Reading Notes: Mahabharata: Karmic Revolution, Part D

Draupadi and the Pandavas

Draupadi

• her swayamvara was attended by many princes and brahmans, including the Pandavas and Kauravas
• the challenge at her swayamvara was to shoot an arrow into the eye of fish that was painted on a wheel turning above a bowl of oil without looking at anything other than the reflection of the fish in the oil
• none of the princes (even Duryodhan) could even lift the heavy bow provided by the king until Arjuna
• Arjuna successfully completed the challenge and won Draupadi's hand in marrage
• married all 5 of the Pandavas at once because she had prayed in a past life to have a husband with 5 virtues

Karna - king of Anga

• attended Draupadi's swayamvara, but Draupadi refused to allow him to attempt the challenge because of the low class he was raised in
• was so humiliated by this that it set him on the path to cause a lot of destruction in the future

Krishna - avatar of Brahma 

• attended Draupadi's swayamvara, but did not attempt the challenge

Pandavas

• returned to their home after the swayamvara, and were attacked many times but successfully defended themselves
• when they returned home their mother, thinking they brought food, told her sons to share whatever they brought back equally
• returned to Hastinapura when invited by Bhishma, Drona, and the Kauravas

Kunti - mother of the Pandavas

• worried that Draupadi's beauty would cause jealousy and division among the Pandavas, so she didn't take back her instruction for her sons to share Draupadi

Dhrishtadyumna - Draupadi's brother

• witnessed Draupadi's marriage to the 5 Pandavas

Yudhishthira - eldest Pandava

• crowned king of the the area containing the Khandava forest by Dhritarashtra when the Pandavas and Kunti returned to Hastinapura to keep him from becoming king of Hastinapura
• the land was a vast wasteland containing many demons
• Pandavas decided to build a kingdom here to avoid causing more trouble in Hastinapura

Vishvakarma - the divine architect

• designed Indraprastha 

Agni - god of fire

• was hungry and wanted to burn the Khandavaforest
• Arjuna and Krishna helped him burn it to clear the area of demons

Duryodhana - eldest Kaurava

• very jealous and mad of the success of the Pandava's city Indraprastha 

Narad Muni

• met with the Pandavas after Krishna encouraged him to visit Indraprastha
• Draupadi reminded him of the story of Sundha and Upasundha, two Asura brothers
• brothers were very close
• fell in love with the same woman
• dueled over the woman and ended up killing each other
• proposes that Draupadi spend one year living as the exclusive wife of each of the Pandavas, and if any brother interferes that brother should be exiled for 12 years

Arjuna

• promised to help a brahman find theives, but his weapons were in Yudhishthira's room during the time that Draupadi was supposed to be exclusively Yudhishthira's wife
• decided to get his weapons from Yudhishthira's room even though it would result in him being exiled for 12 years
• leaves Indraprastha for exile with a group of Brahmans
• camped by the lake that is the source of the Ganges in the Himalyas
• wanted to see all of Bharatvarsh (India) during his journeys in exile
• married Chitragandha in Manalur and had a child with her
• abandoned Chitragandha and his child in Manalur and returned to Indraprastha 
• met with Krishna outside Dwarka to confess his feelings for Krishna's sister Subhadra
• Subhadra was supposed to marry Duryodhan, so Krishna helped Arjuna come up with a plan to abduct her
• Subhadra fell in love with Arjuna and wanted to marry him, so Krishna helped Arjuna abduct her

Ulupi - daughter of Naga Kauravya, king of Naaglok

• fell in love with Arjuna
• spent many months with Arjuna before he left the lake

King Chitrasen - King of Manalur

Chitragandha - daughter of Chitrasen

• married to Arjuna and bore him a child

Bibliography.

Mahabharata: Karmic Revolution, Part D by Epified. Source

Image Source.

Raja Ravi Varma [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons