ORIENTAL SERIES.

94
DRAUPADL
and as being delivered by the gods from the oppressoi
Sambara. He is also called Atithi-gwa, 'he to whom guests
should go.' 3. A king of Kasl, son of Bhlma-ratha and father of
Pratardana. He was attacked by the sons of King Vita-havya
and all his sons were slain. His son Pratardana (q.v.) was born
to him through a sacrifice performed by Bharadwaja. He was
celebrated as a physician and was called Dhanwantari.
DKATJPADL Daughter of Drupada, king of Panchala, and
wife of the five Pawdu princes. Draupadl was a damsel of dark
complexion but of great beauty, " as radiant and graceful as if
she had descended from the city of the gods." Her hand was
sought by many princes, and so her father determined to hold a
and allow her to exercise her own choice in the
swayam-yara
selection of a husband. The swayam-vara was proclaimed, and
princes assembled from all parts to contend in the lists for the
hand of the princess; for although in such contests the lady was
entitled to exercise her swayam-vara or own choice, it generally
followed that the champion of the arena became her husband
Most astonishing feats of arms were performed, but Arjuna out-
shone all by his marvellous use of the bow, and he became the
selected bridegroom. When the five brothers returned to the
house where their mother, Kunti, was staying, they told her that
they had made a great acquisition, and she told them to share it
among them. These words raised a great difficulty, for if they
could not be adroitly evaded they must be obeyed The sage
Yyasa settled the matter by saying, " The destiny of Draupadl
has already been declared by the gods ; let her become the wife
of all the brethren." So she became their common wife, and it
was arranged that she should stay successively two days in the
house of each, and that no one of them but the master of the
house should enter it while she was thera Arjuna was
her favourite, and she showed her jealousy when he mar-
ried Su-bhadra. In the great gambling
match which the
eldest brother, Yudhi-shrfhira, played at Hastinirpura against
his cousins, the Kauvaras, he lost his all his kingdom, his
brothers, himself, and their wife Draupadi So she became
a slave, and Dur-yodhana called her to come and sweep the
room. She refused, and then Duh-sasana dragged her by
the hair into the pavilion before all the chieftains, and taunt-
ingly told her that she was a slave girl, and had no right to