Bhagavad-gītā 1.16–19 – July 16, 1973, London

Draupadi accepted five husbands

Pradyumna: Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya.

[Prabhupada and devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse]

[break]

Prabhupada: Word meaning.

Pradyumna: [leads chanting of synonyms]

ananta-vijayam-the conch named Ananta-vijaya; raja-the king; kunti-putraḥ-the son of Kunti; yudhisthiraḥ-Yudhisthira; nakulaḥ-Nakula; sahadevaḥ-Sahadeva; ca-and; sughosa-manipuspakau-the conches named Sughosa and Manipuspaka; kasyaḥ-the king of Kasi (Varanasi); ca-and; parama-isu-asaḥ-the great archer; sikhanḍi-Sikhanḍi; ca-also; maha-rathaḥ-one who can fight alone against thousands; dhrstadyumnaḥ-Dhrstadyumna (the son of King Drupada); virataḥ-Virata (the prince who gave shelter to the Panḍavas while they were in disguise); ca-also; satyakiḥ-Satyaki (the same as Yuyudhana, the charioteer of Lord Krsna); ca-and; aparajitaḥ-who had never been vanquished before; drupadaḥ-Drupada, the king of Pancala; draupadeyaḥ-the sons of Draupadi; ca-also; sarvasaḥ-all; prthivi-pate-O King; saubhadraḥ-the son of Subhadra (Abhimanyu); ca-also; maha-bahuḥ-greatly-armed; sahkhan-conchshells; dadhmuḥ-blew; prthak prthak-each separately.

[06:38]

Translation: "King Yudhisthira, the son of Kunti, blew his conchshell, the Anantavijaya, and Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughosa and Manipuspaka. That great archer the king of Kasi, the great fighter Sikhanḍi, Dhrstadyumna, Virata and the unconquerable Satyaki, Drupada, the sons of Draupadi, and the others, O King, such as the son of Subhadra, greatly armed, all blew their respective conchshells."

Prabhupada: So here Dhrtarastra is addressed as prthivi-pate, the lord of the world. Prthivi. Prthivi means this planet. So five thousand years ago, from the statement it appears that the king of Hastinapura was the emperor of the whole world, prthivi-pate. One king. The whole planet was being governed by one emperor or king, and different parts of the world, other kings, subordinate kings, as they are named here, Drupada, then Virata, Kasya, in different parts of the world they came and joined. And each and every one of them possessed a different kind of bugle, sahkha. So they declared that "Now we are ready to fight."

And another significance of this verse is, Yudhisthira is also described here as raja. In the beginning Sanjaya informed Dhrtarastra that Duryodhana raja. So actually the fight is between the two kings: one side Duryodhana, another side Yudhisthira. One may not misunderstand, therefore particularly mentioned kunti-putra: this raja is Kunti's son, kunti-putra. So Drupada, Maharaja Drupada, the father of Draupadi. Draupadi was gained by Arjuna in competition. Draupadi, the daughter of Maharaja Drupada, is Draupadi. She is Draupadi. And her sons, they are draupadeya.

So the grandfather, the grandsons, all of them were present, because they were allies. Maharaja Drupada happened to be the father-in-law of the Panḍavas. Draupadi accepted five husbands. When Draupadi was gained in the competition, they were incognito. The Panḍavas were incognito. They were banished for twelve years, and after twelve years, one year they had to live incognito. Nobody would understand where they are living. So they took shelter at the house of Maharaja Virata.

So Virata, at that time this Maharaja Virata's daughter, Uttara, was trained by Arjuna for dancing. Arjuna was appointed as a dancing teacher for the daughter of Maharaja Virata, Uttara. So when it was discovered that Arjuna was not a dancing teacher-he was the great hero-Maharaja Virata wanted to offer his daughter, that "You marry my daughter," because he was disclosed. So Arjuna said, "How can I marry this girl? I am her teacher. Therefore a teacher is to be considered as father, so it is not possible. So if you like, I can get this girl married with my son Saubhadra, Subhadra's son."

Arjuna had another wife, Subhadra. That Subhadra, you know, sister of Krsna. Sister of Krsna. So Subhadra; Balarama, elder brother; Krsna, younger brother. Krsna wanted to hand over Subhadra to Arjuna, and Balarama wanted to hand over Subhadra to Duryodhana. So Krsna could not say anything. The elder brother has decided. Therefore Krsna advised Arjuna to kidnap Subhadra. Just see how much Krsna was affectionate to Arjuna that Arjuna liked also to marry Subhadra, and Subhadra also liked, but the elder brother did not agree. So they made a plan that Arjuna kidnap Subhadra.

This kidnapping was allowed among the ksatriyas, and fight. That is ksatriya marriage. Unless there is fight, that marriage is not complete. The red vermilion which we apply, that is ksatriya principle. After killing the opposite party, the blood will be smeared over the hair of the bridegroom..., er, bride. That is conquer, victory. So in every marriage... Krsna had 16,108 wives, and each wife was married by fighting, beginning from Rukmini. Rukmini also, the first wife of Krsna, the first queen, when Krsna became king of Dvaraka, she was the first queen. So she was kidnapped by Arjuna [Krsna]. Rukmini was settled up to be married with Sisupala. Sisupala also happened to be Krsna's cousin-brother, and Rukmini did not like that she would be handed over to Sisupala. She wanted to marry Krsna. So she sent one letter to Krsna that "This is the position. My brother, Rukma, he has decided to hand over to me to Sisupala, but I don't like. So please arrange for kidnapping me." A brahmana was sent to Krsna.

That is also another responsibility of ksatriya. If a girl proposes, "I want to marry you," a ksatriya cannot refuse. He cannot refuse. He must marry that girl, even at the risk of life. This is ksatriya spirit. One raksasi, she wanted to marry Bhima. So Bhima refused; she was a raksasi. So she complained to Maharaja Yudhisthira that "I wanted to marry Bhima, but he has refused." And Yudhisthira Maharaja compelled Bhima, "You must marry. Even though she is raksasi, you are ksatriya; you cannot refuse." This was the system, very nice system, brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sūdra.

[aside:] Don't work now. You should hear. You cannot divert your attention.

So all these kings on the side of the Panḍavas, they were relatives, so they joined. So when they blew their different types of conchshell, then the other side were trembled: "Oh, they have gathered so much strength?" Because Duryodhana thought that for..., continually for thirteen years Panḍavas were banished, so they could not gather any good amount of soldiers. But when they saw that the so many kings from different parts of the world have joined them, so they became frightened. That is described in the next verse, sa ghoso dhartarastranam hrdayani vyadarayat [Bg 1.19]. They are just like heartbroken: "What is this? They have gathered so much great, great fighters?" Nabhas ca prthivim caiva tumulo abhyanunadayan.

[aside:] You read this verse.

Pradyumna: [leads chanting responsively]

[break] [leads chanting of synonyms]

saḥ-that; ghosaḥ-vibration; dhartarastranam-of the sons of Dhrtarastra; hrdayani-hearts; vyadarayat-shattered; nabhaḥ-the sky; ca-also; prthivim-the surface of the earth; ca-also; eva-certainly; tumulaḥ-uproarious; abhyanunadayan-by resounding.

Translation: "The blowing of these different conchshells became uproarious, and thus, vibrating both in the sky and on the earth, it shattered the hearts of the sons of Dhrtarastra."

Prabhupada: So enemy. Enemy, when one enemy fights, the other party, well-equipped, strong, so it breaks the heart of the enemy. That happened. So there is nothing to especially... The breaking of the heart by vibrating different types of conchshell from the side of the Panḍavas, it broke the heart of the dhartarastranam, Dhrtarastra, his sons, one hundred sons. So from Dhrtarastra, Dhartarastra, dhartarastranam hrdayani vyadarayat. And it resounded both in the sky or on the surface. Hmm.

So I think I shall end. That's all.

Devotees: All glories to Prabhupada. [end]