Puranic encyclopaedia
by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222
This page describes the Story of Subhadra included the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani that was translated into English in 1975. The Puranas have for centuries profoundly influenced Indian life and Culture and are defined by their characteristic features (panca-lakshana, literally, ‘the five characteristics of a Purana�).
Story of ܲ
Sister of Śrī ṛṣṇa.
Birth.
ܲ was the daughter of Vasudeva by his wife ٱ𱹲ī. She had two brothers, ṛṣṇa and ṇa and she was her father’s pet child. (Ādi Parva, Chapter 217, Verse 18).
Married to Arjuna.
During his one year’s pilgrimage Arjuna, after visiting various holy places, came at last to Prabhāsa tīrtha in the plains of the western mountain. He met Gada there who described to him the unique beauty of ܲ. The description evoked in him the desire to marry her for which purpose he assumed the form of a Sannyāsin and sitting under a tree thought about Śrī ṛṣṇa who understood the fact while lying on the bed with ٲⲹ峾 and immediately he began laughing. Asked for the reason for his laughing thus, Śrī ṛṣṇa told her about Arjuna thinking about him etc. ṛṣṇa then went to Arjuna and questioned him about the reason for his pilgrimage and the latter explained the circumstances of it. They then went to the Raivata mountain where Arjuna revealed to ṛṣṇa his desire to marry ܲ. ṛṣṇa agreed and, after leaving Arjuna at the mountain, returned to ٱ.
Within a few days the 岹 celebrated a festival at Raivata attended by prominent leaders like Balabhadra, Ugrasena, Pradyumna, Śrī ṛṣṇa and others. The sight of ܲ among them evoked uncontrollable love in Arjuna who asked ṛṣṇa secretly about the means for him to marry ܲ. ṛṣṇa answered him thus: "ⲹṃv (marriage by self choice by a woman) is ordained for ṣaٰⲹ. But, how would we know whom ܲ loves. Abduction also is ordained for ṣaٰⲹ. So you abduct ܲ."
Arjuna immediately sent word about the matter through emissaries to Indraprastha. After the festival at Raivata was over, ܲ returned to ٱ. As for Arjuna, he sat on a rock in the forest thinking about ܲ when 岹 heroes like Bala, 峾, ṇa, Pradyumna and Gada came that way by chance. They saluted the Sannyāsin (Arjuna) and after blessing them he made them sit on the rock around him and related to them various stories. Then 岹 felt great respect for the Sannyāsin and invited him and took him to ٱ. ṛṣṇa and others arranged for the stay of the Sannyāsin, who pretended to spend ٳܰⲹ there. He was to be fed from ܲ’s house and the Sannyāsin was overwhelmed with joy.
As days passed on thus, Arjuna grew more and more sick with love. ܲ felt unbounded affection for him. She heard from him many stories about the valiant ṇḍ, Arjuna. When he was convinced that ܲ cherished strong love for him, Arjuna revealed the truth about him. When he told her that he, the fake Sannyāsin, was really Arjuna who was living there without the knowledge of his mother and brothers, ܲ bent down her head in shyness.
ܲ’s wedding was decided to be held on the twelfth day from that date. Balabhadra and Uddhava both of them short-tempered, were not informed about the decision. Śrī ṛṣṇa took the lead in making preparations for the wedding and he saw ܲ and gave {??} all good wishes.
Many of the 岹 chiefs wanted ܲ to be wedded to Duryodhana, a disciple of Balabhadra and against this desire of theirs ܲ and Arjuna together drove themselves away in a chariot through lines of people and this created a stir among the 岹. But, ṛṣṇa pacified them all. (Ādi Parva, Chapters 213-228; 岵ٲ, 10th Skandha).
Other information.
(i) Later on, the wedding of ܲ with Arjuna was duly consecrated. (Ādi Parva, Chapter 220, Verse 10).
(ii) Arjuna came to Indraprastha with ܲ disguised as a ҴDZī. Many costly things, by way of ܲ’s dowry, were duly sent from ٱ to Indraprastha. (Ādi Parva, Chapter 220).
(iii) A son named Abhimanyu was born to the couple. (Ādi Parva, Chapter 220, Verse 65).
(iv) During the period of the 'forest life' of the ṇḍs ܲ and her son lived with ṛṣṇa at ٱ (Vana Parva, Chapter 22, Verse 3).
(v) ܲ too was present at the wedding of Abhimanyu at Upaplavyanagara. (վṭa Parva, Chapter 72 Verse 22).
(vi) When Abhimanyu was killed in the great war, ܲ wept before ṛṣṇa. (ٰṇa Parva, Chapter 78, Verse 2).
(vii) Following the death of Abhimanyu ܲ returned with ṛṣṇa to ٱ. (ś Parva, Chapter 52, Verse 85).
(viii) Remembering about Abhimanyu’s death ܲ swooned. (ś Parva Chapter 61, Verse 4).
(ix) She went from ٱ to Ჹپܰ to attend the ś ⲹñ performed by ۳ܻṣṭ (ś Parva, Chapter 66, Verse 4).
(x) ܲ joined her co-wives, ūī and 侱ٰṅg and embraced them. (ś Parva, Chapter 83, Verse 3).
(xi) Following the death of Abhimanyu ܲ spent her days in sad silence. (Mahāprasthāna Parva, Chapter 1).