Chapter 264

Vaisampayana continued, “The princess Draupadi, thus questioned by thatornament of Sivi’s race, moved her eyes gently, and letting go her holdof the Kadamva blanch and arranging her silken apparel she said, I amaware, O prince, that it is not proper for a person like me to addressyou thus, but as there is not another man or woman here to speak withthee and as I am alone here just now, let me, therefore, speak. Know,worthy sir, that being alone in this forest here, I should not speak untothee, remembering the usages of my sex. I have learned, O Saivya, thatthou art Suratha’s son, whom people know by the name of Kotika.Therefore, on my part, I shall now tell thee of my relations and renownedrace. I am the daughter of king Drupada, and people know me by the nameof Krishna, and I have accepted as my husbands, five persons of whom youmay have heard while they were living at Kahandavaprastha. Those noblepersons, viz., Yudhishthira, Bhimasena, Arjuna, and the two sons ofMadri, leaving me here and having assigned unto themselves the fourpoints of the horizon, have gone out on a hunting excursion. The kinghath gone to the east, Bhimasena towards the south, Arjuna to the west,and the twin brothers towards the north! Therefore, do ye now alight anddismiss your carriages so that ye may depart after receiving a duewelcome from them. The high-souled son of Dharma is fond of guests andwill surely be delighted to see you!’ Having addressed Saivya’s son inthis way, the daughter of Drupada, with face beautiful as the moon,remembering well her husband’s character for hospitality, entered herspacious cottage.”