24
Krṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Before this marriage of Satyā with Krṣṇa, there had been many competitive engagements with the bulls of King Nagnajit, and many other princes of the Yadu dynasty and of other dynasties as well had tried to win the hand of Satyā. When the frustrated princes of the other dynasties heard that Krṣṇa was successful in getting the hand of Satyā by subduing the bulls, naturally they became envious. While Krṣṇa was travelling to Dvārakā, all the frustrated and defeated princes encircled Him and began to shower their arrows on the bridal party. When they attacked Krṣṇa's party and threw arrows like incessant torrents of rain, Arjuna, the best friend of Krṣṇa, took charge of the challenge, and he alone drove them off very easily to please his great friend Krṣṇa on the occasion of His marriage. He immediately took up his bow of the name Gāṇḍīva and chased away all the princes; exactly as a lion drives away all other small animals simply by chasing them, Arjuna drove away all the princes without killing even one of them. After this, the chief of the Yadu dynasty, Lord Krṣṇa, along with His newly married wife and a huge dowry, entered the city of Dvārakā with great pomp. Krṣṇa then lived there with His wife very peacefully.
Krṣṇa had another aunt, His father's sister, whose name was Śrutakīrti, and who was married and lived in the Kekaya province. She had a daughter whose name was Bhadrā. Bhadrā also wanted to marry Krṣṇa, and her brother handed her over to Him unconditionally. Krṣṇa also accepted her as His bona fide wife. Thereafter, Krṣṇa married a daughter of the king of the Madras Province, and her name was Lakṣmaṇā. Lakṣmaṇā had all good qualities. She was also forcibly married by Krṣṇa, who took her in the same way that Garuḍa snatched the jar of nectar from the hands of the demons. Krṣṇa kidnapped this girl in the presence of many other princes in the assembly of her  svayamvara .  Svayamvara  is a ceremony in which the bride can select her own husband from an assembly of many princes.
The description of Krṣṇa's marriage with the five girls mentioned in this chapter is not sufficient. He had many other thousands of wives besides them. The other thousands of wives were accepted by Krṣṇa after killing one demon named Bhaumāsura. All these thousands of girls were held captive in the palace of Bhaumāsura, and Krṣṇa released them and married them.
Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Second Volume, Third Chapter of Krṣṇa, "Five Queens Married by Krṣṇa."