It was the end of the day now, the sun had set but the night was far from over. I slowly got to my room and cried to my hearts content. Now only Govind could make me happy. I saw him coming to me but again thought that it was an illusion like the one near the river. But this time it was not a illusion, it was for real.
"Sakhi, don't loose heart, everything will be alright and I will make sure that you are married to Arjun" he said. "But what about their mother's words Govind, how will that problem be resolved?" I asked almost on the verge of crying again. "You took the right decision Sakhi, do you want to know the story of your previous birth" he asked me with a smile. How does he manage to smile even in such situations. "Tell me Govind, tell me about my previous birth. I want to know all of it" I asked him. "So, let it be as you wish. Listen to the tale of Nalayani, your name in the previous birth. In your father's chamber Ved Vyas is also telling him the same story let me use his words to tell you about it" he said.
"When Drupad grief's over her daughter's future and how she will be perceived in the society, Ved vyas consoles Drupad
O great king, don't be sad.
In another lifetime, your daughter was called Nalayani, a woman of impeccable virtue. She served her husband Maudgalya with great devotion. The man, who had the power to do as he wished, was pleased with her devotion. He asked her to ask for a boon.
So Nalayani of blameless beauty told her husband:
"O lord, May you attain great fame in the world by dividing yourself into five and pleasuring me in all those five forms! And after that I want you to become one again and continue to pleasure me."
"Let it be so!"
The great seer Maudgalya told Nalayani of beautiful hair and alluring smile. He then turned himself into five and pleasured her in those five forms in every imaginable way.
This, oh great king, is the truth and for that reason, never think of it in other ways. It is this Nalayani who is born as your daughter Draupadi from the sacrificial pit, as some divine plan would have it.
Drupad said:
Tell me the reason why the auspicious Nalayani took birth in my sacrifice.
Vyas said:
Listen to me, King, of how Lord Rudra gave her a boon and why the glorious one was born in your house.
Nalayani travelled around with her husband Maudgalya, no worries in her mind. And then one day, after years of enjoying them, the sage lost interest in pleasures. Desiring the highest dharma, his mind was now turned towards brahma-yoga.
The great sage, now keen on austerities, abandoned her.
Nalayani fell to the earth. As she fell, addressing Maudgalya, she said:
Do not abandon me, great sage. I have been enjoying pleasures as my heart desired, and I am still not content.
And Maudgalya told her:
You are causing obstacles on my path of tapas. So listen to what I say. You shall be born on the earth as a princess and will attain great repute. You shall be the daughter of the noble-hearted king of Panchal. You shall then have five renowned men for your husbands. With those handsome men, you shall long enjoy the pleasures of marital life.
The glorious Nalayani became miserable and went to a forest. Still discontented with the enjoyment of pleasures, she worshiped the Lord of the Gods through tapas.
Rudra, was pleased with her severe penance and gave her a boon.
"You will be reborn again and in that birth you shall be a lustrous woman; and you shall have five renowned men for your husbands.
Hearing this, the woman said:
"I requested you for one husband. Why have you given me these five husbands? A woman shall have one man. How can a woman belong to many men?"It has been decided long ago that it is the dharma of a woman to have only one husband, whereas it is the dharma of a man, as practiced by many, to have several wives. This is the dharma for women that the sages decided in the past. And it has also been said that a single woman would be the partner of man in religious rituals. And we also see in the world that a woman has a single husband, just as she has a single virginhood – once ended, it never comes back. The smritis allow a second husband to a woman for the purpose of conceiving through niyoga in an exigency.
If she goes to a third man, that is considered a sin and when she has a fourth man, she falls and becomes a prostitute. This is the path of dharma and for that reason I cannot accept many husbands. That is something not seen practiced in the world and how could I be absolved from the sin of corruption if that happens?"
The Great Lord said:
"In the past women lived a free life sexually and were considered pure after their monthly periods. But having many husbands shall not be against dharma for you."
She replied:
If I am to have many husbands, I request you to grant me that I shall remain a virgin after my unions with each of my husbands. In the past I attained spiritual merit through service to my husband. I also attained desire for sexual pleasures through that service. Grant me that I attain both in my coming birth too."
The Great Lord said:
Listen to me, auspicious woman. Rati (the goddess of sexual pleasure) and Siddhi (spiritual progress) do not enjoy each other's company.
In your next birth too, endowed with great beauty and good fortune, enjoying with your five husbands after regaining your virginity repeatedly, you shall attain great glory."
"This is how it all happened Sakhi"he continued. "Everything was destined from before you could do nothing about it, the decision you took to marry all the five Pandavas was pre-planned" he said. I was so shocked to hear all this. It was so surprising to listen to him. Its so strange that things that have happened to you in the previous birth cannot be remembered by you.