When Drupada's procession reached the palace, Karna was already waiting at the entrance. Mrinalini, as the Chief Queen, stood beside him for the formal reception. The customary welcome was performed, and Mrinalini applied the tilak upon Drupada's forehead before he was escorted inside. Karna welcomed him with the respect appropriate to a fellow king, without making the occasion unnecessarily elaborate.
The two kings spent the next few hours in the usual manner expected of honoured guests. There was a formal lunch feast, followed by time for Drupada to rest after his journey. Only after he had recovered from the travel did Karna meet him again in a private setting.
Drupada had specifically requested privacy.
That alone told Karna that whatever had brought him to Kanipura was not an ordinary diplomatic matter.
The two kings sat opposite each other, away from the attendants and ministers. Once they were alone, Karna looked toward him.
"Raja Drupada, you wished to speak about something private and important. Please, go on."
Drupada remained silent for several moments.
He appeared to be choosing his words carefully.
"I recently met a sage," Drupada finally said. "Sage Nirvikalpa."
Karna listened without interrupting.
"He suggested that I meet you."
There was another pause.
Drupada looked somewhat uncomfortable before continuing. "He told me that if I wished to be blessed with a son, I should perform an Agni Yajna with your assistance. According to him, only through such a ritual can my wish be fulfilled."
Karna's expression remained calm.
Drupada lowered his eyes for a moment. "That is the reason I have come to you."
Drupada looked toward Karna again, and there was a trace of hesitation in his expression.
"I know that you and I do not share a friendship that would make such a request natural. Nor do we have any alliance through which I could expect you to undertake such a task for Panchala. I understand that completely." He paused before adding, "But I have heard much about your character, Maharaj Karna. I came here hoping that you would not reject my request simply because I have no prior claim upon your goodwill."
Karna remained silent.
Drupada continued, "If you have any demands, I will do my best to fulfil them. Whatever you ask of me, I shall consider it. I have not come expecting a king of your stature to help me without offering anything in return."
There was sincerity in his voice, but Karna could also understand the difficulty behind the request. Drupada was himself a king. To travel all the way to another ruler's palace and openly seek his assistance in obtaining a child was not an easy thing for a monarch to do. Pride alone would have prevented many kings from taking such a step.
Karna considered him for a moment.
"I know how difficult it is for a king like you to come all the way to my doorstep and seek help, Raja Drupada," Karna said at last. "You need not offer me anything in return. There is no need for compensation or a favour in exchange."
Drupada's expression eased.
"Thank you, Maharaj."
Karna nodded. "Once you have completed the preparations for the yajna, send me a letter along with the auspicious date chosen for the ritual. I will come to Panchala and perform the yajna with you."
For a few moments, Drupada simply looked at him.
Then he bowed his head with genuine gratitude.
"I shall do so."
Karna returned the gesture.
The matter was settled.
Neither king yet knew what that Agni Yajna would ultimately bring into the world. For now, it was simply a promise between two kings, made in a quiet room in Kanipura, with no witness beyond the two men who had agreed to it.
***
Three weeks later, Karna arrived at Kampilya, the capital of Panchala.
The news of his arrival had reached the city well in advance, and by the time the divine chariot descended toward the royal grounds, the palace had already been prepared for his reception.
Soldiers stood in ordered formations along the approach, musicians played the customary instruments, Brahmins had gathered to offer blessings, and members of the royal household waited near the entrance.
King Drupada himself stood at the forefront, and although he tried to maintain the dignity expected of a king, the happiness and anxiety upon his face were both difficult to conceal.
The moment Karna stepped down from the chariot, Drupada walked forward to receive him.
"Welcome to Panchala, Maharaj Karna. It is an honour that you have accepted my request and come here."
Karna smiled and clasped Drupada's hand. "There is no need for such formality, Raja Drupada. You asked for my assistance, and I gave you my word. I have merely come to fulfil it."
Drupada's smile widened. "Even so, Panchala shall remember this kindness."
Karna glanced around at the arrangements and then toward the palace. "I hope the preparations for the yajna are complete."
"They are, Maharaj. The Brahmins have been gathering for days. Everything required for the ritual has been arranged according to the instructions of the learned priests."
"Then there is nothing more to discuss today," Karna replied. "Let us complete what we came here to do."
Drupada nodded eagerly.
The following three days were devoted entirely to the preparations and sacred rites surrounding the yajna.
More than five hundred Brahmins had gathered, including learned priests and ritual specialists who had been invited from different parts of Panchala. The sacrificial ground had been prepared carefully, purified and marked according to the prescribed measurements. Sacred vessels, clarified butter, grains, herbs, wood, offerings, and everything else required for the ritual had been arranged in their proper places.
Karna observed the preparations quietly.
There was little here that he needed to learn.
He had studied the mantras and procedures associated with Agni Yajna long before this day, and his familiarity with the ritual was one of the reasons Drupada had specifically sought his assistance. Still, Karna did not behave as though his knowledge placed him above the priests. He listened to them, followed the required procedures, and allowed the Brahmins entrusted with the ritual to perform their respective duties.
At the appointed time, Karna took his place before the sacred fire.
Drupada sat opposite him.
The hundreds of Brahmins settled around the sacrificial ground, and gradually the noise of the surrounding palace faded. What had begun as the preparations for a royal ritual had now become something much more solemn.
The yajna was about to begin.