The news of the Pandavas and their marriage to Draupadi came to Hastinapura. Dhritarashtra put on an act of being very happy when he learnt it was Arjuna, and not Duryodhana, who won Draupadi. Duryodhana was angry and jealous. He consulted Shakuni and Karna to find out ways to create discord among the Pandavas and […]
She had been Nalayani, married to Moudgalya, a sage who suffered from leprosy. He was very ugly and repelled everyone who saw him. He was very irritable and had dreadful habits. But Nalayani was a very devoted wife. She showed absolutely no disgust for his deformity or anger at his behaviour. She served him faithfully,
Yudhishthira, Nakula and Sahadeva went to the potter’s house to inform Kunti. Bhima stayed to protect Arjuna from any sudden attacks by the unsuccessful suitors. There was an uproar in the hall as everyone argued about the swayamvara. But Bhima’s strength held everyone off. Draupadi went with Arjuna and Bhima to the potter’s house too.
The people of Ekachakrapura had heard that Draupadi’s swayamvara was being held by King Drupada in Panchala. Many Brahmanas were going there, so Kunti and the Pandavas also, in their disguise, reached Panchala and stayed with a potter. In a beautifully decorated marriage hall, a huge bow was kept. The suitors had to string it
Meanwhile, Drupada was burning with anger at the humiliation he suffered at Drona’s hands. He wandered to many places, looking for a teacher who would teach him how he could have a son who would avenge his humiliation by defeating Drona some day. Finally when he received this knowledge, he returned to Panchala. He performed
Kunti considered it wise to leave Ekachakrapura, as Bhima’s killing of Bakasura was sure to attract attention from all over the kingdom. They had reached the banks of river Ganga, when a warrior in a chariot challenged them and asked them not to go near the river. He was Angaraparna, a gandharva chieftain who had
In Ekachakrapura, the Pandavas lived in the house of a Brahmana and went out as mendicants, begging food from other households. Whatever they got, half was given to Bhima and the rest shared by the others. One day, they heard their landlord and his family lamenting. It seemed that a cruel demon, Bakasura, living in
Through the forest the Pandavas made their way to Ekachakrapura. Bhima watched over them when they slept. A demon named Hidimb lived in the forest, grabbing and eating all passers-by. He had a sister, Hidimba, who could change herself into a beautiful form. He would send her to look for his victims. One day, she
Purochana waited and watched, thinking the Pandavas knew nothing. The Pandavas spent the daytime hunting in the forest, but actually they were coming to know the routes in the forest very well. They kept watch at night. They watched for signs and knew when the time was right to act. Kunti gave a feast that
Duryodhana envied Bhima’s strength, Arjuna’s skill and the love of the people for Yudhishthira and the Pandavas. Dhritarashtra, blind and weak-willed, favoured Duryodhana even when he knew that what he said or did was wrong. Shakuni and Karna gave Duryodhana evil and bad advice. Duryodhana laid a plot with his brothers, maternal uncle Shakuni and
Once the pupils were fully trained; it was time for Drona to ask for his guru-dakshina, the right of the teacher to demand a payment from his students. Drona asked for the capture of his old enemy, King Drupada. The Pandavas carried out the mission successfully and presented Drupada as a captive before Drona, who
The Pandavas and the sons of Dhritarashtra learnt the use of arms and archery first from Kripacharya and then from Drona. A public display of their expertise was held. Arjuna showed his skill in using all the arms, especially in archery. This again caused Duryodhana’s envy to flare up. Suddenly, there was a new entrant
In the forest near Hastinapura lived a Nishadha tribe, peace-loving and brave boatmen. They were considered of a class that could not mix with others. Their chief’s son was Ekalavya. Ekalavya enjoyed archery. He asked to be taken as Drona’s pupil. Drona refused his request. Ekalavya, however, made a figure of Drona with mud and,
When Drona was teaching the Pandavas and the Kauravas, he was also teaching his own son, Ashwatthama. Arjuna learnt all his own lessons, and then attended carefully to whatever Ashwatthama was taught. He became an expert in the use of the sword, mace, spear and the bow and arrow, and could fight with equal ease
Drona went to stay with his brother-in-law Kripacharya at Hastinapura. One day, he saw that a ball and Yudhishthira’s ring had fallen into a well and the Pandavas couldn’t get them out. He took a blade of grass, and reciting mantras, shot it like an arrow at the ball. He followed it up with more