In trying to win Karna over to the Pandava side, did Krishna suggest that Draupadi would accept him as her sixth husband?

Question

After Krishna's efforts to avert the Kurukshetra war fail, as one final attempt, he tries to win Karna over to the Pandava side, but in doing so, does Krishna suggest that Draupadi would accept Karna as her sixth husband?

Ganguli translates this verse as:

15 rājanyā rājakanyāś cāpy ānayantv abhiṣecanam
      ṣaṣṭhe ca tvāṃ tathā kāle draupady upagamiṣyati

Let queens and princesses bring golden and silver and earthen jars (full of water) and delicious herbs and all kinds of seeds and gems, and creepers, for thy installation. During the sixth period, Draupadi also will come to thee (as a wife).

An alternate translation from here is:

हिरण्मयांश्च ते कुम्भान् राजतान् पार्थिवांस्तथा।
ओषध्यः सर्वबीजानि सर्वरत्नानि वीरुधः।।१४।।

राजन्या राजकन्याश्चाप्यानयन्त्वाभिषेचनम्॥१५॥
षष्ठे त्वां च तथा काले द्रौपद्युपगमिष्यति।

Golden water pots as also silver and earthen ones (filled with water) and medicinal herbs and all sorts of seeds and gems, let the wives of kings and daughters of kings bring for your anointment (in the kingship). During the sixth period Draupadi too will come to you as to a husband.

What does "sixth period" in the above mean? And in what sense did Krishna say "will come to you" in the second line or verse?

Answer 1

The translation doesn't fit into the narrative. Before that sentence and after it, the whole narration is about coronation. To talk about Draupadi's marriage with Karna in between that topic is absurd. It would have been either before or after the coronation topic. Even the first part of that verse talks about queens and princesses bringing various items for coronation. So, how can that be followed suddenly by marriage?

The best translation I have heard by one Telugu scholar is this, which fits in with rest of the narration:

Sixth period means sixth part of the day, dusk (1.dawn, 2.morning, 3.noon, 4.afternoon, 5.evening, 6.dusk, 7.night). And dusk is considered the most auspicious time for activities like coronation. (perhaps that is the reason why Modi, being knowledgeable in such matters, took his oath as PM during that period of the day) So, Krishna was merely mentioning that Draupadi along with other queens and princesses would come to Karna's coronation. Moreover, Krishna very well knows the reason behind her having five husbands (Lord Shiva's boon etc.). He also knows how much she loathed Karna. So Krishna suggesting that Draupadi would marry Karna is an absurd notion.

Answer 2

Sixth period means after five Pandavas. This is how Bibek Debroy translates this verse (which is taken from BORI critical version).

हिरण्मयांश्च ते कुम्भान्राजतान्पार्थिवांस्तथा |
ओषध्यः सर्वबीजानि सर्वरत्नानि वीरुधः ||१४||

राजन्या राजकन्याश्चाप्यानयन्त्वभिषेचनम् |
षष्ठे च त्वां तथा काले द्रौपद्युपगमिष्यति ||१५||

The kings and princes who have gathered together in the cause of the Pandavas and all the Andhakas and Vrishnis will grasp your feet. The kings, the wives of kings and the daughters of kings will bring gold, silver and earthen vessels, herbs, all kinds of seeds, all kinds of gems and creepers for your anointment¹ At the sixth point in time,² Droupadi will have intercourse with you.

Footnotes say
¹ As King.
² After the five Pandavas.

Answer 3

In trying to win Karna over to the Pandava side, did Krishna suggest that Draupadi would accept him as her sixth husband?

Yes, here is what the famous medieval commentator Kumarila Bhatta said:

The unlawful intercourse of the five Pandavas with a common wife has been very well explained by Vyasa himself: "Draupadi appeared, in full bloom of youth, out of the sacrificial altar, and as such she is Lakshmi herself [meaning just opulent; not actually Vishnu's wife, Lakshmi], consequently, she does not become tainted by her intercourse with many owners." To the same effect, we have also the following: "The Brahmarishi pointed out her wonderfully beautiful form to be superhuman, inasmuch as the great souled beautiful one (Draupadi) became younger day by day." All this tends to show that she was not an ordinary human being; and hence she has been spoken of as 'superhuman' (and as such her actions are not to be judged by the ordinary standard of human proprieties). It is for this very same reason that Krishna himself promised to Karna that Draupadi would go to him on the sixth day (after having been with the Pandavas for 5 days). If it were not on account of the superhuman character of the woman, how could such an authoritative person as Krishna himself have promised such a transgression?

Answer 4

It doesn't seem so. Krishna had already told in Vana Parva to Draupadi that all her culprits (which includes karna) shall be punished & in Mahabharat Krishna says to Arjuna in BG that he has already killed Karna as Kaal, Arjuna is just an instrument. Krishna even Critisizes Karna at the time of Karnas death as humiliating Draupadi. Hence it's not possible Krishna would offer Draupadi to her. Now question comes is was this to just persuade karna? Well even this is not possible seeing the situation & context.

The entire verse has the context of Karna's Coronation as the king. The total description is of Coronation and no such word as "Intercourse" or "Wife" or any referrence to "Marriage" is there. It's just mentioning that Various Persons in Mahabharat would be doing Various things in Coronation & mentions Draupadi also coming at 6th Period. It's taking about she also getting involved in some kind of Ritual. The very next line Krishna is Talking about Yuddhisthir holding an umbrella behind Karna in the coronation. A reference of Draupadi being wife doesn't even make sense & has no such mention. It's totally mentioning performances of Rituals only.