ose princes attired in gorgeous dresses, took the hand of that
best of women, day by day in succession, aided by that priest. O king,
the celestial Rishi told me of a very wonderful and extraordinary thing
in connection with these marriages, viz., that the illustrious princess
of slender waist regained her virginity every day after a previous
marriage. After the weddings were over, king Drupada gave unto those
mighty car-warriors diverse kinds of excellent wealth. And the king gave
unto them one hundred cars with golden standards, each drawn by four
steeds with golden bridles. And he gave them one hundred elephants all
possessing auspicious marks on their temples and faces and like unto a
hundred mountains with golden peaks. He also gave them a hundred female
servants all in the prime of youth and clad in costly robes and ornaments
and floral wreaths. And the illustrious monarch of the Lunar race gave
unto each of those princes of celestial beauty, making the sacred fire a
witness of his gifts, much wealth and many costly robes and ornaments of
great splendour. The sons of Pandu endued with great strength, after
their wedding were over, and after they had obtained Krishna like unto a
second Sri along with great wealth, passed their days in joy and
happiness, like so many Indras, in the capital of the king of the
Panchalas,'"

SECTION CCI

(Vaivahika Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said, 'King Drupada, after his alliance with the Pandavas,
had all his fears dispelled. Indeed, the monarch no longer stood in fear
even of the gods. The ladies of the illustrious Drupada's household
approached Kunti and introduced themselves unto her, mentioning their
respective names, and worshipped her feet with heads touching the ground.
Krishna also, attired in red silk and her wrists still encircled with the
auspicious thread, saluting her mother-in-law with reverence, stood
contentedly before her with joined palms. Pritha, out of affection,
pronounced a blessing upon her daughter-in-law endued with great beauty
and every auspicious mark and possessed of a sweet disposition and good
character, saying, 'Be thou unto thy husband as Sachi unto Indra, Swaha
unto Vibhavasu, Rohini unto Soma, Damayanti unto Nala, Bhadra unto
Vaisravana, Arundhati unto Vasishtha, Lakshmi unto Narayana! O amiable
one, be thou the mother of long-lived and heroic children, and possessed
of everything that can make thee happy! Let luck and prosperity ever wai