Draupadi Swayamvara : Karna accompanies Duryodhana (Episode 53 )
Recap of Previous Episode 52 :
Kunti shares her sorrow with Vyasa, who explains the divine purpose behind the Pandavas’ hardships and reveals the significance of Bhima’s and Arjuna’s victories. In Panchala, Drona blesses Drishtadyumna and asks only for a warrior’s death as guru dakshina. Drupada tests his son’s skills and resolves to consult Drona again for Arjuna-specific challenges for Draupadi’s swayamvaram. Vyasa urges the Pandavas to attend the event despite Yudhishtra’s concerns. Meanwhile in Hastinapura, the Kauravas celebrate the supposed death of the Pandavas and prepare for Duryodhana’s coronation, unaware that destiny is about to unfold at Panchala.
Drupada’s Worries and Draupadi’s Faith
Drupada and Dhrishtadyumna supervise the final arrangements for the guests and artistes arriving for the swayamvaram. In the midst of the busy preparations, they notice Draupadi looking troubled. They comfort her gently. Drupada reminds her that the same unwavering faith that once guided her through their family’s mission must remain with her now. Dhrishtadyumna adds that destiny does not abandon those who trust their path.
A Potter’s Shelter
The Pandavas and Kunti continue their journey. On the way, they see an old potter stamping a pool of mud, struggling to keep his balance. The brothers rush to support him. Grateful, the potter offers them a safe place to rest for the night. The Pandavas accept with humility, grateful for the kindness of ordinary folk who keep helping them unknowingly.
Jarasandha Interrupts Shishupala’s Penance
In Chedi, Shishupala sits surrounded by fire, absorbed in harsh penance after failing to marry Rukmini. A messenger carries this news to Jarasandha. Alarmed, Jarasandha forces Shishupala to end the austerity. He tells him about Draupadi’s swayamvaram—an opportunity to win a bride whose beauty and brilliance are unparalleled. Jarasandha assures him that Krishna will certainly attend, and goads him into preparing for the contest.
Krishna’s Playful Refusal
In Dwaraka, Balarama and Revathi visit Krishna’s chamber and find him leisurely reclining. They ask why he hasn't prepared to leave for Panchala. Krishna grins and says he does not yet have his wife’s permission. Rukmini smiles and confesses she is nervous to “let loose” a husband who does not observe ekapatni vrata.
Balarama laughs and says Draupadi is as good as their sister—Krishna is Vishnu, and Draupadi is Durga’s incarnation. With that reassurance, Rukmini gives her blessings, and Krishna and Balarama set out happily.
Jarasandha Advises Shishupala
Anguished by Krishna’s marriage to Rukmini — the bride he had hoped to win — Shishupala turns to harsh austerities in frustration. Jarasandha, his foster father, stops him and urges him to abandon such fruitless tapas. He reminds Shishupala that a far better opportunity lies ahead: Draupadi’s swayamvara. Krishna, as Draupadi’s cousin, will certainly attend the ceremony with Balarama. This alone is enough to stir Shishupala, and his anger quickly transforms into renewed eagerness to confront Krishna.
Shakuni Persuades Karna
Shakuni discusses their journey to Panchala with Duryodhana when Karna enters. Shakuni happily invites him to join their chariot. Karna refuses at first, saying it is not right to compete where his dearest friend seeks victory.
Shakuni cleverly warns that if Duryodhana fails, a minor king might win Draupadi, lowering Hastinapura’s prestige. He adds that Karna’s own honour will rise if he marries the Panchala princess. Duryodhana insists Karna come, claiming he will not go alone.
Then Shakuni softly mentions an old wound — how Duryodhana once lost to Drupada, and how Drupada is believed to have crafted the swayamvaram to suit only one archer: Arjuna.
The very mention of Arjuna pulls Karna like a magnet. Determined not to be left behind in a contest where Arjuna might appear, he agrees to join them.
The Birth of Kali Purusha
As Vyasa and Vaishampayana walk, Vaishampayana asks a troubling question: Why are the Pandavas inherently aligned with righteousness while the Kauravas seem drawn toward its opposite?
Vyasa explains that Dwapara Yuga is drawing to a close, and the time of Kali Yuga is approaching. As Krishna embodies divine righteousness, the force of Kali represents the spreading shadow of discord and moral decline. Shakuni, born at the end of Dwapara, carries that spirit of division within him. And now, the influence of Kali seeks its entry into the world.1
Kali declares that he thrives wherever greed, deceit, and addiction take root — in wealth that corrupts, in gambling dens, and in the people who fuel such decay. Dwapara laughs, promising to prepare the ground so that the influence of Kali can grow and enter the world fully.1
Vyasa then reveals that during this time, Gandhari had reached full term of pregnancy. Shakuni, troubled, wondered why she had not delivered. At that moment Kanika approached him, advising a dark rite—worship Kali Purusha on amavasya with Atharva Veda mantras and feed the sacred offering to Gandhari. Then, he said, she would give birth to a powerful son.
1 In this dramatic retelling, “Dwapara” and “Kali” are symbolic voices representing the moral forces of their eras. They are not literal births of yuga-beings in the traditional texts, but narrative devices showing the transition from righteousness to decline.
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