hter, that
foremost of women endued with great beauty, like unto a celestial damsel
and possessed of the splendour of fire or the moon, regarded her as the
worthy wife of those celestial beings, for her beauty, splendour and
fame. And beholding that wonderful sight, the monarch touched the feet of
Satyavati's son, exclaiming, 'O great Rishi, nothing is miraculous in
thee!' The Rishi then cheerfully continued, 'In a certain hermitage there
was an illustrious Rishi's daughter, who, though handsome and chaste,
obtained not a husband. The maiden gratified, by severe ascetic penances,
the god Sankara (Mahadeva). The lord Sankara, gratified at her penances,
told her himself. 'Ask thou the boon thou desirest' Thus addressed, the
maiden repeatedly said unto the boon-giving Supreme Lord, 'I desire to
obtain a husband possessed of every accomplishment. Sankara, the chief of
the gods, gratified with her, gave her the boon she asked, saying, 'Thou
shall have, amiable maiden, five husbands.' The maiden, who had succeeded
in gratifying the god, said again, 'O Sankara, I desire to have from thee
only one husband possessed of every virtue?' The god of gods,
well-pleased with her, spake again, saying, 'Thou hast, O maiden,
addressed me five full times, repeating, 'Give me a husband.' Therefore,
O amiable one, it shall even be as thou hast asked. Blessed be thou. All
this, however, will happen in a future life of thine!'

"Vyasa continued, 'O Drupada, this thy daughter of celestial beauty is
that maiden. Indeed, the faultless Krishna sprung from Prishata's race
hath been pre-ordained to become the common wife of five husbands. The
celestial Sri, having undergone severe ascetic penances, hath, for the
sake of the Pandavas, had her birth as thy daughter, in the course of thy
grand sacrifice. That handsome goddess, waited upon by all the
celestials, as a consequence of her own acts becomes the (common) wife of
five husbands. It is for this that the self-create had created her.
Having listened to all this, O king Drupada, do what thou desirest.'"

SECTION CC

(Vaivahika Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said, 'Drupada, on hearing this, observed, O great Rishi,
it was only when I had not heard this from thee that I had sought to act
in the way I told thee of. Now, however, that I know all, I cannot be
indifferent to what hath been ordained by the gods. Therefore do I
resolve to accomplish what thou hast said. The knot of destiny cannot b