and my heart also approveth of it. Therefore, O king, that is quite conformable to virtue. Act according to it, without any scruples. Entertain no fear, O king, about this matter.'

1.187.27

lokavedaviruddhaṃ tvaṃ nādharmaṃ dhārmikaḥ śuciḥ |
kartumarhasi kaunteya kasmātte buddhirīdṛśī || 27 ||

1.187.28

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
sūkṣmo dharmo mahārāja nāsya vidmo vayaṃ gatim |
pūrveṣāmānupūrvyeṇa yātaṃ vartmānuyāmahe || 28 ||

1.187.29

na me vāganṛtaṃ prāha nādharme dhīyate matiḥ |
evaṃ caiva vadatyambā mama caiva manogatam || 29 ||

1.187.30

eṣa dharmo dhruvo rājaṃścarainamavicārayan |
mā ca te'tra viśaṅkā bhūtkathaṃcidapi pārthiva || 30 ||

1.187.31

drupada uvāca |
tvaṃ ca kuntī ca kaunteya dhṛṣṭadyumnaśca me sutaḥ |
kathayantvitikartavyaṃ śvaḥ kāle karavāmahe || 31 ||

"Drupada said, 'O son of Kunti thy mother, and my son Dhrishtadyumna and thyself, settle amongst yourselves as to what should be done. Tell me the result of your deliberations and tomorrow I will do what is proper.'

1.187.32

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
te sametya tataḥ sarve kathayanti sma bhārata |
atha dvaipāyano rājannabhyāgacchadyadṛcchayā || 32 ||

"Vaisampayana continued, 'After this, O Bharata, Yudhishthira, Kunti and Dhrishtadyumna discoursed upon this matter. Just at that time, however, the island-born (Vyasa), O monarch, came there in course of his wanderings.'"