Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c4.632

c4.632

(5) The clash between Aṅgiras and Prahlāda. Duśśāsana stripped Pāñcālī of her clothes in the Palace hall, in the presence of the Pāṇḍavas who had been defeated in the game of dice. Before this Pāñcālī had asked Duryodhana one question, "Have you won yourself or myself?" One husband was not authorised to stake his wife Pāñcālī who was the wife of five husbands. Moreover according to the Śāstras (sciences) the deeds executed by a King, who was miserable due to hunting, drinking, playing dice and hankering after a woman, were not legally binding. Hence how could the Kauravas own Pāñcālī?" Vidura said that the witnesses in the hall had to give an impartial answer to this question, and that the punishment of falsehood would come upon the doer himself. As an instance he gave the following old story: Virocana was the son of Prahlāda; Sudhanvā the son of Aṅgiras and Virocana fell in love with the same woman once. There arose a contention between these two as to who was greater. They staked their lives on the issue. Then both of them together approached Prahlāda and requested him to give a decision as to which of them was the elder. Thinking that Prahlāda might side with Virocana his son, Sudhanvā said to him, "Sir,