Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata, Part C

Part C

The Pandavas and Draupadi in disguise

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• Before the Pandavas left the forest, the eldest brother Yudhishthira called on the warrior goddess, Durga
• He asked the goddess to protect and bless them, as well as, bestow victory upon them 
• The goddess heard Yudhishthira, and assured them that during the 13th and last year of exile, they would remain unrecognized
• The wanderers decided to hide their weapons in a tree
• Together, they proceeded towards the city of Virata in order to conceal themselves
• According to the terms of their banishment, if they are discovered by the Kauravas, their banishment will be extended by an additional 12 years in the jungle
• The Pandavas became friendly with a rajah and they each earned a role
• Yudhishthira became the rajah's instructor and taught the rajah how to play dice
• Bhima became the head or chief cook
• Arjuna, sort of got the short end of the stick in my opinion and became a eunuch
• If you look up what a eunuch is, it is not a fun thing
• Basically the man gets castrated. Think Game of Thrones because there are plenty of eunuchs on that show
• Nakula became the new caregiver for the horses
• Sahadeva, the youngest of the Pandavas, was of kine
• The queen, was immediately drawn to Draupadi and they came to a mutual agreement
• Draupadi offered to become a bondwoman, but had a few conditions of her own
• Draupadi stated that she would not wash the feet of anyone or eat any leftover meals
• The queen agreed to these terms, however, she was fearful for Draupadi's safety because she was extremely beautiful. The queen feared that her beauty would attract many loves and cause unrest for all
• Draupadi assured the queen that she was well protected and to not worry
• Each of the Pandavas were loved by the rajah, but Bhima soon became the favorite because of his brute strength
• Bhima wrestled a lot of men, as well as, lions, tigers, and bears... OH MY!
• The rajah took great pride in Bhima 

Bibliography:

The Court of King Virata

Author: Donald Mackenzie

Web Source: Mahabharata Online