Text 9
mahatyāṁ deva-yātrāyāṁ
ratha-sthāṁ durga-nirgatāṁ
jahārānumataḥ pitroḥ
kṛṣṇasya ca mahā-rathaḥ
mahatyām — important; deva — for the Supreme Lord; yātrāyām — during a festival; ratha — on a chariot; sthām — riding; durga — from the fortress; nirgatām — having exited; jahāra — he seized her; anumataḥ — sanctioned; pitroḥ — by her parents; kṛṣṇasya — by Kṛṣṇa; ca — and; mahā-rathaḥ — the mighty chariot warrior.
Once, on the occasion of a great temple festival in honor of the Supreme Lord, Subhadrā rode out of the fortresslike palace on a chariot, and at that time the mighty chariot warrior Arjuna took the opportunity to kidnap her. Subhadrā’s parents and Kṛṣṇa had sanctioned this.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī identifies this festival as the annual Ratha-yātrā for Lord Viṣṇu on the occasion of His rising from mystic sleep at the end of Cāturmāsya. Subhadrā’s parents are Vasudeva and Devakī.