116 - The episode of Draupadi having five Spouses

Bana said- O Aniraddha, you are quite an intelligent person. You have spoken the truth,

 Shiva also told me like that. I have well understood in my mind everything.

You have told me that the virtuous Draupadi could have five spouses because of the boon of Shiva, you narrate the same episode to me in detail.

Why did Sambara abduct Rati your mother and why did the gods hand her over to him. How could the gods over-power him?

Aniruddha said- Once Rama and Sita having bath in PancHavati were seated on the bank of the river. At that point of time Sita said, “In the autumn season the water becomes spotless and tasteful; the food and other dishes become cool." Rama collected some fruits and handed them over to Sita. Then handing over some fruits to Lakshmana, he ate himself; Lakshmana received the fruits, the water but did not consume the same, because in order to redeem Sita, he intended to kill Meghanada. Only such a person could kill Meghanada who could never have slept for fourteen years nor had he eaten anything. In order to have an audience with the lotus eyed lord, the merciful Agni taking to the form of a Brahmana arrived there and started speaking harsh words.

Agni said- O virtuous Rama, you hide Sita somewhere, because Ravana influenced with the evil deeds of his earlier births, would arrive here and abduct Sita. This cannot be prevented. This has been ordained by destiny. Who can escape from the same? It has been ordained, in the Vedas that destiny is most powerful. Rama said- You carry Sita with you and her shadow he should remain here because it is difficult to perform any deed without a woman.

The god of fire then took away Sita who was feeling gloomy and crying. Since then the shadow of Sita remained with Rama.

The same shadow Sita was carried by Ravana playfully in earlier times. Thereafter Rama after killing Ravana with all his relatives, redeemed Sita.

  At the time of fire ordeal, the shadow Sita entered the fire. The god of fire protected the shadow Sita and handed her over to him Sita in two forms.

Rama delightfully went back to his ashrama. The shadow Sita on the other hand started living with Agni with a very heavy heart.

The shadow Sita then performed severe tapas at a pool named Narayana. For a hundred divine years she adored Shiva.

 Thereafter, Shiva appeared before her and said, O virtuous lady, ask for a born, suffering from the pain from the separation of her husband and getting upset, she spoke to Shiva, "Give me my husband back." These words were repeated by her five times. Lord Shiva getting pleased with her tapas granted her the boon.

Mahadeva said- O chaste lady, getting upset you had desired for the husband uttering five times therefore five Indras would become your spouses from the amsha of Vishnu.

Those five Indras have currently appeared on earth in the form of five Pandavas and Draupadi is the shadow Sita who appeared from the sacrificial alter. The same shadow was known as Vedavati in Satyayuga. In Tretayuga she was known as Janaki and in Dvapara she is born as Draupadi. Because of this, Draupadi is known of having been born thrice.

  Draupadi is an extremely chaste and Vaishnava woman, a devotee of Krishna and because of the same she is also called Krishna. In future she would be born as Svargalaksmi of Indra.

 The king in the Svayamvara of Draupadi gave her to Arjuna. The valorous Arjuna spoke to the mother I have brought a unique thing with me.

But the mother spoke out, "You enjoy the same with your brothers.” Therefore because of the earlier boon of Shiva and because of command of the mother later on, Draupadi had five spouses. These five Pandavas happen to be five Indras out of the fourteen Indras.

Shiva had pronounced a curse on my mother what her husband would be burnt to ashes because of his anger. At this she denounced Shiva thereafter Shiva again who said to her, “O Rati, because of my curse you would be over-powered by a demon." Sambara after conquering the gods would abduct you.

Thus speaking, he again pronounced a boon on her, "Your chastity would not be lost You entrusting your shadow the demon, would live in your own abode, till such time your husband is brought back to life".

Thus I have narrated to you the ancient story, now O demon, listen to the secret story of the gods. At the same time the valorous Subhadra arrived there, who happened to be the brother of Kumbhanda and was more valorous warrior of Bana.

The great warrior denounced Bana and getting equipped with all the weapons, he threw a trident at Aniruddha, the grandson of Krishna.

 But the son of the god of love neutralised it with the use of the crescent arrow. Bhadra then shot a shakti which was illumining like hundreds of suns. Aniruddha on his part destroyed the same with the use of Vaisnavastra, Subhadra then used Narayanastra in the battle-field.

But Aniruddha the son of the god of love bowed before Narayanastra and fearlessly slept there. The weapon issuing the lustre of the hundred suns started moving round and round above Aniruddha.

  After sometime the weapon which could be cause of the destruction of the universe disappeared. After the disappearing of the weapon, Aniruddha held a sword in his hand and broke the chariot of Bhadra, killing, horses as well as the charioteer. Moving forward then he killed Subhadra play fully.

After the killing of Subhadra, Bana shot a hundred arrows which were burnt out by the son of Kamadeva with the shooting of an arrow. Thereafter Bana shot Brahmastra which could destroy the entire universe. Aniruddha on the other hand shot another Brahmastra reciting the mantras and destroyed the one shot by Bana.

  Bana getting enraged, was about to shoot Pashupata, weapon but was presented from doing so by Ganesha, Karttikeya and Shiva.

 Finding Bana attempting to use Brahmastra, Aniruddha shot a number of arrows as a result of which the valorous Bana started yawning in the battle-field.

 Thereafter Bana became motionless in the battle-field. Thereafter Aniruddha shot a sleeping arrow, as a result of which Bana was over powered by sleep. Finding Bana over-powered with sleep in the battle-field, he took out his sword and was about to kill the demon king when Karttikeya prevented him from doing so.

 Karttikeya prevented Aniruddha from attacking Bana with the shooting of a hundred arrows.

 Aniruddha then shot Sakti-astra which was indestructible and broke into pieces the chariot of Karttikeya which was built with the best of gems.

 Karttikeya on the other hand getting enraged broke the chariot of Aniruddha into pieces.

 Aniruddha then shot a crescent anow at Karttikeya which broke his bow and thereafter the Bhallastra was used by Aniruddha.

 Karttikeya then attacked Aniruddha with a massive club but Aniruddha the son of the god of love, held the club in his hands forcefully and shot it back to Karttikeya who was about to throw a trident at Aniruddha. In the meantime, Karttikeya moved forward and holding Aniruddha with his hands threw him on the ground.

Most powerful lord Aniruddha took a sword in his hand. At this, Ganesha the great, intervened and pacified born of them.

Karttikeya then left for his home and Aniruddha went back to the abode of Usha. Ganesha left the place for the abode of Shiva in order to narrate to him the entire story.