The Pandava brethren went towards the house of the potter, and they entered and addressed their mother Pritha, saying: “A great gift have we obtained this day.”
Said Pritha: “Then share the gift between you, as becomes brethren.”
Yudhishthira said: “What hast thou said, O mother? The gift is the Princess Draupadi whom Arjuna hath won at the swayamvara.”
Said Pritha: “Alas! what have I said? I have sinned deeply in saying, ‘Then share the gift between you, as becomes brethren.’ But, O Yudhishthira, my son, the fatal words have been spoken; you must devise how they can be obeyed without involving one another in wrong.”
Yudhishthira pondered a time and then spake to Arjuna, saying: “My brother, thou hast won Draupadi by thine own merit. She must therefore be thy bride.”
Said Arjuna: “Thou, Yudhishthira, art our elder brother and we are thy servants. The princess is for thee.”
Yudhishthira said: “Let this matter be arranged in accordance with the will of the gods. It is for Drupada to say unto which of us his daughter will be given.”
Now, as hath already been told, each one of the Pandavas yearned in his secret heart to have Draupadi for his bride....
Meanwhile the evening meal had been prepared, and Pritha desired that the princess should at once take her place, and serve out the portions to the brethren. So she said unto Draupadi: “Divide the food, and first set aside a share for the poor; then cut what is left into two parts, one part for Bhima, and the rest for my other sons and for thee and me.”
The princess smiled when she beheld the great meal which Bhima devoured.
When they had all eaten they retired to rest. Draupadi slept with Pritha, and the brethren lay at their feet.
King Drupada was sore troubled in heart after his daughter had been led away to the potter's house, and he sent his valiant son to watch her. Dhrishta-dyumna went forth in disguise, and, listening at the window, he discovered to his joy that the Brahmans were no other than the Pandava brethren. He returned to his royal sire and related all that had happened, and what had been spoken at the evening meal. The king was well pleased because that the brethren were Kshatriyas and not Brahmans.
In the morning Drupada sent a priest to the potter's house to ask how it fared with all the brethren.