Shloka 3
Arjuna Marries Subhadrā; Kṛṣṇa Honors Two Devotees in Mithilā (Śrutadeva and Bahulāśva)
श्रीशुक उवाच अर्जुनस्तीर्थयात्रायां पर्यटन्नवनीं प्रभु: । गत: प्रभासमशृणोन्मातुलेयीं स आत्मन: ॥ २ ॥ दुर्योधनाय रामस्तां दास्यतीति न चापरे । तल्लिप्सु: स यतिर्भूत्वा त्रिदण्डी द्वारकामगात् ॥ ३ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca arjunas tīrtha-yātrāyāṁ paryaṭann avanīṁ prabhuḥ gataḥ prabhāsam aśṛṇon mātuleyīṁ sa ātmanaḥ
Śukadeva Gosvāmī sprach: Auf seiner Pilgerreise zu vielen heiligen Stätten kam Arjuna nach Prabhāsa. Dort hörte er, dass der Herr Balarāma beabsichtigte, seine Cousine mütterlicherseits, Subhadrā, Duryodhana zur Frau zu geben, und dass die anderen diesen Plan nicht billigten. Arjuna wollte sie selbst heiraten, verkleidete sich als Entsagter mit dreifachem Stab und ging nach Dvārakā.
Arjuna’s plan for obtaining Subhadrā as his wife may have seemed unconventional, but he was not acting without encouragement; in fact, Lord Kṛṣṇa was his prime co-conspirator. And in Dvārakā, most of the members of the royal family, especially Vasudeva, were unhappy about giving their favorite daughter to Duryodhana.
FAQs
Because he heard Subhadrā was being promised to Duryodhana, Arjuna adopted a tridaṇḍī renunciant’s guise to reach Dvārakā and obtain her without immediate opposition.
It reports that Arjuna heard Balarāma intended to give Subhadrā to Duryodhana and not to other suitors, prompting Arjuna’s decisive action.
Pilgrimage and spiritual discipline can sharpen one’s resolve; when dharma is at stake, one may need intelligent, nonviolent strategy while remaining faithful to righteous intent.