Canto Ten - Chapter 86

The King said: Brāhmaṇa, we wish to know how Arjuna married the sister of Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, who became my grandmother.

Śrī Śuka said: While the mighty Arjuna was traveling over the earth on pilgrimage, he reached Prabhāsa and heard about his maternal cousin Subhadrā.

He heard that Rāma intended to give her to Duryodhana, though the others did not agree. Desiring to obtain her, Arjuna assumed the dress of a tridaṇḍi renunciant and went to Dvārakā.

He remained there throughout the rainy-season months, working to accomplish his purpose. The citizens repeatedly honored him, as did Rāma, who did not recognize him.

One day Balarāma invited him home as a guest. With faith Balarāma offered him food received as alms, and Arjuna ate it.

There he saw the noble maiden who captivated the minds of heroes. His eyes blossoming with affection, he fixed upon her a heart agitated by love.

When she saw him, she too desired him, for he delighted the hearts of women. Smiling, she cast shy sidelong glances upon him, entrusting him with her heart and gaze.

Constantly thinking of her and seeking an opportunity, Arjuna found no peace. His mind reeled beneath the overpowering force of desire.

During a great festival for the gods, the mighty chariot warrior abducted her as she rode out of the fortress in her chariot, with the consent of her parents and of Kṛṣṇa.

Standing upon his chariot with bow in hand, he drove back the heroes and soldiers who tried to stop him and carried away his own rightful share like a lion, while her kinsmen cried out.

When Rāma heard of it, He became as agitated as the ocean on a full-moon day. Kṛṣṇa grasped His feet, and His friends also soothed Him.

Then Balarāma joyfully sent the bride and groom wedding gifts: immense wealth, furnishings, elephants, chariots, horses, male servants, and maidservants.

Śrī Śuka said: There was a foremost brāhmaṇa devotee of Kṛṣṇa named Śrutadeva. Fulfilled by exclusive devotion to Kṛṣṇa, he was peaceful, wise, and free from material possessions.

He lived as a householder in Mithilā, within the kingdom of Videha, maintaining his duties with whatever provisions came to him without personal endeavor.

Each day providence supplied him only what was needed to sustain life. He desired nothing more, and content with that, he performed his proper duties.

That kingdom's ruler, descendant of Aṅga, was the celebrated Maithila king Bahulāśva. Free from false ego, he and Śrutadeva were both dear to Acyuta.

Pleased with them both, the Supreme Lord mounted the chariot brought by Dāruka and set out for Videha together with a company of sages.

Those sages included Nārada, Vāmadeva, Atri, Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana, Paraśurāma, Asita, Aruṇi, myself, Bṛhaspati, Kaṇva, Maitreya, Cyavana, and others.

Wherever He approached, O King, city dwellers and villagers came before Him carrying offerings of arghya, just as the planets gather around the rising sun.

O King, the men and women of Ānarta, Dhanva, Kuru-jāṅgala, Kaṅka, Matsya, Pāñcāla, Kunti, Madhu, Kekaya, Kośala, Arṇa, and other lands drank with their eyes the beauty of His lotus face, graced by generous smiles and affectionate glances.

By His glance, the teacher of the three worlds destroyed the darkness from their vision and bestowed well-being and true understanding. Listening as gods and humans sang His sin-destroying fame, whose brightness filled every direction, He slowly entered Videha.

Hearing that Acyuta had arrived, O King, the citizens and country people joyfully went to meet Him, carrying offerings in their hands.

When they saw the Lord praised in sublime verse, their faces and hearts blossomed with love. Holding their joined palms above their heads, they bowed to Him and also to the sages, of whom they had previously only heard.

King Bahulāśva and Śrutadeva both considered that the teacher of the universe had come to bless them, and they fell at the Lord's feet.

With joined palms, Bahulāśva and Śrutadeva simultaneously invited the Dāśārha Lord and the brāhmaṇa sages to accept hospitality in their homes.

Understanding their desire and wishing to please them both, the Supreme Lord entered both homes at once, unseen in either place by the other host.

Though they had traveled a long distance and were tired, the great-minded King Janaka led them into his home, brought excellent seats, and made them comfortable.

His devotion swelling, his heart overflowing with joy and his eyes wet with tears, the king bowed to their feet and washed them with water that purifies the worlds.

Together with his family he bore that water upon his head and worshiped the exalted guests with fragrant substances, garlands, garments, ornaments, incense, lamps, arghya, cows, and bulls.

After satisfying them with food, the king delighted them with sweet words. Joyfully placing Viṣṇu's feet upon his lap, he gently massaged them and spoke.

Śrī Bahulāśva said: All-pervading Lord, You are the Self, witness, and self-revealing seer within every being. Now You have appeared before us who remember Your lotus feet.

You have come within our sight to make Your own words true, for You declared, 'Neither Ananta, nor Śrī, nor unborn Brahmā is as dear to Me as My exclusive devotee.'

Who, knowing this, could abandon Your lotus feet? You give Your very self to peaceful sages who possess nothing.

Descending in the Yadu dynasty for the sake of people wandering in this world, You spread fame that calms their suffering and removes the sins of the three worlds.

Obeisance to You, Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa of unobstructed intelligence; to Nārāyaṇa, the sage who undertook perfectly peaceful austerity.

Infinite Lord, please remain in our home for a few days with these brāhmaṇas and purify this dynasty of Nimi with the dust of Your feet.

Thus invited by the king, the Supreme Lord, sustainer of the worlds, remained there and bestowed auspiciousness upon the men and women of Mithilā.

When Śrutadeva saw that Acyuta had arrived at his home, he bowed to Him and the sages, just as the king had done. Overjoyed, he waved his garment and danced.

He brought mats of grass and woven seats, seated them, and welcomed them. Then, together with his wife, he joyfully washed their feet.

Having obtained the fulfillment of every desire, the greatly fortunate Śrutadeva jubilantly sprinkled that water over himself, his house, and his entire family.

With whatever articles were available, he worshiped them: fruits and arghya, fragrant uśīra roots, pure nectarean water, scented clay, tulasī leaves, kuśa grass, and nourishing food that increased purity.

He wondered, 'How has this meeting come to me, fallen in the blind well of household life: a meeting with Kṛṣṇa and with these brāhmaṇas, who house Him within their hearts and whose foot-dust sanctifies every place of pilgrimage?'

When his guests were comfortably seated and honored, Śrutadeva approached with his wife, relatives, and children. Massaging their feet, he spoke.

Śrutadeva said: The Supreme Person has not appeared before us only today. Having created this universe through His powers, He entered it from the beginning through His presence as the indwelling Self.

He is like a sleeping person who creates an apparently separate dream-world through the mind and his own māyā, then enters it and appears within it.

You reveal Yourself within the hearts of pure-minded persons who constantly hear and speak about You, worship and praise You, and converse with one another about You.

Though dwelling within the heart, You remain very far from those whose minds are scattered by karma. Although material powers cannot grasp You, You are near to those whose inner qualities are purified.

Obeisance to You, the Supreme Self of those who know the Self, yet appearing as non-self and death to those separated from their true nature. Through Your own māyā You assume the subtle form comprising cause and effect, while the vision of those covered by that same māyā is obstructed.

You are that Lord, so command us, Your servants. God, what shall we do? The suffering of human beings ends when You become visible to their eyes.

Śrī Śuka said: Hearing Śrutadeva speak in this way, the Supreme Lord, who removes the distress of those who bow to Him, took his hand in His own and smilingly addressed him.

The Supreme Lord said: Brāhmaṇa, know that these sages have come here to bless you. They travel through the worlds with Me, purifying them with the dust of their feet.

The gods, sacred places, and holy waters gradually purify through being seen, touched, and worshiped. Yet even they become sanctified by the glance of the most exalted saint.

A brāhmaṇa is superior by birth to all living beings in this world. How much more so when endowed with austerity, learning, contentment, and devotion to Me.

Even this four-armed form of Mine is not dearer to Me than the brāhmaṇas. A brāhmaṇa embodies all the Vedas, while I embody all the gods.

The foolish and envious, failing to understand this, disrespect the brāhmaṇa, who is their guru, My own form, and their very self, while imagining that divinity resides only in worshipable images and the like.

Through vision centered upon Me, a brāhmaṇa holds within his heart that this moving and unmoving universe, and all the principles that cause it, are forms of Mine.

Therefore, brāhmaṇa, worship these brahmarṣis with the same faith you place in Me. By doing so you directly worship Me; no abundance of other offerings can worship Me in the same way.

Śrī Śuka said: Thus instructed by the Lord, Śrutadeva worshiped the foremost brāhmaṇas together with Kṛṣṇa in a mood of complete unity. King Maithila did the same, and both attained the highest destination.

O King, the Supreme Lord is devoted to His devotees. After staying with His two devotees in this way and instructing them in the true path, He returned to Dvāravatī.