17. DRAUPADI'S SWAYAMVARAM :

WHILE the Pandavas were living in
disguise as brahmanas at Ekachakrapura,
news of the swayamvara of Draupadi, the
daughter of Drupada, King of Panchala,
reached them. Many brahmanas of
Ekachakrapura planned to go to Panchala
in the hope of receiving the customary
gifts and to see the festivities and pageant
of a royal wedding. Kunti, with her
motherly instinct, read her sons' desire to
go to Panchala and win Draupadi. So she
told Yudhishthira: "We have been in this
city so long that it is time to think of
going somewhere else. We have seen
these hills and dales till we are tired of
them. The alms doled out to us are
diminishing and it is not good to outstay
your entertainment. Let us therefore go to
Drupada's kingdom which is reputed to be
fair and prosperous." Kunti was second to
none in worldly wisdom and sagacity and
could gracefully divine her sons' thoughts
and spare them the awkwardness of
expressing them.


The brahmanas went in groups to witness
the swayamvara and the Pandavas
mingled with them in the guise of
brahmanas. After a long march the party
reached the beautiful city of Drupada and
billeted themselves in the house of a
potter as obscure brahmanas of no note.
Though Drupada and Drona were
outwardly at peace, the former never
could forget or forgive the humiliation he
had suffered at the latter's hands.
Drupada's one wish was to give his
daughter in marriage to Arjuna.


Drona loved Arjuna so dearly that he
could hardly look upon his pupil's fatherin-
law as his deadly foe. And if there were
a war, Drupada would be all the stronger
for being Arjuna's father-in-law. When he
heard the news of the destruction of the
Pandavas at Varanavata, he was plunged
in sorrow but was relieved by a later
rumour that they had escaped.


The marriage hall was beautifully
decorated and built amidst a finely laid
out group of new guest-houses designed
to accommodate the swayamvara suitors
and guests. Attractive sights and sports
had been arranged for public
entertainment and there were glorious
festivities for fourteen days continuously.


A mighty steel bow was placed in the
marriage hall. The candidate for the
princess' hand was required to string the
bow and with it shoot a steel arrow
through the central aperture of a revolving
disk at a target placed on high.


This required almost superhuman strength
and skill, and Drupada proclaimed that the
hero who would win his daughter should
perform this feat. Many valiant princes
had gathered there from all parts of
Bharatavarsha. The sons of Dhritarashtra
were there as well as Karna, Krishna,
Sisupala, Jarasandha, and Salya.


Besides the competitors there was a huge
concourse of spectators and visitors. The
noise that issued therefrom resembled the
uproar of the ocean and over it all arose
the auspicious sound of festal music from
hundreds of instruments.


Dhrishtadyumna on horseback rode in
front of his sister Draupadi seated on an
elephant. Fresh from her auspicious bridal
bath, and clad in flowing silk Draupadi
dismounted and entered the swayamvara
hall, seeming to fill it with the sweetness
of her presence and perfect beauty.
Garland in hand, and coyly glancing at the
valiant princes, who for their part looked
at her in speechless admiration, she
ascended the dais. The brahmanas
repeated the usual mantras and offered
oblations in the fire. After the peace
invocation had been chanted and the
flourish of music had stopped,


Dhrishtadyumna took Draupadi by the
hand and led her to the center of the hall.
Then he proclaimed in loud, clear tones:
"Hear ye, O princes seated in state in this
assembly, here is the bow. There is the
target and here are the arrows. He who
sends five arrows in succession through
the hole of the wheel and unerringly hits
the target, if he also be of good family and
presence, shall win my sister." Then he
narrated to Draupadi the name, ancestry
and description of the several suitors
assembled there.


Many noted princes rose one after another
and tried in vain to string the bow. It was
too heavy and stiff for them, and they
returned to their places abashed and
ashamed.


Sisupala, Jarasandha, Salya, and
Duryodhana were among these
unsuccessful aspirants. When Karna came
forward, all the assemblage expected that
he would be successful but he failed by
just a hair's breadth and the string slid
back flashing and the mighty bow jumped
out of his hands like a thing of life.


There was great clamor and angry talk,
some even saying that it was an
impossible test put up to shame the kings.
Then all noises were hushed, for there
arose from among the group of brahmanas
a youth who advanced towards the bow.


It was Arjuna who had come disguised as
a brahmana. When he stood up; wild
clamor burst forth again from the crowd.
The brahmanas themselves were divided
in opinion. Some being highly delighted
that there should be among them a lad of
mettle enough to compete, while others
more envious or worldly wise, said what
impudence it was for this brahmacharin to
enter the lists when heroes like Karna,
Salya, and others had met with failure.


But there were others again who spoke
differently as they noted the noble and
shapely proportions of the youth. They
said: "We feel from his appearance that he
is going to win. He looks sure of himself
and he certainly knows what he is about.
The brahmana may be physically weaker,
but is it all a matter of brute strength?
What about the power of austerities? Why
should he not try?" And they blessed him.


Arjuna approached the place where the
bow lay and asked Dhrishtadyumna: "Can
a brahmana try to bend the bow?"
Dhrishtadyumna answered: "O best of
brahmanas, my sister will become the lifemate
of any one of good family and
presence, who bends the bow and shoots
the target. My words stand and there will
be no going back on them."


Then Arjuna meditated on Narayana, the
Supreme God, and took the bow in his
hand and strung it with ease. He placed an
arrow on the string and looked around him
with a smile, while the crowd was lost in
spellbound silence.


Then without pause or hesitation he shot
five arrows in succession through the
revolving mechanism right into the target
so that it fell down. The crowd was in
tumult and there was a blare of musical
instruments.


The brahmanas who were seated in the
assembly in large numbers sent forth
shouts of joy, waving aloft their deerskins
in exultation as though the whole
community had won Draupadi. The
uproar that followed was indescribable.


Draupadi shone with a fresh beauty. Her
face glowed with happiness which
streamed out of her eyes as she looked on
Arjuna. She approached him and placed
the garland on his neck. Yudhishthira,
Nakula, and Sahadeva returned in haste to
the potter's house to convey the glad news
immediately to their mother.
Bhima alone remained in the assembly
fearing that some danger might befall
Arjuna from the kshatriyas. As anticipated
by Bhima, the princes were loud in wrath.


They said: "The practice of swayamvara,
the choosing of a bridegroom, is not
prevalent among the brahmanas. If this
maiden does not care to marry a prince,
she should remain a virgin and burn
herself on the pyre. How can a brahmana
marry her? We should oppose this
marriage and prevent it so as to protect
righteousness and save the practice of
swayamvara from the peril which
threatens it." A free fight seemed
imminent.


Bhima plucked a tree by the roots, and
stripping it of foliage, stood armed with
this formidable bludgeon, by the side of
Arjuna ready for any event. Draupadi said
nothing but stood holding on to the skirts
of the deer-skin in which Arjuna was clad.


Krishna, Balarama and others sought to
appease those who had created the
confusion. Arjuna proceeded to the house
of the potter accompanied by Draupadi.
As Bhima and Arjuna were taking
Draupadi to their temporary abode,
Dhrishtadyumna followed them at a
distance, and, unseen by them, closely
observed everything that took place there.


He was amazed and delighted at what he
saw, and returning, he secretly told King
Drupada: "Father, I think they are the
Pandavas. Draupadi accompanied them,
holding to the skirts of the deer-skin of
that youth and she was not at all abashed.
I also followed and I saw all five and a
venerable and august lady who, I have no
doubt, is Kunti herself."


Invited by Drupada Kunti and the
Pandavas went to the palace. Dharmaputra
confided to the king that they were the
Pandavas. He also informed him of their
decision to marry Draupadi in common.
Drupada rejoiced at knowing that they
were the Pandavas, which set at rest all
anxiety regarding the enmity of Drona.
But he was surprised and disgusted when
he heard that they would jointly marry
Draupadi.


Drupada opposed this and said: "How
unrighteous! How did this idea get into
your head, this immoral idea that goes
against the traditional usage?"


Yudhishthira answered: "O king, kindly
excuse us. In a time of great peril we
vowed that we would share all things in
common and we cannot break that pledge.
Our mother has commanded us so."
Finally Drupada yielded and the marriage
was celebrated.