Passage 8

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In plain words

“Great king, I came as a master to your daughter. To me she is the same as a daughter. So to look on her with this feeling is a sin. The very thought must not come to us.

Good conduct, a good Buddhi, steadfastness in Satya, Bhakti, discipline, the doing of one's duty: the guru is the one who teaches these; the student must learn them.

I am that kind of guru. This sinful feeling must not come,” he said. “Then, if you are willing, I have a son, Abhimanyu; if she marries my son and stays with me as my daughter-in-law, a daughter-in-law is the same as a daughter to me. If you want it that way, I will take her to my home.” Over there, he does not know that Abhimanyu has Śaśikaḷā. They are living in hiding. That itself is Ajñāna. Then King Virāṭa sent invitations to all the kings. King Drupada came, with a great army. Rukmiṇī's father, Bhīṣmaka, came. All came with their retinues. This Bhīṣmaka came with his son and his retinue. King Ugrasena came. All the Yādava kings came and gathered. Along with them came Subhadrā, Abhimanyu, Rukmiṇī, Satyabhāmā, all these, the household. Śaśikaḷā came. Why, they did not know. They did not know it was the wedding of King Virāṭa's daughter. They did not know to whom they would give her. In those days there were none of these wedding invitations. Only news sent through men. The kings of those days did not send their thoughts through these messengers. It used to be very secret. They would not let kings of equal rank know their feelings or their plans. In this way all gathered for the wedding. King Virāṭa went on making grand arrangements. After he arrived there, Arjuna learnt that Śaśikaḷā was there. He learnt that it was to Abhimanyu himself that they were giving this Uttarā in marriage. The brāhmins will all be there, surely! “Even two is no fault, even three is no fault,” they said in many ways. Subhadrā, speaking to him gently and nicely and laughing, said, “What shortage of weddings have you had? Do the same for your son too. You have six wives. You must do it for your son too,” she said. Playfully. It went off joyfully. Then Śaśikaḷā. Think how great the feelings of the people of those days were. Really, if they are marrying her husband to someone else, she would have to sink down in streams of tears. Śaśikaḷā is happier than everyone. “What right have I to say that this person is my person? By the will of God, this person belongs to so many.” So they brought Uttarā. The wedding took place well. In this wedding Śaśikaḷā herself came forward as the elder in everything.

When this had happened, a big meeting took place. Where are these Pāṇḍavas to live? Because all the kings had gathered there. All the relatives had come and gathered for this wedding of Abhimanyu.