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 thou unto thy 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 thou the mother of long-lived and heroic children, and possessed of

everything that can make thee happy! Let luck and prosperity ever wait on

thee! Wait thou ever on husbands engaged in the performance of grand

sacrifices. Be thou devoted to thy husbands. And let thy days be ever

passed in duly entertaining and reverencing guests and strangers arrived

at thy 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

thy husband Yudhishthira the just! O daughter, let the whole earth,

conquered by the prowess of thy husbands endued with great strength, be

given away by thee unto Brahmanas at horse-sacrifice! O accomplished one

whatever gems there are on earth possessed of superior virtues, obtain

them, O lucky one, and be thou happy for a full hundred years! And, O

daughter-in-law, as I rejoice today beholding thee attired in red silk, so

shall I rejoice again, when, O accomplished one, I behold thee 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.'"

The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose Adi Parva · 第 201 / 236 章