The mighty Arjuna, his sinews hardened in the discipline of war, rested awhile amid the quiet pasture of cowherds, where the grasses bent in soft bushes and the mango groves breathed their honeyed scent. There, in gentle mood, he spoke to Subhadra with words of tender counsel: “When we walk together, beloved, let no idle rumour or harsh whisper spring from unguarded lips. The pure in heart shape the world’s judgment as surely as the gods shape destiny. Go, therefore, in the company of the well-adorned Gopika’s, and first win the blessings of those whose love is older than ours.”
Obedient to his bidding, Subhadra journeyed to Indraprastha and, with folded hands, paid homage to Kunti and to the noble Draupadi. Both women, moved by her grace, poured forth their benedictions. Draupadi, her eyes bright with affection, said, “O woman of enchanting glance, thy lord shall be the conqueror of his foes and the sire of a hero among heroes.” Subhadra, seeking only smooth and auspicious days, remained awhile in the care of Kunti’s motherly affection.
Soon thereafter, the heroic Arjuna returned, encompassed by a mighty host of the Daśārṇa realm, while Vedic seers filled the air with chants of blessing. He came first to Dharmaraja, touched his feet in reverence, and saluted with folded palms the venerable Dhoumya and all his brethren. He bowed before Kunti, and the gathering glowed with a joy and contentment that seemed to make the very air a hymn of welcome.
Far away in Dvārakā, Śrī Krishna rejoiced to hear that his sister and Arjuna had reached Indraprastha in safety. Without delay, he set forth, bearing gifts of immeasurable worth. With him came Balarama, Sātyaki, Pradyumna, Vasudeva and the elder chiefs of the Yadavas, bringing treasure beyond count. Dharmarāja, informed of their coming, dispatched Nakula and Sahadeva, with learned scholars of venerable lineage, to greet them. At the city gates, he himself, with Arjuna and the elder Kuru princes, offered homage to each illustrious guest, praising the deeds that made their names resound.
In honour of the visitors, the Yadava and Kuru elders devised a festival of seven days, rich in sacred rites and gracious ceremony. Vasudeva, son of Marisha and Deva-mīdha, was there, he who begot through Rohinī the noble Balarāma, Gada and Śaraṇa, and through Devakī the sons Sushena, Bhadra, Saṅkarṣaṇa and Krishna himself. Dharmarāja, knowing well the divine origins of these scions, offered to them a homage in which reverence was mated to affection, in thought, in word, and in every act.
Then Krishna, as the embodiment of generous love, bestowed upon Arjuna and Subhadra jewels of surpassing workmanship, ornaments from head to toe, wrought with art beyond mortal skill. He also gave a thousand royal elephants decked in golden trappings, an equal number of steeds with chariots of gold, and a wealth of cows and herds. From Sindhu and from Parāśi came the finest horses, and from the Daśārṇa line an army formidable and loyal—gifts that sealed the friendship between the house of Yadu and the realm of Indraprastha. Krishna poured his affection upon Kuntī, Dharmaraja, Bhīma, Nakula, and Sahadeva; he honoured Draupadi and adorned Subhadra with especial care. Balarāma and the elder Yadavas, regarding the newly wedded pair as divine in their union, worshipped them as a god and goddess of the family before returning to their own Dvārakā.
Thereafter, Arjuna and Krishna dwelt for a time in Indraprastha, discoursing on the matters of the past, the present and the destiny to come. In due season, Subhadra gave birth to a son, Abhimanyu, whose arrival was marked not by the thunder of heaven but by the quiet signs of a greatness foretold. Krishna declared that in courage and piety, in the terror he would strike in the hearts of foes, and in his fidelity to the sacred lineage, the child would rival the ancient monarch Prithu. His birth was hallowed with Vedic hymns, divine rites and lavish gifts of cows, of gold, and of fertile lands. In time, Dhoumya the priest performed his sacred thread ceremony and set him on the path of Vedic learning. Abhimanyu mastered the Vedas and the Upanishads under his guidance. At the same time, his father, Arjuna, trained him in the bow’s high art, until, still in his youth, he became fearless and skillful in breaking through the most guarded formations of war.
Meanwhile, the fire-born Draupadi, wife of the five mighty brothers, bore to each a son: Prativindhya to Dharmaraja, Śrutasoma to Bhīma, Śrutakīrti to Arjuna, Śatānīka to Nakula and Śrutasena to Sahadeva. These five, known as the Upapāṇḍavas, grew in strength and virtue. Thus, the Pāṇḍavas beheld their house blessed with children, their realm secure, their treasury full, and their fame brightened by a rule founded on righteousness. Yet even in such fullness of fortune, the wheels of destiny turned unseen, and the next great movements of fate were already gathering their shadow upon the hearts of men.
