The Swayamvar of Draupadi


They had come from far and wide to marry the fair maiden,
Crossing many a mountain, river, valley and ocean

But she would marry only the man, who was the best,
And to choose him, she had arranged a daunting test

On the top of a high wooden pole, in the centre of the courtroom,
Was a wooden fish, rotating around the pole on a mechanism

The suitor had to hit an arrow in the eye of the fish,
By looking at its reflection in water kept below in a dish

Many brave warriors tried to lift the heavy steel bow, but failed,
They now had fallen silent, all pride gone, hanging their head

Just then, there was a sudden flutter in the crowd, like a breeze of hope,
As a handsome man stepped forward, dressed in an ascetic’s robe

His skin was a golden tan, strength rippled in his arms,
His sharp eyes exuding an alert and wakeful calm

He bowed before the mighty bow, as it lay still on its stand,
Touched his fingers, clutching it, and suddenly lifted it clear in his hand

He looked up at the fish, rotating high above, swiftly,
Then below at the dish of water, and sensed it would not be easy

Kneeling near the pole, he now strung the arrow on the bow,
And again looked up, seeing only the eye of the fish now

He closed his eyes, and remembered skills gathered over many years,
Absolutely still, feeling oneness with the fish, oneness with the universe

At last he opened his eyes, and looked at the reflection in the water below,
And with precise calculation, he drew the bow and fired the arrow

With a loud twang, the arrow shot upward, swift and straight,
As the sunlight kissed and gleamed on its silver blade

The arrow now seemed to hang in mid-air, suspended free,
And the fish seemed to rush forward to meet it in glee

With a loud thud, the arrow hit home, piercing though the eye,
The fish wobbling now, still rotating around the pole madly

Like thunder that rises suddenly in a dark storm cloud,
A rousing cheer went up from the people around

Arjuna glanced at Draupadi, she knew she had got the best,
And Arjuna was happy, for he had again hit his target…

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