By the advice of Vyasa they now went to live in the city of Ekachakra, disguised as mendicant Brahmans. Near this city was a Rakshas named Vaka, who

compelled the citizens to send him a dish of food daily, and the messenger who took it was devoured as the daintiest morsel of the whole. One day it happened that the turn came to a Brahman to supply the Rakshas with a meal. The man determined to go himself, but his wife and daughter each asked to be allowed to go with him. Lastly, the little son, too young to speak distinctly, in prattling accents said, "Weep not, father; sigh not, mother." Then, breaking off and brandishing a pointed spike of grass, he exclaimed, "With this spike will I slay the fierce, man-eating giant." Bhima, overhearing this, offered to go; he went, and killed the giant.

After this occurrence, Vyasa appeared to his grandsons, and informed them that Draupadi, the daughter of Drupada, King of Panchala, was destined to be their common wife. This girl, in a former birth, was the daughter of a sage, and had performed a most severe penance in order that she might have a husband. Siva, pleased with her devotion, said, "You shall have five husbands; for five times you said, 'Give me a husband.'" When the brothers returned from Draupadi's Svayambara (a tournament in which the princess chose for herself a husband), Arjuna having been selected from amongst many suitors on account of his skill in archery, their mother, hearing their footsteps, and, fancying they were bringing alms, said, "Divide it amongst yourselves." The word of a mother could not be set aside, so Vyasa showed them that it was appointed that Draupadi should be the wife of each. At this tournament Arjuna displayed great skill in the use of the bow, by piercing a fish that was suspended in the air, without looking directly at the object; he saw its image only, reflected in a pan of water on the ground.

Vyasa, seeing the discrepancy between the conduct of

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ARJUNA SHOOTING AT THE FISH

the five brothers having a wife in common and that which prevailed in his day, explains it by the fact that Arjuna was really a portion of the essence of Indra, and his brothers portions of the same god, whilst Draupadi herself was a form of Lakshmi; as, therefore, the five brethren were parts of Indra, there was no impropriety in their having but one wife. It is a fact to be noticed, that to this day polyandry prevails amongst some of the hill-tribes of India. Draupadi is said to have had a son by each of the brothers, and the brothers had other wives besides Draupadi. It was noticed above that Bhima married Hidimba. Arjuna married Krishna's sister, Subhadra, and also a serpent-nymph named Uludi, and Chitrangada, daughter of the King of Manipura.