॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
***
Sri Krishna visited the Pandavas in Indraprastha. They had survived the attempt on their lives by Kauravas who housed them and then set fire to it, named Lakshagriha (a building built cleverly with lac to burn down quickly). They had then spent time incognito. Then they had attended the Swayamvara of Draupadi where Arjuna unravelled the Matysayantra with his arrow and won her hand, much to the anger of Kauravas. Finally Kunti made Draupadi accept all five Pandavas as her husbands. They had now arrived in Hastinapura to the delight of its citizens and disquiet among the Kauravas. They had been given a place to build their palace and it became Indraprastha after they set it up with heavenly attractions.
परिष्वज्याच्युतं वीरा अङ्गसङ्गहतैनस: ।
सानुरागस्मितं वक्त्रं वीक्ष्य तस्य मुदं ययु: ॥
T: The heroic Pandavas embraced Sri Krishna and felt cleansed by the very contact with his divine person. They were most delighted just beholding the smiling Lord. Sri Krishna bowed to Yudhishthira and Bhima, embraced Arjuna and blessed the twin brothers Nakula Sahadeva.
Sri Krishna gave so much solace to Kunti and the Pandavas that he decided to spend the four months of monsoon with them. He went on hunting trips with Arjuna.
After making Arjuna propitiate Agni in Khandava Dahana and get sacred weapons from him (a divine bow, four white horses, inexhaustible quivers and body armour), Sri Krishna also arranged with Vishwa Karma, the celestial architect, to build a great capital in Indraprastha. Then in Khandava Dahana, the Asura Mayaa was released by Arjuna and out of gratitude he created a magical palace for the Pandavas. Shuka narrates how Duryodhana became an object of ridicule while visiting this palace which paved the way for Pandavas' exile through some twists.
***
Once, Arjuna saw a beautiful maiden performing Tapas on the bank of Yamuna. When he approached her to ask what she was doing there, she replied politely that she was Kalindi, daughter of Surya. She dwelt in her palace in the Yamuna and was performing Tapas to secure Bhagavan Maha Vishnu Himself, incarnated now as Sri Krishna, for her husband. Arjuna conveyed this to Sri Krishna who smilingly accepted her. After Sri Krishna returned to Dwaraka with his retinue, accompanied by Arjuna and the maiden Kalindi, he married her formally amidst great festivities.
Sri Krishna also wedded Mitravinda of Avanti, a princess whose brothers Vindya and Anuvindya who were loyal to Duryodhana and hated Sri Krishna. He simply abducted her like he did Rukmini, since she also was insistent on having him alone as her husband.
Later Sri Krishna went to the kingdom of a famous king Nagnajit of Koshala. His daughter Satya wanted very much to wed Sri Krishna. When Sri Krishna arrived, Nagnajit received him with great respect. He prayed to Sri Krishna:
यत्पादपङ्कजरज: शिरसा बिभर्ति श्रीरब्जज: सगिरिश: सहलोकपालै: ।
लीलातनु: स्वकृतसेतुपरीप्सया य: कालेऽदधत्स भगवान् मम केन तुष्येत् ॥
T: "Oh, Bhagavan, You the dust of whose lotus feet are placed as sacred on their heads by Devi Lakshmi, Brahma and Shiva, by all other guardians of the quarters, who incarnates Himself in various forms from time to time out of His Leela for the restoration of the world's Dharmic order, in what way, Oh Lord, can I serve You and what can I, a trivial king, offer You as a suitable gift!?"
श्रीभगवानुवाच
नरेन्द्र याच्ञा कविभिर्विगर्हिता राजन्यबन्धोर्निजधर्मवर्तिन: ।
तथापि याचे तव सौहृदेच्छया कन्यां त्वदीयां न हि शुल्कदा वयम् ॥
T: Sri Krishna replied: "Dear King! You're most generous. But the wise state that royals and Kshatriyas should not demean themselves by asking for gifts. Therefore I need no gift. But I do request you to give your daughter Satya in marriage to me, but sorry, I can give no dowry!"
Both Nagnajit and Satya were most keen that Sri Krishna wed Satya. But the king had set up a a tough hurdle for any prince aspiring for her hand. So he said to Sri Krishna:
सप्तैते गोवृषा वीर दुर्दान्ता दुरवग्रहा: । एतैर्भग्ना: सुबहवो भिन्नगात्रा नृपात्मजा: ॥
यदिमे निगृहीता: स्युस्त्वयैव यदुनन्दन । वरो भवानभिमतो दुहितुर्मे श्रिय:पते ॥
T: "Oh Consort of Devi Lakshmi, of course no dowry is expected at all. But there is a test of bravery set as a precondition. I have seven extremely violent bulls with sharp horns. They should all be tamed and yoked by the suitor to win Satya's hand. I must warn you these bulls hate the smell of princes and many suitors have broken limbs and torn their bodies after going near these bulls."
एवं समयमाकर्ण्य बद्ध्वा परिकरं प्रभु: । आत्मानं सप्तधा कृत्वा न्यगृह्णाल्लीलयैव तान् ॥
बद्ध्वा तान् दामभि: शौरिर्भग्नदर्पान् हतौजस: । व्यकर्षल्लीलया बद्धान् बालो दारुमयान् यथा ॥
T: Sri Krishna hearing about the qualifying test, simply girded up his loins. He multiplied himself into seven Sri Krishnas. In a jiffy, he had tied a stout rope around every bull's neck. He then pierced their nasal septa and threaded the rope as ia done to yoke bulls. Having got them under his control with astonishing ease, he virtually played with the seven bulls as if they were wooden bulls - toy figures.
The rival kings were not pleased with Sri Krishna's success. They attacked his post wedding procession with Satya. Arjuna with his mighty Gandiva made short work of their challenge.
After wedding Satya, Sri Krishna also wed Lakshmana another eager princess (by abducting her as he did Rukmini), and Bhadra, another princess, sister of Santardana.
अन्याश्चैवंविधा भार्या: कृष्णस्यासन् सहस्रश: । भौमं हत्वा तन्निरोधादाहृताश्चारुदर्शना: ॥
T: Sage Shuka concludes the chapter by saying that these were not the only brides of Sri Krishna. He freed thousands of princesses abducted and held in captivity by King Bhauma and made all of them his wives.
Post-script
Sri Krishna is often the subject of jokes among neo-liberals who say, "How can you worship a womaniser?"
Indeed, Srimad Bhagavatam states plainly how women were besotted with Sri Krishna and he married many princesses. He even built palaces for all of them, in thousands. He played the living husband to each of them, multiplying himself.
Does it make Sri Krishna a womaniser?
1. Sri Krishna is the Leela Manusha Vigrahah - the epitome of the complete and supreme man born of divinity in eternal sportiness. That means he appeared to all as a perfect, most desirable, hero. Naturally, Nature had its effect on the thousands of women who came into his life.
2. Sri Krishna is called Prema-avatara. The incarnation of Love. Hence he was perfectly happy to play the ideal lover.
3. Sri Krishna is called Yogeshwara. The supreme master or God of Yoga. That means all his senses, his body and mind were under his perfect control. There was no question of profligacy, intemperance, exploitation of women and the unavoudable aftermath in terms of retribution, repentance, sin and guilt. No woman ever took revenge on Sri Krishna. What does that mean? All of his many marriages and love affairs were a divine sport with only one object - to elevate the woman through ecstatic love to divinity.
If you can wrap your mind around this, you are good.
