Arjuna and Drupada

At Draupadi's swayamvara, every king fails to string the massive bow and shoot the target. A young Brahmin, weak-looking and unknown, steps forward from the crowd. He strings the bow in an instant, pierces the target, and wins the princess.

With the enraged kings charging to kill him, a terrified Drupada seeks refuge among the Brahmanas. The two Brahmin brothers who won the contest—Bhima and Arjuna—step forward not as priests, but as warriors, to defend the king.

After the swayamvara, Dhrishtadyumna secretly follows the disguised archer and his brother to a potter's house. Hiding outside, he watches their evening rituals and overhears their warrior's talk, piecing together the truth. He hurries back to his anxious father, King Drupada, who desperately hopes the winner is the man he believes to be long dead.