question_answer

Read the following except carefully and answer the questions that follow:

Draupadi?s Marriage

Drupada, the king of Panchala, organised a competition where the challenge was to string a bow and hit a target; the winner would be chosen to marry his daughter Draupadi. Arjuna was victorious and was garlanded by Draupadi. The Pandavas returned with her to their mother Kunti, who, even before she saw them, asked them to share whatever they had got. She realised her mistake when she saw Draupadi but her command could not be violated. After much deliberation, Yudhisthira decided that Draupadi would be their common wife. When Drupada was told about this, he protested. However, the seer Vyasa arrived and told him that the Pandavas were in reality incarnations of lndra, whose wife had been reborn as Draupadi, and they were thus destined for each other. Vyasa added that in another instance a young woman had prayed to Shiva for a husband, and id her enthusiasm, had prayed five times instead of once. This woman was now reborn as Draupadi, and Shiva had fulfilled her prayers. Convinced by these stories, Drupada consented to the marriage.

(i) How does this story reveal that mother was considered as the highest guru?

(ii) Why didn?t Kunti save Draupadi from the dire situation?

(iii) Why did Drupada and Sage Vyasa decide Draupadi?s strange marriage with five men?

Answer:

(i) After Arjuna won the archery contest, Draupadi garlanded him. The Pandavas returned with her to their mother who asked them to share whatever they had brought without looking at them. They accepted her command because they regarded her as their greatest guru.

(ii) Kunti could not save Draupadi from that situation because the command had been given and it could not be violated.

(iii) Vyasa gave two explanations. One was that all the Pandavas were incarnations of Indra and Draupadi was Indra?s wife, and according to another explanation Draupadi in her earlier birth had prayed to Shiva for a husband five times. So Drupada and Vyasa decided that she would be a common wife of all the Pandavas.