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Mahābhārata The History of the Great India
<< 67 Arrival in Drupada's Kingdom >>
 |  | My dear Janamejaya, the Pandavas, thus invited by the brahmanas, set out with them toward the kingdom of Pancala, ruled by King Drupada. On the way, O king, the Pandavas met Dvaipayana Vyasa, that great and pure soul untouched by sin. Having properly honored him and been encouraged and comforted by him, they spoke for some time, and then with his permission they went on their way to the kingdom of Drupada.
| | | The great warriors traveled at their leisure and set up camp wherever they encountered lovely lakes and forests. They took time to study Vedic literature and to maintain strict cleanliness, and thus their minds were gentle and their speech was kind and pleasant. Eventually those Kuru princes reached the land of the Pancalas.
| | | After they had seen the city and the king's palace, the Pandavas made their residence in the house of a potter and fully adopted the activities of brahmanas, collecting alms for their sustenance. So well did they play the part that the local people had not an inkling that those great heroes had arrived in the city.
| | | Now, it had always been the desire of King Drupada to give his daughter to Arjuna, but he did not reveal his wish. In his attempt to seek out the sons of Kunti, the Pancala king had arranged for a tough and unyielding bow and an artificial device suspended in the air, and within that contrivance the king placed a golden target.
| | | King Drupada said, "Whoever can string this bow and with the bow and these arrows shoot through the hanging device and pierce the target wins my daughter's hand."
| | | King Drupada had this message announced all around, [knowing that only Arjuna could pass the test]. Hearing the monarch's challenge, all the kings of the world eagerly assembled in Drupada's city. The holy sages also came, eager to see the svayamvara, and all the Kuru princes arrived there, headed by Duryodhana with his close friend Karna, to try for Draupadi's hand.
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