Yudhishthira Proposes Polyandry for Draupadi, Causing Debate
King Drupada wants to marry his daughter Draupadi to Arjuna, the archer who won her hand. Yudhishthira counters with a startling proposal: Draupadi must be the common wife of all five Pandavas, citing their mother's command and their own unbreakable rule of sharing.
King Drupada treated his unexpected guests with every respect. After some time, he spoke to the Pandavas, now reassured of their safety. He addressed the matter at hand. "Let the mighty-armed son of Kuru accept my daughter's hand today," he said to Arjuna. "The moment is auspicious."
The righteous-souled Yudhishthira replied, "O lord of people, then I too must take a wife."
Drupada was accommodating. "Then you accept her hand, Yudhishthira. Or give Krishna to whomever you wish among your brothers."
Yudhishthira's answer was not what the king expected. "O king, Draupadi will be the queen to all of us. This is what has already been ordered by our mother. I am yet unmarried. Bhimasena is yet unmarried. Your jewel of a daughter was won by Arjuna. It is our rule that every jewel we obtain must be equally shared. We are not willing to break that rule now. According to the prescribed norms, Krishna will be the wedded queen of all of us. Let her accept our hands, one after another, before the fire, according to our age."
Drupada was stunned. "O descendant of the Kuru lineage, it has been decreed that one man may have many queens. But we have never heard that one woman can have many men. O son of Kunti, you are pure and well acquainted with the path of dharma (righteousness). You should not commit an act that is counter to dharma, the Vedas, and usual practice. Why has your intelligence become thus?"
Yudhishthira held his ground. "O great king, subtle is the path of dharma; we do not know its direction. Let us therefore follow the path that was trodden by illustrious men in ancient times. My tongue never utters that which is untrue. Nor has my mind ever turned to that which is adharma (unrighteousness). This has been commanded by our mother and my mind also approves of it. O king, this is certainly dharma. Therefore, act accordingly, without hesitation."
Drupada could not be convinced, but he would not flatly refuse the men who had just proven themselves the greatest warriors of the age. "O son of Kunti, you yourself, my son Dhrishtadyumna, and Kunti must settle among yourselves what should be done now. Tomorrow, I will do that which is proper."
The three gathered to discuss the impossible proposal. And at that very moment, the sage Dvaipayana — Vyasa — arrived.