Text 21]
The Pāṇḍavas Retire Timely
797
curved manner. The daughters of the demigods could not check their laughter upon seeing the movements of the Muni, and the Muni, being angry at them, cursed them that they would be kidnapped by rogues, even if they would get the Lord as their husband. Later on, the girls again satisfied the Muni by their prayers, and the Muni blessed them that they would regain their husband even after being robbed by the rogues. So, in order to keep the words of the great Muni, the Lord Himself kidnapped His wives from the protection of Arjuna, otherwise they would have at once vanished from the scene as soon as they were touched by the rogues. Besides that, some of the  gopīs  who prayed to become wives of the Lord returned to their respective positions after their desire was fulfilled. After the departure of Lord Kṛṣṇa, He wanted all His entourage back to Godhead, and they were called back under different conditions only.
TEXT 21
तद्वै धनुस्त इषवः स रथो हयास्ते 
  सोऽहं रथी नृपतयो यत आनमन्ति । 
  सर्वं क्षणेन तदभूदसदीशरिक्तं 
  भस्मन् हुतं कुहकराद्धमिवोप्तमूष्याम् ॥२१॥
tad vai dhanus ta iṣavaḥ sa ratho hayās te 
  so 'ham rathī nṛpatayo yata ānamanti 
  sarvam kṣaṇena tad abhūd asad īśa-riktam 
  bhasman hutam kuhaka-rāddham ivoptam ūṣyām
tat—the same; vai—certainly; dhanuḥ te—the same bow; iṣavaḥ—arrows; sa—the very same; rathaḥ—chariot; hayāḥ te—the very same horses; saḥ aham—I am the same Arjuna; rathī—the chariot-fighter; nṛpatayaḥ—all the kings; yataḥ—whom; ānamanti—offered their respects; sarvam—all; kṣaṇena—at a moment's notice; tat—all those; abhūt—became; asat—useless; īśa—because of the Lord; riktam—being void; bhasmam—ashes; hutam—offering butter; kuhaka-rāddham—money created by magical feats; iva—like that; uptam—seed; ūṣyām—in barren land.
TRANSLATION
I have the very same Gāṇḍīva bow, the same arrows, the same chariot drawn by the same horses, and I use them as the same Arjuna to whom all