Tag Archives: Lakshagriha

How Pandavas saved at Lakshagriha ( The lacquer house)

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 Vidura, Pandavas and Lakshagriha

Once, Duryodhana asked his father Dhritrashtra to send the new yuvraj to Varnavat for yearly festival. Dhritrashtra could not refuse Duryodhana and he requested eldest pandava to visit the Varnavat as his representative.

All five pandavas alongwith their mother Kunti reached Varnavat. Meanwhile Duryodhana sent Purochana to build a palace which was highly inflammable which was aptly named as Lakshagriha. The palace was ready in time and pandavas stayed in the same palace.

However, the wise Vidura had sensed something wrong, so he enquired and sent a digger to dig a secret tunnel from Lakshagriha to a river. The tunnel digger reached pandavas and offered to dig a tunnel for pandavas. Thus secretly, the work to save pandavas begun in the house of Lakshagriha.

Vidura in Mahabharata

Vidura in Mahabharata

After the work of tunnel digging was complete, pandavas were looking to find an appropriate day to make their next move. The tunnel has been made carefully and Purochana was not aware that a tunnel exists at Lakshagriha.

pandavas escape from lakshagriha

pandavas escape from lakshagriha

Pandavas invited the people for a feast. The feast was grand and everyone enjoyed them. After the feast everyone left and purochana was also sleeping. Seeing an opportune moment, pandavas set the palace of lac on fire. Then they used the tunnel dug earlier to escape from the burning palace. Bhima carried his mother and all his brothers through the tunnel. Purochana, became a  victime of his own design and was burnt while sleeping.

Lakshagriha

Lakshagriha

On that fateful day, a bhil woman with her five sons also came to the banquet and somehow they also became the victim of the fire.

Thus, by the foresight of Vidura, pandavas escaped from the ill will of Duryodhana and Shakuni. When they reached the end of the tunnel, a boat was waiting for them at the banks of river ganges, thus completing the escape of Pandavas.

Read: Unknown facts about Shakuni

When Dhritarashtra was surprised

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Dhritarashtra, the blind king

Dhritarashtra, the blind king of Hastinapur was also blind in for the love of his son Duryodhana. This is the incident from Mahabharata just after the Draupadi swayamvara. In this event, Duryodhana and all kauravas brother participated. Pandavas were not to be part of the swayamvara, as they were supposedly killed by fire in lakshagriha.

Pandavas escape from Lakshagriha

As per the designs of Duryodhana, Pandavas were subjected to extreme fire in Lakshagriha. At the last minute, Pandavas escaped, thanks to the foresight of Vidura, who could see through the evil designs of Duryodhana and Shakuni.

Vidura sent a tunnel digger and he worked tirelessly to create an escape route which connected to the river with the palace where Pandavas were staying alongwith their mother, Kunti. Also, Vidura made adequate arrangements and a boat was available, which took Pandavas to safety.

Pandavas escaping from Lakshagriha

Pandavas escaping from Lakshagriha

Swayamvara of Draupadi

When Drupad announced Draupadi’s swayamwar, Pandavas participated as Brahmins. All princes including Sisupala, Jarasandha, Salya, and Duryodhana have tried the competition, but they could not pierce the mark.

Karna successfully strung the bow, and when he was about to shoot the mark, Draupadi announced that she would not be married to a suta. Thus Karna, being the eldest of Pandavas, and equitable to the skills of Arjuna, had to resign.

Then Arjuna, taking permission from Dhristadyumnya, clad as a brahmin, tried his skills. Very serenely, he strung the bow, loaded the arrow and as others watched,  drew the cord, and the arrow flew upwards with a hissing sound; it hit the target eye, and the golden fish fell over and clashed upon the ground.

Draupadi swayamvara story

Draupadi swayamvara story

There was a fight after the swayamvara and thanks to Bhima, Arjuna could take the bride home. It is a different matter that his bride was shared by all pandavas.

Dhritrashtra and Vidura

Soon, details of above events reached Hastinapura and Vidura, duly reported this to  Dhritrashtra.  He said: “O King, our family has become stronger because the daughter of Drupada has become our daughter-in-law. We are lucky.” Dhritarashtra, blind for his son, immediately thought that Duryodhana had won the hand of Draupadi and was ecstatic.

He replied – to go and make grand preparations for welcome of Draupadi. At this point of time, Vidura interjected and broke the surprises to Dhritarashtra.

Dhritarashtra and Vidura

Dhritarashtra and Vidura

The two surprises of Dhritarashtra

1. Pandavas are not dead and they also have participated in the swayamwara.

2. It was Arjuna, and not Duryodhana, who won the hand of Draupadi.

Thus, Dhritarashtra, who was thinking that his son had married the daughter of Drupad, was deeply shaken that it was Pandavas, who not only survived but excelled where Duryodhana failed.