The dreadful game of dice took place at the special hall built for the purpose in Hastinapur. Draupadi had been staked and lost by Yudisthira. Dushasana had dragged her into the hall and on Karna’s provocation, tried to pull away her clothes and failed. It was at this time that Bheema made his terrible vow. He said that he would tear open Dushasana’s chest on the battlefield and drink his blood. While Bheema did fulfil his oath at Kurukshetra, he did not let Dushasana’s blood pass his lips, as he says later to Gandhari.

Karna ordered Dushasana to drag Draupadi into the inner quarters where she would be a servant to the Kauravas. Duryodhana tried to provoke the Pandava brothers to turn against Yudishtira and failed. To instigate them, he bared his left thigh and showed it to Draupadi. On this, Bheema made his second vow- to break that thigh that he had bared insultingly.

The vows scared Dhritarasthra and he gave Draupadi boons, using which she freed her husbands. But even before they reached Khandavpratha, Dhritarashtra summoned them again for a dice match. This time too Yudisthira lost and they were exiled for 13 years.

The younger Pandava brothers also made vows soon after this. Arjuna vows to kill Karna, Sahadeva says he will kill Shakuni with his followers. Nakula too vows to avenge the insult to Draupadi. All of these vows are fulfilled at Kurukshetra.  

Next week, join my @MyMBjourney to see why Krishna did not stop the dyuta game and what happened when he came to meet the Pandavas post exile.