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 dit : En pèlerinage à travers les lieux saints, Arjuna arriva à Prabhāsa. Là, il apprit que le Seigneur Balarāma voulait donner en mariage sa cousine maternelle Subhadrā à Duryodhana, et que les autres n’approuvaient pas ce dessein. Désireux de l’épouser, Arjuna se déguisa en renonçant portant le triple bâton et se rendit à 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.