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16.DRAUPADI'S SWAYAMVARAM
WHILE the Pandavas were living in
disguise as brahmanas at Ekachakrapura,
news of the swayamvara of Draupadi, the
daughter of Drupada, King of Panchala,
reached them. Many brahmanas of
Ekachakrapura planned to go to Panchala
in the hope of receiving the customary
gifts and to see the festivities and pageant
of a royal wedding. Kunti, with her
motherly instinct, read her sons' desire to
go to Panchala and win Draupadi. So she
told Yudhishthira: "We have been in this
city so long that it is time to think of
going somewhere else. We have seen
these hills and dales till we are tired of
them. The alms doled out to us are
diminishing and it is not good to outstay
your entertainment. Let us therefore go to
Drupada's kingdom which is reputed to be
fair and prosperous." Kunti was second to
none in worldly wisdom and sagacity and
could gracefully divine her sons' thoughts
and spare them the awkwardness of
expressing them.
The brahmanas went in groups to witness
the swayamvara and the Pandavas
mingled with them in the guise of
brahmanas. After a long march the party
reached the beautiful city of Drupada and
billeted themselves in the house of a
potter as obscure brahmanas of no note.
Though Drupada and Drona were
outwardly at peace, the former never
could forget or forgive the humiliation he
had suffered at the latter's hands.
Drupada's one wish was to give his
daughter in marriage to Arjuna.
Drona loved Arjuna so dearly that he
could hardly look upon his pupil's fatherin-law
as his deadly foe. And if there were
a war, Drupada would be all the stronger
for being Arjuna's father-in-law. When he
heard the news of the destruction of the
Pandavas at Varanavata, he was plunged
in sorrow but was relieved by a later
rumour that they had escaped.
The marriage hall was beautifully
decorated and built amidst a finely laid
out group of new guest-houses designed
to accommodate the swayamvara suitors
and guests. Attractive sights and sports
had been arranged for public
entertainment and there were glorious
festivities for fourteen days continuously.
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