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ia relates that having lost her children, she begged of Kasyapa a son of irresistible prowess, who should destroy Indra. The boon was granted, but with this condition : " If, with thoughts wholly pious and person entirely pure, you care- fully carry the babe in your womb for a hundred years." She assiduously observed the condition ; but Indra knew what was preparing for him. So he went to Diti and attended upon her with the utmost humility, watching his opportunity. In the last year of the century, Diti retired one night to rest without Avashing her feet. Indra then with his thunderbolt divided the embryo in her womb into seven portions. Thus mutilated, the child cried bitterly, and Indra being unable to pacify it, became angry, and divided each of the seven portions into seven, thus forming the swift-moving deities called. Maruts, from the words, ' Ma-rodiA,' ' Weep not,' which Indra used to quiet them. DIYO-DASA. I. A pious liberal king mentioned in the Rig- veda, for whom it is said that Indra demolished a hundred stone cities, meaning perhaps the mythological aerial cities of the Asuras. 2. A Brahman who Avas the twin-brother of Ahalya. He is represented in the Veda as a "very liberal sacrificer," 94 DRAUPADL and as being delivered by the gods from tlie oppressor iSambara. He is also called Atitlii-gwa, ' he to whom guests should go.' 3. A king of Kasi, son of Bhima-ratha and father of Pratardana. He was attacked by the sons of King Vita-havya and all his sons were slain. His son Pratardana (q.v.) was born to him through a sacrifice performed by Bharadwaja. He was celebrated as a physician and was called Dhanwantari. DRAUPADL Daughter of Drupada, king of Panchrda, and wife of the five Pawdiu princes. Draupadi was a damsel of dark complexion but of great beauty, " as radiant and graceful as if she had descended from the city of the gods." Her hand was sought by many princes, and so her father determined to hold a swayam-vara and allow her to exercise her own choice in the selection of a husband. The swayam-vara was proclaimed, and princes assembled from all parts to contend in the lists for the hand of the princess ; for although in such contests the lady was entitled to exercise her swayam-vara or own choice, it generally followed that the champion of the arena became her husband. Most astonishing feats of arms were performed, but Arjuna out- shone all by his marvellous use of the bow, and he became the selected bridegroom. When the five brothers returned to the house where their mother, Kunti, was staying, they told her that they had made a great acquisition, and she told them to share it among them. These words raised a great difficulty, for if they could not be adroitly evaded they must be obeyed. The sage Vyasa settled the matter by saying, " The destiny of Draupadi has already been declared by the gods ; let her become the wife of all the brethren." So she became their common wife, and it was arranged that she should stay successively two days in the liouse of each, and that no one of them but the master of the house should enter it while she was there. Arjuna was her favourite, and she showed her jealousy when he mar- ried Su-bhadra. In the great gambling match which the eldest brother, Yudhi-sh/hira, played at Ilastinii-pura against his cousins, the Kauvaras, he lost his all — his kingdom, his brothers, himself, and their wife Draujiadl. So she became a slave, and Dur-yodhana called her to come and sweep the room. She refused, and then Duh-sasana dragged her by the hair into the pavilion before all the chieftains, and taunt- ingly told her that she was a slave girl, and had no right to DRAUPADI. 95 complain of being touched by men. lie also abused lier and tore off her veil and dress, while Dur-yodhana invited her to sit on his thigh. Knshwa took compassion upon her, and restored her garments as fast as they were torn. She called vehemently upon her husbands to save her, but they were restrained by Yudhi-sh/hira. Bhima was in a rage of passion ; he was prevented from action ; but he vowed in loud words that he would drink the blood of Duh-sasana and smash the thigh of Dur-yodhana in retaliation of these outrages, which vows he eventually fulfilled. Draupadi vowed that her hair should remain dishevelled until Bhima should tie it up with hands dripping with the blood of Duh-5asana. The result of the gambling match was that the Pa?2<iavas, with Draupadi, went into exile for twelve years, and were to dwell quite incognito during another j^ear. The period of thirteen years being successfully completed, they were at liberty to return. Twelve years of exile were passed in the jungle, and in the course of this period Jayad-ratha, king of Sindhu, came to the house of the Pa?if?avas while they were out hunting. He was courteously received by Draupadi, and was fascinated by her charms. He tried to induce her to elope with him, and when he was scornfully rej^ulsed, he dragged her to his chariot and drove off with her. "When the Pa?i6/avas returned and heard of the rape, they pursued Jayad-ratha, and pressed him so close that he put down Draupadi, and endeavoured to escape alone. Bhima resolved to overtake and punish him ; and although Yudhi-sh/hira pleaded that Jayad-ratha was a kinsman, and ought not to be killed, Draujmdi called aloud for vengeance, so Bhima and Aijuna continued the pursuit. Bhima dragged Jayad-ratha from his car, kicked and beat him till he was sense- less, but spared his life. He cut off all Jayad-ratha's hair except five locks, and made him publicly acknowledge that he was a slave. Draupadi's revenge was then slaked, and Jayad-ratha was released at her intercession. In the thirteenth year, in which her husbands and she were to live undiscovered, they entered the service of the king of Vira/a, and she, without acknowledg- ing any connection with them, became a waiting-maid to the queen. She stipulated that she should not be required to wash feet or to eat food left by others, and she quieted the jealous fears which her beauty excited in the queen's mind by represent- 96 DRA UP ADJ. ing that she was guarded by five Gandharvas, who would prevent any improper advances. She lived a quiet life for a while, but her beauty excited the passions of Kichaka, the queen's brother, who was commander-in-chief, and the loading man in the king- dom. His importunities and insults greatly annoyed her, but she met with no protection from the queen, and was rebuked for her complaints and petulance by Yudhi-shHiira. Her spirit of revenge was roused, and she appealed as usual to Bhima, whose fiery passions she well knew how to kindle. She complained of her menial position, of the insults she had received, of the in- difference of her husbands, and of the base offices thev were content to occupy. Bhima promised revenge. An assignation was made with Kichaka which Bhima kept, and he so mangled the unfortunate gallant that all his flesh and bones were rolled into a ball, and no one could discover the manner of his death. The murder was attributed to Draupadi's Gandharvas, and she was condemned to be burnt on Kichaka's funeral pile. Then Bhima disguised himself, and tearing up a tree for a club, went to her rescue. He was supposed to be the Gandharva, and every one fled before him. He released Draupadi, and they returned to the city by different ways. After the term of exile was over, and the Pa/ic?avas and she were at liberty to return, she was more ambitious than her husbands, and complained to K?7'shria of the humility and want of resolution shown by Yudhi-sh^hira. She had five sons, one by each husband — Prati-vindhya, son of Yudhi-sh/hira ; 6ruta-soma, son of Bhima ; /S'ruta-kirtti, son of Arjuna ; /Satanika, son of Xakula ; and iS'ruta-karman, son of Saha-deva. She with these five sons was present in camp on the eighteenth and last night of the great battle, while her victorious husbands were in the camp of the defeated enemy. Aswatthaman with two companions entered the camp of the Pa?irt'avas, cut down these five youths, and all whom they found. Draupadi called for vengeance upon Aswatthaman. Yudhi-sh^hira endeavoured to moderate her anger, but she appealed to Bhima. Arjuna pursued Aswatthaman, and overtook liim, but he spared his life after taking from him a celebrated jewel which he wore as an amulet. Arjuna gave this jewel to Blilma for presentation to Draupadi.