Virata Parva
137 Words
Now, twelve years had passed,
The exile neared its end, at last.
So Draupadi and the brothers,
Prepared to go undercover.
First, Yudhistira,
As the dice player, Kanka.
Then, Bhima,
As the skilled cook Vallala.
Thirdly, Arjuna,
As a eunuch, Brihannala.
Nakula as Damagranthi,
Tending to horses expertly.
Lastly, Sahadeva as a cowkeeper,
Tantripal, Handsome and proper.
Now, their wife, Draupadi,
As the lovely maid, Sairandhri.
They served King Virata,
The ruler of Matsya.
Vile and lustful Keechaka,
Was the brother in law of Virata.
He persisted after Draupadi,
Disregarding her pleas.
Distressed by her tears,
Bhima vouched to appease her fears.
Summoning his great might,
He slew Keechaka in the dark of the night.
Keechaka’s death rendered Matsya defenseless,
And so, unaware of the Pandavas’ presence,
Duryodhana waged war on Matsya,
Swiftly thwarted by Arjuna.
The Pandavas triumphed on the battlefield,
But now, their identities were revealed.
It was not a crisis, however,
As the 13 years were already over.
Abhimanyu wed Virata’s daughter, Uttara,
And thus ends the Virata Parva.
- Writer
