Vaishampayana said Intoxicated with pride, the son of Dhritarashtra (Duryodhana) spoke. “Fie on Khattwa.” Casting his eye on the Pratikamin, he spoke thus in the Sabha and in the midst of (all) the revered elders.

Duryodhana said Go, Pratikamin and bring Draupadi here. You have no fear from the Pandavas. It is only Khattwa (Vidura) who savers in fear. He never wishes for our prosperity.

Vaishampayana said Having been thus commanded and having heard the words of the king, the Pratikamin, the man of the Suta caste, went with (great haste). As a dog enters a lion's den, he (entered the house) and came to the queen of the Pandavas.

Pratikamin said O Draupadi, Yudhisthira having been intoxicated with dice you have been won by Duryodhana. Therefore, O Yajnaseni, come now to the house of Dhritarashtra. I shall ' menial work.

Duryodhana said O Pratikamin, why do you say so? Is there any prince who plays staking his (own) wife? The king was certainly intoxicated with dice, or else could he not find any other object or stake?

Pratikamin said When he had nothing else to stake, it was then that Ajatasatru (Yudhisthira), the son of Pandu, staked you. The king had first staked his brothers, then himself, and then, O princess, he staked you.

Draupadi said O son of Suta, go (back) to the Sabha and ask that gambler (Yudhisthira) whom he lost first, himself or me.

Ascertaining. this, O son of Suta, come here and then take me with you. Knowing the desire of the king (Yudhisthira), I shall go with a sorrowful heart.

Vaishampayana said Having returned to the Sabha, he (Pratikamin) told all present there the words of Draupadi. He spoke these words to Yudhisthira sitting in the midst of the kings.

Pratikamin said Draupadi has asked you, "Whose lord were you at the time when you lost me in play? Did you lose yourself first or me?

Vaishampayana said Yudhishthira sat like one demented and deprived of reason. He did not five any reply to the Suta, good or ill.

Duryodhana said Let the princess of Panchala come here and put her question. Let every one here in this Sabha hear the worlds that pass between them (her and Yudhisthira).

Vaishampayana said Going back to the palace, himself much distressed, the Suta, Pratikamin obedient to the command of Duryodhana, spoke thus to Draupadi.

Pratikamin said O princess, those that are in the assembly are summoning you. It seems the destruction of the Kurus is near at hand. O princess, when the weak-brained (Duryodhana) is for taking you before the assembly, he will no longer be able to protect his prosperity.

Draupadi said The great ordainer of the world has ordained this. Happiness and misery come to both the old and the young (the wise and the unwise). Dharma has been said to be the highest object in the world. If cherished, it certainly pours blessings on us.

Let not Dharma now abandon the Kurus. Going back to the Sabha, speak these my words conformable to virtue and morality. I am ready to do what those virtuous-minded elder conversant with the precepts of morality, definitely tell me (to do).

Vaishampayana said Having heard these words of Yajnaseni (Draupadi), the Suta returned to the Sabha and repeated her words. But all sat with downcast faces, knowing the eagerness and resolution of the son of Dhritarashtra (Duryodhana).

O best of the Bharata race, having heard of the intentions of Duryodhana, Yudhisthira sent a trusted messenger to Draupadi,

(Saying) "Panchali should appear before her father-in-law by coming to the Sabha, though she is weeping and attired in one piece of cloth with her naval exposed in consequence of her season having came.”

O king, having gone to Krishna's (Draupadi's) house in great speed, the intelligent (messenger) informed her of the intentions of Dharmaraja (Yudhisthira).

The illustrious Pandavas, distressed and sorrowful and bound by promise, could not settle what they should do.

Looking at their countenance, the king Duryodhana with cheerful heart thus addressed the Suta, “O Pratikamin, bring her here. Let the Kurus give their answer before her presence."

Thereupon the Suta, ever obedient to his command and at the same time afraid of the anger of Drupada's daughter, giving up his pride, again spoke thus in the assembly, "What shall I say to Krishna (Draupadi)?

Duryodhana said O Dushasana, this foolish son of Suta is afraid of Vrikodara (Bhima). Go you yourself and forcibly bring Yajnaseni (Draupadi) here. Our enemies are now dependant on our will. What can they do?

Vaishampayana said Having heard the command of his brother, that prince (Dushasana) rose with blood red eyes. Entering the house of those great carwarriors (the Pandavas), he thus spoke to the princess, Draupadi.

Dushasana said O Panchali, O Krishna, come you have been won by us. Behold Duryodhana (now) casting aside your modesty. O lady of eyes like the wide lotus leaves, accept the Kurus as your lords. You have been virtuously won by us, therefore come to the Sabha.

Vaishampayana said Thereupon she, being (much) distressed, rose up in great affliction, and covering her pale face with her hands, ran to the place where were the ladies of the old king, the foremost of the Kurus (Dhritarashtra.)

Thereupon Dushasana, roaring in anger, ran after her and seized the queen (Draupadi) by her long, blue and wavy hair.

The hair that was (once) sprinkled with the water sanctified with Mantras in the great Rajasuya sacrifice were now forcibly seized by the son of Dhritarashtra who disregarded the prowess of the Pandavas.

Dragging the greatly long-haired Krishna (Draupadi) as if she was protectorless, although she had great protectors, Dushasana brought her into the Sabha trembling like the banian tree in a storm.

Having been thus dragged by him, she best her body down and spoke in a low voice “O wretch, O rude one, you should not take me before the assembly. I am in my season. I am attired only in one cloth."

While she was piteously praying to Krishna and Vishnu (Arjuna) who were Hari (Narayana) and Nara (on earth), he (Dushasana) dragged her forcibly by her black hair.

Dushasana said O Yajnaseni, whether you are in your season, whether you are attired in one cloth, or whether you are naked, when you have been won (by us) at dice and made our slave, you are to live amongst our serving women as you best can.

Vaishampayana said With dishevelled hair and her attire half loosened on account of the cruel dragging of Dushasana, the modest Krishna (Draupadi), being consumed as it were by anger, thus spoke in a low voice.

Draupadi said All these persons in this assembly are men learned in all the Shastras, all devoted to the performances of sacrifices and other rites and all equal to Indra (in prowess). Some of them are my Gurus (superiors) and some who stand to me as such. I cannot stay before them in this state.

O Wretch, O man of cruel deeds, do not make me uncovered. Do not drag me in this way. The princes (the Pandavas) will not pardon you, even if the celestial with Indra become your allies.

The high-souled of Dharma (Yudhisthira) is (now) bound by the obligation of the rules of morality. The ways of Dharma is subtle. Those only can ascertain them who son possess great clearness of vision. Forgetting his virtue, I am unwilling to admit even an atom of fault in my husband (Yudhisthira.)

It is a most unworthy act that you are dragging me before these Kuru heroes, though I am in my season. But none rebukes you here; they are certainly of the same mind with you.

O Fie! When all the Kurus in this assembly look silently on this act which transgresses the shore of the Kuru morality; the morality of the Bharatas have certainly been destroyed and the usage of those conversant with the Kshatriya practices have surely disappeared.

Drona and Bhisma, Khattwa and also the king (Dhritarashtra) have lost their greatness, else why do these best of the Kuru elders look silently on this great crime.

Vaishampayana said The slender-waisted (Draupadi) thus cried in distress in that Sabha and cast a glance on her enraged husbands, the Pandavas, who were filled with fearful wrath. She inflamed them more by her that glance.

They were not so much pained at the robbing of their kingdom, their wealth, and their costly gems, as they were by that glance of Krishna (Draupadi), full of modesty and anger.

Seeing Krishna (Draupadi) looking at her helpless husbands, Dushasana dragged her more forcibly and repeatedly called her "slave" "slave," and he laughed aloud.

At these words, Karna became vary glad and approved them by laughing aloud. The Gandhara king, the son of Subala (Shakuni), similarly applauded Dushasana.

Amongst all those that were present in the assembly, except these three and the son of Dhritarashtra (Duryodhana), every one was filled with great sorrow on seeing Krishna (Draupadi) thus dragged in the Sabha.

Bhisma said O blessed lady, knowing that one who has no wealth of his own cannot stake the wealth belonging to others and (knowing also) that wives are always at the command and disposals of their husbands, I am unable to decide properly the point put forward by you. The ways of morality is subtle.

Yudhishthira can abandon the whole world full of wealth, but he will never sacrifice morality. The Pandavas (Yudhisthira) himself has said, "I am won'. Therefore, I am unable to decide this matter.

Shakuni is matchless in dice. The son of Kunti has still willfully staked with him. The illustrious (Yudhisthira) does not consider that Shakuni played with him deceitfully. Therefore, I am unable to decide this matter.

Draupadi said The king (Yudhisthira) was summoned to this assembly, and through he does not possess any skill in dice, yet he was made to play with skillful, wicked, deceitful and desperate gamblers. How then can he be said to have staked voluntarily?

The chief of the Kurus and the Pandavas was deprived of his senses by the wretches of deceitful conduct and unholy instincts acting in concert. He could not understand their tricks through vanquished, but he has now understood all.

Here in this assembly are present the Kurus who are the lords of their sons and daughter-in-law. Let all of them, after duly reflecting on my words, properly answer me the question I have asked.

Vaishampayana said Dushasana spoke many disagreeable and harsh words to Krishna (Draupadi) who was thus piteously weeping and bewailing and casting glances on her helpless husbands.

Seeing her who was in her season thus dragged and her upper garments loosened, seeing her in that condition which she did not deserve, Vrikodara (Bhima), afflicted beyond endurance, cast his eyes on Yudhisthira and gave vest to his anger.