First Exile of the Pandavas
Princes' First Campaign—Kauravas driven back—Pandavas achieve
Victory—Drupada humbled by Drona—Panchala Kingdom divided—Pandava
Prince made “Little Rajah”—Duryodhana's Plot—Pandavas' First
Exile—Their New Home—Escape in the Night—Wanderings in the
Jungle—Bhima slays a Rakshasa—The Demon Bride—Sojourn in
Eka-chakra—Story of the Brahman Family—Bhima overcomes the
Asura King—Miraculous Birth of Drupada's Children—Swayamvara
proclaimed—Pandavas depart to Panchala.
The Pandavas and Kauravas had now become accomplished warriors, and
Drona, their preceptor, claimed his reward. So he spoke unto his pupils
and said: “Go forth against Drupada, Rajah of Panchala; smite him in
battle and bring him to me.”
The cousins could not agree to wage war together by reason of their
jealousies. So the Kauravas, led by Duryodhana, were first to attack
Drupada; they rode in their chariots and invaded the hostile capital,
and slaked their thirst for battle. The warriors of Panchala arose to
fight; their shouting was like the roaring of lions, and their arrows
were showered as thickly as rain dropping from the clouds. The Kauravas
were defeated, and they retired in disorder, uttering cries of despair.
The Pandavas then rushed against the enemies of Drona. Arjuna swept
forward in his chariot like to the fire which consumeth all things
at the end of time, and he destroyed horses and cars and warriors.
The battle-roar of Bhima was like to the roar of ocean stricken by a
tempest; wielding his mace, he struck down elephants big as mountains,
and many horses and charioteers also, and he covered the ground with
rivers of blood; as a herdsman driveth his cattle before him, so did
Bhima drive before him with his mace the terror-stricken hosts of
Panchala.
Drupada endeavoured to turn the tide of battle; surrounded by his
mightiest men, he opposed Arjuna. Then a great uproar arose among
the Panchala forces, for as the lion leaps upon the leader of a herd
of elephants, so did Arjuna rush against Drupada. A boastful warrior
intervened, but the strong Pandava overcame him, and at length, after
fierce fighting, Arjuna seized Drupada as Garuda, king of birds,[233]
seizeth a mighty snake after disturbing the waters of the ocean.
[233] Half man and half eagle, and enemy of the serpent race.
The remnant of the Panchala host then broke and fled, and the Pandavas
began to lay waste the capital. Arjuna, however, cried unto Bhima:
“Remember that Drupada is the kinsman of the Kauravas; therefore cease
slaying his warriors.”[234]
[234] The Kurus and Panchalas were allies.
Drupada was led before Drona, who, remembering the proud words of the
fallen rajah, spoke and said: “At last I have conquered thy kingdom,
and thy life is in my hands. Is it thy desire now to revive our
friendship?”
Drona smiled a little and continued thus: “Brahmans are full of
forgiveness; therefore have no fear for thy life, O king. I have not
forgotten that we were children together. So once again I ask for thy
friendship, and I grant thee, unasked, the half of the kingdom; the
other half will be mine, and if it pleaseth thee we will be friends.”
Said Drupada: “Thou art indeed noble and great. I thank thee, and
desire to be thy friend.”
So Drona took possession of half of the kingdom. Drupada, who sorrowed
greatly, went to rule the southern Panchalas; he was convinced that
he could not defeat Drona by Kshatriya power alone, which is inferior
to Brahman power, and he resolved to discover means whereby he might
obtain a son who could overcome his Brahman enemy.
Thereafterwards the Pandavas waged war against neighbouring kings, and
they extended the territory over which the blind maharajah held sway.
The Kauravas were rendered more jealous than ever by the successes
achieved by the Pandavas, and also because the people favoured them.
Now Duryodhana desired to become heir to the throne, but the elder
prince of the conquering Pandavas could not be set aside. In the end
Yudhishthira was chosen, although unwillingly, by the blind king, and
he became Yuva-rajah, “Little Rajah”, supplanting Bhishma, who had been
regent during the minority. Yudhishthira, accordingly, ruled over the
kingdom, and he was honoured and beloved by the people; for although
he was not a mighty warrior like Arjuna, or powerful like Bhima, he
had great wisdom, and he was ever just and merciful, and a lover of
truth.[235]
[235] The modern-day Hindu regards Yudhishthira as an ideal man.
Duryodhana remonstrated with his blind father, the maharajah, and he
spoke to him, saying: “Why, O my father, hast thou thus favoured the
Pandavas and forgotten thine own sons? Thou wert Pandu's elder brother,
and should have reigned before him. Now the children of thy younger
brother are to succeed thee. The kingdom is thine own by right of
birth, and thy sons are thine heirs. Why, then, hast thou lowered us in
the eyes of thy subjects?”
Said the blind Dhritarashtra: “Duryodhana, my son, know thou that
Pandu, my brother, was the mightiest ruler in the world. Could I, who
have ever been blind, have set him aside? His sons have great wisdom
and worth, and are loved by the people. How, then, could I pass them
over? Yudhishthira hath greater accomplishments for governing than thou
dost possess, my son. How could I turn against him and banish him from
my council?”
Duryodhana said: “I do not acknowledge Yudhishthira's superiority as a
ruler of men. And this I know full well, I could combat against half a
score of Yudhishthiras on the field of battle.... If, my father, thou
wilt set me aside and deny me my right to a share of government in the
kingdom, I will take mine own life and thus end my sorrow.”
Said Dhritarashtra: “Be patient, O my son, nor give way to thy
vexation. If such is thy desire, I will divide the kingdom between thee
and Yudhishthira, so that no jealousy may exist between you both.”
Duryodhana was well pleased, hearing these words, and he said: “I
agree, O my father, and will accept thine offer. Let the Pandavas take
their own land and rule over it, and I and my brethren will remain at
Hastinapur with thee. If the Kauravas and Pandavas continue to dwell
here together, there will be conflicts and much shedding of blood.”
Said Dhritarashtra: “Neither Bhishma, the head of our family, nor
Vidura, my brother, nor Drona, thy preceptor, will consent to the
Pandavas being sent hence.”
Duryodhana made answer: “Consult them not; they are beneath thee, my
sire. Command the Pandavas to depart unto the city of Varanavartha[236]
and dwell there; when they have gone no one will speak to thee
regarding this matter.”
[236] Allahabad, then probably a frontier town of the area of Aryan
control, pronounced Var´an-a-vart´´ha.
Dhritarashtra listened to his son and followed his counsel. He
commanded Yudhishthira to depart with his brethren to the city of
Varanavartha, rich in jewels and gold, to dwell there until he recalled
them. Accordingly the Pandava brethren bade farewell to Dhritarashtra
and left Hastinapur, taking with them their mother, the widowed queen
Pritha, and went towards the city of Varanavartha. The people of
Hastinapur mourned for them greatly.
Ere they departed, Vidura spoke to them in secret, bidding them to be
aware of the perils of fire. He repeated a verse to Yudhishthira and
said: “Put thy trust in the man who will recite these words unto thee;
he will be thy deliverer.”
Now Duryodhana had plotted with Shakuni, the brother of Queen Gandhari,
to accomplish the destruction of his kinsmen. Then their ally, Kanika
the Brahman, said in secret to Dhritarashtra: “When thine enemy is in
thy power, destroy him by whatever means is at thy disposal, in secret
or openly. Show him no mercy, nor give him thy protection. If thy son,
or brother, or kinsman, or thy father even, should become thine enemy,
do not hesitate to slay if thou wouldst have prosperity. Let him be
overcome either by spells, or by curses, or by deception, or by payment
of money. Do not forget thine enemy, even although thou mayst disdain
him.”
The maharajah lent a willing ear thereafter to the counsel of his son,
whom, in his secret heart, he favoured most.
Ere the Pandavas had left Hastinapur, Duryodhana sent unto Varanavartha
his secret agent, Purochana, to erect a commodious new dwelling for
them. This was accomplished with all speed, and it became known as
the “house of lac”. It was built of combustible material: much hemp
and resin were packed in the walls and between the floors, and it was
plastered over with mortar well mixed with pitch and clarified butter.
Purochana welcomed the Pandavas when they arrived at Varanavartha,
and they wondered at the splendour of the great new dwelling. But
Yudhishthira smelt the mortar, and he went over the whole house
examining it closely; then he said unto Bhima: “The enemy hath caused
this mansion to be erected for us, and their trusted workers have done
well for them, for it is full of hemp and straw, resin and bamboo, and
the mortar is mixed with pitch and clarified butter.”
In due time a stranger visited the Pandavas, and he repeated the secret
verse which Vidura had communicated to Yudhishthira. He said: “I will
construct for you a secret passage underground which will lead to a
place of safety, lest you should have to escape from this house when
the doors are made secure and it is set on fire.”
So the man set to work in secret, and ere long the underground passage
was ready. Then Bhima resolved to deal with Purochana in the very
manner that he had undertaken to deal with the princes.
One evening Pritha gave a feast in the new dwelling to all the poor
people in Varanavartha. When the guests had taken their departure,
there remained behind a poor Bhil woman and her five sons, who had
drunken heavily, as was the custom of their people, and were unable to
rise up. They slumbered on the floor.
A great windstorm had arisen, and the night was dark. So Bhima deemed
that the time had come to accomplish his purpose. He went outside and
secured the doors of the dwelling of Purochana, which stood beside that
of the Pandavas; then he set it on fire. Soon the flames spread towards
the new mansion which had been erected according to Duryodhana's
desire, and it burned fiercely and speedily. Pritha and her sons made
swift escape by the underground passage and took refuge in the jungle.
In the morning the people discovered among the embers of Purochana's
house the blackened remains of his body and the bodies of his servants.
In the ruins of the Pandavas' dwelling they found that a woman and five
men had perished, and they lamented, believing that Pritha and her
sons were dead. There was great sorrow in Hastinapur when the tidings
were borne thither. All the people bewailed the fate of the Pandavas.
Bhishma and Vidura wept, and blind Dhritarashtra was moved to tears
also. But Duryodhana rejoiced in secret, believing that his enemies had
all been destroyed.
The Pandavas, having escaped through the subterranean passage, hastened
southwards and entered the forest, which abounded with reptiles and
wild animals and with ferocious man-eating Asuras and Rakshasas of
gigantic stature. Weary and footsore were they all, and greatly
oppressed with sleepiness and fear. At length the mighty Bhima lifted
up all the others and hastened on through the darkness: he took his
mother on his back, and Madri's sons on his shoulders, and Yudhishthira
and Arjuna under his arms. He went swifter than the wind, breaking down
trees by his breast and furrowing the ground that he stamped upon. The
whole forest was shaken as with fear.
At length the Pandavas, fatigued and athirst and heavy with sleep,
found a place to rest in safety; and they all lay down to slumber below
a great and beautiful Banyan tree except mighty Bhima, who kept watch
over them.
Now there lived in the forest on a Shala tree a ferocious Rakshasa
named Hidimva. He was of grim visage and terrible to behold; his eyes
were red, and he was red-haired and red-bearded; his cheeks were of
cloud colour and his mouth was large, with long, sharp-pointed teeth,
which gleamed in darkness; his ears were shaped like to arrows; his
neck was broad as a tree, his belly was large, and his legs were of
great length.
The monster was exceedingly hungry on that fateful night. Scenting
human flesh in the forest, he yawned and scratched his grizzly beard,
and spoke to his sister, saying: “I smell excellent food, and my mouth
waters; to-night I will devour warm flesh and drink hot, frothy blood.
Hasten, now, and bring the sleeping men unto me; we will eat them
together, and afterwards dance merrily in the wood.”
Then the Rakshasa woman went towards the place where the Pandavas
slept. When she beheld Bhima, the long-armed one, clad in royal
garments and wearing his jewels, she immediately fell in love with him,
and she said to herself: “This man with the shoulders of a lion and
eyes like to lotus blooms is worthy to be my husband. I will not slay
him for my evil brother.”
Now a Rakshasa woman has power to transform herself, and this one at
once assumed the shape of a beautiful woman; her face became as fair as
the full moon; on her head was a garland of flowers, her hair hung in
ringlets; delicate was the hue of her skin, and she wore rich ornaments
of gold with many gems. Timidly she approached Bhima and spoke to him,
saying: “O bull among men, who art thou and whence comest thou? Who
are these fair ones lying in slumber there? Hear and know that this
forest is the abode of the wicked chieftain of the Rakshasas. He is my
brother, and hath sent me hither to kill you all for food, but I desire
to save thee, O long-armed one. Be thou my husband. I will take thee to
a secret place among the mountains, for I can speed through the air at
will.”
Said Bhima: “I cannot leave my mother and my brethren to become food
for a Rakshasa.”
The woman said: “Let me be thy servant. Awaken thy mother and thy
brethren and I will rescue you all from my fierce brother.”
Said Bhima: “I will not awaken them from pleasant and needful slumber,
because I do not fear a Rakshasa. O fair one, thou canst go as it
pleaseth thee, and I care not if thou dost send thy brother unto me.”
Meantime the Rakshasa chieftain had grown impatient. He descended from
his tree and hastened after his sister, with gaping mouth and head
thrown back. Darkly blue was his body, like to a raincloud.
The Rakshasa woman said to Bhima: “He cometh hither in wrath. Awaken
thy kinsfolk, and I will carry you all through the air to escape him.”
Said Bhima: “Look on my arms, which are strong as the trunks of
elephants; my legs are like iron maces, and my chest is indeed powerful
and broad. I will slay this man-eater, thy brother.”
The Rakshasa chieftain heard the boast of Bhima, and he fumed with rage
when he beheld his sister in comely human guise, and said to her: “I
will slay thee and those whom thou wouldst fain help against me.” Then
he rushed against her, but Bhima cried: “Thou wilt not kill a woman
while I am near. I challenge thee to single combat now. This night will
thy sister behold thee slain by me as an elephant is slain by a lion.”
Said the Rakshasa: “Boast not until thou art the victor. I will kill
thee first of all, then thy friends, and last of all my treacherous
sister.”
Having spoken thus, he rushed towards Bhima, who nimbly seized the
monster's outstretched arms and, wrestling violently, cast him on the
ground. Then as a lion drags off his prey, Bhima dragged the struggling
Rakshasa into the depths of the forest, lest his yells should awaken
the sleepers. There they fought together like furious bull elephants,
tearing down branches and overthrowing trees.
At length the dread clamour awoke the Pandavas, and they gazed with
wonder on the beautiful woman who kept watch in Bhima's place.
Said Pritha: “O celestial being, who art thou? If thou art the goddess
of woods or an Apsara, tell me why thou dost linger here?”
The fair demon said: “I am the sister of the chieftain of the
Rakshasas, and I was sent hither to slay you all; but when I beheld thy
mighty son the love god wounded me, and I chose him for my husband.
Then my brother followed angrily, and thy son is fighting with him, and
they are filling the forest with their shouting.”
All the brethren rushed to Bhima's aid, and they saw the two wrestlers
struggling in a cloud of dust, and they appeared like two high cliffs
shrouded in mist.
Arjuna cried out: “O Bhima, I am here to help thee. Let me slay the
monster.”
Bhima answered: “Fear not, but look on. The Rakshasa will not escape
from my hands.”
Said Arjuna: “Do not keep him alive too long. We must hasten hence.
The dawn is near, and Rakshasas become stronger at daybreak; they
exercise their powers of deception during the two twilights. Do not
play with him, therefore, but kill him speedily.”
At these words Bhima became strong as Vayu, his sire, when he is
angered,[237] and, raising aloft the Rakshasa, he whirled him round and
round, crying: “In vain hast thou gorged on unholy food. I will rid the
forest of thee. No longer wilt thou devour human beings.”
[237] The god of wind.
Then, dashing the monster to the ground, Bhima seized him by the hair
and by the waist, laid him over a knee, and broke his back. So was the
Rakshasa slain.
Day was breaking, and Pritha and her sons immediately turned away to
leave the forest. The Rakshasa woman followed them, and Bhima cried to
her: “Begone! or I will send thee after thy brother.”
Said Yudhishthira: “It is unseemly to slay a woman. Besides, she is the
sister of that Rakshasa, and even although she became angry, what harm
can she do us?”
Kneeling at Pritha's feet, the demon wailed: “O illustrious and blessed
lady, thou knowest the sufferings women endure when the love god wounds
them. Have pity upon me now, and command thy son to take me for his
bride. If he continues to scorn me, I will slay myself. Let me be thy
slave, and I will carry you all wheresoever you desire and protect you
from perils.”
Pritha heard her with compassion, and prevailed upon Bhima to take
her for his bride. So the two were married by Yudhishthira; then the
Rakshasa took Bhima upon her back and sped through the air to a lonely
place among the mountains which is sacred to the gods. They lived
together beside silvery streams and lakes sparkling with lotus blooms;
they wandered through woods of blossoming trees where birds sang
sweetly, and by celestial sea-beaches covered with pearls and nuggets
of gold. The demon bride had assumed celestial beauty, and ofttimes
played sweet music, and she made Bhima happy.
In time the woman became the mother of a mighty son; his eyes were
fiercely bright, like arrows were his ears, and his mouth was large; he
had copper-brown lips and long, sharp teeth. He grew to be a youth an
hour after he was born, but, still remaining bald, his mother named him
Ghatotkacha, which signifies “pot-headed”.[238]
[238] Bald as a pot. _Pron._ gat-ot-katch´a.
Bhima then returned to his mother and his brethren with his demon bride
and her son. They abode together for a time in the forest; then the
Rakshasa bade all the Pandavas farewell and departed with Ghatotkacha,
who promised to come to aid the Pandavas whenever they called upon him.
One day thereafter Vyasa appeared before the Pandavas and counselled
them to go towards the city of Eka-chakra[239] and to live there for a
time in the house of a Brahman. Then he vanished from sight, promising
to come again.
[239] _Pron._ eka chak´ra.
The Pandavas went therefore to Eka-chakra and lived with a Brahman who
had a wife and a daughter and an infant son. Disguised as holy men, the
brethren begged for food as alms. Every evening they brought home what
they had obtained, and Pritha divided the whole into two portions; the
one half she gave to wolf-bellied Bhima, and the rest she kept for his
brethren and herself.
Now the city of Eka-chakra was protected against every enemy by a
forest-dwelling Rakshasa named Vaka, who was king of the Asuras.[240]
Each day the people had to supply him with food, which consisted of a
cartload of rice, two bullocks, and the man who conveyed the meal to
him.
[240] As a rule the Asuras are the enemies of the gods and the
Rakshasas the enemies of mankind. See Chapter IV.
One morning a great wailing broke forth in the Brahman's house because
that the holy man was required to supply the demon's feast. He was too
poor to purchase a slave, and he said he would deliver himself unto
Vaka. “Although I reach Heaven,” he cried, “I will have no joy, for my
family will perish when I am gone.” His wife and his daughter pleaded
in turn to take his place, and the three wept together. Then the little
boy of tender years plucked a long spear of grass, and with glowing
eyes he spoke sweetly and said: “Do not weep, Father; do not weep,
Mother; do not weep, Sister. With this spear I will slay the demon who
devours human beings.”
As they wept there they heard him, nor could forbear smiling.
Pritha was deeply moved by the lamentations of the Brahman family, and
she said: “Sorrow not. I will send forth my son Bhima to slay the Asura
king.”
The Brahman made answer, saying: “That cannot be. Thy sons are Brahmans
and are under my protection. If I go forth, I will but obey the rajah;
if I send thy son, I will be sin-guilty of his death, for the gods
abhor the man who causeth a guest to be slain, or permits a Brahman to
perish.”
Said Pritha: “Bhima is strong and mighty, nor can a demon do him
any harm. He will slay this bloodthirsty Rakshasa and return again
in safety. But, O Brahman, thou must not reveal unto anyone who hath
performed this mighty deed, lest the people should trouble my son
and desire to obtain the secret of his power, for he is skilled in
mantras.”[241]
[241] Charms.
Then was the household made happy, and Bhima prepared to go forth.
That mighty hero collected the rice and drove the bullocks towards the
forest. When he drew nigh to the appointed place, he began to eat the
food himself, and called the Rakshasa by name over and over again.
Vaka heard and came through the trees towards Bhima. Red were his
eyes, and his hair and his beard were red also; his ears were pointed
like arrows; he had a mouth like a cave, and his forehead was puckered
in three lines. Terrible was he to look upon; his body was huge,
indeed.[242]
[242] A man-devouring demon was supposed to sit under a bridge in
Caithness every night. When a late wayfarer began to walk over, the
monster growled, “Tramp, tramp, tramp”, so as to terrify him and obtain
him for food. According to local belief, the demon “had eyes like a
saucer, a nose like a poker, and a mouth like a cave”. The Egyptian
demon Set was red like the Indian Rakshasa. Red-haired people are
disliked in India still; a native girl with auburn locks is not cared
for as a bride.
The Rakshasa saw Bhima eating his meal, and approached angrily, biting
his lower lip. “Fool,” he cried, “wouldst thou devour my food before my
very eyes?”
Bhima smiled, and continued eating with face averted. The demon
smote him, but the hero only glanced round as if one had touched his
shoulder, and he went on eating as before.
Raging furiously, the Rakshasa tore up a tree, and Bhima rose leisurely
and waited until it was flung at him. When that was done, he caught the
trunk nimbly and hurled it back. Many trees were uprooted and flung by
one at the other. Then Vaka sprung forward to wrestle, but the Pandava
overthrew him and dragged him round and round until the demon gasped
with fatigue. The earth shook; trees were splintered in pieces. Then
Bhima began to strike the monster with his iron fists, and at length he
broke Vaka's back across his knee. Terrible were the loud screams of
the Rakshasa while Bhima was bending him double. He died howling.
A mighty clamour was then awakened in the forest. All the other Asuras
were terror-stricken, and, bellowing horribly, they hastened towards
Bhima and made obeisance before him. Then Bhima made them take vows
never again to eat human flesh or to oppress the people of the city.
They promised willing obedience, and he allowed them to depart.
Thereafter Pritha's son dragged the monster's body to the main gate of
Eka-chakra. He entered the city secretly and hastened to the Brahman's
house, and he told Yudhishthira all that had taken place.
When the people of the city discovered that the Asura king had been
slain, they rejoiced greatly, and hastened towards the house of the
Brahman. But that holy man made evasive answer to them, and said that
his deliverer was a certain high-souled Brahman who had offered to
supply food to the demon. Thereafter the people established a festival
in honour of Brahmans.
The Pandavas remained a time in the city, and they studied the Vedas.
One day there came to their dwelling a saintly man of rigid vows,
and he told the story of the miraculous births of Drupada's son and
daughter from sacrificial fire.
When Drupada had lost half of his kingdom, he paid pilgrimages to holy
places. He promised great rewards to superior Brahmans, so that he
might have offspring, ever desiring greatly to be avenged upon Drona.
He offered the austere Upayája a million cows if he would procure a
son for him, and that sage sent him unto his brother Yája. Now Yája was
reluctant to aid the rajah thus; but at length he consented to perform
the sacrificial rite, and prevailed upon Upayája to help him.
So the rite was performed, and when the vital moment came, the Brahmans
called for the queen to partake in it. But Drupada's wife was not
prepared, and said: “My mouth is still filled with saffron and my body
is scented. I am not fit to receive the libation which will bring
offspring. Tarry a little time for me.”
But the Brahmans could not delay the consummation of the sacrificial
rite. Ere the queen came, a son sprang forth from the flames: he was
clad in full armour, and carried a falchion and bow, and a diadem
gleamed brightly upon his head. A voice out of the heavens said: “_This
prince hath come to destroy Drona and to increase the fame of the
Panchalas_”.
Next arose from the ashes on the altar a daughter of great beauty. She
was exceedingly dark, with long curling locks and lotus eyes, and she
was deep-bosomed and slender-waisted. A sweet odour clung to her body.
A voice out of heaven said: “_This dusky girl will become the chief of
all women. Many Kshatriyas must die because of her, and the Kauravas
will suffer from her. She will accomplish the decrees of the gods._”
Then the son was called Dhrishta-dyumna[243] and the daughter
Draupadi.[244] Drona thereafter took the Panchala prince to his palace,
and instructed him to become an accomplished warrior. He knew that he
could not thwart destiny, and he desired to perpetuate his own mighty
deeds.
[243] _Pron._ dhrish-ta-dyum´na.
[244] _Pron._ drow´pa-dee´´
Having heard these words, Pritha desired to journey towards Panchala,
and she and her sons took leave of their host. Ere they went away, the
high-souled ascetic said that Draupadi had been destined to become a
Pandava queen.
Pritha and her sons wandered from the banks of the Ganges and went
northwards, and soon they fell in with great numbers of people all
going the same way. Yudhishthira spake to a troop of Brahmans, and
asked them whither they were bound, and they answered saying that
Drupada of Panchala was observing a great festival, and that all the
princes of the land were hastening to the swayamvara of his peerless
and slender-waisted daughter, the beautiful Draupadi.
In that great and increasing company were Brahmans who were to
perform the sacred rites, and youths who were to take part in joyous
revelry—dancers and jugglers, boxers and wrestlers, and those who
displayed feats of strength and skill at arms; there were also bards
there and singers to chant the praises of heroes.
The Brahmans praised the beauty of Draupadi, and said to the Pandava
brethren: “Come with us to the festival and the sports and the
swayamvara; you will be feasted and will receive gifts. You are all as
comely as princes and as fair as the bright gods; mayhap Draupadi may
choose from among ye this stalwart and noble youth, strongly armed and
of fearless bearing, and if he should perform mighty feats, the garland
may be thrown upon his shoulders.”
Said Yudhishthira: “So be it. We will hasten with you to the swayamvara
and share banquet and bounty.”
So the Pandavas went towards Panchala with the troop of Brahmans. When
they reached the city they took up their abode in the humble dwelling
of a potter, still disguised as Brahmans, and they went out and begged
food from the people.
In their secret hearts the brethren desired greatly to win the fair
bride whose fame had been bruited abroad.