Hindu mythology, Vedic and Purānic . ly, and the messenger who took it was devouredas the daintiest morsel of the whole. One day it hap-pened that the turn came to a Brahman to supply theRakshas with a meal. The man determined to gohimself, but his wife and daughter each asked to beallowed to go with him. Lastly, the little son, tooyoung to speak distinctly, in prattling accents said, Weep not, father ; sigh not, mother. Then, break-ing off and brandishing a pointed spike of grass, heexclaimed, With this spike will I slay the fierce,man-eating giant. Bhima, overhearing this, offeredto go ; he
Hindu mythology, Vedic and Purānic . ly, and the messenger who took it was devouredas the daintiest morsel of the whole. One day it hap-pened that the turn came to a Brahman to supply theRakshas with a meal. The man determined to gohimself, but his wife and daughter each asked to beallowed to go with him. Lastly, the little son, tooyoung to speak distinctly, in prattling accents said, Weep not, father ; sigh not, mother. Then, break-ing off and brandishing a pointed spike of grass, heexclaimed, With this spike will I slay the fierce,man-eating giant. Bhima, overhearing this, offeredto go ; he went, and killed the giant. After this occurrence, Vyasa appeared to his grand-sons, and informed them that Draupadi, the daughterof Drupada, King of Panchala, was destined to be their common wife. This girl, in a former birth, was thedaughter of a sage, and had performed a most severepenance in order that she might have a husband. Siva, pleased with her devotion, said, You shall have five husbands ; for five times you said, Give fi. THE DEMIGODS OF THE MAHABHARATA. 433 me a husband. When the brothers returned fromDraupadis Svayambara (a tournament in which theprincess chose for herself a husband), Arjuna havingbeen selected from amongst many suitors on accountof his skill in archery, their mother, hearing their foot-steps, and, fancying they were bringing alms, said, Divide it amongst yourselves. The word of amother could not be set aside, so Vyasa showed themthat it was appointed that Draupadi should be thewife of each. At this tournament Arjuna displayedgreat skill in the use of the bow, by piercing a fish thatwas suspended in the air, without looking directly atthe object; he saw its image only, reflected in a pan ofwater on the ground. Vyasa, seeing the discrepancy between the conductof the five brothers having a wife in common and thatwhich prevailed in his day, explains it by the fact thatArjuna was really a portion of the essence of Indra,and his brothers portions of t
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