Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (Volume 1).pdf/462

448 lilies scattered thereupon, and beautified with lines of troops, king Drupada's palace. festooned around with diamonds and precious stones, looked like the firmament studded with brilliant stars. Then those princes of the Kuru line, endured with youth and adorned with eat-rings, attired in costly robes and perfumed with sandal-paste, bathed and performed the usual religious rites and accompanied by their priest Dhaumya who was possessed of the splendour of fire, entered the wedding hall one after another in due order, and with glad hearts, like mighty bulls entering a cow-pen. Then Dhaumya. well conversant with the Vedas, igniting the sacred fire, poured with due mantras libations of clarified butter into that blazing element. And calling Yudhishthira there, Dhaumya, acquainted with mantras, united him with Krishna, Walking round the fire the bride-groom and the bride took each other's hand. After their union was complete, the priest Dhaumya, taking leave of Yudo ishthira, that ornament of battle, went out of the palace. Then those mighty car-warriors -- those perpetuators of the Kuru line, those 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 splender 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 Sree along with great wealth, passed their days in joy and happiness, like so many Indras, in the capital of the king of the Panchalas."

Thus ends the two hundredth section in the Vaivahika Parva of the Adi Parva.