Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.1830

c8.1830

When the Pāṇḍavas were living there Nārada went to them once. He suggested that Pāñcālī should remain as wife to the Pāṇḍavas in turn, one year each to one of them. They accepted the suggestion and started living like that. Yudhiṣṭhira married Devikā, daughter of King Śibi, also. (Śloka 70, Chapter 95, Ādi Parva). Bhīmasena and Arjuna with the help of Śrī Kṛṣṇa slew Jarāsandha. After that they conducted a victory march over the country and established their overlordship by conducting successfully a Rājasūya yajña. Duryodhana and his brothers once visited Indraprastha, the palace of the Pāṇḍavas. They were fooled at the palace and this enraged them. Duryodhana invited Dharmaputra for a game of dice and the latter lost everything. Yet Dhṛtarāṣṭra gave them back everything and sent them to Indraprastha again. Before Dharmaputra reached the palace Duryodhana once again challenged him for a game of dice. Despite protests from all sides Dharmaputra went and played and lost again everything. To fulfil the conditions of the game Yudhiṣṭhira went to the forests with his brothers and wife to spend twelve years in exile and a year incognito. At that time Kuntī lived with Vidura.