122 Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

three Pandavas, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. The eyes of all three
brothers were inundated with tears, and Arjuna began to embrace Krsna
again and again because they were intimate friends. The two younger
Pandava brothers, after being embraced by Lord Krsna, fell down at His
lotus feet to offer their respects. Lord Krsna thereafter offered His
obeisances to the brahmanas present there, as well as to the elderly
members of the Kuru dynasty, like Bhisma, Drona and Dhrtarastra. There
were many kings of different provinces such as Kuru, Srfijaya and Kekaya,
and Lord Krsna duly reciprocated greetings and respects with them. The
professional reciters like the siitas, magadhas, and vandinas, accompanied
by the brahmanas, began to offer their respectful prayers to the Lord.
Artists and musicians like the Gandharvas, as well as the royal jokers, began
to play their drums, conchshells, kettledrums, vinds, mrdarigas, and bugles,
and they exhibited their dancing art in order to please the Lord. Thus the
all-famous Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krsna, entered the great
city of Hastinapura, which was opulent in every respect. While Lord Krsna
was entering the city, everyone was talking amongst themselves about the
glories of the Lord, praising His transcendental name, quality, form, etc.

The roads, streets and lanes of Hastinapura were all sprinkled with
fragrant water through the trunks of intoxicated elephants. In different
places of the city there were colorful festoons and flags decorating the
houses and streets. At important road crossings there were gates with
golden decorations, and at the two sides of the gates there were golden
water jugs. These beautiful decorations glorified the opulence of the city.
Participating in this great ceremony, all the citizens of the city gathered
here and there, dressed in colorful new clothing, decorated with ornaments,
flower garlands, and fragrant scents. Each and every house was illuminated
by hundreds and thousands of lamps placed in different corners of the
cornices, walls, columns, bases and architraves, and from far away the
rays of the lamps resembled the festival of Dipavali (a particular festival
observed on the New Year’s Day of the Hindu calendar). Within the walls
of the houses, fragrant incense was burning, and smoke rose through the
windows, making the entire atmosphere very pleasing. On the top of every
house flags were flapping, and the gold water pots kept on the roofs shone
very brilliantly.

Lord Krsna thus entered the city of the Pandavas, enjoyed the beautiful
atmosphere and slowly proceeded ahead. When the young girls in every
house heard that Lord Krsna, the only object worth seeing, was passing on
the road, they became very anxious to see this all-famous personality. Their
hair loosened, and their tightened saris became slack due to their hastily
