“Vaishampaayana said, ‘O Janamejaya, thus addressed by the Brahmanas,
the Pandavas, proceeded towards the country of the southern Paanchaalas ruled over
by the king Drupada (the Northern Paanchaala was retained by Drona). On their way, those heroes (Veera in
Sanskrit) saw the illustrious Dwaipaayana
(Rishi Vyasa) -- that Muni of pure
soul, and perfectly sinless. Duly saluting the Rishi (Vyasa) and saluted by him, after their
conversation was over, commanded by him (Rishi Vyasa) they proceeded to Drupada’s abode. Those mighty chariot-fighters (Mahaa
Rathaa in Sanskrit) proceeded by slow
stages staying for some time within those beautiful forest and by fine lakes
that they saw along their way. Devoted to study, pure in their practices, friendly,
and sweet-speeched, the Pandavas at last entered the country of the Paanchaalas.
Looking at the capital, as also the fort, they took up their quarters in the
house of a potter (Kumbhakaara in Sanskrit). Adopting the Brahmanical profession, they began to lead a life
sustained by Bhiksha (getting alms for food). No men recognised those heroes (Veera in Sanskrit) during their stay in Drupada’s capital.
“Yagnasena (King Drupada)
always cherished the desire of giving his daughter on Kireeti (Arjuna), the Pandava. But he never spoke of it to
anybody. O Janamejaya, the king of Paanchaala (Drupada) thinking of Arjuna caused a very stiff bow to be made that was
incapable of being bent by any except Arjuna. Causing some machinery to be
erected in the sky, the king set up a mark attached to that machinery. Drupada
said, ‘He that will string this bow and with these well-adorned arrows shoot
the mark above the machine shall obtain my daughter.’
“Vaishampaayana continued, ‘With these words king Drupada officially
announced the Swayamvara. O Bharata (Janamejaya), on hearing of them the kings of other lands came to his capital. There
also also many illustrious Rishis desirous of seeing the Swayamvara. O king (Janamejaya), there came also Duryodhana and the Kurus
accompanied by Karna. There also came many superior Brahmanas from every
country. The monarchs who came there were all received with respect by the
illustrious Drupada. Desirous of seeing the Swayamvara, the citizens, roaring
like the sea, all took their seats on the platforms that were erected around
the arena.
“The monarch (Drupada)
entered the grand arena by the north-eastern gate. The arena which itself had
been erected on an auspicious and level plain to the north-east of Drupada’s
capital (Kampilya), was surrounded
by beautiful mansions. It (The Arena)
was enclosed on all sides with high walls and a moat (Khaee in Hindi, Agazhi
in Tamizh) with arched doorways here and
there. The vast arena was also shaded by a shade of various colours. Resounding
with the notes of thousands of trumpets, it was scented with black aloes and
sprinkled all over with water mixed with sandal-paste and decorated with
garlands of flowers.
“It (The Arena) was
surrounded with high mansions perfectly white and resembling the cloud-kissing
peaks of (Mount) Kailasha. The
windows of those mansions were covered with net works of gold; the walls were
set with diamonds and precious costly carpets and clothes. All those mansions
adorned with flower arrangement and garlands of flowers and rendered fragrant
with excellent aloes, were all white and spotless, like to the necks of swans. The
fragrance from that place could be detected from the distance of a Yojana (eight
miles). They were each furnished with a
hundred doors wide enough to admit a crowd of persons; they were adorned with
costly beds and carpets, and beautified with various metals; they resembled the
peaks of the Himavat (present-day Himalayas).
“In those seven-storied houses of various sizes stayed the monarchs
invited by (King) Drupada whose
persons were adorned with every ornament and who were possessed with the desire
of excelling one another. The inhabitants of the city (Kampilya) and the country (Southern Paanchaala) who had come to see Krishna (Draupadi) and taken their seats on the excellent
platforms erected around, saw seated within those mansions those lions among
kings who were all endued with the energy of great souls. Those noble kings
were all adorned with the fragrant paste of the black aloe. Of great
liberality, they were all devoted to (Lord) Brahma and they protected their kingdoms against all enemies. For
their own good deeds they were loved by the whole world.
“The Pandavas, too, entering that arena, sat with the Brahmanas and saw
the unequalled wealth of the king of the Paanchaalas. That assembly of princes,
Brahmanas, and others, looking cheerfully at the performances of actors and
dancers (large presents of every kind of wealth being constantly made), began to swell day by day. O king (Janamejaya), O you bull of the Bharata race (Janamejaya), it lasted several days, till on the
sixteenth day when it was at its full, the daughter of Drupada (Draupadi) having washed herself clean entered the arena,
richly dressed and decorated with every ornament and bearing in her hand a dish
of gold (on which were the usual offerings of Arghya) and a garland of flowers. Then the Purohita of the lunar race (Somaka
in Sanskrit) -- a holy Brahmana knowledgeable
with all mantras -- ignited the sacrificial fire and poured on it with due
rites offerings of clarified butter. Satisfying Agni by these offerings and
making the Brahmanas utter the auspicious mantras of blessings, stopped the
musical instruments that were playing all around.
“When that vast arena, O monarch (Janamejaya), became perfectly still, Dhrishtadyumna possessed of a voice deep as
the sound of the kettledrum or the clouds, taking hold of his sister’s arm,
stood in the middle of that assembly, and said, with a voice loud and deep as
the roar of the clouds, these charming words of excellent meaning, ‘Hear you assembled kings, this is the bow, that is the mark,
and these are the arrows. Shoot the mark through the hole of the machine with
these five sharpened arrows. Truly do I say that, possessed of lineage (kula in Sanskrit),
beauty of persons, and strength whoever achieves this great feat shall obtain
today this my sister, Krishna (Draupadi) for his wife.’
Having thus spoken to the assembled monarchs Drupada’s son (Dhrishtadyumna) then addressed his sister (Draupadi), reciting to her the names and lineages (kula
in Sanskrit) and achievements of those
assembled lords of the earth.’”
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