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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

舒迦提婆·高斯瓦弥说道:阿周那朝圣遍游诸圣地时来到普拉婆萨;在那里他听闻巴拉罗摩欲将其母系表妹苏跋陀罗许配给杜尤陀那,而众人并不赞同。阿周那欲娶苏跋陀罗,便伪装成持三杖的出家行者,前往德瓦拉卡。

duryodhanāyato Duryodhana
duryodhanāya:
Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/चतुर्थी)
TypeNoun
Rootduryodhana (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन)
rāmaḥRāma (Balarāma)
rāmaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootrāma (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
tāmher
tām:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); pronoun
dāsyatiwill give
dāsyati:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootdā (धातु)
FormFuture (लृट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
itithus
iti:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiti (अव्यय)
FormQuotative particle (इति-प्रयोग)
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
FormNegation particle (निषेधार्थक अव्यय)
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
FormConjunction (समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय)
apareothers
apare:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootapara (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)
tat-lipsuḥdesiring that (to obtain her)
tat-lipsuḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Roottat-lipsu (प्रातिपदिक; lipsu from √labh/√lip? desiderative sense)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुष-समास (tat + lipsuḥ = 'desirous of that')
saḥhe
saḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); pronoun
yatiḥan ascetic
yatiḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootyati (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
bhūtvāhaving become
bhūtvā:
Kriyā (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootbhū (धातु)
FormAbsolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा), indeclinable (अव्यय)
tridaṇḍīa tridaṇḍī (ascetic with three staffs)
tridaṇḍī:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottridaṇḍin (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुष-समास (tri + daṇḍin)
dvārakāmto Dvārakā
dvārakām:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootdvārakā (प्रातिपदik)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
agātwent
agāt:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootgam (धातु)
FormAorist (लुङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

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.

A
Arjuna
P
Prabhāsa
S
Subhadrā
D
Duryodhana
B
Balarāma
D
Dvārakā

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.