Draupadi - The Tritagonist Of The Mahabharat

UNLUCKY FATE

The Pandavas and Draupadi returned home from the Swayamvar hall. The princess who had not seen the midday sun, had to walk miles in the sweltering heat to reach her new home. Arjun had a plan.

He went with Draupadi near his house and said his mother, "Mata, I have brought a prize that I myself won so skillfully."

When Kunti heard this, without seeing them, she said, "Putr Arjun, share whatever you have brought among your brothers." ( This was how she daily greeted them in order to ensure they remain united.)
Arjun was shocked. But to keep their mother's word, he divided Draupadi amongst his brothers, as if she were an object.
It is true that Arjun was able to receive Draupadi's hand by completing a difficult and skillful task, but she was not a prize that he won because it was Draupadi's Swayamvar; she had the right to choose her husband. Arjun proved himself worthy, Draupadi herself made the true decision. She could have married Karna who could have also performed the same task, but she denied him permission to participate. In certain ways therefore, Arjun degraded Draupadi by claiming her as a prize and his elder brother, Yudhishtir, further insulted her by carrying out their mother's wish by treating her as if she were an object won in a contest.
Draupadi agreed as it is stated that in an earlier birth as Nalayani (also named Indrasena), she was married to Maudgalya, an irascible sage afflicted with leprosy. She was so utterly devoted to her abusive husband that when a finger of his, dropped into their meal, she took it out and calmly ate the rice without revulsion. Pleased by this, Maudgalya offered her a boon, and she asked him to make love to her in five lovely forms. As she was insatiable, Maudgalya got fed up and became an ascetic. When she remonstrated and insisted that he continue their love-life, he cursed her to be reborn and have five husbands to satisfy her lust. Thereupon she practiced severe penance and pleased Lord Shiva with her prayers. He granted a boon to her. Nalayani said that she wanted a husband and to ensure that her request was heard, she repeated it five times in all. Shiva then said that in her next life she would have five husbands. She obtained the boon of regaining virginity after being with each husband.
Other version : Draupadi made her request only once but she added a long list of qualities that she wanted in her husband. Lord Shiva said that it would be impossible to find one man with all these qualities. Hence she would have five husbands in her next life. All of them together would posses the qualities she had enumerated.
Finally her Sakha also came and told that what his Sakhi decided is correct.
This is how she married all the Pandavas.