The Cambridge History of India, Vol. I: Ancient India v1.c22.35.3

v1.c22.35.3

After the twelve years were over, he and his brothers took refuge with the Matsya clan, and from that vantage-point collected other allies, marched to the Kurus’ land, were met at Kuru Plain, defeated the Kurus, and regained the old power. It is noteworthy that in all the twelve years of banishment the bitterest note in the lamentations of the Pāṇḍus is not the loss of the kingdom but the insult to their wife. As related above, they were a polyandrous race, and the king and his four brothers were husbands of Kṛishṇā. When the king had gambled away his brothers and himself, he offered to gamble their wife and did so, though the proceeding raised the legal question¹ whether one who had already made himself a slave could gamble away anything, slaves possessing nothing. The question being over-ruled, however, the wife was dragged off and insulted by the brother of the Kuru prince. Now whenever the Pāṇḍus, who are fulfilling the pledge to remain in banishment, begin to bewail and plan revenge, it is the former plight of Kṛishṇā Draupadī which evokes most anger. Not the cheating at dice, though that is not forgotten, but the insult to Kṛishṇā, who was dragged into the assembly of men and made a slave dishonoured, animates the Pāṇḍus in their despair and causes Bhīma to vow that he will drink the blood of the Kuru prince, a threat which he fulfils on the field thereafter.