INDIA. PART II.

Failure of the

the bow.

the lists and

lest he should fail to bend it, and thus excite the laughter of HISTORY OF the multitude. Presently a Raja stepped before his fellows and tried to bend the bow, but could not; and another and yet another essayed in like manner to string the bow, but all suitors to bend were alike unable so to do because of its great size and strength. Then many of the Rajas made the attempt, and they strained themselves to the very uttermost, casting aside their robes and collars, and putting forth their whole strength, but not one amongst them could bend the bow. Then the ambitious Karna entered the lists, and, to the sur- Karna enters prise and discomfiture of all who were there, he bent the strings the bow. bow and fitted the shaft to the string; but whilst all were alarmed, the proud Draupadí was resolved that no son of a charioteer should become her lord; and she cried out with a loud voice:-"I wed not with the base-born!" Karna was abashed, for he knew the lowness of his birth; but Draupadi, on acwhilst bursting with rage and bitterness he walked out of birth of Karua. the area with a smile; and looking towards the Sun, he said:" O Sun, bear witness that I throw away the arrow, Karna appeals not because I cannot shoot through the chakra, and strike the eye of the golden fish, but because Draupadi would not accept me for her husband even if I performed the feat." Then Sisupála, the Raja of Chedi, and Jarásandha, the Other Rajas fail famous Raja of Magadhá, tried one after the other to bend the bow, but they both failed; and all the other Chieftains, seeing that the feat was beyond the strength of such mighty Rajas, dared not make the venture lest they too should provoke the laughter and derision of the multitude.

And Extraordinary

interference of

count of the low

to the Sun.

to bend the bow.

ance of Arjuna, Brahman.

All this time the Pándavas had been standing amongst sudden appearthe crowd disguised as Bráhmans, but suddenly Arjuna disguised as a advanced and lifted the bow; and a cry of astonishment ran through the assembly at seeing a Bráhman attempt to compete at a Swayamvara. Some there were who jeered at Arjuna, and said:-" Shall a Bráhman do this great thing which all the mighty Rajas have failed to do?" Others cried :-" Unless the Bráhman knew his own strength and skill he would not make the essay." And all the real Brahmans that were present were fearful lest the attempt should be of

Real Brahmans

dissuade Arjuna, lest the Rajas

fended.

PART II.

prays to Drona,

golden fish.

the multitude,

HISTORY OF should offend the Rajas, so that the Rajas should give them INDIA. no gifts, and they entreated Arjuna to withdraw; but Arjuna was heedless alike of words of blame and words of encouragement, and he offered up a mental prayer to his Arjuna mentally tutor Drona, and then bent the bow and drew the cord, and and strikes the fitting the arrow to the string, he discharged it through the centre of the chakra, and struck the eye of the golden fish. Acclamations of Then a roar of acclamations arose from that vast assembly like the crash and roll of distant thunder, and the Bráhmans waved their scarfs in the greatness of their delight, and the drums and trumpets filled the air with joyous music. And the beautiful Draupadi was filled with joy and wonder at juna as the vic- the youth and grace of the hero who had struck the golden fish; and she came forward as she had been commanded by her brother, and threw the garland round the neck of Arjuna, and permitted him to lead her away according to the rule of the Swayamvara.

and delight of the Brahmans.

Draupadi ac

knowledges Ar

tor.

Wrath and mortification of the

beaten by a Brahman.

But meanwhile the Rajas were lashing themselves into Rajas at being fury, and they cried out:- "Could not a Raja win the damsel, and are we to be humbled by a Bráhman ? Is Raja Drupada to invite us to the Swayamvara, and then to give his daughter to a Bráhman? A Raja's daughter must ever choose a Kshatriya for her husband, and shall a Bráhman trespass upon our right? The Bráhman's life is sacred, but down with the guilty race of Drupada!" With these cries they gathered round Raja Drupada with angry countenances and naked swords, and threatened to burn the Princess upon a pile unless she choose a Kshatriya Fierce battle be- for her husband. But the Pándavas rushed to the rescue tween the Rajas and Pandavas. of Drupada, and performed prodigies of valour against the Rajas, and a crowd of Bráhmans pressed round to support them. At this moment Krishna, Prince of Dwáraká, saw through the disguise of the five brothers, and in gentle words he allayed the wrath of the angry Rajas, and gave his judgment that Draupadí had been fairly won; and the Rajas returned from the field in sullen anger, and the PánArjuna and his davas were permitted to depart with the beautiful Draupadí away Draupadi. who had become the prize of Arjuna.

Mediation of
Krislina.

brethren lead

INDIA. PART II.

The Pandavas

mother that

an acquisition.

To Kuntí desires

you

them to share it.

quences of her

At evening time the Pándavas arrived at the house HISTORY OF where they had left their mother Kuntí, and they said to her:-"O mother, we have made a fine acquisition this day." Then Kuntí thought in her heart that her sons had inform their brought home much victual, and she said:" Go and share they have gained it, you five brothers, amongst yourselves, and eat it." this Yudhishthira replied:-" O mother, what is this have said? Arjuna has this day gained a damsel at her Swayamvara." Then Arjuna took Draupadí by the hand, and led her forward, and laid her at the feet of his mother. And Kuntí said :-" I have committed a grievous fault in Fears the consesaying, 'Go you five brothers and share it among you, and words. eat it."" She then turned to Yudhishthira and said:— "O my son, the words have escaped my lips; and now you must some way contrive that they may be verified, and at the same time that you yourselves may not be involved in crime." Yudhishthira remained in deep reflection for two minutes, and then said to Arjuna :-"O brother, you have Conversation of obtained this maiden: Come now and let us marry her to and Arjuna. you according to the law." Arjuna answered:-" O Yudhishthira, we are all your servants, and this damsel is worthy of being espoused by you." Yudhishthira replied: "We must act in conformity with the will of the Almighty; Postponement and Raja Drupada has properly the disposal of his own of Draupadi. daughter, and she shall be the wife of him upon whom her father shall please to bestow her." At these words of their eldest brother, each one of the five brethren felt an equal desire to marry the damsel.

Yudhishthira

of the marriage

butes the pro

Now when the brethren had prepared the victuals for Draupadi distrithe evening meal, Kuntí would not divide them amongst her visions at supper in the place of sons as she had been accustomed to do, but desired her new Kunti. daughter-in-law to undertake the duty, saying:-"O damsel, first set aside a portion for the poor, and then divide the remainder into two, and give one half to Bhíma, for he has a great appetite, and the other half divide equally among the four remaining brethren." Draupadí then distributed the victuals as she was directed, reserving a sufficiency for herself and Kuntí; but she could not forbear a smile as she

PART II.

HISTORY OF gave so large a share to Bhíma. When they had finished INDIA. their meal, it was full night and they all prepared for rest; and Draupadí slept on a couch by the side of Kuntí, and the five brothers lay at the feet of their mother, and after a long discourse upon what had befallen them at the Swayamvara, they slumbered until the dawn of morning.

Humiliation of
Raja Drupada at

ing won by a

na follows his

sister to the

covers that they

All this time Raja Drupada had been much troubled in his daughter be- heart that his daughter should have been won by a Bráhman, Brahman. whom no one knew; and his son Dhrishta-dyumna had been equally anxious to learn what manner of men they were who had led away his sister from her Swayamvara. And DhrishDhrishta-dyum- ta-dyumna had kept his eyes upon the Pándavas from the house of the Pan- moment that Draupadí had thrown the garland round the davas and dis- neck of Arjuna; and he had followed them all the way to are Kshatriyas. their own home, and seen his sister distribute the victuals at the evening meal, and heard the brothers discoursing about themselves and the Swayamvara. And Dhrishta-dyumna learnt, to his great surprise and joy, that the five brethren were not Brahmans but Kshatriyas, and he also thought in his heart that they belonged to the royal house of Hastinápur, and he hastened back to the city of Kámpilya to acquaint his father with the glad tidings. And Raja Drupada rejoiced greatly, and early next morning he sent his Raja Drupada family priest as envoy to the brethren to inquire who they hita as Envoy to were, and the priest went his way and put the question to and invites the brethren. And Yudhishthira replied:-"Present our prayers to the Raja, and say that he may set his mind at rest, for that his daughter has allied with a family that will neither straiten him nor disgrace him, and bid him remember that no one but a man of noble birth could have shot the eye of the golden fish at the Swayamvara." Whilst Yudhishthira was yet speaking a second envoy arrived from Raja Drupada, saying:-" Perchance you have now become kinsmen of the Raja Drupada, and therefore he bids you honour his palace with your presence that he may entertain you as his guests." After him came a number of people with splendid chariots and horses, and besought the brethren to ascend the chariots and return with them to the city of

sends his Puro

the Pandavas,

them to his pa

lace.

Kámpilya; and Yudhishthira and his brethren proceeded in HISTORY OF one chariot, whilst Kuntí took charge of Draupadí and went with her in a chariot by themselves.

INDIA. PART II.

of the Pandavas

da.

Meantime all the people of the city came out to meet the Grand reception men who had carried away the daughter of their Raja at her by Raja DrupaSwayamvara. Raja Drupada came out in like manner with all his ministers and Chieftains, and when they saw the chariots of the Pándavas approaching, they alighted as a mark of respect, and Yudhishthira and his brethren did the same, and they severally saluted each other, whilst Kuntí and Draupadí joined the ladies of the palace. Raja Drupada was soon satisfied in mind by the manners and bearing of the five brethren that they were true Kshatriyas, and he ordered his servants to conduct them to the bath and to give them royal robes. After this a grand feast was prepared in the banqueting-room, and served up on dishes of gold; and there Bhíma distinguished himself greatly by eating as much as all the rest of his brethren put together.

make known

lineage.

When the feast was over, Raja Drupada bestowed The Pandavas many gifts upon the brethren; and he said to Yudhish- their birth and thira :-" I know full well that you are illustrious Rajas, but tell me, I pray you, what are your names and lineage." Yudhishthira replied:-"We are poor people, and if you deem us unworthy to ally with you, we entreat you to do as it pleases you, for we seek not to constrain you." Drupada then said :-"I adjure you by the Almighty God to tell me who you are!" So Yudhishthira told him, saying:-" We are the sons of the Raja Pándu: I am Yudhishthira, and he who won your daughter is Arjuna; and the others are Bhíma, Nakula, and Sahadeva, and the lady who brought your daughter here to-day is our mother Kuntí. Then Raja Joy of Raja DruDrupada knew them all, and was filled with joy; and they" told him all that had happened to them from the day of their escape from the city of Váranávata; and the Raja ordered houses to be prepared for their reception, and entertained. them many days.

pada.

Yudhishthira,

brother, requested to settle the

After this Raja Drupada said to Yudhishthira:-"Is as the eldest it your command, as the elder brother, that I give my marriage.