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

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