Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v1.c6.12

v1.c6.12

another by the hands. In the same way the four other brothers, too, are then joined in wedlock with Draupadī. After the wedding the bride's father bestows enormously rich gifts.¹ And the linen-clad Kṛṣṇa, with the wedding-string fastened to her, was greeted by her mother-in-law; and with bowed body, her hands folded before her forehead, she stood there. To Draupadī, her daughter-in-law, gifted with loveliness and happiness-yielding bodily features, endowed with virtuous ways, to her spoke Pṛthā in tender love the words: “As Indrāṇī towards the god with the yellow steeds (Indra), as Svāhā towards the brightly-shining one (Agni), as Rohiṇī towards the god of the moon, as Damayantī towards Nala, as Bhadrā towards Kubera, as Arundhatī towards Vasiṣṭha, as Lakṣmī towards Viṣṇu—so be thou towards thy husbands, a bearer of stout, long-lived children, a bearer of heroes, endowed thou with much good fortune, beloved by thy husband, fully gladdened with delights, disposing of sacrifices, and faithful to thy husband. May ever the years find thee, as they go by, honouring, as is seemly, guests and new-comers, the good and those that thou shouldst heed, old and young. In the kingdoms, first among which is Kurujāṅgala, and in the cities be thou dedicated to the king as ‘wealth of virtue’ (as queen to Yudhishṭhira). The whole earth, conquered by thy stout husbands with valiant heroes’ strength, do thou make over to the Brahmans at the horse sacrifice, the great offering. Whatever surpassing jewels there be on earth, O thou that art gifted with excellences, win them for thine, O lovely one, and be happy through a hundred autumns. And as I greet thee linen-clad to-day, O daughter-in-law, so will I with far greater joy greet thee, O thou gifted with excellences, when thou hast borne a son.”