Reading Notes: Mahabharata Part B

Purochana sets fire to the palace and the Pandavas escape. In retaliation, Bhima tries to take revenge on Purochana by setting fire to the guardhouse. However, the wind blows the flames towards the lac palace and kills a low caste woman and her 5 sons as well as Purochana. The people see the charred bodies and they think that Kunti and the Pandavas have died. As a result, the Pandavas and Kunti are forced to live in hiding in the wilderness. A rakshasa woman falls in love with Bhima and her brother hears Bhima threaten to kill him, so they battle. The rakshasa woman Hidimbi and Bhima marry and they have a son named Ghatokacha. Kunti and the Pandava brothers (except for Bhima) go to Ekachkara and disguise themselves as brahmins. However, the town has been taken over by an asura named Baka, so Bhima kills him by breaking his backbone. Since Drupada loses his kingdom to Drona, he offers the sage Upayaja a million cows if he could have a son. Drupada gains a son a Dhrishtadyumna, who is fated to kill Drona, and a daughter named Drupadi, who is fated to become a chief of women and make the Kauravas suffer. Kunti hears of what happens and they go northward. There is a swayamwara and Arjuna wins Draupadi as his bride, but she is then promised to the 5 Pandava brothers. Yudhishthira becomes king and rules at Indraprastha. In the marriage, Arjuna accidentally breaks a rule and he is exiled and meets Ulupi. They have a child named Iravat. Later, Arjuna marries Princess Chitra of Manipur so she can have a son to carry on the royal line. Arjuna also marries Subhadra, Krishna's sister, too. Drupadi becomes a mother to five sons to her give husbands and Subhadra has a son named Abhimanyu. Later, Agni asks Krishna and Arjuna to help him get the Khandava forest. They also meet the asura Maya and he builds a palace for the Pandavas. Duryodhana grows more jealous of their good fortune. Yudhisthira declares himself supreme monarch by performing a Rajasuya sacrifice and Krishna kills a rival king Sishupala so Yudhisisthira can become king. The Pandavas go to a gambling hall, but Draupadi is angry at what happens in the gambling hall because Dushashan harasses her. He tries to get her to strip naked in front of the assembly, so Krishna prays to the gods to help her. Bhima vows to kill Duhshasana and Duryhodyana and if he is not allowed to, he will thrust his hands into fire. There is a match, but then the Pandava brothers are exiled and Duryodhana gains a new kingdom. The Pandavas and Draupadi enter a life of exile once again.

Source: The Indian Heroes by CA Kincaid (1921)

Pandavas and Draupadi

Source: Wikimedia