When all the Kshatriyas had tried and failed, Drupada invited the Brahmans to participate.
Later, Draupadi watched anxiously as Arjuna approached the bow. He not only strung the bow, but hit the target again and again, five times. Draupadi approached him with the garland of flowers and slipped it over his neck, and they became betrothed. Arjuna clasped her hand and led her off.
Brahmin requested, "I seek permission to take Draupadi to my mother to obtain her blessing."
Drupada readily agreed; he did not want any more trouble.
"Look what I won at the tournament, mother," said Arjuna.
Without turning around, Kunti said, "Whatever it is, share it equally with your brothers."
"But it is a woman," said Arjuna.
Kunti turned around and found the beautiful Draupadi next to Arjuna. She also noticed that all her sons were attracted to her.
Fearing that a woman would disrupt the unity of her sons, she said, "What I have said must be done if you are truly my sons, provided dharma allows it."
Draupadi's hand was given in marriage to the five Pandavas. All the five Pandavas loved Draupadi equally. This was a recipe for disaster for it was a question of time before they experienced jealousy and possessiveness.
"If you don't want to end up killing each other, you must agree to allow Draupadi to be exclusive to one brother for a year at a time. Once the year is over, you must let her go to your other brothers and return to her only four years later. The brother who enters Draupadi's chamber out of turn will go into exile for a year," said Krishna to the Pandavas.
The Pandavas agreed. Each brother had exclusive access to Draupadi's chamber for a year at a time and she served each one dutifully. It was said that before moving on to the next husband she would walk through fire and regain her virginity.
Draupadi demanded "The Pandavas were allowed to marry other women to take away their loneliness in the four years they were deprived of her company. But none of these other wives were allowed to stay in Indra-prastha."
The Pandavas agreed to it.
When the news that the Pandavas were alive and were soon to be wedded reached Hastinapur, Vidura, Bheeshma, Dronacharya and the others were very happy. Dhritarashtra invited the Pandavas back to Hastinapur. The Pandavas accepted the invitation and after a few days at Kampilya returned to Hastinapur.
Dhritarashtra decreed that the Pandavas be welcomed back in a befitting manner and Draupadi be given the welcome that was due to the bride and in this case the future queen.
There was, however, a problem, for earlier, when the news of the death of Kunti and the five Pandava brothers in the fire in the house of laksha had reached Hastinapur, with Bheeshma's concurrence Duryodhana had been anointed the heir apparent (as Yudhisthira was presumed to be dead in the fire).
Dhritarashtra was thus in a dilemma as there could not be two heirs apparent in a kingdom. So on Vidura's advice and with Bheeshma's concurrence, the kingdom was divided into two and Dhritarashtra offered half the kingdom to Yudhisthira. However, while the fertile half, Hastinapur, was retained by Dhritarashtra with Duryodhana as the crown prince, Yudhisthira was given the barren, semi-arid half – Khandaprastha – to rule directly as his vassal.