(Swayamvara Parva continued)
"Vaisampayana said, 'Thus addressed by the Brahmanas, the Pandavas, O
Janamejaya, proceeded towards the country of the southern Panchalas ruled
over by the king Drupada. And on their way those heroes beheld the
illustrious Dwaipayana--that Muni of pure soul, and perfectly sinless. And
duly saluting the Rishi and saluted by him, after their conversation was
over, commanded by him they proceeded to Drupada's abode. And those mighty
chariot-fighters proceeded by slow stages staying for some time within
those beautiful woods and by fine lakes that they beheld along their way.
Devoted to study, pure in their practices, amiable, and sweet-speeched,
the Pandavas at last entered the country of the Panchalas. And beholding
the capital, as also the fort, they took up their quarters in the house of
a potter. Adopting the Brahmanical profession, they began to lead an
eleemosynary life. And no men recognised those heroes during their stay in
Drupada's capital.
"'Yajnasena always cherished the desire of bestowing his daughter on Kiriti
(Arjuna), the son of Pandu. But he never spoke of it to anybody. And, O
Janamejaya, the king of Panchala thinking of Arjuna caused a very stiff
bow to be made that was incapable of being bent by any except Arjuna.
Causing some machinery to be erected in the sky, the king set up a mark
attached to that machinery. And Drupada said, "He that will string this
bow and with these well-adorned arrows shoot the mark above the machine
shall obtain my daughter."'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'With these words king Drupada proclaimed the
Swayamvara. On hearing of them, O Bharata, the kings of other lands came
to his capital. And there came also many illustrious Rishis desirous of
beholding the Swayamvara. And there came also, O king, Duryodhana and the
Kurus accompanied by Karna. There also came many superior Brahmanas from
every country. And the monarchs who came there were all received with
reverence by the illustrious Drupada. Desirous of beholding the Swayamvara,
the citizens, roaring like the sea, all took their seats on the platforms
that were erected around the amphitheatre. The monarch entered the grand
amphitheatre by the north-eastern gate. And the amphitheatre which itself
had been erected on an auspicious and level plain to the north-east of
Drupada's capital, was surrounded by beautiful mansions. And it was
enclosed on all sides with high walls and a moat with arched doorways here
and there. The vast amphitheatre was also shaded by a canopy of various
colours. And resounding with the notes of thousands of trumpets, it was
scented with black aloes and sprinkled all over with water mixed with
sandal-paste and decorated with garlands of flowers. It was surrounded
with high mansions perfectly white and resembling the cloud-kissing peaks
of Kailasa. The windows of those mansions were covered with net works of
gold; the walls were set with diamonds and precious costly carpets and
cloths. All those mansions adorned with wreaths and garlands of flowers
and rendered fragrant with excellent aloes, were all white and spotless,
like unto the necks of swans. And the fragrance therefrom could be
perceived from the distance of a Yojana (eight miles). And they were each
furnished with a hundred doors wide enough to admit a crowd of persons;
they were adorned with costly beds and carpets, and beautified with
various metals; they resembled the peaks of the Himavat. And in those
seven-storied houses of various sizes dwelt the monarchs invited by
Drupada whose persons were adorned with every ornament and who were
possessed with the desire of excelling one another. And the inhabitants of
the city and the country who had come to behold Krishna and taken their
seats on the excellent platforms erected around, beheld seated within
those mansions those lions among kings who were all endued with the energy
of great souls. And those exalted sovereigns were all adorned with the
fragrant paste of the black aloe. Of great liberality, they were all
devoted to Brahma and they protected their kingdoms against all foes. And
for their own good deeds they were loved by the whole world.
"'The Pandavas, too, entering that amphitheatre, sat with the Brahmanas and
beheld the unequalled affluence of the king of the Panchalas. And that
concourse of princes, Brahmanas, and others, looking gay at the
performances of actors and dancers (large presents of every kind of wealth
being constantly made), began to swell day by day. And it lasted, O king,
several days, till on the sixteenth day when it was at its full, the
daughter of Drupada, O thou bull of the Bharata race, having washed
herself clean entered the amphitheatre, richly attired and adorned with
every ornament and bearing in her hand a dish of gold (whereon were the
usual offerings of Arghya) and a garland of flowers. Then the priest of
the lunar race--a holy Brahmana conversant with all mantras--ignited the
sacrificial fire and poured on it with due rites libations of clarified
butter. And gratifying Agni by these libations and making the Brahmanas
utter the auspicious formula of benediction, stopped the musical
instruments that were playing all around. And when that vast amphitheatre,
O monarch, became perfectly still, Dhrishtadyumna possessed of a voice
deep as the sound of the kettledrum or the clouds, taking hold of his
sister's arm, stood in the midst of that concourse, and said, with a voice
loud and deep as the roar of the clouds, these charming words of excellent
import, "Hear ye assembled kings, this is the bow, that is the mark, and
these are the arrows. Shoot the mark through the orifice of the machine
with these five sharpened arrows. Truly do I say that, possessed of
lineage, beauty of persons, and strength whoever achieveth this great feat
shall obtain today this my sister, Krishna for his wife." Having thus
spoken unto the assembled monarchs Drupada's son then addressed his sister,
reciting unto her the names and lineages and achievements of those
assembled lords of the earth.'"