MAHABHARATA CONDENSED INTO ENGLISH ... - Mandhata Global

Brahmans, and the brothers reported to their mother that they had received a great gift on
that day. "Enjoy ye the gift in common," replied their mother, not knowing what it was.
And as a mother's mandate cannot be disregarded, Draupadi became the common wife of
the five brothers.
The real significance of this strange legend is unknown. The custom of brothers marrying
a common wife prevails to this day in Thibet and among the hill-tribes of the Himalayas,
but it never prevailed among the Aryan Hindus of India. It is distinctly prohibited in their
laws and institutes, and finds no sanction in their literature, ancient or modern. The
legend in the Maha-bharata, of brothers marrying a wife in common, stands alone and
without a parallel in Hindu traditions and literature.
Judging from the main incidents of the Epic, Draupadi might rather be regarded as the
wife of the eldest brother Yudhishthir. Bhima had already mated himself to a female in a
forest, by whom he had a son, Ghatotkacha, who distinguished himself in war later on.
Arjun too married the sister of Krishna, shortly after Draupadi's bridal, and had by her a
son, Abhimanyu, who was one of the heroes of the war. On the other hand, Yudhishthir
took to him self no wife save Draupadi, and she was crowned with Yudhishthir in the
Rajasuya or Imperial Sacrifice. Notwithstanding the legend, therefore, Draupadi might be
regarded as wedded to Yudhishthir, though won by the skill of Arjun, and this
assumption would be in keeping with Hindu customs and laws, ancient and modern.
The jealous Duryodhan heard that his contrivance to kill his cousins at Varanavata had
failed. He also heard that they had found a powerful friend in Drupad, and had formed an
alliance with him. It was no longer possible to keep them from their rightful inheritance.
The Kuru kingdom was accordingly parcelled; Duryodhan retained the eastern and richer
portion with its ancient capital Hastina-pura on the Ganges; and the sons of Panda were
given the western portion on the Jumna, which was then a forest and a wilderness. The
sons of Panda cleared the forest and built a new capital Indra-prastha, the supposed ruins
of which, near modem Delhi, are still pointed out to the curious traveller.
Yudhishthir, the eldest of the five sons of Pandu, and now king of Indra-prastlia, resolved
to perform the Rajasuya sacrifice, which was a formal assumption of the Imperial title
over all the kings of ancient India. His brothers went out with troops in all directions to
proclaim his supremacy over all surrounding kings. Jarasandha, the powerful and semicivilised
king of Magadha or South Behar, opposed and was killed; but other monarchs
recognised the supremacy of Yudhishthir and came to the sacrifice with tributes. King
Dhrita-rashtra and his sons, now reigning at Hastina-pura, were politely invited to take a
share in the performance of the sacrifice.
The portion translated in this Book forms Sections xxxiii. To xxxvi. and Section xliv. of
Book ii. of the original.
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