King Drupada, determined to set a supremely difficult challenge for his daughter’s svayamvara, resolved in his mind to prepare an extraordinary target for the contest. He commanded the construction of a marvelous mechanical device, crafted skillfully from metal, and with it, he set up a golden target that gleamed in the arena. Then, Drupada proclaimed before all: “Whoever, having strung this bow and equipped with these arrows, pierces the target, shall win my daughter’s hand.” Thus did King Drupada announce the svayamvara, and when word spread, all the great kings assembled in his city, eager for the contest. Sages of renown, filled with curiosity and anticipation, gathered to witness the event. The Kuru princes, led by Duryodhana and accompanied by Karna, also arrived. The Yadavas, with Vasudeva at their head, came as well, joined by the Andhakas and Vrishnis, and Drupada honored them all for their royal virtues. Noble Brahmanas from many regions, drawn by the fame of the svayamvara, settled themselves upon comfortable couches, and among them sat the Pandavas. Even the thirty-three gods, curious and expectant, watched from their celestial chariots in the sky. The townspeople, their voices rising in a roar like the ocean, gathered together with the assembled kings at the place known as Simsumara’s Head, where they took their seats. To the northeast of the city, on a level and auspicious ground, the assembly enclosure shone brilliantly, surrounded on all sides by buildings. The venue was grand, adorned with ramparts, moats, gateways, and arches, decorated everywhere with splendid and varied canopies. The air was filled with the music of hundreds of instruments, perfumed with the finest aloe incense, sprinkled with sandalwood water, and adorned with garlands. All around, tall and magnificent mansions rose, their grandeur rivaling the peaks of Mount Kailasa, their tops almost touching the sky. Golden lattices, jeweled floors, comfortable stairways, and grand seats were everywhere. The pavilions were draped with garlands, fragrant with aloe, adorned with golden swans, and filled with delightful scents that carried for miles. There were a hundred spacious gates, beds and seats resplendent, and every part of the enclosure inlaid with many kinds of metals, shining like the peaks of the Himalayas. Within these richly adorned pavilions, the assembled kings, splendid in their attire, sat down, each seeking to outshine the others. The common people gazed in wonder at these lion-like monarchs, radiant and dignified, their presence scented with black aloe. They also beheld the noble Brahmanas, protectors of their realms, beloved by all, shining with the merit of their virtuous deeds. Citizens and country folk alike sat comfortably on splendid couches, all around, their hearts eager to behold Krishna—Draupadi herself. The Pandavas, seated among the Brahmanas, admired the unrivaled splendor of King Drupada’s arrangements. As the days passed, the assembly grew ever more resplendent, with abundant gifts of jewels, and was enlivened by dancers and performers. On the sixteenth day, during the auspicious Maitra hour, the king’s wives, skilled in ancient customs, dressed themselves in fine garments and, along with their sons, began to adorn Draupadi. Seated upon a throne of beryl, Draupadi was bathed to the sound of music, with water poured from golden pitchers. Once her consecration was complete, they dressed her in two fine garments and led her to the beautifully decorated altar, which shone like a pillar of jewels. Seated facing east, Draupadi, her eyes wide with wonder and delight, was the center of attention. The attendants looked at one another in admiration, marveling at the ornaments that adorned her. They dried her hair with the warmth of incense, arranged it in a graceful topknot, and adorned it with fragrant garlands. Into her hand they placed a garland made of sacred grass and honey, and on her breasts they arranged leaves of black aloe wood. Draupadi shone like a golden river marked by a pair of chakravaka birds; her face, framed by curling locks, blossomed with radiant beauty. The flower in her hair, with bees clinging to it, outshone the full moon, and, as custom dictated, they applied black collyrium to her eyes. She was adorned with ornaments set with precious gems, befitting her station. Her mother, with loving hands, took green mineral and yellow pigment and, with her own fingers, applied a tilaka mark to her daughter’s face. Seeing the bride so beautifully adorned, the women rejoiced, though Draupadi’s mother, her heart anxious, wondered, “What kind of husband will she have?” The attendants, following Drupada’s command, gathered around. They seated Draupadi, her beauty enhanced by all her ornaments, upon a noble elephant. Auspicious instruments played, their sounds rising up to the heavens. The women of the palace, accompanied by a hundred noble elephants and singing auspicious songs, walked on either side of her. Ushers, busy clearing the way through the city, went ahead, and a great commotion arose in the splendid city. Dhṛṣṭadyumna, mounted on a horse, went at the front, and Drupada himself entered the arena with a great army. He stood, his mighty forces arrayed and guarded by archers with firm bows. Draupadi, graceful and beautifully adorned, holding a golden garland in her hand, entered the decorated arena for all to see. She descended into the arena, her presence enchanting all the assembled kings and people. Standing in the circle of monarchs, she glanced shyly around, captivating every onlooker with her beauty and grace.