29. Draupadi's insult, and the war on ShalvaAfter the yagna, and all the visitors left, Adiratha arrived @ Bhima's court w/ an invitation for a game of dice. Bhima declined, saying that that wasn't his inclination, but others in the family & outside pointed out to him that having proved his military supremacy, he'd be a laughing stock if he didn't accept a challenge to a simple game. Bhima knew that the Kauravas had foul play planned, so reluctantly accepted Adiratha's invitation. He left Indraprastha under the care of Vidura, and left w/ just his brothers, leaving their other wives & kids w/ his grand-uncles. However, Draupadi insisted on going, desiring to meet & greet Gandhari. Reluctantly, Bhima agreed.
While Krishna was returning, they were intercepted by Vinda, Anuvinda, Rukmi, Bahlika, Somadatta and young Bhurishrava, as well as their armies. Leaving their 6 brothers to battle them, Krishna & Balarama mounted Garuda and moved ahead to Dwarka. Kirtiman and the other brothers combatted Rukmi & their allies, and a great battle was fought b/w them.
The Pandavas arrived @ Hastinapur, and were welcomed by Duryodhan & his brothers. Duryodhan told Bhima the rules, and told him that he'd have Shakuni cast the dice by proxy. Bhima accused him of being a coward and told him that there's no way that he was playing in that manner. However, Dhritarashtra & V2 ordered him to play, but Bhima still refused, stating that he was an independent emperor and that these relationships did not trump his role as a king. Yudhisthir stepped in and told Bhima that as a kshatriya, he had to accept a challenge, but Bhima told him that he didn't need to learn kshatriya dharm from a suta like Yudhisthir. Finally, Kripa, Drona & Bheeshma too told Bhima that as a kshatriya, he had to accept this challenge. Amongst the brothers, they were split - Karna & Sahadev advising Bhima to play, and Arjun & Nakul advising him not to. Finally, Bhima agreed to play.
In the meantime, Krishna & Balarama arrived in Dwarka and found that it had been laid waste by Shalva. They were greeted by Pradhyumna who told them that he had repelled Shalva's attack while Bhanu was battling Dantavatra. Krishna asked them to return w/ Balarama to the home & protect the elders, since Shalva had mayavi powers which he could then use to attack family members. Krishna then set off to fight Shalva.
At Hastinapur, the game of dice started, but after losing some wealth, Bhima stopped staking anything and announced that he was conceding. Duryodhan & Dushashan laughed @ him, & Bhima threatened them. Duryodhan demanded that he stake Indraprastha, but Bhima refused. Yudhisthir then suggested that he stake himself, and if he won, he'd win back everything, but if he lost, he'd lose his kingdom & everything & become a slave. Nakul got furious and vowed to slay Yudhisthir in battle for trying to influence the destiny of the Pandavas. Dhritarashtra ordered Bhima to either continue, or accept in his concession that the Pandavas were now slaves and Indraprastha was no longer theirs.
Bhima announced that he would play, but that if he lost, then he'd only lose his freedom, not anything else. Kripacharya told him that once he lost that, Indraprastha would no longer be his. The other Pandavas urged Bhima to give it a shot, and Bhima did and lost.
Duryodhan was elated, and ordered all the Pandavas to remove their crowns & put it @ his feet. He then ordered Yudhisthir to go to Draupadi and tell her that she was now a maid of the Kauravas, since her husband had lost. Yudhisthir went and told her that, but Draupadi asked whether Bhima staked himself first or Draupadi. Yudhisthir told her that Bhima didn't stake her, but when he lost, he lost both his own freedom & hers. Draupadi told him that there was no way she was going to court.
In the meantime, Krishna located Shalva's flying chariot and started pursuing it. A battle b/w them started, and their chariots started clashing. Shalva drew his skimitar and struck Krishna, but the latter took his mace & knocked Shalva to the ground. Shalva disappeared and in a minute, reappeared w/ Vasudev & then beheaded him right in front of Krishna. He then disappeared into the clouds, as did Vasudev's body, & Krishna realized that it was a trick - like Meghnad's mayaa Sita.
In the meantime, Kirtiman & his brothers routed Rukmi, Vinda, Anuvinda, Bahlika, Somadatta and Bhurishrava. All of them fled the battlefield and returned to their capitals.
Duryodhan then sent Dushashan to drag Draupadi there, and Dushashan caught Draupadi by her hair & dragged her to court. The Pandavas immediately got up to attack Dushashan, but Yudhisthir tried to stop them, reminding them that they were now slaves, and ergo, so was Draupadi. Nakula again repeated his vow to slay Yudhisthir in battle. Dhritarashtra ordered the Pandavas to just remain seated, and Dronacharya too backed him. The Pandavas were about to take up arms, but Ashwatthama warned them if they dared flout their guru's orders. Arjun sat down, followed by the others, but Bhima was still a raging volcano.
Draupadi then confronted Dhritarashtra and demanded to know how he could allow this to happen to a guest? She confronted Bheeshma and reminded her about how respecting women was alien to the Kurus, given how he himself had disrupted a swayamvara. She blasted Drona for making such demands on her husbands, and Drona reminded her why her father had begat her. Vikarna & Yuyutsu spoke up for her, and said that while Duryodhan was within his rights on what he did to the Pandavas, Draupadi should have been off-limits.
Satyavati, Ambika & Gandhari entered, and Duryodhan repeated that Draupadi was their maid. Satyavati agreed w/ that, and Ambika & Gandhari too supported him. Draupadi then asked if their next move would be to try & demand her clothing, to which Yudhisthir very helpfully reminded her of Harishchandra. Draupadi told him that she didn't need any dharam gyan from a lowly suta like him. However, Duryodhan liked the idea and order Dushashan to strip him.
In the meantime, Balarama confronted Dantavatra in battle, and a huge mace combat started b/w the 2. Pradhyumna in the meantime sent Charudeshna to Krishna to tell him that Vasudev was safe, as was every member of the family, and not to get tricked by Shalva.
While Krishna was wondering where Shalva was gone, he sensed what was happening to Draupadi. So he telepathically asked Rukmini & Radha to take divine forms and give Draupadi an infinite length sari so that she couldn't be stripped. Both Radha & Rukmini appeared in the court and started elongating Draupadi's sari from either end, so that Dushashan started getting exhausted by continuing. Duryodhan then asked Yudhisthir to help him, and Yudhisthir too started, but was very quickly exhausted by what he had to do.
In the meantime, Shalva reappeared, and Krishna realized that to defeat Shalva, he had to first destroy his chariot. W/ his mace, he destroyed Shalva's chariot. He then landed on the ground and started wrestling w/ Shalva. He knocked him off w/ one hand, and then w/ his sudarshan, got him beheaded. By then, Kirtiman & the other brothers arrived, and they congratulated him on his victory. Krishna was however worried about what was happening to Draupadi, when Rukmini & Radha arrived and assured him that Draupadi was safe.
Draupadi was indeed safe. Outside the palace, the braying of jackals was heard, and Bhima vowed that in battle, he would tear apart Dushashan & drink his blood. Nakula too promised the same to Yudhisthir.
Dhritarashtra then asked them to play a fresh round, where they have their freedom, but if they lose again, they have to go into exile for 12 years, and a 13th year, go incognito. Bhima agreed to this, and the game started. During the game, Duryodhan signalled Draupadi to sit on his left thigh, and Bhima vowed to break that in battle. Sahadev too vowed to cut off the hand that wielded the dice, and kill Shakuni in battle.
In the meantime, Balarama got the better of Dantavatra & slew him. Seeing that, Vidyurath rushed in to attack, but by then, Pradhyumna, who arrived there, fought a battle w/ him & slew him as well.
The game continued and the Pandavas lost. They decided to return to Indraprastha b4 handing things over. Without taking any blessings of any of the elders, they left Hastinapur & made it home to Indraprastha. Everybody was shocked to hear how Draupadi had been treated, and particularly how the Kuru elders endorsed it. Amba & Ambalika announced that they were ending their lives and entered the fire. The Vasus announced that they weren't staying w/ the Kauravas, and together w/ Vidura, they told Bhima that they'd follow him into the forest.
Bhima dissuaded them from going, but suggested that they split and take the Pandava wives to their various maaykas, and help train their sons. V1, V4 & Vidura decided to take Subhadra & Abhimanyu to Dwarka. V3 decided to take Draupadi's sons and go to Panchala. V5 decided to go to Kuntibhoj's kingdom, V6 to Madra w/ Nakul's & Sahadev's wives, and V7 went to Kashi w/ Valandhara & Suhotra. Bhima told them that initially, they'd go to the Khandava forests and live w/ Hidimbi & Ghatotkacha, b4 making future plans. He suggested that Draupadi go w/ V3 to Panchala, but Draupadi refused, saying that her place was w/ her husbands. However, she assigned her sons to different mothers - Satsoma was given to Valandhara, Vrishasena went w/ V5 to Panchala, Shrutakarman to Subhadra, Satanika to Karenamati and Shrutasena to Sahadev's wife. The Vasus would be in charge of their training.
The Pandavas then left a sorrowful Indraprastha and went to Khandava forests, where they were welcomed by Hidimba. Draupadi was welcomed by Hidimbi & Ghatotkacha, and the Pandavas began their exile.
Krishna returned victorious to Dwarka, and then along w/ his brothers & their principal wives, they decided to set forth to meet the Pandavas. In the meantime, Dhristadyumna, Dhrishtaketu, Kuntibhoj, Shalya & Sahadev too set off for the forest.
Edited by .Vrish. - 10 years ago
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