Yudhishthira, eldest of the Pandavas, spoke with gentle gravity to Drupada, king of Panchala. “O king,” he said, “I am yet unmarried, as is Bhimasena, and your jewel-like daughter has been won by Arjuna. But, O son of Prishata, we brothers have a solemn agreement: whatever is obtained—be it food or any other possession—we must share equally among us. We do not wish to break this vow, for to act otherwise would bring great harm to righteousness. Therefore, let Krishnaa become the queen of all five brothers according to dharma, and let each of us, in turn, take her hand in the sacred fire.” He continued, “It is known that many wives are prescribed for one man of the Kuru line, but nowhere is it heard that one woman takes many husbands. Such a practice is not found in the world nor in the Vedas as righteous. You, who are pure in dharma, ought not to do what is against both worldly and scriptural law. Why, O son of Kunti, do you entertain such an idea?” Yet Yudhishthira’s words carried humility. “Dharma is subtle, O king, and its path is often hidden from us. Let us follow the way of the ancients, step by step. I do not speak falsehood, nor is my mind drawn to unrighteousness. My mother, Kunti, speaks likewise, and this is the conviction I hold in my heart. In the hermitage of Rudra, I once heard Vyasa declare this is firm dharma. Practice it without hesitation, O King, and let no doubt trouble you.” He then suggested, “Let you, O son of Kunti, Kunti herself, and my brother Dhrishtadyumna discuss this matter. Tomorrow morning, we shall act as is decided.” So, all gathered together to deliberate. At that very moment, the revered sage Dvaipayana Vyasa arrived. The Pandavas and the illustrious Draupadi rose to greet him, offering him their respects. After acknowledging their homage and inquiring after their welfare, Vyasa, the great-souled Krishna Dvaipayana, seated himself upon a pure golden seat. At his permission, all those best among men took their places on valuable seats. After a short while, Drupada, speaking with gentle words, addressed Vyasa for the sake of his daughter. “O venerable one, how can one woman belong to many men without causing confusion in dharma? Please declare to us the truth of this matter. In this act, which seems to oppose both custom and scripture, I wish to hear the opinion of each person present. In my view, this is unrighteous and contrary to both worldly custom and sacred law, for nowhere is a wife of many men found. Nor has this dharma been practiced by the great ones of old, nor should the learned ever act unrighteously in any way. Therefore, I do not undertake this action, for in this matter, dharma seems doubtful to me. How can the elder brother approach the wife of the younger? One who is virtuous and devoted to austerity should not do so. Yet, because dharma is subtle, we cannot know its course at all. We cannot decide that Krishnaa should become the queen of five.” Yudhishthira replied again, his heart unwavering. “My speech does not utter falsehood, nor is my mind inclined toward unrighteousness. My mind is fixed here, and this is not unrighteous in any way. It is told in the Puranas that Gautami, called Jatila, once lived with the seven great sages, upholders of dharma. Likewise, the sage-born daughter, purified by austerity, was united with the ten sons of Prachetas. The command of the teacher is said to be righteous, and among all teachers, the mother is the highest. My mother said, ‘Let it be eaten as alms-food.’ Therefore, I consider this the highest righteousness.” He added, “Just as I, who walk in righteousness, declared, I urged Arjuna, ‘Let it be eaten together with the brothers.’ I have great fear of falsehood—how could I be freed from falsehood?” Vyasa reassured him, “You will be freed from falsehood, O blessed one, and also from eternal unrighteousness. Now I shall declare everything, O Panchala, listen closely. This righteousness has been established, and as the son of Kunti has spoken, so indeed is righteousness—let there be no doubt.” Then Vyasa, mighty son of Dwaipayana, rose and took Drupada by the hand, leading him into the royal palace. The Pandavas, Kunti, and Dhrishtadyumna entered as well and waited for the two elders. There, Vyasa spoke to the great-souled king, narrating how righteousness had been established in ancient times for one woman to have many husbands. He told Drupada, “In days of old, the gods, pleased by her austerities, granted your daughter the boon of having five husbands. Let not your mind be troubled, O king, that your daughter is to be the wife of five men. At that time, this was requested by her own mother—that she should have five husbands. The sages Yaja and Upayaja, devoted to righteousness and austerity, caused it to be so. Thus Krishnaa became the wife of the five sons of Pandu—may your lineage rejoice.” Vyasa continued, “In this world, there is no one superior to you, unconquerable by your enemies. Now listen further, without sorrow, to how she came to have five husbands. In a previous birth, this woman was Nalayani, the blameless one, who devoted herself to her aged husband Maudgalya, who was afflicted with leprosy. He was reduced to skin and bone, harsh, fickle, jealous, quick to anger, possessed of foul odors, with hair wrinkled and gray. That aged man, deformed in appearance, with decaying nails and skin, she attended faithfully, consuming his leftovers, serving the great sage.” In this way, Vyasa explained the ancient causes and the workings of dharma, showing that Draupadi’s marriage to the five Pandavas was not against righteousness, but was established by the will of the gods and the merits of her own past deeds. Thus, the minds of all were set at ease, and the course of righteousness was made clear.