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What were the 14 qualities desired by Draupadi in her previous birth in her husband which leads her marrying Pandavas in next birth?

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    Possible duplicate OR strongly related: Why did all the Pandavas marry Draupadi?
    – iammilind
    Commented Dec 26, 2017 at 5:05
  • Related only not duplicates. Two entirely different questions but the answer is same to both. Our site policy is to close when the questions are same. Not the answers. This was followed a lot of times in the past. Commented Dec 26, 2017 at 7:53

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Draupadi did not ask for a husband with 14 qualities in her previous birth. She asked for all the virtues instead.

In one of her previous births, she was chaste and beautiful, she did not obtain a husband. She did penance to please Lord Shiva to get a husband possessed with every virtue. Since she asked for a husband five times, Lord Shiva granted a boon of having five husbands and said it will be possible in future births.

In chapter CLXLIX of Vaivahika Parva of Adi Parva, Vyasa narrates the previous births of Draupadi and Pandavas and explains why she had to become a common wife to the Pandavas.

' The Rishi then cheerfully continued, 'In a certain hermitage there was an illustrious Rishi's daughter, who, though handsome and chaste, obtained not a husband. The maiden gratified, by severe ascetic penances, the god Sankara (Mahadeva). The lord Sankara, gratified at her penances, told her himself. 'Ask thou the boon thou desirest' Thus addressed, the maiden repeatedly said unto the boon-giving Supreme Lord, 'I desire to obtain a husband possessed of every accomplishment. Sankara, the chief of the gods, gratified with her, gave her the boon she asked, saying, 'Thou shall have, amiable maiden, five husbands.' The maiden, who had succeeded in gratifying the god, said again, 'O Sankara, I desire to have from thee only one husband possessed of every virtue?' The god of gods, well-pleased with her, spake again, saying, 'Thou hast, O maiden, addressed me five full times, repeating, 'Give me a husband.' Therefore, O amiable one, it shall even be as thou hast asked. Blessed be thou. All this, however, will happen in a future life of thine!'

"Vyasa continued, 'O Drupada, this thy daughter of celestial beauty is that maiden. Indeed, the faultless Krishna sprung from Prishata's race hath been pre-ordained to become the common wife of five husbands.

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  • This chapter says Draupadi's previous birth was an unmarried woman, but there is another story that she was a married woman, Nalayini wife of the sage Maudgalya. I'm not sure if the story of Nalayini has a scriptural basis. Commented Dec 26, 2017 at 4:32

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