| Great Personalities |
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| Biographies of Great Indians & Hindus |
DRAUPADI |
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| The Pandavas
in the ForestThe Kauravas were angry. They had
won the kingdom by great cunning – but their father had given it back. How were they
to get it once again? They decided that the only way was to play dice again. Another
invitation was sent to Yudhishthira to come and play. The party which was defeated would
have to give up the whole Kingdom and remain in the forest for twelve years, and then for
another year live somewhere incognito(that is, without being recognized by others.) If
they were recognized by anybody during that period, then they had to repeat the twelve
year’s stay in the forests and spend a year incognito. This was the condition of the
match.
Yudhishthira was defeated again. The Pandavas gave up their royal robes and put on clothes made of the bark of trees. Draupadi followed her husbands. In the palace she had live in luxury. But now, because of stones and thorns, at every step blood oozed from her feet. So the forest life of the Pandavas began. Shri Krishna was the beloved God of Draupadi. He did not forget his devotees in the forest, but visited them now and again. Many sages also visited the Pandavas now and then and guided them. The Sun-God gave Yudhishthira a magic vessel. This vessel would not become empty until Draupadi’s ,meal was over. So every one would be fed very well. Draupadi would eat at the end. After that the vessel could not be used on that day. Thus even in the midst of the hardships and suffering of forest life, Draupadi had some peace. |
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