228 Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

place and remain there without moving. This non-movement of the
sannyast is called Caturmdsya-vrata. When a sannydsi stays in a place for
four months, the local inhabitants of that place take advantage of his
presence to become spiritually advanced. Arjuna, in the dress of a tridandi-
sannyasi, remained in the city of Dvaraka for four months, devising a plan
whereby he could get Subhadra as his wife. The inhabitants of Dvaraka as
well as Lord Balarama could not recognize the sannydasi to be Arjuna;
therefore all of them offered their respect and obeisances to the sannyasi
without knowing the actual situation.

One day Lord Balaradma invited this particular sannyasi to lunch at His
home. Balaraémaji very respectfully offered him all kinds of palatable
dishes, and the so-called sannydsi was eating sumptuously. While eating
at the home of Balaramaji, Arjuna was simply looking over beautiful
Subhadra, who was very enchanting even to the great heroes and kings.
Out of love for her, Arjuna’s eyes brightened, and he began to see her with
glittering eyes. Arjuna decided that somehow or other he would achieve
Subhadra as his wife, and his mind became agitated on account of this
strong desire.

Arjuna, the grandfather of Maharaja Pariksit, was himself extraordinarily
beautiful, and his bodily structure was very much attractive to Subhadra.
Subhadra also decided within her mind that she would accept only Arjuna
as her husband. As a simple girl, she was smiling with great pleasure,
looking at Arjuna. Thus Arjuna also became more and more attracted by
her. In this way, Subhadra dedicated herself to Arjuna, and he resolved to
marry her by any means. He then became absorbed twenty-four hours a
day in the thought of how he could get Subhadra as his wife. He was
afflicted with the thought of getting Subhadra, and had not a moment’s
peace of mind.

Once upon a time, Subhadra, seated on a chariot, came out of the
palace fort to see the gods in the temple. Arjuna took this opportunity,
and with the permission of Vasudeva and Devaki, he kidnapped her. After
getting on Subhadra’s chariot, he prepared himself for a fight. Taking up
his bow and holding off with his arrows the soldiers ordered to check him,
Arjuna took Subhadra away. While Subhadra was being thus kidnapped by
Arjuna, her relatives and family members began to cry, but still he took
her, just as a lion takes his share and departs. When it was disclosed to
Lord Balarama that the so-called sannyasi was Arjuna and that he had
planned such a device simply to take away Subhadra and that he had ac-
tually taken her, He became very angry. Just as the waves of the ocean be-
come agitated on a full moon day, Lord Balarama became greatly disturbed.
