Narada Visits and Warns the Pandavas About Dissension
The Pandavas rule happily in Indraprastha, their unique marriage to Draupadi seemingly peaceful. Then the sage Narada arrives. After being honored, he delivers a blunt warning: they must establish a firm rule regarding their shared wife, or risk destroying each other like the demon brothers Sunda and Upasunda.
With Dhritarashtra’s permission, the Pandavas obtained the kingdom of Indraprastha. The tigers among men, scorchers of enemies, now sported in pleasure with Krishna — Draupadi. The immensely energetic and truthful Yudhishthira ruled the earth in accordance with dharma, together with his brothers. Having defeated their enemies, the wise sons of Pandu, always devoted to truth and righteousness, lived there in supreme happiness. Seated on expensive royal thrones, those bulls among men performed all their duties towards the citizens.
They were seated together like this when devarshi Narada — the divine sage who travelled as he willed — happened to arrive.
Yudhishthira immediately offered the sage his own excellent seat. As prescribed, the wise king himself gave Narada the ritual offerings of welcome. Once the devarshi was seated, Yudhishthira reported on the state of the kingdom. The rishi happily accepted the homage, blessed the king, and asked him to sit. Yudhishthira obeyed.
The king then sent word to Krishna that the illustrious sage had arrived. Hearing this, Draupadi carefully purified herself and went to the assembly. Drupada’s daughter, that follower of dharma, paid homage at Narada’s feet and stood before him with joined palms, appropriately covered. The illustrious Narada, supreme among rishis, always truthful and with dharma in his heart, pronounced his blessings on the unblemished princess and then asked her to leave.
When Draupadi had gone, the atmosphere shifted. The illustrious rishi addressed the Pandavas, with Yudhishthira at their head. His words were not a blessing but a warning.
“The immensely famous daughter of Panchala is a single wife to all of you, in accordance with dharma,” he stated, acknowledging the unusual but accepted nature of their marriage. Then he delivered the imperative. “You must lay down a rule among yourselves, lest there be dissension.”
He did not leave the threat abstract. He gave them a precedent from the ancient past. “In ancient times, there were two asura brothers named Sunda and Upasunda who were famous in the three worlds. They were always together and were incapable of being killed by anyone else, except each other.” He described the depth of their unity: they ruled the same kingdom, lived in the same house, slept on the same bed, sat in the same seat, ate off the same plate. “But they killed each other over Tilottama.”
The message was clear. Absolute unity could be shattered by a single point of contention, especially one involving desire and possession. “O Yudhishthira! Therefore, seek to protect the friendship you have for each other and act so that there is no dissension amongst you.”
The warning hung in the air. Yudhishthira, intrigued and concerned, would ask Narada to narrate the full story of those doomed brothers, prompting the tale that would serve as their cautionary lesson.