SECTION CCI
(Vaivahika Parva continued)
"Vaisampayana said, 'King Drupada, after his alliance with the Pandavas,
had all his fears dispelled. Indeed, the monarch no longer stood in fear
even of the gods. The ladies of the illustrious Drupada's household
approached Kunti and introduced themselves unto her, mentioning their
respective names, and worshipped her feet with heads touching the ground.
Krishna also, attired in red silk and her wrists still encircled with the
auspicious thread, saluting her mother-in-law with reverence, stood
contentedly before her with joined palms. Pritha, out of affection,
pronounced a blessing upon her daughter-in-law endued with great beauty
and every auspicious mark and possessed of a sweet disposition and good
character, saying, 'Be you unto your husband as Sachi unto Indra, Swaha
unto Vibhavasu, Rohini unto Soma, Damayanti unto Nala, Bhadra unto
Vaisravana, Arundhati unto Vasishtha, Lakshmi unto Narayana! O amiable
one, be you the mother of long-lived and heroic children, and possessed
of everything that can make you happy! Let luck and prosperity ever wait
on thee! Wait you ever on husbands engaged in the performance of grand
sacrifices. Be you devoted to your husbands. And let your days be ever
passed in duly entertaining and reverencing guests and strangers arrived
at your abode, and the pious and the old; children and superiors. Be thou
installed as the Queen of the kingdom and the capital of Kurujangala,
with your husband Yudhishthira the just! O daughter, let the whole earth,
conquered by the prowess of your husbands endued with great strength, be
given away by you unto Brahmanas at Ashvamedha-Yajna! O accomplished one
whatever gems there are on earth possessed of superior virtues, obtain
them, O lucky one, and be you happy for a full hundred years! And, O
daughter-in-law, as I rejoice today beholding you attired in red silk,
so shall I rejoice again, when, O accomplished one, I behold you become
the mother of a son!'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'After the sons of Pandu had been married, Hari
(Krishna) sent unto them (as presents) various gold ornaments set with
pearls and black gems (lapis lazuli). And Madhava (Krishna) also sent
unto them costly robes manufactured in various countries, and many
beautiful and soft blankets and hides of great value, and many costly
beds and carpets and vehicles. He also sent them vessels by hundreds, set
with gems and diamonds. And Krishna also gave them female servants by
thousands, brought from various countries, and endued with beauty, youth
and accomplishments and decked with every ornament. He also gave them
many well-trained elephants brought from the country of Madra, and many
excellent horses in costly harness, cars drawn by horses of excellent
colours and large teeth. The slayer of Madhu, of immeasurable soul, also
sent them coins of pure gold by crores upon crores in separate heaps. And
Yudhishthira the just, desirous of gratifying Govinda, accepted all those
presents with great joy.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 1 : UPA-PARVA 201 ---------------------
