Ephemera

Fire borns

For a year, Drupada served the two rishis in the vana and at the year's end, they performed a putrakama yagna for him. The munis sat chanting powerful mantras beside the flames of a sacred fire. It was high noon and Drupada and his wife sat behind them. After some hours of chanting, Yaja poured some libation on to the flames. Then it blazed up, blinding and the flames pierced the sky. When it all came to a reast

He was a kshatriya in shining armor. He carried unworldly weapons and his face seemed as if it was carved from stone. A handsome youth emerged from the fire: drupada was happy he knew Drona was as good as dead. A voice spoke out of heaven, 'This prince will kill Drona and bring glory to the Panchalas.'

When Drupada wanted to go and embrace the youth in the chariot, Upayaja restrained him. The yagna fire was full of color and light again and another miracle was unfolding among its flames. They sprang white once more and higher and abruptly grew still as if arrested in time. The burning stillness assumed a human form. There were long, dark arms there, a perfect head flowing black tresses. As Drupada, his wife and the rishis watched, stunned by her incredible beauty, her skin dark as night, her face and her body so perfect they were from a more pristine time, a young girl stepped out of the white light. Now a common fire burned again in Yaja's sacrificial pit.

Once more, there was a prediction, 'She is the most beautiful woman in the world. She is born to fulfil a divine purpose, she will be the nemesis of kshatriya kind. She will have no double. Her life will be struggle but she will smile and face everything. She shall be the reason you are remembered drupad!"'

Drupada's queen said to Yaja, 'Muni, let these children think of me and no one else as their mother!'

Yaja said, 'So be it. Call your son Dhrishtadyumna. And let your daughter of destiny be named Krishnaa, for her dark skin.'

But overwhelmed with fatherly love, he named her Draupadi.

The wandering ascetic paused. Bheema said softly, "So Drupada became a father of twins. But, good Brahmana, I have heard Dhrishtadyumna is Drona's sishya."

The man laughed. "Drona knew Dhrishtadyumna had been born to kill him. The acharya also knew that no man escapes fate. He took Dhrishtadyumna to be his sishya and taught the fire-born prince like his own son.

"But when drupada heard that the pandavas died in the varnavrat, especially arjun. He was heart broken and inconsolable.. but the rishis assured him divine predictions will never be wrong. Since then he is hopelessly looking for the pandavas."

"Let me come back to my mission. It has to do with the Pandavas, the nephews of blind Dhritarashtra who is king in Hastinapura." He said, leaving the 4 brothers awed...

His guru said to him, 'My lord, your children were born from their fire. The gods knew why you wanted a daughter. They would not deceive you and lay waste Draupadi's life.

'Have it proclaimed all over Bharatavarsha, that a swayamvara will be held for the princess and that there will be a test of archery for the kshatriyas who would compete for Panchali's hand. I am certain the Pandavas are alive and in hiding somewhere. Wherever he is, Arjuna will come and win Draupadi's hand.' he was told.

"So dear friends..........Friends, I was also sent forth by my lord Drupada to spread the word of Draupadi's swayamvara. So here I am, telling you about it. And, who knows, Arjuna himself may be listening!" He gave a laugh, but his eyes were shrewd in the flickering light. It was midnight and the hermit rose. He yawned and went in, saying nothing would keep him from his bed any more.

 Kunti and her sons sat on for a while in the open, with the night breeze playing on their faces. They sat in silence and those young men's hearts beat wildly with visions of a dark princess.

Then, Kunti said, "We have been in Mathura for too long. I am tired of seeing the same four walls, the same pots and pans and begging-bowls, the same yard, the same trees, the same mountain. Let us go to kampilya. Princess draupadi's swyamwar is coming up. Th archery will be awesome, we can go here unless you all have some objection." they all looked down blushing thinking of princess draupadi..

She saw her sons' eyes light up with desperate hope. She felt sorry for them: so young, so manly and no means to express either youth or manliness.

But their dreams came crashing down when they heard someone at the door... "You all cannot leave this prosperous place, you came here for a purpose and until it is done you cannot leave. But you have my blessings that arjun will definitly take part in the swayamwar.." they heard maharishi vyasa, who then left without any explanation..

Now they all were confused, which purpose??? But they were also excited to take part in her swayamwar..

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