Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v2.c21.81

v2.c21.81

The relation, too, between sister and brother comes to us in a bright and beautiful light. Subhadrā is married to Arjuna in Indraprastha. Her brother (really her half-brother) Kṛṣṇa comes there on a visit, and, when he leaves again, directly he has taken leave of the high personages Yudhishṭhira and Kuntī he goes to his sister. “When Hṛṣīkeça had come to the sweet Subhadrā of the sweet speech the holy and august one, shedding tears for love of her, spoke to her deep, true, wholesome words, that flowed easily and pleasantly, and without compare.” She entrusts him with greetings and messages to her own people, and again and again shows him honour. When he has taken his leave of her, he at once goes to Draupadī, just as in the Epic he is ever showing the most friendly marks of attention to this lady (ii, 2.4-7; cp., too, 24.54 f.). Then when the Pāṇḍavas go off into banishment, he comes and takes Subhadrā and her son home with him for the thirteen years, as Dhr̥ṣṭaketu takes his sister, Nakula’s wife, from Cedi. Draupadī herself, indeed, shares the fortunes of her lords and masters. But her children are brought by her brother into his own city; from there they go later, it is true, to Dvāraka (iii, 22.47-50; 183.14, 24 ff.; 235.10 ff.; iv, 72.21 f.). The natural abode of the woman that has no children (and no husband) is with her brother (v, 33.70). Such things are, indeed, good Indo-European customs.