“Vaishampaayana said, ‘When the Kuru princes (Bhima and Arjuna) were walking towards the abode of the
potter, Dhrishtadyumna, the Paanchaala prince followed them. Sending away all
his attendants, he hid himself in some part of the potter’s house, unknown to
the Pandavas. Then Bhima, that grinder of all enemies, and Jishnu, and the
illustrious twins (Nakula and Sahadeva),
on returning from their round of getting alms (Bhiksha in Sanskrit) in the evening, cheerfully gave everything
to Yudhishthira.
“Then the kind-hearted Kunti addressing Draupadi said, ‘O friendly one,
you take first a portion from this and devote it to the Devas and give it away
to Brahmanas; and feed those that desire to eat and give to those who have
become our guests. Divide the rest into two halves. Give one of these to Bhima,
O friendly one, for this strong youth of fair complexion -- equal to a king of
elephants -- this hero (Veera in Sanskrit) always eats much. Divide the other half into six parts, four for these
youths, one for myself, and one for you.’
“Then the princess (Draupadi)
hearing those instructive words of her mother-in-law (Kunti) cheerfully did all that she had been
directed to do. Those heroes (Veera in Sanskrit) then all ate of the food prepared by Krishna (Draupadi). Then Sahadeva, the son of Madri, filled
with great activity, spread on the ground a bed of kusha grass (Botanical
name for Kusha grass is Desmostachya bipinnata). Then those heroes, each spreading on his deer-skin, laid themselves
down to sleep. Those foremost of the Kuru princes (Pandavas) lay down with heads towards the south.
Kunti laid herself down along the line of their heads, and Krishna (Draupadi) along that of their feet. Krishna (Draupadi) though she lay with the Pandavas on that bed
of kusha grass along the line of their feet as if she were their bottom pillow,
did not feel sad in her heart nor thought disrespectfully of those bulls
amongst the Kurus (Pandavas). Then
those heroes (Veera in Sanskrit)
began to talk with one another. The conversations of those princes, each worthy
to lead an army, was exceedingly interesting they being upon divine chariots,
weapons, elephants, swords, arrows and battle-axes. The son of the Paanchaala
king (Dhristadyumna) listened (from
his place of hiding) to all they said. All
those who were with him saw Krishna (Draupadi) in that state.
“When morning came, the prince Dhristadyumna set out from his place of hiding
with great speed in order to report to (King) Drupada in detail all that had happened at the potter’s house and all
that he had heard those heroes (Pandavas) speak amongst themselves during the night. The king of Paanchaala had
been sad because he did know not the Pandavas as those who had taken away his
daughter. The illustrious monarch (Drupada) asked Dhristadyumna on his return, ‘Oh, where has Krishna (Draupadi) gone? Who has taken her away? Has any Shudra
or anybody of inferior descent, or has a tribute (tax?) paying Vaishya by taking my daughter away, placed his dirty foot on my
head? O son, has that arrangement of flowers (Draupadi) been thrown away on a grave-yard? Has any Kshatriya of high birth, or
any one of the superior varna obtained my daughter? Has any one of inferior
descent, by having won Krishna (Draupadi), placed his left foot on my head? I would not, O son, grieve but feel
greatly happy, if my daughter has been united with Paartha (Arjuna), that foremost of men! O you noble one,
tell me truly who has won my daughter today? O, are the sons of that foremost
of Kurus (Pandavas), Vichitraveerya’s
son alive? Was it Paartha (Arjuna)
that took up the bow and shot the mark?’”
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