________________
xiii
princes that had come, and proclaimed that the Swayamvara would take place the very next day.
Next morning Vasudeva and many other kings and princes went to the pandal in all their pomp and glory, and king Drupada greeted and welcomed them. Then princess Draupadi, finely dressed and richly decorated, entered the pandal with a beautiful wreath of flowers in her hands. Her female companion introduced all those mighty kings and princes one by one to Draupadi, giving full information about their race, family, prowess, handsome form, good qualities, and so on. Then princess Draupadī, being goaded (as it were) by her former Nidāna sinful resolution), chose the five Pāņdavas as her husbands and garlanded them.' All the other kings and princes congratulated her on her choice. Thereupon king Drupada took the five Pāņdavas to his palace, performed the marriage ceremony of Draupadī. with them, and gave the various valuable marriage gifts. Thereafter the five Pandavas, accompanied by princess Draupadī, returned to Hastinapura and performed various auspicious rites and ceremonies.
The five Pandavas enjoy ed every day the best of pleasures in the company of Princess Draupadī. Now once Kacchulla Nārada came to Hastinapura. He had very pleasing appearance, but at beart he was very wicked. He was a great lover of quarrels and fights. King Pandu, together with his five sons and queen Kuntī, warmly received him. But Draupadi did not show any regard for him, knowing that he had not abandoned his sinful activities. Being enraged at this behaviour of Draupadī, Nārada determined to take revenge upon her.
Nárada then crossed the Lavaņa Sea, and reached the city Aparakamkå in the continent called Dhātakīkhanda, There he described the matchless beauty of Draupadī to king Padmanābha, who was very proud of his own harem, and then returned back. Thereupon king Padmanābba, being greatly enamoured of the beauty of Draupadi, propitiated a ged (who was his former friend), and requested him to secure Draupadi for him. The god, in order to do a good Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com