“Vaishampaayana continued, ‘After this citizens
returned to their respective houses and the Pandavas continued to stay at
Ekachakra as before.’
“Janamejaya said, ‘O Brahmana (Rishi Vaishampaayana), what
did those tigers among men, the Pandavas, do after they had slain the Rakshasa
Baka?’
“Vaishampaayana said, ‘O king (Janamejaya), the Pandavas
after slaying the Rakshasa Baka, continued to stay in the house of that
Brahmana, employed in the study of the Vedas. Within a few days there (to
the house of that Brahmana who resides in Ekachakra) came a Brahmana of rigid vows (Vrata in Sanskrit) to the abode of their host to take up his
quarters there. Their host, that bull among Brahmanas, ever hospitable to all
guests, worshipping the newly-arrived Brahmana with due ceremonies, gave him
quarters in his own house.
“Then those bulls among men, the Pandavas, with their
mother Kunti, requested the new lodger to narrate to them his interesting
experiences. The Brahmana spoke to them of various countries, shrines and (holy) rivers, of kings and
many wonderful provinces and cities. O Janamejaya, after this narration was
over, that Brahmana, also spoke of the wonderful Swayamvara of Yagnasena's (Drupada’s) daughter, the princess of Panchala, and of
the births of Dhrishtadyumna and Shikhandi, and of the birth, without the
intervention of a woman, of Krishna (Draupadi) at the great yagna of Drupada.
“Then those bulls among men, the Pandavas, hearing of
these extraordinary facts regarding that illustrious monarch (Drupada), and desiring to
know the details thereof, asked the Brahmana, after his narration was
concluded, to satisfy their curiosity. The Pandavas said, ‘How, O Brahmana, did
the birth of Dhrishtadyumna – the son of Drupada, take place from the (yagna) fire? How also did the extraordinary birth
of Krishna (Draupadi) take place
from the centre of the yagna platform? How also did Drupada's son (Dhrishtadyumna) learn all weapons from the great bowman
Drona? O Brahmana, how and for whom and for what reason was the friendship
between Drona and Drupada broken off?’
“Vaishampaayana
continued, ‘O monarch (Janamejaya), thus questioned by those bulls among men,
the Brahmana narrated all the particulars about the birth of Draupadi.’”
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