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198
CHAPTER SIX Kāmpilya, bowed to King Pāņdu and said: “There is a maiden, named Draupadi, daughter of King Drupada by Culani, younger sister of Dhșstadyumna. All the Daśārhas, Sirin, Sārngin, Damadanta, Siśupāla, Rukmin, Karņa, Suyodhana, and other kings and powerful princes, invited by the king by messengers, are going now to her svayamvara. Do you go there and adorn the svayamvara-pavilion with these five princes who resemble young gods.”
Pāņdu went to Kāmpilya with his five victorious sons, like Smara with his five arrows, and other kings went also. There the kings were honored by Drupada one by one and they presided over the svayamvara-hall like planets over the sky.
Draupadi, having bathed, wearing clean garments, adorned with wreaths and ornaments, after she had worshipped the Arhat, came attended by friends, like a goddess in beauty, to the svayamvara-pavilion, which was adorned by Krşņa and the others like Sāmānika-gods. The kings there being pointed out by a friend who announced their names, Drupada's daughter, looking, went where the Pāņdavas were. She, enamored, threw the svayamvara-wreath around the necks of the five sons of Pāņdu at the same time. The circle of kings was amazed, saying “What's this?” until a flying ascetic came there.
Draupadi's former births (286–355) The muni was asked by the kings, Krşņa, et cetera, “How can Draupadi have five husbands?” and he explained:
“ This state of having five husbands will result from karma acquired in a former birth. What is remarkable ? The course of karma is unequal. Here in the city Campā 199 there were three Brāhmans, Somadeva, Somabhūti, and Somadatta, full brothers. They, rich in grain and cash,
199 289. But they were in Kāmpilya, not in Campā. Again, below, 317, Campā is given as the place where they were. “Atraiva' makes this plain.
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