5 - Indra’s Transformations.

The Birds explain the second question-Draupadi was the wife of the five Pándavas, because they were partial incarnations of Indra, and she was the incarnation of his wife. 

The birds spoke.

1       “Of old, O brahman! when the son of Tvashtri was   slain, Indra’s splendour, oppressed by the brahmanicide, suffered  

2 grievous decline. Then because of his wrong conduct Indra’ splendour entered Dharma; and, his righteousness and splendour being gone, Indra became splendourless.

 3      “Then hearing that his son was slain, the prajápati Tvashtri; enraged, tearing out a single matted lock of hair, uttered this

 4 speech. ‘Let the three worlds and the gods thereof see my might this day, and let Indra the perverse brahmanicide see

5 by whom my son when engaged in his own business was destroyed.’ Thus having spoken, he, his eyes red with anger sacrificed that lock of hair in the fire.

6 “Then uprose Vritra, the mighty Asura, encircled with flame huge in body, with great teeth, resembling a mass of broken

7 collyrium. He, the enemy of Indra, of immeasurable soul surpassing the might of Tvashțri, mighty in valour, increased 8 daily a bow-shot in stature. And Indra, having seen the mighty Asura Vritra eager for his slaughter, unnerved by

 9 fear, sent seven Rishis, desiring peace. Then the affectionate minded Rishis, who delighted in benevolence towards all creatures, brought about friendship and treaties between him and

10 Vritra. When Indra violating the rules of the treaty????? Vritra, then his might overwhelmed by the sin of the slaughter  

11 waned; and that might which quitted Indra’s body entered thi wind, which pervades everything, is imperceptible, and is the supreme deity of power.

12 “And when Indra, assuming the form of Gautama, violated

 13 Ahalya, then the lord of the gods lost his form. Thereupon his beauty of limb and feature, which was exceedingly captivating, forshook the wicked lord of the gods and went to the Ashvins.

 14 “Perceiving the lord of the gods to have lost his uprightness and glory, to be powerless and formless, the Daityas endeavoured

 15 to conquer him. Daityas of exceeding might, desirous to conquer the lord of the gods, were born in the families of kings

16 of surpassing valour, O great Muni. Then the Earth, afflicted with their weight, once went to the summit of Meru, where is

17 the abode of the heaven-dwelling gods. Afflicted with their excessive weight, she declared that the cause of her distress

18 arose from the Dánavas and Daityas. “These Asuras, widely resplendent, have been slain by you; they have all been born in

19 the world of men in the families of kings; their armies are numerous indeed: oppressed by their weight, I am sinking downward; do ye, O ye thirty gods, devise how tranquillity may be attained for me.’ 

The birds spoke.

20 “Then the gods descended with portions of their glory from heaven to earth, to benefit the creatures and to alleviate the 21 burden of the Earth. Dharma himself relinquished the glory which is innate in the body of Indra, then was born

 22 of Kunti the resplendent raja Yudhishthira; Váyu relinquished his might, then was born Bhíma; and from the half of Indra’s power was born Dhananjaya, the son of Prithá;

23 Yama’s two sons, resembling Indra in form, of glorious dignity, were born of Mádrí. Thus the adorable Indra became incarnate

 24 in five forms. His auspicious wife was born as Krishna

 25 from Agni: she, Krishná, is the wife of Indra alone, and of no one else. The lords of ascetics can even multiply their bodies.

26 “Thus the fact of her being one wife to five men has been explained to thee; be it heard how Baladeva went to the Sarasvatí.”