Play to your advantage! Don’t crib

The grand festival of Draupadi’s Swayamvara was scheduled to last for 15 days climaxing with appearance of princess. All citizens came to watch entertaining performances of musicians, singers, dancers, orators & dramatist. When appointed day arrived, Draupadi dressed & fully decorated herself with ornaments. She then entered the arena of Swayamvara carrying a flower garland in one hand & a golden dish of Arghya in the other. The fire sacrifice commenced, along with chanting of Vedic mantras

Dhristadhyumna took his sister by the arm & read aloud names & achievements of heroic princes & kings present. These included illustrious personalities such as Duryodhana, Karna, Sakuni, Asvatthāma, Virāta & his 2 sons, Salya, Paundraka, Bhagadatta, some of Krsna’s sons including Sāmba, Pradyumna & Cārudesna, Sisupāla, Jarāsandha & many others. He informed that his sister would choose her husband from amongst those who could string the bow & then successfully pierce fish target

All assembled Ksatriyas intoxicated with pride were jealous of each other. After seeing incomparable beauty of Draupadi, they became maddened with lust at the thought of winning her. Ksatriya heroes went to where the bow was kept in sacrificial arena & measured their strength. At this time even those who were known to be best of friends, began to regard other as bitter enemies

All demigods assembled above arena in their celestial vehicles to witness Swayamvara. Sri Krsna then made a dramatic entrance with Sri Balarāma & he could immediately recognize Pāndavās even though they were disguised while seated amongst Brāhmanas. Great sages like Nārada, numerous Gandharvās & Sidhhās also appeared in sky

One by one heroic Ksatriyas came forward to string mighty bow. But mighty warriors bursting with energy & possessing mighty arms adorned with golden bracelets, could even begin to string the extraordinary stiff bow. Indeed, some of them were violently thrown while trying to string bow & lay exhausted. With their garlands & ornaments in disarray, they bitterly cursed their defeat

In this way all assembled princes & kings became frustrated, morose & their ambitions for winning Draupadi was smashed. Seizing opportunity, Karna approached the bow & quickly stringing it, put arrow in place & took careful aim. When Pāndavās saw this, they became stunned with fear, knowing that with Karna’s superior prowess, the fish target was already as good as pierced. However, before release of the arrow, quick witted Draupadi loudly declared-I’m not willing to accept a Suta as my husband

At this Karna angrily glanced up at the Sun & threw the bow aside out of frustration

We are all given with a certain set of cards & our life is determined to an extent of what cards we have got, but our life’s trajectory is determined by how we play those cards to our advantage. Karna also had unfair set of cards & faced adverse situation due to his birth, but then he weaned towards evil. Arjuna also faced much unfairness right from his birth and lived under constant threat to his & his family’s life but always stayed on the path of righteousness

Do we? Thoughts? #gameoflife