Why did Draupadi Have Five Husbands?
The answer to this question starts with the story of Indra.
Indra & The Slaying of Vritra
Every great civilization has a good dragon-slaying story. In Hinduism, one of the most ancient and primal archetypal pieces of lore is the story of Indra and the slaying of Vritra.
The story appears in varied forms across the Vedas, Mahabharata, and the Puranas.
At its core, the tale begins with Indra killing Vishvarupa, the son of Tvashta. Tvashta is of mysterious origins, a Prajapati who was also an asura. In some accounts, Tvashta is the son of Vishwakarma, the divine architect among the devas. In some, he is Indras’s own brother.
Vishvarupa and Indra were enemies from the beginning. Vishvarupa had three faces. With one face, he used to recite the Vedas, with the second he drank alcohol, and, with the third, he observed the world. He was engaged always in rigorous tapas.
The depth of his tapas disturbed Indra, who sought to keep a firm grip on his throne. One day, Indra killed Vishvarupa.
When Indra slew Vishvarupa, he was afflicted with the demerit of brahmanahatya (killing a brahmana). Indra lost all of his energy. Specifically, the Markandeya Purana says that Indra’s energy departed from him and entered Dharma.