Draupadi swayamvara

Mahabharata Adiparva Swayamvaraparva section 187-195

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

King Drupada erects a amphitheater, and in the center erects a special machinery with a mark and a bow with arrows. He declares that whoever hits the mark through the orifice of the machinery, shall be given the hand of Draupadi in marriage. All the monarchs of the land assemble there. Pandavas also reach there in the disguise of brahmanas. None of Kauravas, sisupala, jarasandha, salya and other kings can lift the might bow that was specially made. Karna, lifts the bow and aims at the mark, then Draupadi loudly says, I will not marry a person belonging to suta tribe. Hearing this, karna dejectly throws away the bow.

Then Arjuna raises and prays to Iswara and takes up the bow and hits the mark. Then Drupada bestows his daughter to Arjuna. The assembled kings take this as an insult to them and tries to kill Drupada and Arjuna. Then Yudhistir withdraws to the potters place where they have taken lodge. Arjuna stands firm with his bow and fights with Karna. Bhima tears up a tree and fights with Salya. Seeing this feat, Sri Krishna tells his brother halayudha that only mighty Bhima can do that feat of tearing up trees, hence they are none other than pandavas,who escaped from fire.

Karna fights for sometime with Arjuna and knowing that the opponent is skilled enough to fight with him, desists from fighting, thinking that he should not fight with a Brahmana who knows the astra Brahma. Meanwhile Salya is picked up and thrown to a distance by Bhima. Krishna then escorts Arjuna and Bhima with Draupadi to the potters house.

Arjuna then introduces Draupadi as the daily alms they got. without looking at them, as a usual practice, Kunti says 'divide amongst you brothers equally'. Then realising her folly, she approaches Yudhistir to not let her words go false, yet protect the dignity of Draupadi.

Yudhistir remembers the words of Sage Vyasa, then decides that Draupadi be the common wife of all five brothers. Krishna then bows to the feet of Yudhishtir, Balarama does the same and they introduce themselves as belonging to Yadu race. Yudhishtir then asks Krishna how could he recognise them as Pandavas, even though they are in disguise. Krishna replies, one cant disguise fire, in whatever form it is.

Hari Om

In Guruseva