DHUMA-VARNA `Smoke coloured.’ A king of the serpents. A legend in the Hari-vansa relates that Yadu, the founder of the Yadava family, went for a trip of pleasure on the sea, where he was carried off by Dhuma-varna to the capital of the serpents. Dhuma-varna married his five daughters to him, and from them sprang seven distinct families of people.

DHUNDHU An Asura who harassed the sage Uttanka in his devotions. The demon hid himself beneath a sea of sand, but was dug out and killed by King Kuvalayaswa and his 21,000 sons, who were undeterred by the flames which checked their progress, and were all killed but three. This legend probably originated from a volcano or some similar phenomenon. From this exploit Kuvalayaswa got the name of Dhundhumara, 'slayer of Dhundhu.'

DHUNDHU-MARA See Dhundhu and Kuvalayaswa.

DHUR-JATI `Having heavy matted locks.’ A name of Rudra or Siva.

DHURTA-NARTAKA `The rogue actors.’ A farce in two parts by Sama Raja Dikshita. “The chief object of this piece is the ridicule of the Saiva ascetics.”

DHURTA-SAMAGAMA `Assemblage of rogues.’ A comedy by Sekhara or Jyotir Iswara. “It is somewhat indelicate, but not devoid of humour.” It has been translated into French by Schoebel.

DIG-AMBARA `Clothed with space.’ A naked mendicant. A title of Siva.

DIG-GAJAS The elephants who protect the eight points of the compass: - (1.) Airavata; (2.) Pundarika; (3.) Vamana; (4.) Kumuda; (5.) Anjana; (6.) Pushpa-danta; (7.) Sarva-bhauma; (8.) Su-pratika.

DIG-VIJAYA `Conquest of the regions (of the world).’ 1. A part of the Maha-bharata, which commemorates the conquests, affected by the four younger Pandava princes, and in virtue of which Yudhi-shthira maintained his claim to universal sovereignty. 2. A work by Sankaracharya in support of the Vedanta philosophy, generally distinguished as Sankara Dig-vijaya.

DIK-PALA `Supporters of the regions.’ The supporters of the eight points of the compass. See Dig-gaja.

DILIPA Son of Ansumat and father of Bhagiratha. He was of the solar race and ancestor of Rama. On one occasion he failed to pay due respect to Surabhi, the `cow of fortune,’ and she passed a curse upon him that he should have no offspring until he and his wife Su-dakshina had carefully tended Surabhi’s daughter Nandini. They obediently waited on this calf Nandini, and Dilipa once offered his own life to save hers from the lion of Siva. In due time the curse was removed, and a son, Raghu, was born to them. This story is told in the Raghu-vansa. There was another prince of the name. See Khatwanga.

DIRGHA-SRAVAS Son of Dirgha-tamas, and therefore a Rishi, but as in a time of famine he took to trade for a livelihood, the Rig-veda calls him “the merchant.”

DIRGHA-TAMAS, DIRGHA-TAPAS `Long darkness.’ A son of Kasi-raja, according to the Maha-bharata; of Uchathya, according to the Rig-veda; and of Utathya and Mamata in the Puranas. His appellations of Auchathya and Mamateya favour the latter parentage. He was born blind, but is said to have obtained sight by worshipping Agni (R.V. iii. 128)/ He was father of Kakshivat and Dhanwantari; and he is said (in the V.P.) to have had five children by Su-deshna, wife of Bali, viz., the countries Anga, Banga, Kalinga, Pundra, and Suhma.

DITI A goddess or personification in the Vedas who is associated with Aditi, and seems to be intended as an antithesis or as a complement to her.

        In the Ramayana and in the Puranas she is daughter of Daksha, wife of Kasyapa, and mother of the Daityas. The Vishnu Purana relates that having lost her children, she begged of Kasyapa a son of irrestible prowess, who should destroy Indra. The boon was granted, but with this condition: “If, with thoughts wholly pious and person entirely pure, you carefully carry the babe in your womb for a hundred years.” She assiduously observed the condition; but Indra knew what was preparing for him. So he went to Diti and attended upon her with the utmost humility, watching his opportunity. In the last year of the century, Diti retired one night to rest without washing her feet. Indra then with this thunderbolt divided the embryo in her womb into seven portions. Thus mutilated, the child cried bitterly, and Indra being unable to pacify it, became angry, and divided each of the seven portions into seven, thus forming the swift-moving deities called Maruts, from the words, `Ma-rodih,’ `Weep not,’ which Indra used to quiet them.

DIVO-DASA 1. A pious liberal king mentioned in the Rig-veda, for whom it is said that Indra demolished a hundred stone cities, meaning perhaps the mythological aerial cities of the Asuras. 2. A Brahman who was the twin-brother of Ahalya. He is represented in the Veda as a “very liberal sacrificer,’ and as being delivered by the gods from the oppressor Sambara. He is also called Atithi-gwa, `he to whom guests should go.’ 3. A king of Kasi, son of Bhima-ratha and father of Pratardana. He was attached by the sons of King Vita-havya and all his sons were slain. His son Pratardana (q.v.) was born to him through a sacrifice performed by Bharadwaja. He was celebrated as a physician and was called Dhanwantari.

DRAUPADI Daughter of Draupada, king of Panchala, and wife of the five Pandu princes. Draupadi was a damsel of dark complexion but of great beauty, “as radiant and graceful as if she had descended from the city of the gods.” Her hand was sought by many princes, and so her father determined to hold a swayam-vara and allow her to exercise her own choice in the selection of a husband. The swayam-vara was proclaimed, and princes assembled from all parts to contend in the lists for the hand of the princess; for although in such contests the lady was entitled to exercise her swayam-vara or own choice, it generally followed that the champion of the arena became her husband. Most astonishing feats of arms were performed, but Arjuna outshone all by his marvellous use of the bow, and he became the selected bridegroom. When the five brothers returned to the house where their mother, Kunti, was staying, they told her that they had made a great acquisition, and she told them to share it among them. These words raised a great difficulty, for if they could not be adroitly evaded they must be obeyed. The sage Vyasa settled the matter by saying, “The destiny of Draupadi has already been declared by the gods; let her become the wife of all the brethren.” So she became their common wife, and it was arranged that she should stay successively two days in the house of each, an that no one of them but the master of the house should enter it while she was there. Arjuna was her favourite, and she showed her jealousy when he married Su-bhadra. In the great gambling match which the eldest brother, Yudhi-sthira, played at Hastina-pura against his cousins, the Kauravas, he lost his all – his kingdom, his brothers, himself, and their wife Draupadi. So she became a slave, and Dur-yodhana called her to come and sweep the room. She refused, and then Duh-sasana dragged her by the hair into the pavilion before all the chieftains, and tauntingly told her that she was a slave girl, and had no right to complain of being touched by men. He also abused her and tore off her veil and dress, while Dur-yodhana invited her to sit on his thigh. Krishna took compassion upon her, and restored her garments as fast as they were torn. She called vehemently upon her husbands to save her, but they were he was prevented from action; but he vowed in loud words that he would drink the blood of Duh-sasana and smash the thigh of Dur-yodhana in retaliation of these outrages, which vows he eventually fulfilled. Draupadi vowed that her hair should remain dishevelled until Bhima should tie it up with hands dripping with the blood of Duh-sasana. The result of the gambling match was that the Pandavas, with Draupadi went into exile for twelve years, and were to dwell quite incognito during another year. The period of thirteen years being successfully completed, they were at liberty to return. Twelve years of exile were passed in the jungle, and in the course of this period Jayad-ratha, king of Sindhu, came to the house of the Pandavas while they were out hunting. He was courteously received by Draupadi, and was fascinated by her charms. He tried to induce her to elope with him, and when he was scornfully repulsed, he dragged her to his chariot and drove off with her. When the Pandavas returned and heard of the rape, they pursued Jayad-ratha, and pressed him so close that he put down Draupadi, and endeavoured to escape alone. Bhima resolved to overtake and punish him; and although Yudhi-shthira pleaded that Jayad-ratha was a kinsman, and ought not to be killed, Draupadi called aloud for vengeance, so Bhima and Arjuna continued the pursuit. Bhima dragged Jayad-ratha from his car, kicked and beat him till he was senseless, but spared his life. He cut off all Jayad-ratha’s hair except five locks, and made him publicly acknowledge that he was a slave. Draupadi’s revenge was then slaked, and Jayad-ratha was released at her intercession. In the thirteenth year, in which her husbands and she were to live undiscovered, they entered the service of the king of Virata, and she, without acknowledging any connection with them, became a waiting-maid to the queen. She stipulated that she should not be required to wash feet or to eat food left by others, and she quieted the jealous fears, which her beauty excited in the queen’s mind by representing that she was guarded by five Gandharvas, who would prevent any improper advances. She lived a quiet life for a while, but her beauty excited the passions of Kichaka, the queen’s brother, who was commander-in-chief, and the leading man in the kingdom. His importunities and insults greatly annoyed her, but she met with no protection from the queen, and was rebuked for her complaints and petulance by Yudhi-shthira. Her spirit of revenge was roused, and she appealed as usual to Bhima, whose fiery passions she well knew how to kindle. She complained of her menial position, of the insults she had received, of the indifference of her husbands, and of the base offices they were content to occupy. Bhima promised revenge. An assignation was made with Kichaka, which Bhima kept, and he so mangled the unfortunate gallant that all his flesh and bones were rolled into a ball, and no one could discover the manner of his death. The murder was attributed to Draupadi’s Gandharvas, and she was condemned to be burnt on Kichaka’s funeral pile. Then Bhima disguised himself, and tearing up a tree for a club, went to her rescue. He was supposed to be the Gandharva, and every one fled before him. He released Draupadi, and they returned to the city by different ways. After the term of exile was over, and the Pandavas and she were at liberty to return she was more ambitious than her husbands, and complained to Krishna of the humility and want of resolution shown by Yudhi-shthira. She had five sons, one by each husband – Prati-vindhya, son of Yudhi-shthira; Sruta-soma, son of Bhima; Sruta-kirtti, son of Arjuna; Satanika, son of Nakula; and Sruta-karman, son of Saha-deva. She with these five sons was present in camp on the eighteenth and last night of the great battle, while her victorious husbands were in the camp of the defeated enemy. Aswatthaman with two companions entered the camp of the Pandavas, cut down these five youths, and all whom they found. Draupadi called for vengeance upon Aswatthaman. Yudhi-sthira endeavoured to moderate her anger, but she appealed to Bhima. Arjuna pursued Aswatthaman, and overtook him, but he spared his life after taking from him a celebrated jewel, which he wore as an amulet. Arjuna gave this jewel to Bhima for presentation to Draupadi. On receiving it she was consoled, and presented the jewel to Yudhi-shthira as the head of the family. When her husbands retired from the world and went on their journey towards the Himalayas and Indra’s heaven, she accompanied them, and was the first to fall on the journey. See Maha-bharata.

        Draupadi’s real name was Krishna, She was called Draupadi and Yajna-seni, from her father; Parshati, from her grandfather Prishata; Panchali, from her country; Sairindhri, `the maid-servant’ of the queen of Virata; Panchami, `having five husbands;’ and Nita-yauvani, `the ever-young.’

DRAVIDA The country in which the Tamil language is spoken, extending from Madras to Cape Comorin. According to many, the people of this country were originally Kshatriyas, but sank to the condition of Sudras from the extinction of sacred rites and the absence of Brahmans. As applied to the classification of Brahmans it has a much wider application, embracing Gujarat, Maha-rashtra, and all the south.

DRISHADWATI A common female name. 1. The wife of King Divo-dasa. 2. A river forming one of the boundaries of Brahmavarta, perhaps the Kagar before its junction with the Sarsuti.

DRONA `A bucket.’ A Brahman so named from his having been generated by his father, Bharadwaja, in a bucket. He married Kripa, half-sister of Bhishma, and by her was father of Aswatthaman. He was acharya, or teacher of the military art, both to the Kaurava and Pandava princes, and so he was called Dronacharya. He had been slighted by Drupada, king of Panchala, and became his enemy. Through the instrumentality of the Pandavas he made Drupada prisoner, and took from him half of his kingdom; but he spared his life and gave him back the other half of his country. But the old animosity rankled, and ended in the death of both. In the Great War Drona sided with the Kauravas, and after the death of Bhishma he became their commander-in-chief. On the fourth day of his command he killed Drupada, and in his turn he was unfairly slain in combat by Dhrishta-dyumna, who had sworn to avenge his father’s death. In the midst of this combat Drona was told that his son was dead, which so unnerved him that he laid down his arms and his opponent decapitated him. But Drona was a Brahman and an Acharya, and the crime of killing him was enormous, so it is glossed over by the statement that Drona “transported himself to heaven in a glittering state like the sun, and Dhrishta-dyumna decapitated merely his lifeless body.” Drona was also called Kuta-ja. The common meaning of Kuta is `mountain-top,’ but one of its many other meanings is `water-jar.’ His patronymic is Bharadwaja.

DRUHYU Son of Yayati, by Sarmishtha, daughter of the Daitya king of Vrisha-parvan. He refused to exchange his youth for the curse of decrepitude passed upon his father, and in consequence Yayati cursed him that his posterity should not possess dominion. His father gave him a part of his kingdom, but his descendants became “princess of the lawless barbarians of the north.”

DRUPADA King of Panchala and son of Prishata. Also called Yajna-sena. He was schoolfellow of Drona, the preceptor of the Kaurava and Pandava princes, and he mortally offended his former friend by repudiating his acquaintance. Drona, in payment of his services as preceptor, required his pupils to make Drupada prisoner. The Kauravas attacked him and failed, but the Pandavas took Drupada captive and occupied his territory. Drona spared his life and restored the southern half of his kingdom to him. Drupada returned home burning for revenge, and, to procure it, he prevailed upon two Brahmans to perform a sacrifice, by the efficacy of which he obtained two children, a son and a daughter, who were called “the altar-born,” because they came forth from the sacrificial fire. These children were named Dhrishta-dyumna and Krishna, but the latter is better known by her patronymic Draupadi. After she had chosen Arjuna for her husband at her swayam-vara, and she had become, with Drupada’s consent, the wife of the five Pandavas, he naturally became the ally of his sons-in-law. He took an active part in the great battle, and on the fourteenth day he was killed and beheaded by Drona, who on the following day was killed by Dhrishta-dyumna, the son whom Drupada had obtained for wreaking his vengeance on Drona. Besides the two children mentioned, Drupada had a younger son named Sikhandin and a daughter Sikhandini.

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