Why Draupadee Got Five Husbands?

Draupadee (2)

1. Who was Draupadee, Her Birth and Her Marriage to Five Paandav
2. Why Draupadee had Five Husbands?
3. Draupadee as Queen -1
4. Draupadee as Queen -2
5. Draupadee in Exile
6. Draupadee After the War

Why Draupadee Had Five Husbands?

There is a story behind this, described in Maarkandeya Puraan. Twashtaa, one of the 12 Aaditya Devtaa and Devtaa's Purohit, had a son named Trishiraa. Once Trishiraa did a great Tap which shook Indra's throne. Indra killed him to protect His authority and power. But He could not escape from the sin of killing a Braahman. This sin took away His radiance.
When Twashtaa came to know about his son's killing, he became very furious and performed a Yagya to produce a killer of Indra. He plucked a strand of hair from his hair-lock and offered it in the sacrificial fire with the intention to kill Indra. This Aahuti produced a very powerful Asur named Vritraasur. When Indra came to know about this powerful Asur, He sent Sapt Rishi as His emissaries to him to work out a friendship pact between them. Sapt Rishi succeeded in doing so, but Indra still killed him.

This action of Indra enraged Asur community, so they increased their atrocities. Even Prithvi felt unable to bear the burden of their atrocities. So she approached Devtaa to relieve her from this burden. Devtaa in turn approached Naaraayan. Naaraayan consoled them saying that "I will incarnate soon and you should also go to Prithvi to help me." Thus Devtaa started incarnating on Prithvi.

In this context, Dharm with the radiance of Indra, produced Yudhishthir, Vaayu (Pavan) Devtaa with the radiance of Indra, produced Bheem, Indra Himself produced Arjun from Kuntee and Ashwinee Kumaar with the radiance of Indra, produced Nakul and Sahadev from Maadree. Thus although they were five separate entities, they were still the same Indra. And Draupadee was no other than Indra's wife Shachee (Indraanee) herself.

Another Story Told by Krishn

In another Kathaa, which Krishn Himself told Kuntee about this is, that "In her previous life, Draupadee did a severe Tapasyaa and pleased Shiv Jee, and asked for a husband who should have five qualities - he should be the staunch follower of Dharm; he should be very mighty; he should be the best archer; he should be most beautiful and he should have the maximum tolerance." Bhagvaan said "So be it". But Bhagvaan Shiv couldn't find all the five qualities in one person so He gave her five husbands. There was nobody like Yudhishthir who was the follower of Dharm; there was nobody mightier than Bheem at that time; there was no archer like Arjun; there was nobody else as handsome as Nakul; and there was nobody else who had as much tolerance as Sahadev. All the five qualities were rather impossible to get in one person, so she got five people as her husbands."

Mahaabhaarat
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