After some time, King Drupada, seated amidst his kinsmen and learned counsellors, rose and spoke with solemn pride: “Behold the son of Indra, the grandson of Vichitraveerya, this Arjuna of noble conduct. Fortune has favoured me, for he has won my daughter in the swayamvara and shall now, in the sanctified manner of tradition, take her hand in marriage.” But Yudhishthira, serene and unshaken, replied with gentle firmness, “O King, the order of our house may not be disturbed. First must I wed, then Bhima, and only thereafter Arjuna.” Drupada, seeking harmony, answered, “Then, O Dharmaraja, you may take this maiden as your bride. We cannot transgress Dharma.” Yet Yudhishthira said with quiet authority, “No, O King. We five brothers shall together wed this maiden, for such is the command of our mother, and we may not gainsay her word.”
At this, Drupada, marveling, exclaimed, “Never have I heard of a woman wedded to many husbands. In all the ancient histories, men have taken many wives, but not once is it told of one woman so joined. You are the very scion of Dharma, the son of the Lord of Time; who am I to dispute you? Yet the world has never heard of such a thing. Let us seek counsel. Tomorrow, in the presence of Kunti and my son Drishtadyumna, we shall take counsel and resolve this matter.” While the king and Yudhishthira pondered this rare dilemma, the great sage Vedavyasa appeared, as though summoned by destiny, to dispel their doubts. They bowed low before him and offered him a seat adorned with gems. He inquired of their welfare, spoke words sweet as nectar, and filled the assembly with calm delight.
Then Drupada, folding his hands, addressed him: “O holy Vyasa, Dharmaraja here, renowned for his steadfast righteousness, declares that the five brothers will share Draupadi as wife. You know the customs of the world and the secret ways of Dharma. Tell us, have there been precedents in ages past? Guide us, for this matter lies beyond the judgment of men.” Yudhishthira added, “Never, even in jest, do my words carry untruth or the taint of adharma. The lotus-eyed maiden may be given to us all without breach of righteousness. In ancient times Jatila of Gautama’s line took seven husbands; Dakshayani, a maiden among sages, became the wife of ten brothers known as the Prachetas. The wise have accepted such unions. A mother’s word is a law of Brahma, and cannot be undone.”
Drupada bowed his head and said, “Indeed, the subtlety of Dharma is beyond our grasp. Let the command of Vyasa, the treasury of wisdom, be our guide.” Vyasa replied, “This prince knows the heart of Dharma; he will not stray. Kunti, knowingly or not, has spoken no word against virtue. The gods themselves have willed this union. Lay aside doubt and solemnize the marriage of Draupadi to the five sons of Pandu. And if you would know the hidden truth, follow me and hear a tale of former times.”
Apart from the king, he began the ancient story. “Once there lived a fair-eyed woman of unshaken fidelity, Indrasena, wife of the sage Maudgalya. When her husband’s body, wasted by illness, grew repellent, she served him with unfaltering devotion. Pleased, the sage said, ‘Choose a boon.’ She replied, ‘Cast off this frail body and come to me in five separate forms.’ By his ascetic power, he became five, and in those forms gave her joy, travelling with her through the three worlds. When their earthly time was done, she departed still cherishing the memory of those five forms, and he ascended to higher realms. By the force of that unfulfilled desire, she was reborn the daughter of the King of Kasi.
Long did she remain a virgin, and in her heart, remembering dimly the sweetness of her former love, she performed a fierce penance, taking only water and air, standing on a single foot. Lord Shiva appeared and bade her speak her wish. Five times, with the yearning of her past life upon her, she cried, ‘Grant me a husband!’ The Great God answered, ‘In your next birth, you shall have five husbands.’ Startled, she said, ‘But a woman should have but one. To have many is against the way of the world.’ Shiva smiled: ‘O lotus-eyed maiden, by my word Dharma shall be upheld in your fivefold marriage. And for you I grant this boon: though you meet your husbands one by one, your virginity and the virtues of a faithful wife shall remain ever unstained.’ Content with this blessing, she worshipped and awaited her destiny.
“In the same age the Lord of Death performed a mighty sacrifice in Naimisaranya, and death ceased among mortals; men lived beyond their span, and the gods were troubled. They hastened to Brahma, who said, ‘Fear not. When Yama’s sacrifice ends, death will resume its course.
Meanwhile, five divine beings shall take birth as mortal men to restore the balance of the worlds.’ First went Indra, and by the Ganga he beheld a maiden weeping, her tears falling as golden lotuses. He followed her into a hidden cave where Lord Shiva, disguised as a boy, played dice with a young maiden. Indra, in the pride of his sovereignty, spoke haughtily. Shiva, revealing his vast form, rebuked him: ‘Show me your strength.
With your own hands cleave this mountain’s heart.’ Indra struck; the rock split, and from the fissure shone four other beings of radiant light, each a reflection of himself. Shiva declared, ‘For your good, these five shall be born as mortals: Yama, Vayu, Indra, and the twin Ashvins. They shall be known in the world as Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. And as Brahma and the gods desired, Vishnu too will descend as Balarama and Krishna to be their allies. For these five incarnate Indras, Lakshmi herself shall be born of sacrificial fire as Draupadi, the Yajnaseni.’
“To confirm this mystery,” said Vyasa, “behold their true forms.” And by his grace, Drupada beheld them for a moment as mighty gods, wreathed in blazing light, garlanded and vast as the sun, while the maiden herself appeared as a penitent of ancient days. The king stood amazed. Then Vyasa continued, “In still earlier times, the royal sage Nithanthu had five sons—Salveya, Srutasena, Bindusara, Athisara—strong, united, and gentle. Each won the hand of Princess Ajitha of Ousinara, and she bore children to each, preserving the lineage. Such are the ways of destiny. Therefore, O King, doubt not. This marriage is ordained by the gods.”
Having thus revealed the hidden design of heaven, Vyasa removed all fear from Drupada’s heart and brought quiet joy to Kunti and the Pandavas, so that the marriage of Draupadi to the five brothers was celebrated as an act not of mortal whim but of eternal Dharma.
