Draupadi, having completed her duties and bearing a quiet radiance upon her face, walked toward the kitchen with a resolve that the passing hours should not quench the fierce fire smouldering within Bhīmasena. His spirit, she knew, must remain unbroken and fixed upon the solemn work of bringing down the braggart once and for all….
The coarse mind, the fevered craving, and the unrestrained wickedness of Keechaka rose openly to the surface, casting increasing hardship upon Sairandhri even while destiny itself was preparing the net of his destruction. A ruler or commander must discern the measure of another’s strength, skill, alliances, and inner merit in order to preserve balance within…
Draupadi, pouring out her anxious lament before Bhīmasena, sought at once to rouse in him the fire to destroy their foe and to temper that fire with the caution required for the fulfilment of their vow of concealment. Though Bhīma knew all that had happened, he did not know the delicate turmoil of her heart…
Indra, seated in his resplendent court, addressed Arjuna with words of assurance and divine grace. “O son of Kunti,” said the Lord of the celestials, “you are pure and free from sin. You stand as an apostle of self-control, a master over your senses. There is no possession in the three worlds to which you…
Sudheshna, trembling at the fearless declaration of Draupadi that her husbands would surely chastise the evildoers, felt her heart boil with visions of ruin and of the destruction that her brother had invited upon himself. She foresaw the chain of calamities that might engulf Cheechako and those who stood with him. Draupadi, pondering that Bhīma…
In the court of Virāṭa, Bhīmasena beheld the cruel and shameless bearing of Keechaka and the sight struck him with such horror that even Dharmarāja, ever watchful, measured within himself the course that must follow. Bhīma, unable to endure the violent and lust-driven assault committed before his eyes, unconsciously assumed the stance of a warrior…
Queen Sudheshna, bound by her promise to safeguard Sairandri’s honour, strove with all her wisdom to shield both her brother and the modest woman entrusted to her care. When every gentle counsel failed, she turned at last to a softer warning, reminding Keechaka that Sairandri was protected by five mighty Gandharvas who had taken her…
This wicked Keechaka still wandered in dreams, imagining her vine-like arms entwining him, her tender leaves of palms pressing upon his limbs, her lotus-bright face leaning towards him like the first rays that kiss a blooming flower. Her eyes and their reckless glances filled him with dread whenever he recalled them; confusion and senseless desire…
Vyasa’s disciple Vaisampayana recounts how the Pandavas, bound by their sacred oath of concealment, entered the court of Virata and quietly took up their disguises. In a brief span, each established his own domain of service, pleasing the king and his attendants; yet each knew that what awaited them in the days ahead would test…
To Bruhannala was entrusted the care and training of young Uttara, and thus the place accorded to him stood in quiet harmony with Indra’s gentle moderation of Urvasi’s curse. At that time Nakula reached the court of King Virata and stood watching the royal horses. The king observed his steady gaze and said to his…
