“Vaishampaayana said, ‘Then Dhananjaya (Arjuna), informed of the acceptance of Yudhishthira, and discovering, O
Janamejaya, that the lady (Subhadra)
had gone to the Raivataka hill (present-day Mount Girnar, Junagadh
district, Gujarat, India), obtained the
assent of Vaasudeva (Sri Krishna)
also, after having settled in consultation with him all that required to be done.
Then that bull of Bharata’s race (Arjuna), that foremost of men, with (Sri) Krishna’s assent, riding in his well-built chariot of gold equipped
with rows of small bells and with every kind of weapon and the clatter of whose
wheels resembled the roar of the clouds and whose splendour was like to that of
a blazing fire and which struck terror into the hearts of all enemies and to
which were attached the horses Saibya and Sugriva, himself equipped in armour, armed
with sword and his fingers encased in leather gloves, set out, as it were, on a
hunting expedition.
“Meanwhile Subhadra, having paid her homage to that prince of hills,
Raivataka, and having worshipped the deities (Daivata in Sanskrit) and made the Brahmanas utter blessing upon
her, and having also walked round the hill, was coming towards Dwaravati (present-day
Dwaraka, Gujarat, India). The son of
Kunti (Arjuna), pained with the arrows
of Kaamadeva, suddenly rushed towards that Yadava girl of faultless features (Subhadra) and forcibly took her into his chariot.
Having seized that girl of sweet smiles (Subhadra), that tiger among men (Arjuna)
proceeded in his chariot of gold towards his own city (Indraprastha).
“Meanwhile, the armed attendants of Subhadra, seeing her thus seized
and taken away, all ran, crying towards the city of Dwaraka. Reaching all
together the Yadava court (Yadava sabha in Sanskrit) called by the name of Sudharma, they represented everything about the
prowess of Paartha (Arjuna) to the
chief officer of the court (Sabhaapaala in Sanskrit). The chief officer of the court, having heard everything from those
messengers, blew his gold-decked trumpet (Bheri in Sanskrit) of loud blare, calling all to arms.
Stirred up by that sound, the Bhojas, the Vrishnis, and the Andhakas began to
pour in from all sides. Those that were eating left their food, and those that
were drinking left their drink.
“Those tigers among men, those great warriors of the Vrishni and the
Andhaka tribes (kula in Sanskrit),
took their seats upon their thousand thrones of gold covered with excellent
carpets and multicoloured with gems and corals and possessed of the shine of
blazing fire. Indeed they took their seats upon those thrones, like blazing
fires receiving bundle of sticks for fuel to increase their splendour. After
they were seated in that court which was like to an assembly of Devas
themselves, the chief officer of the court, assisted by those that stood at his
back, spoke of the conduct of Jishnu (Arjuna). The proud Vrishni heroes (Veera in Sanskrit), of eyes red with wine (Mada in Sanskrit), as soon as they heard of it, rose up from their seats, unable to tolerate
what Arjuna had done. Some among them said, ‘Fasten our chariots’, and some,
‘Bring our weapons’ and some said, ‘Bring our costly bows and strong coats of armour’;
and some loudly called upon their charioteers to harness their chariots, and
some, from impatience, themselves attached their horses decked with gold to
their chariots. While their chariots, armours and standards (Dwaja in
Sanskrit) were being brought, loud
became the uproar of those heroes (Veera in Sanskrit). Then Baladeva (Balarama),
white and tall as the peak of Kailasha, decked with garlands of wild flowers
and attired in blue garment, and proud and intoxicated with drink, said these
words:
‘O senseless men, what are you doing, when Janaardana (Sri Krishna) sits silent? Without knowing what is in
his mind, vainly do we roar in anger! Let the high-souled (Sri) Krishna give out what he proposes. Accomplish
promptly what he desires to do.’
“Then all of them, hearing those words of Halaayudha (Balarama) that deserved to be accepted, exclaimed, ‘Excellent!
Excellent!’ They then all became silent. Silence having been restored by the
words of the intelligent Baladeva (Balarama), they took their seats once more in that assembly.
“Then (Bala)Rama, that
oppressor of enemies, spoke to Vaasudeva (Sri Krishna), saying, ‘Why, O Janaardana, you sit, gazing silently? O Achyuta (Sri
Krishna), it was for your sake that the
son of Pritha (Arjuna) had been
welcomed and honoured by us. It seems, however, that that vile wretch (Arjuna) did not deserve our homage. What man is there
born of a respectable family that would break the plate after having dined from
it! Even if one desires to make such an alliance, yet remembering all the
services he has received, who is there, desirous of happiness, that acts so
rashly? That Pandava (Arjuna)
disregarding us and you too has today outraged Subhadra, desiring his own
death. He has placed his foot on the crown of my head. How shall I, O Govinda, gently
bear it? Shall I not resent it, like a snake that is walked upon? Alone, I
shall today make the earth empty of Kauravas! Never shall I put up with this crime
by Arjuna.’ Then all the Bhojas, Vrishnis, and Andhakas, present there,
approved of everything that Baladeva (Balarama) had said, deeply roaring like to a kettle-drum (Dundubhi in Sanskrit) or the clouds.’”
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