Introduction
Draupadi is the daughter of King Drupada of Panchala and the wife of the five Pandavas. She is one of the central figures of the Mahabharata, and her humiliation in the assembly is a turning point of the story.
This article primarily follows the Mahabharata. Where a well-known detail comes from a Puranic or later source, the article identifies it.
Family
- Father: Drupada
- Husbands: Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva
- Siblings: Dhrishtadyumna, Shikhandi, Satyajit
- Sons: Prativindhya, Sutasoma, Shrutakarma, Shatanika, Shrutasena
Birth
Draupadi rose fully grown from the sacrificial fire performed by Drupada, together with her brother Dhrishtadyumna. She is called Krishnaa for her dark complexion and Panchali for her country.
Marriage
Arjuna won her at the swayamvara by hitting a target. When the brothers returned home and told their mother Kunti that they had "brought something", Kunti said they should share it. She became the wife of all five, and Vyasa's explanation is given in the text. The five sons she bore were the Upapandavas.
The dice game
After Yudhishthira lost his kingdom, brothers and himself, he staked Draupadi. Dushasana dragged her into the assembly, and Duryodhana insulted her. She asked whether Yudhishthira had the right to stake her after he had lost himself, and no one gave a clear answer. In the tradition, her clothing was made endless by Krishna. Dhritarashtra then restored the Pandavas' freedom.
Exile and the war
She went with the Pandavas into exile, and during the year of hiding worked as the maid Sairandhri at Virata's court, where Kichaka harassed her. She wanted revenge for the assembly and kept her hair loose until Bhima killed Dushasana.
Her sons
All her five sons were killed by Ashwatthama on the last night of the war.
Previous birth
Tradition connects Draupadi with Nalayani, a woman who asked five times for a husband with all good qualities, and was given five husbands in her next life. Other traditions identify her with Shri or Shachi. This is an elaboration and is not asserted consistently in the epic.