Mahabharata – Panchali, Dice & Exile

 Mahabharata – Panchali, Dice & Exile

Pandavas and Kunti went into hiding, moving from one place to another and passing themselves off as a poor brahmin family. During these wanderings, Bheem killed two demons, married a demoness, and had a demon child called Ghatotkach. They also went for a swayamvaram (a ceremony to choose a suitor by the Princess) at Panchal to see the festivities. The princess Draupadi, born of fire, was famed for her beauty and every prince from every country for miles around had come to the swayamvaram, to win the task: a long pole on the ground had a circular contraption spinning disc with a fish to arrow looking down into this water-mirror.  One by one, the kings and princes tried to shoot the fish, and failed; neither could lift the bow; nor could string it. The Kauravas and Karna were also present; Karna picked up the bow and strung it in a moment, but was prevented from taking aim when Draupadi declared she would not marry anyone from the Suta clan. After every one of the royals had failed, Arjuna, the third Pandava, affixed all of the five arrows to it, shot, and pierced the fish's eye with all of the five arrows in a single attempt. Arjuna had won Draupadi's hand.

The Pandava brothers, still as poor brahmins, took Draupadi back to the hut they were staying; as reached they called for Kunti, "Ma, Ma, come and see what we've brought back today." Kunti, said, "Whatever it is, share it among yourselves". That is how Draupadi became Panchali. Meanwhile, Draupadi's twin Dhrishtadyumna, following them secretly was a dark prince and his fair brother - Krishna and Balarama of the Yadava clan (These princes were related to the Pandavas - their father was Kunti's brother - but they had never met before.) Vyasa also arrived at the scene at this point.

After the wedding ceremonies at Panchal, the Hastinapur palace invited the Pandavas and their bride back; Dhritarashtra partitioned the kingdom, giving them a huge tract of barren land which soon Pandavas transformed into a paradise. Yudhishthira was crowned there, and he performed a sacrifice that involved all of the kings of the land to accept - either voluntarily or by force - his suzerainty. The new kingdom, Indraprastha, prospered.

The prosperity of Indraprastha and the power of the Pandavas was irritating Duryodhana. He invited Yudhisthira to a dice game and got his uncle, Shakuni, to play on for him. Shakuni was an accomplished player; Yudhishthir step by step lost his entire wealth, his kingdom, his brothers, himself, and Panchali. Panchali was dragged into the dice hall and insulted. Seeing this Bheema vowed to kill each and every Kauravas. Dhritarashtra intervened and unwillingly gave the kingdom and their freedom back to the Pandavas and Panchali; and set them off to Indraprastha. Duryodhan again invited Yudhishthira to another dice game; the condition was that the loser would go on a 12-year exile followed by a year of life incognito. If they were discovered during this incognito period to repeat the 12+1 cycle again. In the dice game Yudhishthira lost again.

Pandavas left mother Kunti behind at Hastinapur, in Vidura's place. They lived in forests, hunted game, and visited holy spots; Arjuna went to heavens and learned the techniques of several divine weapons from the gods, he also learnt how to sing and dance from the gandharvas. After 12 years, during incognito they lived in the Virat kingdom;  Yudhishthira as king's counsellor, Bheema in the royal kitchens, Arjuna as teacher to sing and dance, the twin-brothers to keep horses, and Panchali as maid to the queen. At the end of the incognito - the Pandavas revealed themselves. The Virat king was overwhelmed; his daughter Uttara got married to Arjuna's son Abhimanyu.

Next week we shall see Mahabharata WAR.

 

191111 – 2019 November 11

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