Treasury of Jain Tales

SR No.: 006762
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: V M Kulkarni
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre
Publication Year: 1994
Total Pages: 468
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 17 MB

Page 144

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In Hastinapura, one of these days Yudhisthira and Draupadi were lying fast asleep on the terrace of the palace, the god that wanted to oblige his friend Padmanabha appeared, put a spell on Draupadi and carried her away to the palace of Padmanabha across the Lavana-sea. He put her in the Asoka-grove of the king's palace and informed the king accordingly.
When Draupadi woke up from her deep slumber, she could not know where she was and to which place she was brought. She suspected that some god or demon, some demi-god or kinnara or a mahoraga, may be, a gandharva had kidnapped her. She became terribly depressed and sat brooding. In the meantime, king Padmanabha, who had taken every possible care to make himself appealing to Draupadi, came to meet her in the Aśoka-grove. He tried to make her cheerful by promising quite a large variety of pleasures with himself. Draupadi, who was utterly helpless and did not know how to resist Padmanabha's approaches, very cleverly managed to obtain from him a period of six months. She said, her brother Krsna, who lived in the city of Dvaravati, would make attempts to rescue her. But if he fails during the next six months, she would agree to whatever Padmanabha proposed. The king left her in the apartment meant for maidens and Draupadi continuously practised various fasts and observed ayambila austerity and exerted herself in many ways.
Her husband Yudhisthira realising that Draupadi was no where to be found in the palace, went to king Pandu and requested him to send out search parties for Draupadi. The king did all that but also instructed his wife Kunti to proceed immediately to Dvaravati to acquaint Krsna of the mishap. Kunti accordingly went to see Krsna and told him of all that had happened to the unfortunate Draupadi. Krsna promised to do everything to rescue her but he just did not know how to proceed on the quest till one of these days, Narada appeared on the scene. In the course of the gossip, he told Krsna that he happened to see Draupadi in Aparakankā across the Lavana-sea. Krsna suspected it to be a mischief worked out by Narada himself. He sent the information to the Pändava brothers and instructed them to proceed with their