Draupadee's Swayamvar

Paandav arrived in the city of Kaampilya. They heard  lots of news there. People talked - "Raajaa is sure that Paandav are alive that is why he has put this condition for princess' marriage." Raajaa Drupad had built a machine, in which a fish was rotating at the top in a circle. At the bottom there was a small pond of oil in which the shadow of that fish was falling. One had to pierce the eye of the fish looking at the revolving shadow of the fish falling in the pond of oil. This was made keeping Arjun in mind, because he wanted to marry her to Arjun.

Many kings came in this Swayamvar from all over Bhaarat. Dhritraashtra was worried about Duryodhan's marriage so he also wanted him to win Draupadee. Krishn, Balraam, Karn, Duryodhan, Shakuni, Dushaasan, Ashwatthaamaa, Jayadrath (the king of Sindhu Pradesh), Jaraasandh, Saatyaki, Shishupaal were also present there. Dhrishtdyumn led his sister Draupadee to the platform built for this purpose in the center of the hall. He was introducing her to all present there, that Paandav entered the place in disguise of Braahman.

When Balraam saw some Braahman entering the Swayamvar place, he got very surprised as what they were doing there. Krishn cleared his doubts that they were not Braahman but Paandav. Dhrishtdyumn then told the condition to win Draupadee - "Here is the bow and here are five arrows. With these five arrows one has to hit the target (fish) and fell it to ground. The person who could do this will have my sister, this is my solemn promise."

The bow was divine named "Kindhur". Its string was of steel. It was very hard to pull its string and bend the bow. One by one many kings came there but could not tackle it. Some of them nearly succeeded. Shishupaal, for instance, missed the mark by the width of a sesame seed. The next person who was nearly succeeded was Jaraasandh. He missed the target by the width of a mustard seed.

Duryodhan also got up and tried his luck, he missed the target by an index finger. Krishn said sarcastically to Daaoo - "See, his Aachaarya has not taught even this to his disciple that a mighty person should not be proud of." Several other kings came to try but nobody could even move the bow. In the end Karn got up. He greeted the bow and picked it easily and was getting ready to aim, that Krishn got worried seeing this. He knew that he could fell the fish, so He asked Draupadee with his gesture not to marry him. Draupadee immediately got up and said - "Stop, My Varmaalaa is not for a Soot-Putra."

Karn got very embarrassed with this comment, still he said - "There is no Gotra of Rishi, brave people and rivers, but still if there was such a condition, then it should have been declared before." Dhrishtdyumn said - "If my sister doesn't want to marry a Soot-Putra, then she will not be married to him." Karn sat down at his place. No one tried after Karn, because after Arjun there was only Karn who could aim.

Then Krishn asked Arjun (again with gesture) to proceed to aim. Arjun proceeded. Nobody knew him except Krishn, Balraam, Rishi Dhaumya, and the Paandav themselves. All got surprised to see a Braahman coming forward for the contest of archery. They were further surprised to see him lifting the bow very easily, as the bow which could not be lifted by several great warriors, how a Braahman could aim from it. But Arjun picked the bow easily and felled the fish in a moment. After fulfilling the the condition, Draupadee put her Varmaalaa in Arjun's neck. They were made a beautiful couple, like Indra and Shachee, like Agni and Swaahaa, like Vishnu and Lakshmee, like Soorya and Ushaa, like Kaam Dev and Rati, like Shankar and Umaa, like Raam and Seetaa, like Nal and Damayantee, Shakuni and Duryodhan remained seated there just like that. It was really strange that some Braahamn took away Draupadee and all Kshatriya remained there seated just like that.

Then kings sitting there said to Raajaa Drupad - "Mahaaraaj, Order Draupadee to select one of us or otherwise we will throw her in the same Agni Kund from which she has appeared. " Many kings got up to fight with Arjun. Arjun protecting Draupadee fought with all of them very bravely. Duryodhan thought that winning this Braahman would be an easy task, but Arjun's arrows stunned all of them. Seeing this Karn also came forward to fight with Arjun. He admired him as a great warrior. He asked Arjun - "Who are you young man? Are you the great Bhaargav? Are you Indra? Or Vishnu Himself? I have never met my equal so far. There was one, Arjun, but now he is dead. I am Raadheya, the king of Ang Desh. I am a disciple of Bhaargav, I must admit my defeat at your hands. Tell me who you are?" Arjun said - "Raadheya, I am not the famous Bhaargav,, nor Vishnu, nor Indra. I am an ordinary archer at the feet of a Braahman. Come let us continue the fight."  Then Arjun broke his bow's string. Karn said - "Nobody else can cut Karn's bow's string except Parashuraam, Drone, Indra and Arjun. Hey Braahman, I bow your Guru." and withdrew.

The fight continued among some other pairs. Bheem defeated Shalya (Maadree's brother) and left alive. Yushishthir hurt Duryodhan with sharp arrows. Duryodhan fought back violently. Then Krishn intervened - "I don't think it is right to fight. After all this Braahman has won Draupadee by fair means." Dhrishtdyumn also said the same thing, so then most kings left the place, although still curious to know about the identity of Braahman. Paandav also left for their home followed by Draupadee.

When Paandav were coming back, they planned for a joke with Kuntee, so when they came at the door, Arjun said to Kuntee - "We have brought today's alms." Kuntee gave her usual reply - "Distribute among yourselves." But she didn't find her sons coming inside, so she came out to see as what happened, She got surprised to see Draupadee standing there and asked her sons - "Who is she?" Arjun said - "This is Draupadee. We have brought her by winning her in Swayamvar." Kuntee paused a little and asked - "Is it your alms of today? Did you call your wife alms? Oh, what should I do now? What did I say to them? I have never told any lie in my life but for this..." Paandav also got worried at her statement as what should they do. But she welcomed Draupadee in the house.

She said to Yudhishthir - "My son, What should I do. I have never told any lie, and now what I have spoken? I don't know what is going to happen." Yudhishthir said - "Don't worry Maa, Nothing is going to happen. Arjun has won her so you wed her to him." Arjun said - "No, You are the eldest, you take her." Yudhishthir said - "Then let us obey our respected mother. She cannot tell any lie and there is no harm in obeying our mother. Let us all marry her."

The then Krishn arrived there with his brother Balaraam. He saw Paandav for the first time. He said - "I am Krishn, Vasudev's son. Balaraam prostrated before Kuntee and Yudhishthir and said - "I am Balaraam, the son of Rohinee." Krishn further said - "I am very happy to see you all safe. Be careful for some time more from Dhritraashtra and his sons. Don't let them know who you are. We now take leave, and we will meet again."

In Kaampilya Nagaree Raajaa Drupad and Dhrishtdyumn were just taken aback when a Braahman took Draupadee in spite of many Kshatriya mighty kings present there. So Drupad sent Dhrishtdyumn to follow those Braahman and find out about them. Dhrishtdyumn followed them up to their house and watched them without being seen. He saw - Kuntee said - "Distribute among yourself." But then she took Draupadee inside with respect. [read here some information provided in Mahabharata Serial] 

Evening drew near so the five Braahman went out and brought alms. Kuntee said to Draupadee - "Take out some food for Braahman who may come in search of food. The rest should be divided in half and half. One half should be given to this dark young man Bheem who is always hungry. The rest half will be divided among us all."

Draupadee did the same as she was told. Dhrishtdyumn found no line of sorrow on her sister's face, rather she looked very satisfied. Dhrishtdyumn was still watching. Those Braahman spread Kush grass on the floor. They lay down there. Kuntee lay down at their head side and Draupadee lay down at their feet side. Their talk was strange, they were not talking like Braahman but like Kshatriya - about arms, weapons, Astra etc. He got sure that they were not Braahman, and it was only Arjun who won Draupadee. He went back to Kaampilya Nagaree and told everything to his father. Drupad got very happy to know all this. He sent them expensive gifts and a word that the arrangements for wedding are made there, and he will feel very obliged if all of them come there to his palace.