Reading: Mahabharata Part D

Draupadi's father sets up a contest for every prince to come and try to win his daughter's hand. The Pandavas came as well. No one could string the bow except for Arjun. He lifted the bow and hit the target directly. Among the ones who came to this event was Karna. When he came to string the bow, Draupadi told him that he was not able to win the hand of a princess. Krishna was also there but he came just to view the events.

Kunti accidently told the sons that they had to share Draupadi. It was said that in a past life, she prayed for a husband with five virtues and in this life, she was to marry five husbands. When the marriages took place, Draupadi's brother witnessed this and took the news back home to his kingdom, and this news of the marriages spread everywhere, even to the people of Hastinapur (much to Duryodhana's disappointment). Upon return to the kingdom, the brothers are given certain areas of land. The Pandava brothers create the land of Indraprastha, and they moved there. Here, Krishna asked to set fire to the land. Among the ashes, a great kingdom rose. The brothers named it Indraprastha. Upon hearing this news, Duryodhana set to work to plot against the Pandava brothers.

Narad came to visit the brothers and when he saw Draupadi, he was worried because he was reminded him of two brothers killing each other over a woman. Narad told the brothers that every brother should keep Draupadi as a wife for one year and if any of the others interrupts, that brother will be exiled for 12 years.

It worked well but one day, Arjun went to Yudhishthira's chambers to get his weapons. Since Arjun disrupted Yudhishthira's time with Draupadi, Arjun was forced to exile. During this time of exile, Arjun went to reside in the Himalayas. One day when Arjun was bathing, a force pulled him down and he later found that it was a woman that had fallen in love with him. Arjun spent many months with her and then decided to leave to a kingdom. Arjun was married to another princess and after she bore him a child, he snuck out to return to Indraprastha.

Arjun found himself in Krishna's kingdom, and they shared many days together. Arjun asked to marry Krishna's sister and according to tradition, Arjun went to abduct her. When he went to visit her, she fell in love with him as well. Arjun mounted a chariot, grabbed his love and raced out of the kingdom.

Arjun racing out of the kingdom

Bibliography: Epified: Mahabharata Videos