Draupadi's Swayamvara
“One arrow changes everything. One word binds five hearts forever.”
Story Summary
Word spreads across kingdoms: Draupadi, princess of Panchala, will choose her husband in a swayamvara. The challenge is impossible—a fish eye reflected in a pool, shot only by looking at its reflection in oil below. Kings and princes gather, including Karna, now King of Anga, allied with Duryodhana. Arjuna and his brothers arrive disguised as brahmins, observing from the shadows. When Karna steps forward, confident and skilled, he is rejected once more—this time by Draupadi herself, who refuses to marry someone of unknown birth. Arjuna takes up the bow in disguise, his years of training focused into one perfect shot. The fish eye shatters. Draupadi garlands him. But when Kunti, without seeing who they brought, says 'share whatever you have found,' the brothers understand: one wife, five husbands. This fateful moment creates a marriage unlike any other—a bond that will shape an empire.