24 Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

Before this marriage of Satya with Krsna, there had been many com-
petitive 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 Satya. When the frustrated princes of the other dynasties heard
that Krsna was successful in getting the hand of Satya by subduing the
bulls, naturally they became envious. While Krsna was travelling to Dvaraka,
all the frustrated and defeated princes encircled Him and began to
shower their arrows on the bridal party. When they attacked Krsna’s party
and threw arrows like incessant torrents of rain, Arjuna, the best friend of
Krsna, took charge of the challenge, and he alone drove them off very
easily to please his great friend Krsna on the occasion of His marriage. He
immediately took up his bow of the name Gandiva 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 Krsna, along with
His newly married wife and a huge dowry, entered the city of Dvaraka
with great pomp. Krsna then lived there with His wife very peacefully.

Krsna had another aunt, His father’s sister, whose name was Srutakirti,
and who was married and lived in the Kekaya province. She had a daughter
whose name was Bhadra. Bhadra also wanted to marry Krsna, and her
brother handed her over to Him unconditionally. Krsna also accepted her
as His bona fide wife. Thereafter, Krsna married a daughter of the king of
the Madras Province, and her name was Laksmana. Laksman had all good
qualities. She was also forcibly married by Krsna, who took her in the
same way that Garuda snatched the jar of nectar from the hands of the
demons. Krsna kidnapped this girl in the presence of many other princes in
the assembly of her svayarmvara. Svayamvara is a ceremony in which the
bride can select her own husband from an assembly of many princes.

The description of Krsna’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 Krsna after killing one
demon named Bhaumasura. All these thousands of girls were held captive
in the palace of Bhaumasura, and Krsna released them and married them.

Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Second Volume, Third
Chapier of Krsna, “Five Queens Married by Krsna.”
