Draupadi

King Drupada ruled over it. Once he performed a holy sacrifice. As a result of it a young girl was born to him.

He named her Krishnaa. People called her Draupadi.

Draupadi grew to be a fine, beautiful girl.

When it was time for her to marry, the king said she should have only the best among the princes for her husband. So he invited all the princes of the land to come to the palace.

He thought of a means by which to choose the best of

them as husband for Draupadi.

In the courtyard of the palace he erected a tall pole.

From the top of the pole hung a fish in a circular frame.

This frame kept moving round and round. There was a

basin of clear water at the foot of the pole. The image

of the fish at the top could be seen in the water in the

basin below. The king said, “He who hits the fish with an arrow by, looking at the image in the water below will have the right to marry my daughter”

Many prince shivered and failed. Duryodhana, the Kuru

Prince, also tried but with no success.

At that time the five Pandava princes were living in a

forest along with their mother. They had been driven out of Hastinapura by Duryodhana, They had to live in

disguise.

They begged for food in the village and brought it home

in the evening, and gave it to their mother Kunti. She

cooked their meal and fed them. These Pandavas also attended the function at the court disguised as brahmins.

Arjuna, as you know, was a great archer. Seeing all others fail, he went up to the platform, and straightway

shot the fish through the eye. The whole assembly

applauded the feat. But there was one person who was sad. That was Duryodhana.

The king gave Draupadi to Arjuna in marriage.

The Pandavas took Draupadi to their home in the forest.

On coming home, Yudhishthira went to his mother and jokingly said, “Mother, Arjuna has brought some nice

fruit today!”

Kunti replied, “That is good. Share it among yourselves!"

When she came to know it was a daughter-in-law, she

felt sorry, because how can a girl be shared among five?Just then sage Vyasa came there and solved their difficulty.

He said, “In her former birth, Draupadi asked God five times for a good husband, and God said, “Yes five times.

She must have five husbands. So, she must marry all the five Pandava Princes.” Draupadi then married the live

Pandava Princes.

(From Culture

Course-BVB)