SECTION CLXLIV
(Swayamvara Parva continued)
"Vaisampayana said, 'When the Kuru princes (Bhima and Arjuna) were
wending towards the abode of the potter, Dhrishtadyumna, the Panchala
prince followed them. And sending away all his attendants, he concealed
himself in some part of the potter's house, unknown to the Pandavas. Then
Bhima, that grinder of all foes, and Jishnu, and the illustrious twins,
on returning from their eleemosynary round in the evening, cheerfully
gave everything unto Yudhishthira. Then the kind-hearted Kunti addressing
the daughter of Drupada said, 'O amiable one, take you first a portion
from this and devote it to the gods and give it away to Brahmanas, and
feed those that desire to eat and give unto those who have become our
guests. Divide the rest into two halves. Give one of these unto Bhima, O
amiable one, for this strong youth of fair complexion--equal unto a king
of elephants--this hero always eateth much. And divide the other half
into six parts, four for these youths, one for myself, and one for thee.'
Then the princess hearing those instructive words of her mother-in-law
cheerfully did all that she had been directed to do. And those heroes
then all ate of the food prepared by Krishna. Then Sahadeva, the son of
Madri, endued with great activity, spread on the ground a bed of kusa
grass. Then those heroes, each spreading thereon his deer-skin, laid
themselves down to sleep. And those foremost of the Kuru princes lay down
with heads towards the south. And Kunti laid herself down along the line
of their heads, and Krishna along that of their feet. And Krishna though
she lay with the sons of Pandu on that bed of kusa grass along the line
of their feet as if she were their nether pillow, grieved not in her
heart nor thought disrespectfully of those bulls amongst the Kurus. Then
those heroes began to converse with one another. And the conversations of
those princes, each worthy to lead an army, was exceedingly interesting
they being upon celestial cars and weapons and elephants, and swords and
arrows, and battle-axes. And the son of the Panchala king listened (from
his place of concealment) unto all they said. And all those who were with
him beheld Krishna in that state.
"When morning came, the prince Dhristadyumna set out from his place of
concealment with great haste in order to report to Drupada in detail all
that had happened at the potter's abode and all that he had heard those
heroes speak amongst themselves during the night. The king of Panchala
had been sad because he knew not the Pandavas as those who had taken away
his daughter. And the illustrious monarch asked Dhristadyumna on his
return, 'Oh, where hath Krishna gone? Who hath taken her away? Hath any
Sudra or anybody of mean descent, or hath a tribute-paying Vaisya by
taking my daughter away, placed his dirty foot on my head? O son, hath
that wreath of flowers been thrown away on a grave-yard? Hath any
Kshatriya of high birth, or any one of the superior order (Brahmana)
obtained my daughter? Hath any one of mean descent, by having won
Krishna, placed his left foot on my head? I would not, O son, grieve but
feel greatly happy, if my daughter hath been united with Partha that
foremost of men! O you exalted one, tell me truly who hath won my
daughter today? O, are the sons of that foremost of Kurus,
Vichitravirya's son alive? Was it Partha (Arjuna) that took up the bow
and shot the mark?'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 1 : UPA-PARVA 194 ---------------------
