Shloka 2
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 said: While journeying on pilgrimage to many sacred tīrthas, Arjuna came to Prabhāsa. There he heard that Lord Balarāma intended to give His maternal cousin Subhadrā in marriage to Duryodhana, though others did not approve. Desiring to wed her himself, Arjuna disguised himself as a tridaṇḍī renunciant and went to 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
This verse states that Arjuna was traveling across the earth on tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage) and arrived at Prabhāsa, where he heard important news about his own relative.
According to the narrative here, Arjuna reached Prabhāsa as part of his broader pilgrimage journey and then learned news related to his cousin, setting up the events of the chapter.
Pilgrimage can be practiced as intentional spiritual travel—seeking holy association, hearing sacred narratives, and renewing one’s commitment to dharma and devotion.