"Draupadi has five husbands - but she has none
-
She had five sons - and was never a mother …
The pandavas have given Draupadi …
No joy, no sense of victory
No honour as wife
No respect as mother -
Only the status of a Queen …
But they all have gone
And I'm left with a lifeless jewel
And an empty crown …
My baffled motherhood
Wrings its hands and strives to weep".
A long poem "Kurukshetra",
written by Amreeta Syam, conveys this angst of Panchali (Draupadi),
born unasked for by her father, bereft of brothers and sons and
her beloved sakha (friend) Krishna.
Draupadi was a heroic princess of the Hindu epic
of Mahabharata. One who was firm and a woman with an unbending will.
The Proud and angry heroine of the epic Mahabharata, Draupadi has
remained an enigmatic woman of substance.
Draupadi was the daughter of Drupad, the king of
Panchala, and the wife and queen of the five great Pandavas, renowned
alike for her loveliness and her granite will. Volcanic, she reduced
her enemies to the ashes. This fiery princess bent on vengeance
could be compassionate and generous, too. Draupadi had developed
the strength to bear the trials of life. She had resolved firmly
not to harm the good people, and not to bend before the wicked.
Draupadi was a woman, but she became as famous as the heroic Pandavas
because of such determination. Her personality was one of lightning
and thunder. This unforgettable heroine is in no way less than Bheema
or Arjuna in strength and spirit, valour and virtue. Her story is
a saga of suffering and disgrace but she took everything in her
stride and vanquished each one of the perpetrators of her humiliation
and agony. Draupadi finds her five husbands discarding her repeatedly:
each takes at least one more wife; she never gets Arjuna to herself
for he marries Ulupi, Chitrangada and has Subhadra as his favourite.
Yudhishthira pledges her like chattel at a game of dice; and finally,
they leave her to die alone on the roadside like a pauper, utterly
rikta - drained in every sense.
Draupadi, meaning daughter of Drupad, was known
by several other names as well. As the princess of the kingdom of
Panchal she was known as Panchali. As the grand daughter of Prushata
she was known as Parsati. [ Draupadi is ayonija, not born of woman. ][*]
Draupadi is born of fire and therefore, often referred to as Yagnyaseni.
She is also called Krishnaa because she was copper skinned, fiery
eyed and had long, black hair. She was gifted with blue-lotus fragrance
wafting for a full krosha (2 miles) and hence was called Yojanagandha
(she whose fragrance can be felt for miles). [ Draupadi alone enjoys
the unique relationship of sakhi (female-friend) with her
sakha (male-friend) Krishna. She was a true virgin, and has
a mind of her very own. ][*]
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EMERGENCE OF DRAUPADI
FROM THE HOLY PYRE
|
For many years Drupad, king of Panchal, had no children.
So, to have children he performed tapas (rigorous rituals);
he thought only of God day and night and prayed to Him. God blessed
him, and two children were born out of the haven fire lit by Drupad
to fulfill his determination of vengeance against Dronacharya, his
enemy, through his death. The first to emerge out of the holy pyre
was a son, called Dhrishtadyumna, and the second, a daughter called
Draupadi. Thus Draupadi was born from the fire of vengefulness,
anger and passion. Actually she arrives as a bonus because Drupad
was performing the yajna for obtaining a son who would take revenge
on Drona and had not asked for a daughter at all. Draupadi springs
from the fire full grown, in the bloom of her youth, from the yajna
vedi - the holy pyre - not requiring a human womb, ignoring
the absence of Drupad's queen who was unable to respond to the priest's
summons because her toilet was incomplete.
Draupadi was extremely beautiful, intelligent and
virtuous woman, with her body smelling like a fresh bloom lotus.
There are few women in Hindu mythology who were aggressive and who
spoke their mind in a world of men. Draupadi was one of them. She
is considered by many as the first feminist of Indian mythology.
At the time of her birth, a celestial voice had proclaimed: "This
unparalleled beauty has taken birth to uproot the Kauravas and establish
the rule of religion". The circumstances leading to her
birth began to take shape while her father was yet young.
Drupad was the prince of Panchal. His father King
Prushta sent him to the hermitage of sage Agnivesh for his education.
There Drupad got acquainted with a brahmin, Drona, the son of sage
Bharadwaj. In a moment of camaraderie Drupad swore that they would
equally share whatever the two owned. Both went their different
ways after completing their education.
In due course Drupad became the king of Panchal.
But life was not good to Drona and he was steeped in poverty. In
despair he turned to Drupad, in hope for help, based on the promise
once made by Drupad. However, Drupad insulted Drona and told him
that friendship took place only between equals and he could help
Drona only if he came begging for alms, instead of quoting the promise
of Drupad based on friendship. Drona left but the insult festered
in his soul, waiting for an appropriate time to burst out.
In time, Drona was appointed the instructor in warfare
to the royal princes of Hastinapur, the sons of Pandu and Dhritarashtra.
However, time could not douse the flames of revenge still burning
within him. As gurudakshina (fees that were due to an instructor,
after the students' education was complete) he asked the princes
to get Drupad to him as a prisoner. The princes being skilled in
the art of warfare successfully brought King Drupad bound in chains
to Drona. The brahmin laughingly said to the king, "Once you
had promised me half your wealth, but had refused to redeem the
pledge. Today I own all your wealth, but I will honor our childhood
bond, I will give half to you and let bygones be bygones."
But Drupad was not willing to let bygones to bygones.
It was now his turn to nurse the insult. He was too old himself
to take revenge. None of his three sons, Shikhandi, Satyajit and
Vikra, were skilled enough to defeat Drona. In order to obtain such
an offspring he requested sage Yaja to conduct a sacrifice. Yaja
was assisted by his younger brother Upayaja (some text say that
Yaja assisted Upayaja) and hence two offerings were prepared. From
his first offspring to the sacrificial fire a full-grown son emerged,
armed with a sword and a bow. He was Drishtadyumna, destined to
slay Drona. From the second offering a full-grown daughter emerged,
whose dazzle blinded the eye. She was Draupadi. When Draupadi emerged
from the fire there was an oracle that she would side with God against
the evil Kauravas.
[ Draupadi is the only instance we come across in
epic mythology of a sati becoming a kanya. 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. ][*] Thus, by asserting her womanhood
and refusing to accept a life of blind subservience to her husband,
Nalayani, the sati, was transformed into Yajnaseni, the kanya. Some
sources have a slightly different narration. 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. [ According to Brahmavaivarta Purana, she is the
reincarnation of the maya Sita (shadow Sita - wife of Lord Rama,
an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and hero of Ramayana) who, in turn,
was Vedavati, reborn after molestation at Ravana's hands, and would
become the "Lakshmi of the Indras" ][*] (one of the forms of
Goddess Lakshmi, eternal consort of Lord Vishnu) in heaven.
Draupadi and Lord Krishna shared a very special
relationship. As is known to admirers of the great epic poem Mahabharata,
Draupadi always considered Lord Krishna as her Sakha or beloved
friend and Krishna addressed her as Sakhi, this as symbolic of the
platonic love existing between the fiery Draupadi and the eighth
incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Krishna. Draupadi is the instrument
of Lord Krishna. Using her, he realized his mega-plan of annihilating
the evil Kauravas. The choice of Draupadi as the instrument, which
caused his actions, explains the special place she had in his scheme
of things, Draupadi was put through severe tests in her life. The
only true friend, who validated her persona and came to her rescue
each time she found herself in dire circumstances, was Krishna,
whose divine presence she experienced constantly in her life.
 |
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SWAYAMVARA OF DRAUPADI
|
It was the Swayamvara (a ritual in which
the princess was allowed to choose her groom from amongst a group
of contenders) of Draupadi, the princess of unequalled beauty, where
the Kings and Princes gathered in hundreds, each eager to marry
the princess. King Drupad, father of Draupadi arranged a contest.
At the center of the hall a mechanical device was erected; on it
was placed a revolving object in the shape of a fish. The reflection
of this revolving fish could be seen in the water below. A very
heavy bow was kept nearby. Any one who desired the hand of Draupadi
in marriage had to lift the huge bow, bend it and tie the bowstring,
then, looking at the reflection, he had to take aim with five arrows
and bring down the rotating fish. Such a one would be a hero worthy
of Draupadi's hand. Many of the assembled kings retreated, as soon
as they heard of this contest. The hundreds of princes who had come
to marry Draupadi were all beaten.
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ARJUNA WINS THE CONTEST
AT
THE SWAYAMVARA OF DRAUPADI
|
Both Krishna and Draupadi appear for the first time
together in the Swayamvara Sabha and make decisive interventions.
It is Panchali's categorical refusal - wholly unexpected - to accept
Karna as a suitor that alters the entire complexion of that assembly,
and indeed, the course of the epic itself. The affront to Karna
sows the seeds of the assault on her in the dice-game. Pandavas
in disguise of brahmins came to the Swayambhara Sabha, and Arjuna
won Draupadi by piercing with arrow, the eye of a moving fish on
a high pole. Other than Pandavas, kings and princes became very
angry and it is her Sakha-to-be, Krishna, who steps in to put an
end to the skirmish between the furious kings and the disguised
Pandavas.
The Pandavas and Draupadi returned home from the
Swayamvara hall. The princess who had not seen the midday sun, had
to walk miles in the sweltering heat to reach her new home. Arjuna
announced to his mother that he had brought home a prize that he
so skillfully won. When Kunti (mother of Pandavas) heard this without
seeing them, she asked them to share whatever they had brought among
themselves. This was how she daily greeted them in order to ensure
they remain united. Keeping their mother's word, they divided Draupadi
amongst themselves as if she were an object. It is true that Arjuna
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 Swayamvara; she had the right to choose her husband.
Arjuna 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, Arjuna degraded Draupadi by claiming her as a prize and
his elder brother, Yudhishtira, further insulted her by carrying
out their mother's wish by treating her as if she were an object
won in a contest.
The five Pandavas were regarded as handsome and
gallant and they definitely would not have had a problem wedding
women of high birth and beauty, yet they all chose to be the husband
to the fair Draupadi. She was a victim of circumstances and had
no control over the situation when she was told that she had to
marry five men at the same time. She was expected to love all her
husbands equally, which indeed is a difficult thing to do. She was
afraid of the kind of sexual commitment she was being asked to make.
She placed her worry in a less explicit manner before Krishna. "How
am I to divide myself physically and emotionally between five husbands?"
Lord Krishna told Draupadi to spend one year with each husband.
During that period the rest of her husbands will not have any sexual
contact with her. They will be forbidden to enter the chamber in
which Draupadi and the husband-of-the-year are spending intimate
moments. If one does so, even accidentally, he would be exiled for
twelve years. Thus Draupadi became the common consort of the five
Pandavas.
Her conjugal life was strictly regimented, requiring
tremendous self-control. All her sentiments and emotions needed
a great deal of adjustment when she changed her lifestyle for each
husband accordingly. It would not be too difficult to realize the
tremendous responsibility that she had to bear as a wife of the
five heroes who led a stormy life. Despite the difficulties she
emerged as one of the most respected women in the epic story. She
bravely accepted this challenge to her womanhood, shouldered the
task and brought it to a fruitful conclusion. In due course Draupadi
had five sons, one from each of her husbands. Prativindhya was the
son of Yudhishtir, Srutasoma of Bhima, Srutakirti of Arjun, Satanika
of Nakul, and Srutakarma of Sahadev.
Draupadi was living not only in a polyandrous relationship,
but a polygamous one as well because the Pandava brothers had other
wives. Bhima was already married to the demoness Hidimba. Arjun
married several princesses after his marriage to Draupadi, including
Lord Krishna's sister Subhadra. Whereas the other princesses stayed
in their fathers' kingdoms, Subhadra came to Indraprastha to live
with him. After the deaths of Shishupala and Jarasandha, Nakul and
Sahadev married their daughters as a token of friendship. Draupadi
managed this delicate relationship harmoniously. But she had not
forgotten the reason of her birth and was biding her time.
Draupadi's unparalleled beauty and intelligence
becomes the cause of her misery. She is charmed by Arjuna, the winner
of the archery contest, set for her hand but she is bundled off
by her father as the bride of all the five Pandavas on the advice
of sage Vyasa. Her cruel fate divides her as a possession among
five husbands and cuts up her personality.
Draupadi spends a year with each of her husbands
in turn. She is denied fullness of married life with Arjuna whom
she loves with all her heart. She is born out of the sacrificial
fire (yajna) and called "Yajnaseni"; true to this appellation
she burns with men's ill-treatment and she is also the reason of
others burning on account of her reactions. She is in the open assembly-hall
provoked retaliatory oaths and vows.
In ancient India, women occupied a very important
position, in fact a superior position to men. It is a culture whose
only words for strength and power are feminine - "Shakti"
means "power" and "strength". All male power
comes from the feminine. Literary evidence suggests that kings and
towns were destroyed because a single woman was wronged by the state.
For example, Valmiki's Ramayana teaches us that Ravana and his entire
clan was wiped out because he abducted Sita. Ved Vyasa's Mahabharatha
teaches us that all the Kauravas were killed because they humiliated
Draupadi in public. Draupadi is presented as having a very impressive
brilliant and strong personality and is projected as the primary
cause of the battle of Kurukshetra.
After Draupadi married the five princes, the Pandavas,
their mother Kunti and Draupadi returned to their kingdom, being
then ruled by their uncle, Dhritarashtra. The kingdom was split
into two, Indrapastha and Hastinapur, to avoid conflicts between
the Pandavas and Kauravas. The Pandavas made the city of Indraprastha
their capital. The palace at Indrapastha was constructed by the
architect demon, Moy. The palace was heavenly and was replete with
all kinds of wonderful illusory architecture.
Once they thought of performing the great sacrifice
(yagna) of Rajsuya. A huge and wonderful hall was constructed The
beauty, grandeur and decoration of the assembly hall for the Yagna
made a visitor speechless with wonder. Lord Krishna personally supervised
the performance of the Rajsuya Sacrifice. The Kauravas has no mind
to see the splendour of their cousins. Still they also attended.
Unfortunately Duryodhana was put to shame there. In the new palace
he took a pond for polished floor and fell into the water. Draupadi
laughed at this. Further on he saw the floor shining wih high polish
and thought it was a pond; so he lifted up his clothing that it
may not get wet. Again there were waves of laughter. At that moment,
Draupadi laughed at Duryodhana, saying "son of a blind would
be blind himself". Some versions of Mahabharata do not support
this, though it does mention the hearty laugh. These insulting moments
pierced Duryodhana deep within him. Nevertheless, because of this
insult and the envy within him, of the Pandavas' luxury, Duryodhana
decided to humble them and hence proposed them to play a game of
dice.
 |
GAME OF DICE BETWEEN
PANDAVAS AND KAURAVAS
|
Yudhishthira was very fond of gambling (game of
dice). But he was no expert. Shakuni, maternal uncle of Kauravas,
was a very experienced player. Yudhishthira went on losing. He offered
his chariots, horses and elephants as stakes and lost them; and
eventually he lost his kingdom, Indraprastha, as well. Finally he
and his four brothers became the slaves of the Kaurava king. He
lost Draupadi also in this gamble. The Kauravas having won, Duryodhana
ordered that Draupadi be dragged into the court. The Pandavas bent
their heads in shame. Yudhishthira now knew what an unjust action
he was guilty of. But it was now too late and regret was of no use.
When Draupadi heard this news she was dazed. But instead of meekly
obeying her husband Yudhishthira , she sent back a query which none
could answer. She questioned her husband Yudhishthira, if he had
pledged her before or after he had lost himself in the gamble. She
argued that if he had pledged himself first, he had no right over
her as he was already a slave. She later challenged the game as
illegal as she argued, that Duryodhan, a Kaurava, had not placed
his brothers and wife as a matching stake. Mahabharata tells us
how the assembly started to hiss loudly when Yudhishthira staked
Draupadi. Plausibly the ownership of the wife by the husband was
recognized but not respected in society. The Ramayana preaches that
there is no greater gift for a man than his wife. But the phrase
gift to a man gives the impression that the wife is merely an object
to provide happiness for the man.
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DISROBING OF DRAUPADI
BY DUHSSHASANA (VASTRAHARANA)
|
Duryodhan ordered Dusshasana to drag Draupadi by
her hair to the royal court before the great assembly of people
and then to disrobe her completely. Karna calling her a public woman
whose being clothed or naked is immaterial. Draupadi looked at all
elders in the court - Dhritarashtra, Bheeshma, Drona, Kripa and
Vidura - with her eyes shouting for help. But all elders were silent.
The subjects were stunned. Her husbands sat with their heads bowed.
Draupadi had a marvelous blend of intensity that suits kshatriyas
and forgiveness that fits devotees. She was very intelligent and
knowledgeable. She had a brilliant mind, was utterly "one-in-herself"
and did not hesitate in reprimanding the Kuru elders for countenancing
wickedness. When Dusshasana was dragging her by the hair to the
court, she ridiculed him to show his prowess against her husbands.
She also boldly reprimanded the elders present in the court and
appealed to them to do justice. She cried out to her silent husbands.
But nobody came for help. Finding no response, with quicksilver
presence of mind she seizes upon a social ritual to wrest some moments
of respite from pillaging hands.
[*]Taken from Panchkanya by Pradip Bhattacharya ( visit http://www.indianest.com/hinduism/panchkanya/pk01.htm ).
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