“Vaishampaayana said, ‘Thus addressed Dhrishtadyumna, that foremost of
the Lunar (Somaka in Sanskrit)
princes, cheerfully said to his father (King Drupada) all that had happened and by whom Krishna (Draupadi) had been won. The prince (Dhrishtadyumna) said, ‘With large, red eyes, dressed in
deer-skin, and resembling a Deva in beauty, the youth (i.e. Arjuna) who strung that foremost of bows and
brought down to the ground the mark set on high, was soon surrounded by the
foremost of Brahmanas who also offered him their worship for the feat he had
achieved. Incapable of bearing the sight of an enemy and filled with great
activity, he began to exert his prowess. Surrounded by the Brahmanas, he
resembled the Vajra-wielding (Lord) Indra
standing in the middle of Devas and the Rishis. Like a she-elephant following
the leader of a herd (i.e. lead elephant of the herd), Krishna (Draupadi)
cheerfully followed that youth catching hold of his deer-skin.
“Then when the assembled monarchs incapable of bearing that sight became
angry and advanced for fight, there rose up another hero (i.e. Bhima) who tearing up a large tree rushed at that
assembly of kings, felling them right and left like Yama himself striking down
creatures filled with life. Then, O monarch (Drupada), the assembled kings stood motionless and looked at that couple of
heroes, while they, resembling the Sun and the Moon, taking Krishna (Draupadi) with them, left the arena and went into
the house of a potter in the suburbs of the town, and there at the potter’s house
sat a lady (i.e. Kunti) like to a
flame of fire who, I think, is their mother. Around her also sat three other
foremost of men (Yudhishthira, Nakula and Sahadeva), each of whom was like to fire.
“The couple of heroes (Bhimasena and Arjuna) having approached her (Kunti)
paid homage to her feet, and they said to Krishna (Draupadi) also to do the same. Keeping Krishna (Draupadi) with her (Kunti), those foremost of men (Pandavas) all went the round of visit for alms (Bhiksha in Sanskrit). Some time after when they returned,
Krishna (Draupadi) taking from them
what they had obtained as alms (Bhiksha in Sanskrit), devoted a portion thereof to Devas, and gave another portion away (in
gift) to Brahmanas. Of what remained
after this, she gave a portion to that honourable lady (Kunti), and distributed the rest among those five
foremost of men. She (Draupadi) took
a little for herself and ate it last of all. Then, O monarch (Drupada), they all laid themselves down for sleep,
Krishna (Draupadi) lying along the
line of their feet as their bottom pillow.
“The bed on which they lay was made of kusha grass (botanical name
Desmostachya bipinnata) upon which was
spread their deer-skins. Before going to sleep they talked on diverse subjects
in voices deep as of black clouds. The talk of those heroes (Veera in
Sanskrit) indicated them to be neither
Vaishyas nor Shudras, nor Brahmanas. Without doubt, O monarch (Drupada), they are bulls among Kshatriyas, their conversation
having been on military subjects. O father (Drupada), it seems that our hope
has been fructified, for we have heard that the sons of Kunti (Pandavas) all escaped from the fire of the house of
lac. O monarch (Drupada), from the
way in which the mark was shot down by that youth, the strength with which the
bow was strung by him, and the manner in which I have heard them talk with one
another, proves conclusively that they are the sons of Pritha (sons of
Kunti) wandering in disguise.’
“Hearing these words of his son, king Drupada became exceedingly glad,
and he sent to them (Pandavas) his
priest (Purohita in Sanskrit)
directing him to discover who they were and whether they were the sons of the
illustrious Paandu. Thus directed, the king’s Purohita went to them and praising
them all, delivered the king’s message duly, saying, ‘O who are worthy of
preference in everything, the boon-giving king of the earth – Drupada -- is
desirous of discovering who you are. Looking this one (Arjuna) who has shot down the mark, his joy knows
no bounds. Giving us all particulars of your family and tribe (kula in
Sanskrit), you place your feet on the
heads of your enemies and gladden the hearts of the king of Paanchaala (Drupada) mid his men and mine also. King Paandu was
the dear friend of Drupada and was regarded by him as his another self. Drupada
had all along cherished the desire of giving this daughter of his (Draupadi) upon (King) Paandu as his daughter-in-law. O heroes of features perfectly
faultless, king Drupada has all along cherished this desire in his heart that
Arjuna of strong and long arms might wed this daughter of his according to the Shaastraas.
If that has become possible, nothing could be better; nothing more beneficial; nothing
more conducive to fame and Dharma, so far as (King) Drupada is concerned.’
“Having said this, the Purohita remained silent and humbly waited for
an answer. Looking him sitting thus, the king Yudhishthira commanded Bhima who
sat near, saying, ‘Let water to wash his feet with and the Arghya be offered to
this Brahmana. He is king Drupada’s Purohita and, therefore, worthy of great
respect. We should worship him with more than ordinary respect.’
“O monarch (Janamejaya), then
Bhima did as directed. Accepting the worship thus offered to him, the Brahmana
with a joyous heart sat at his ease. Then Yudhishthira addressed him and said,
‘The king of the Paanchaalas has, by fixing a special kind of dowry, given away
his daughter according to the practice of his (Kshatriya) varna and not freely. This hero (Veera
in Sanskrit) has, by satisfying that
demand, won the princess. King Drupada, therefore, has nothing now to say in
regard to the varna, kula, family (gotra in Sanskrit) and nature of work of him who has performed that feat. Indeed, all his
queries have been answered by the stringing of the bow and the shooting down of
the mark. It is by doing what he had directed that this illustrious hero (Veera
in Sanskrit) has brought away Krishna (Draupadi) from among the assembled monarchs. In
these situations, the king of the Lunar (Somaka in Sanskrit) race should not indulge in any regrets
which can only make him unhappy without repairing matters in the least. The
desire that king Drupada has all along cherished will be accomplished for his
handsome princess who bears, I think, every auspicious mark. None that is weak
in strength could string that bow, and none of inferior birth and
unaccomplished in weaponry could have shot down the mark. It is not the duty,
therefore, the king of the Paanchaalas to grieve for his daughter today. Nor
can anybody in the world do that act of shooting down the mark. Therefore, the
king should not grieve for what must take its path.’
“While Yudhishthira was saying all this, another messenger from the
king of the Paanchaalas, coming there quickly, said, ‘The (matrimonial) feast is ready.’”
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