सुभद्रां च ददौ कृष्णः फाल्गुनाय महात्मने । कन्यकां मातुलानां च दाक्षिणात्यः परिग्रहः
Krishna gave Subhadra to the great-souled Arjuna, and the daughters of their maternal uncles were taken as wives by the southerners.
देशेष्वन्येषु दोषोऽयमित्याह कमलोद्भवः
In other regions, this is considered a fault—so declared the lotus-born Brahma.
अथ षोडशाधिकशततमोऽध्यायः बाण उवाच अनिरुद्ध बुधोऽसि त्वं त्वयोक्तं सत्यमेव च । शंभुना चैवमुक्तं च सर्वं बुद्धं स्वचेतसा
Chapter one hundred and sixteen. Bāṇa said: Aniruddha, you are wise, and what you have spoken is indeed true; all that was spoken by Shambhu has been understood by my own mind.
त्वयोक्तं शंकरवरात्पञ्चानां स्वामिनां प्रिया । द्रौपदी च महाभागा तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि
You spoke of the boon from Shankara, the beloved of the five lords, and of Draupadi, the greatly fortunate one; please explain this to me.
शम्बरेण हृता पूर्व तव माता कथं रतिः । देवैरपि कथं दत्ता देवास्तेन जिता कथम्
How was your mother, Rati, formerly taken by Shambara? How was she given even by the gods, and how were the gods defeated by him?
अनिरुद्ध उवाच एकदा रघुनाथश्च सीतया लक्ष्मणो च । स्नातः सरसि तत्रस्थो रम्ये पञ्चवटीतटे
Aniruddha said: Once, Raghunatha, along with Sita and Lakshmana, after bathing in the lake, remained there on the beautiful bank of Panchavati.
उवाच सीता हेमन्ते जलं सुस्वादु निर्मलम् । तथाऽन्नं व्यञ्जनं रम्यं सर्वं वस्तु सुशीतलम्
In the winter, Sita said, 'The water is very sweet and pure, and likewise the food and delightful dishes, everything is pleasantly cool.'
फलावबचयनं चक्रे सीतायै प्रददौ मुदा । ततो ददौ लक्ष्मणाय पश्चाद्भङ्क्ते स्वयं प्रभुः
He gathered fruits for Sita and joyfully gave them to her; then he gave some to Lakshmana, and afterwards the Lord himself ate.
लक्ष्मणस्तद्गृहीत्वा च नैव भुङ्क्ते फलं जलम् । मेघनादवधार्थं च सीतोद्धारणकारणात्
Lakshmana, having received them, did not eat the fruit or drink the water, for the sake of slaying Meghanada and rescuing Sita.
निद्रां न याति नो भुङ्क्ते वर्षाणां च चतुर्दश । य एवं पुरुषो योगी तद्वध्यो रावणत्मजः
For fourteen years, he neither slept nor ate, with the purpose of killing Ravana's son and rescuing Sita; such a yogi alone could slay him.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे रामं द्रष्टुं कमललोचनम् । वहनिस्तत्र समायातो द्विजरूपी कृपानिधिः भविष्यत्कथयामाम श्रुतिकौटपरं वचः
Meanwhile, to see Rama, the lotus-eyed one, Agni arrived there in the form of a brahmin, the compassionate one, to speak of future events and words beyond the Vedas.
वह्निरुवाच शृणु राम महाभाग सीतासंगोपनं कुरु । सप्ताहाभ्यन्तरे चैव रावणो दुष्टराक्षसः
Agni said: Hear me, O greatly fortunate Rama; conceal Sita. Within seven days, Ravana, the wicked rakshasa, will come.
दुर्निवार्यः प्राक्तनेन जानकीं च हरिष्यति । विधात्रा लिखितं कर्म प्राक्तंनं केन वार्यते
He, irresistible due to previous fate, will abduct Janaki; what is ordained by the Creator cannot be prevented by anyone.
वेदैश्चतुर्भिः कथितं न च दैवात्परं वरम्
It is declared by the four Vedas that there is no power greater than destiny.
राम उवाच सीतां गृहीत्वा त्वं गच्छ च्छायाऽत्रैव तु तिष्ठतु । कलत्रवर्जनं कर्म सर्वेषां च जुगुप्सितम्
Rama said: Take Sita with you, but let her shadow remain here; abandonment of one's wife is condemned by all.
सीतां गृहीत्वा प्रययौ रुदतीं च हुताशनः । सीतया सदृशी छाया तस्थौ श्रीरामसंनिधौ
Agni took Sita, who was weeping, and departed; a shadow resembling Sita remained in the presence of Shri Rama.
सा च च्छाया हृता पूर्व रावणेनावलीलया । समुद्दधार तां रामो निहत्य तं सबान्धवम्
That shadow was formerly abducted by Ravana through illusion; Rama later rescued her after slaying him and his kin.
वह्नौ परीक्षाकाले च च्छाया वह्नौ विवेश सा । अग्निश्छायां च संरक्ष्य ददौ रामाय जानकीम्
At the time of the fire ordeal, that shadow entered the fire; Agni, having protected the shadow, gave Janaki back to Rama.
रामस्तां च गृहीत्वा च प्रययौ स्वाश्रमं मुदा । छाया तस्थौ वह्निपार्श्वे हृदयेन विदूयता
Rama took her and joyfully returned to his own hermitage; Chaya remained by the fire's side, her heart torn with sorrow.
सा च च्छाया तपश्चक्रे नारायणसरोवरे । तपश्चकार दिव्यं च शातवर्षं च शूलिनः
That Chaya performed austerities at the Narayana Lake; she undertook a divine penance for a hundred years to please Shiva.
वरं वृणुष्व भद्रे त्वमुवाच शंकरश्च ताम् । उवाच शिवं व्यग्रा भर्तुर्दुःखेन दुःखिता
Shankara said to her, 'Choose a boon, O blessed one.' Distressed by her husband's suffering, she earnestly addressed Shiva.
पतिं देहि पञ्चधा सा वरं वव्रे त्रिलोचनम् । सर्वसंपत्प्रदस्तुष्टस्तस्यै शर्वो वरं ददौ
She requested the three-eyed god, 'Grant me five husbands.' Satisfied, Sharva, the bestower of all prosperity, granted her the boon.
महादेव उवाच साध्वि त्वं पञ्चधा ब्रूहि पतिं देहीति व्याकुला । पञ्चेन्द्राश्च हरेरंशा भविष्यन्ति प्रियास्तव
Mahadeva said: 'O virtuous one, you anxiously asked, “Grant me a husband five times.” Five Indras, portions of Hari, will become your beloveds.'
ते च सर्वे च पञ्चेन्द्राश्चाधुना पञ्च पाण्डवाः । सा च च्छाया द्रौपदी च यज्ञकुण्डसमुद्भवा
Those five Indras have now become the five Pandavas; and Chaya is Draupadi, born from the sacrificial fire.
कृतयुगे वेदवती त्रेतायां जनकात्मजा । द्वापरे द्रौपदी छाया तेन कृष्णा त्रिहायणी
In the Krita age she was Vedavati, in Treta the daughter of Janaka; in Dvapara she is Draupadi, thus called Krishna of three years.
वैष्णपी कृष्णभक्ता च तेन कृष्णा प्रकीर्तिता । स्वर्गलक्ष्मीर्महेन्द्राणां सा च पश्चाद्भविष्यति
A devotee of Krishna, devoted to Vishnu, she is therefore called Krishna; later she will become the fortune of heaven, queen of the great Indras.
राजा ददौ फाल्गुनाय कन्यायाश्च स्वयंवरे । पप्रच्छ मातरं वीरो वस्तु प्राप्तं मयाऽधुना
The king gave his daughter to Phalguna at the svayamvara; the hero then asked his mother, 'I have now obtained the prize.'
तमुवाच स्वयं माता गृहाण भ्रातृभिः सह । शंभोर्वरेण पूर्व च परत्र मातुराज्ञया
His mother herself said to him, 'Take her together with your brothers, by Shiva's former boon and by your mother's command.'
द्रौपद्याः स्वामिनस्तेन हेतुना पञ्च पाण्डवाः । चतुर्दशानामिन्द्राणां पञ्चेन्द्राः पञ्च पाण्डवाः
For this reason, Draupadi's lords are the five Pandavas; the five Pandavas are the five Indras among the fourteen Indras.
शंकरेणाभिसंशप्ता सा मात्रा भर्त्सितेन च । भर्ताते भस्मसाद्भूतो हरकोपानलेन च
Cursed by Shankara and reproached by her mother, her husband was reduced to ashes by the fire of Hara's wrath.